About St. Gertrude · Kingsville, Texas
St. Gertrude the Great Catholic Church is a historic Roman-Latin parish in Kingsville, Texas, in the Diocese of Corpus Christi. Tracing its origins to the first Catholic services celebrated in Kingsville in February 1908, the parish has served the Catholic community of Kingsville and surrounding South Texas areas for over a century. The current church building was constructed in 1957 on land acquired during the WWII-era growth of Kingsville, and today the parish offers three Sunday Masses, a daily Mass schedule, First Friday Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction, RCIA, Adult Faith Formation, an Adult Choir, and an active Outreach Ministry.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- Saint Gertrude the Great
- Rector
- Rev. Robert Dunn
- Diocese
- Diocese of Corpus Christi
Why belong here
Parishioners of St. Gertrude find a community rooted in more than a century of Catholic life in Kingsville, anchored by three Sunday Masses and a strong daily-Mass schedule. The parish supports spiritual growth through Adult Faith Formation (Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings), Bible Study on Saturdays, RCIA for those entering the Church, and a praying parish life centered on First Friday Adoration and Benediction. Practical works — the Outreach Ministry (helping with groceries, prescription programs, and financial needs), the Knights of Columbus (coat drives, bereavement support, parish hall catering), the Adult Choir, and the Friday Church Cleaning Ministry — make it easy to put faith into action alongside fellow parishioners.
Mass times at St. Gertrude
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday (call parish office for time)
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament begins immediately after the 8:00 AM Mass in the Chapel and continues until 6:00 PM, with Benediction at 6:00 PM.
Parish History
St. Gertrude traces its roots to the first Catholic services in Kingsville in February 1908. The parish withstood two hurricanes (1916 partial damage, 1919 total destruction), a 1925 fire, a WWII-era expansion under Msgr. Baumgartner, the 1951 opening of St. Gertrude School, and the 1957 construction and dedication of the present church. The 1982 Silver Anniversary and the 2007 Golden Anniversary — celebrated on the Feast of St. Gertrude the Great — marked major milestones, and a more recent feasibility study led to a church refurbishment, a new rectory, and the conversion of the old rectory into the parish offices and Outreach Ministry space.
- First Catholic services: February 1908
- First resident pastor: Rev. Joseph Como
- 1919 hurricane destroyed the church
- 1920 brick-and-tile church built under Fr. Erasmus Goeckner, C.S.P.
- 1925 fire destroyed the interior
- St. Gertrude School opened September 1951
- Current church dedicated December 9, 1957 by Bishop M.S. Garriga
- Silver Anniversary: December 8, 1982
- Golden Anniversary: November 16, 2007 on the Feast of St. Gertrude the Great
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently shepherded by Rev. Robert Dunn as pastor and supported by two deacons and lay staff. The parish office answers at (361) 592-7351 and can be reached at [email protected].
- Rev. Robert Dunn — Pastor
- Deacon Ruben Soliz
- Deacon Rick Morin
- Vicki Benys — Secretary
- Margaret Adams — Bookkeeper / Coordinator for Evangelization & Catechists
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Adult formation is a strong pillar of parish life at St. Gertrude. Programs include RCIA/OCIA for those becoming Catholic, weekly Adult Faith Formation, a Saturday Bible Study group, and ongoing Catholic Faith Formation sessions held in the Community Life Center.
- RCIA / OCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (seasonal)
- Adult Faith Formation Group — Wednesdays 6:30 PM
- Catholic Faith Formation — Thursdays in the Community Life Center, Room 2
- Bible Study — Saturdays at 8:00 AM
RCIA / OCIA — Becoming Catholic
RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is a series of instructions for non-Catholic adults seeking to know more about the Catholic Church or who wish to become Catholics. It runs on a seasonal schedule, with the parish noting, "It's never too late to learn more about God's love."
Parish Ministries
Catholic ministries at St. Gertrude serve the parish and the wider Kingsville community in four overlapping areas: liturgical service, catechetical and formation programs, pastoral care, and social-justice outreach. The parish actively invites parishioners to share their time and talent.
- Outreach Program — helping the poor with groceries, prescription programs, and some financial needs
- Parish Pastoral Council — involved in liturgical and spiritual life of the parish
- Knights of Columbus — charitable contributions, Coat for Kids drive, bereavement support, hall catering for civic and parish organizations (e.g., University Catholic Center, Bull Riders Association, TAMUK events, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church)
- Adult Choir — practice Mondays 7:15 PM in the choir loft
- Church Cleaning Ministry — meets each Friday
Outreach Program
The St. Gertrude Outreach Ministry serves the poor of the Kingsville community by helping with grocery items, signing people up for prescription programs, and meeting some financial needs. The ministry operates out of the parish offices in the converted old rectory. Those in need, or those interested in volunteering, are encouraged to call the parish office.
- Groceries
- Prescription program enrollment
- Limited financial assistance
Knights of Columbus
The parish Council of the Knights of Columbus is active in charity, community service, and fellowship. They provide funds for underprivileged families at Christmas and parishioners in extraordinary circumstances, donate to seminarian support, run the annual Coat for Kids drive (240+ coats yearly), provide catering, manpower, and hall rentals for civic and parish organizations, and assist bereaved parishioner families with meals and the Knights of Columbus Hall.
- Coat for Kids drive
- Bereavement support
- Charitable contributions at Christmas and beyond
- Hall rental and catering for civic and parish events
- Seminarian support
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at St. Gertrude is supported by the Adult Choir, which rehearses in the church choir loft on Mondays at 7:15 PM and is open to all adults who love to sing.
- Adult Choir practice — Mondays 7:15 PM in the choir loft
Annual Fundraiser
St. Gertrude holds an annual fundraiser to support the ongoing life and mission of the parish. Details are published on the parish website each year.
Newcomers
Those looking for a new parish home are warmly invited to consider St. Gertrude. The parish encourages new faces to attend Mass, join an Adult Faith Formation session, walk in during Adoration on First Fridays, or simply call the parish office to learn more.
Visit & Contact
The parish office is located at 1120 S 8th St, Kingsville, TX 78363. Phone: (361) 592-7351. Email: [email protected]. Visitors and newcomers are always welcome at Mass and at any parish activity.
- Address: 1120 S 8th St, Kingsville, TX 78363
- Phone: (361) 592-7351
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Como
First resident pastor of St. Gertrude Church in the early 1900s.
- Fr. Erasmus Goeckner, C.S.P.1920–
Directed the construction of the brick-and-tile church on the original site in 1920.
- Msgr. George BaumgartnerWWII era
Acquired the eight acres at Caesar and 8th Street and oversaw the building of St. Gertrude School (1951) and the current church (1957).
- Fr. Roger Smith
Directed the parish facility feasibility study.
- Fr. Piotr Koziel
Continued the feasibility study and major campus refresh, including new rectory and parish offices.
- Fr. James Stembler
Helped the parish grow spiritually and physically through stewardship of time, talent, and treasure.
- Fr. Joseph Lopez
Continued to spread the Word of the Lord and grow the parish in faith.
- Rev. Robert Dunn
Current pastor (per the parish Staff page).