About St. Francis Xavier · Stonewall, Texas
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church is a small parish in Stonewall, Texas, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country (Gillespie County). It belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio and serves a bilingual community of local ranching families, with weekly Sunday Masses in English and a bilingual English/Spanish liturgy. The parish is best known historically as the church President Lyndon B. Johnson attended when he was at his nearby ranch.
- Established
- 1945 (cornerstone laid June 20, 1945; dedicated March 24, 1946; established as a parish September 1966)
- Patron
- St. Francis Xavier (the Jesuit missionary saint, for whom the parish was named after Monsignor Wolf's patron saint)
- Rector
- Rev. Phillip D. (Phil) Henning
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio
Why belong here
St. Francis Xavier is a small, close-knit Hill Country parish where families know each other by name and visitors are warmly received. The community offers daily and weekend Masses, a 24-hour Perpetual Adoration Chapel, frequent Confession times, bilingual liturgy (English and Spanish), adult faith formation studies such as 'A Biblical Walk Through the Mass,' Vacation Bible School, the St. Rose and St. Thomas parish societies, and a thriving Knights of Columbus Council #14283. Members also actively support young parishioners serving as Missioners of Christ in Honduras, giving the parish a missionary heart well beyond its small-town size.
Mass times at St. Francis Xavier
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM (before 9:00 AM Mass)
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM (before 9:00 AM Mass)
- Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM (before noon Mass)
- Thursday: 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM (before noon Mass)
- Friday: 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM (before 9:00 AM Mass)
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM (before 5:00 PM Mass)
- Also available upon request
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel (open 24 hours; access code required)
Parish History
St. Francis Xavier grew out of the determination of about twenty Catholic families in the late 1800s and early 1940s who, after more than sixty years of traveling to Fredericksburg for Mass, finally built their own church during World War II. Father Thomas Coleman of St. Mary's in Fredericksburg began traveling to Stonewall twice a month in 1942 to say Mass in Weinheimer's Dance Hall, and that ministry — together with a summer catechetical school for as many as 71 children — is the direct seed of the parish. After wartime delays, ground was broken in May 1945, the cornerstone laid on June 20, 1945, and the church dedicated on March 24, 1946 with seventy-four families present.
The Founding Land and Buildings
The parish grounds and buildings were made possible by the donation of three acres by Mrs. Henry Burg and her sons Simon and Marcus, who gave the land for the church. In 1960 the parish completed St. Thomas Hall — a social and fellowship hall named for Father Coleman's patron saint. The church was elevated from mission to parish status in September 1966 by Archbishop Robert E. Lucey, and in 1968 a new rectory was built and blessed on September 22, 1968 to house the pastor.
- Original church land (3 acres) donated by Mrs. Henry Burg and sons Simon and Marcus
- St. Thomas Hall dedicated April 23, 1960
- Rectory blessed September 22, 1968
The LBJ Connection
St. Francis Xavier is the Catholic church closest to the LBJ Ranch, and despite being a lifelong member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), President Lyndon B. Johnson attended Mass here regularly when he was at the ranch — frequently with his daughter Luci. He developed a personal friendship with the pastor of the era, Father Wunibald Schneider, who is identified in LBJ Library records as 'personal friend of President Johnson.' Photographs from November 3, 1968 in the LBJ Library collection document the President and Lady Bird Johnson leaving Mass after speaking with Father Schneider outside the church doors.
Sunday Masses
Sunday Masses are celebrated at 9:00 AM in English and at 11:00 AM as a bilingual liturgy in English and Spanish — reflecting the parish's commitment to the Spanish-speaking families of the Hill Country and Fredericksburg area. Confessions are heard before the 9:00 AM Mass from 8:00 to 8:30 AM.
Weekday Masses and First Saturday
Weekday Masses follow a consistent rhythm: Tuesday at 9:00 AM, Wednesday and Thursday at 12:00 noon, and Friday at 9:00 AM, with Confession an hour before each. Saturday evening Mass is at 5:00 PM, preceded by Confession from 3:00 to 4:30 PM. On the first Saturday of each month, an additional Mass is offered at 8:00 AM, followed by a time of sharing among parishioners.
Faith Formation and Adult Education
St. Francis Xavier invests deeply in ongoing Catholic formation for adults. The parish has hosted the well-known Ascension Press study 'A Biblical Walk Through the Mass,' a five-week exploration of the biblical roots of the Liturgy, meeting in St. Thomas Hall. A separate twelve-week course — also gathered at the parish — teaches how Catholic belief emerges from the living story of salvation history, with new participants welcome to join at any point. The parish also runs an annual Vacation Bible School for children.
- A Biblical Walk Through the Mass (five-week study in St. Thomas Hall)
- 12-week Adult Faith Formation course on salvation history
- Annual Vacation Bible School
Parish Societies and Community Life
Parish life at St. Francis Xavier is supported by named lay societies including the St. Rose Society and the St. Thomas Society (the latter references the parish's social hall St. Thomas Hall). These groups help organize events, host fellowship meals, and care for the parish grounds and facilities. Parishioners Mary Elizabeth and Daniel Schultz are discerned to serve as Missioners of Christ in Honduras, joining Maria Victoria and Emmanuel Hinckley for a mission trip in late June through early July; the parish promotes their mission campaigns and accepts direct support for them through the parish office.
- St. Rose Society
- St. Thomas Society
- Missioners of Christ — Honduras mission support (Schultz and Hinckley families)
Knights of Columbus Council #14283
The St. Francis Xavier council of the Knights of Columbus is an active lay men's fraternity that lives out the order's four principles of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. Council 14283 sponsors parish blood drives, dedicates parish improvements (such as the new flag pole and veterans' honors), supports local charitable institutions like Cornerstone Services and the Daybreak Shelter, and participates in statewide Intellectual Disabilities fund drives such as the Tootsie Roll campaign. New Knights are regularly welcomed and invited to take part in faith-in-action service to the parish and the wider community.
- Charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism as guiding principles
- Parish blood drives and Flag Pole / Veterans dedication
- Support for Daybreak Shelter and Cornerstone Services
- Tootsie Roll Intellectual Disabilities fund drive
Sacraments and Sacramental Life
The parish offers the full sacramental life of the Church, with particular strength in the Eucharist and Confession. Mass is celebrated Sunday through Saturday with bilingual coverage, Perpetual Adoration is offered in the Adoration Chapel, and Confession is available at six regular weekly times plus by appointment. Couples should contact the parish office for marriage preparation; inquiries about Baptism, Anointing of the Sick, and other sacraments are likewise handled through the office.
- Daily Mass and Perpetual Adoration
- Confession six days a week plus on request
- Marriage preparation, Baptism, Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Thomas Coleman1942-1945
Came from St. Mary's in Fredericksburg twice a month during WWII gas rationing; celebrated Mass in Weinheimer's Dance Hall; broke ground for the new church in May 1945.
- Father Wunibald Schneider
Pastor during the Lyndon B. Johnson era; personal friend of President Johnson, who attended Mass here at the nearby ranch.
- Rev. Phillip D. Henning2023-present
Assigned as pastor effective July 1, 2023, per Archdiocese of San Antonio assignments.