About St. Isidore Catholic Church · Abernathy, Texas
St. Isidore Catholic Church is a small English-speaking Catholic parish serving the farming community of Abernathy, Texas, in the South Plains region of the Texas Panhandle. Established in 1966, the parish is part of the Diocese of Lubbock and is currently pastored by Rev. Brian Wood, who also serves nearby Our Lady Queen of the Apostles in New Deal. The parish sits along Interstate 27 and draws visitors from across the country who come to pray at its outdoor Christo Shrine and Marian Shrine. With a weekly Mass attendance of around 100, St. Isidore is a tight-knit country parish offering daily Mass, regular confession, First Friday adoration, and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) catechesis.
- Established
- 1966
- Patron
- St. Isidore the Farmer
- Rector
- Rev. Brian Wood
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lubbock
Why belong here
St. Isidore offers the full rhythm of Catholic parish life in an intimate, small-town setting: a Sunday Mass at 9:00 AM and a daily 8:30 AM Mass Monday through Saturday (with the exception of Tuesday, when the parish participates in the broader diocesan schedule). Faithful can receive the Sacrament of Penance every Saturday from 5:00–6:00 PM and Sunday morning from 8:30–9:00 AM, or by appointment; First Friday brings Eucharistic Adoration at 7:30 AM, and the Rosary is prayed before Sunday Mass. The parish welcomes those preparing for full initiation into the Church through OCIA led by Deacon Roy Garibay, and welcomes visitors who come to pray at the outdoor Christo Shrine and Marian Shrine — a unique feature of this rural Lubbock County parish.
Mass times at St. Isidore Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Sunday 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday 7:30 AM (Mass followed by adoration) — per diocesan directory
- First Friday 7:00 PM — per parish Google Sites page
Welcome & Identity
St. Isidore Catholic Church is a small English-language parish in Abernathy, Texas, established in 1966 and belonging to the Diocese of Lubbock. The parish serves the farming communities of northern Lubbock County along Interstate 27 and welcomes both long-time parishioners and travelers who stop to pray at its outdoor shrines. With weekly Mass attendance in the range of roughly 100, the parish prides itself on a personal, family-style atmosphere where regulars and visitors alike are greeted by name.
- Patron: St. Isidore the Farmer
- Diocese: Lubbock
- Established: 1966
- Located in Lubbock County, Texas
History & Shrines
The parish was canonically established in 1966 to serve the Catholic farming families around Abernathy. As the community grew, the parish built a rectory in 1983, a parish hall in 1985, and in 1997 erected the Christo Shrine on its grounds. A Marian Shrine was added alongside it. Together the two outdoor shrines have made St. Isidore a stop for pilgrims and travelers from across Texas and beyond; the parish has been featured on statewide and national radio and television.
- 1966 – Parish established
- 1983 – Parish Rectory built
- 1985 – Parish Hall built
- 1997 – Christo Shrine erected
- Marian Shrine also on site
- Reported stories of healings and renewed faith connected to visits
Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Leadership
St. Isidore has been served since July 1, 2019 by Rev. Brian Wood, who also serves as pastor of the neighboring Our Lady Queen of the Apostles mission in New Deal. Deacon Roy Garibay assists at St. Isidore and directs the OCIA program. The parish staff includes Office Manager/Financial Secretary Laura DeAnda and Parish Catechetical Leader Gloria Garibay. The parish office is open Monday and Wednesday through Friday, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
- Pastor: Rev. Brian Wood (assigned July 1, 2019)
- Deacon: Roy Garibay (also OCIA director)
- Office Manager / Financial Secretary: Laura DeAnda
- Parish Catechetical Leader: Gloria Garibay
- Office hours: M, W–F, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Father Brian Wood
Father Brian Wood was ordained to the priesthood at Christ the King Cathedral in Lubbock and brings a U.S. Air Force chaplain background to his ministry. Before being assigned to St. Isidore, he served at Sacred Heart Church in Littlefield. He was assigned pastor of St. Isidore and the Our Lady Queen of the Apostles mission on July 1, 2019. He is also active in the wider civic life of Abernathy, where he has publicly spoken on pro-life causes.
- Ordained at Christ the King Cathedral, Lubbock
- U.S. Air Force chaplain background
- Previously Sacred Heart, Littlefield
- Pastor of St. Isidore since July 1, 2019
Faith Formation & OCIA
St. Isidore offers formation for adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), directed by Deacon Roy Garibay. The parish also has a Parish Catechetical Leader (PCL), Gloria Garibay, who coordinates ongoing religious education for parish families. As a small parish, formation is closely tied to the liturgical life of the community, with catechumens and candidates participating in Sunday Mass and parish devotions throughout the year.
- OCIA (adult initiation) — Deacon Roy Garibay
- Parish Catechetical Leader — Gloria Garibay
- Catechesis integrated with Sunday Mass and parish devotions
Christo Shrine & Marian Shrine
The parish grounds host two outdoor devotional sites that have given St. Isidore a reputation well beyond its small-town borders. The Christo Shrine was erected in 1997, and a Marian Shrine stands alongside it. The parish notes that visitors — including truck drivers, families, and individuals from across the country — regularly stop to pray, and that the shrines have been featured on radio and television programs throughout Texas and the United States. Parishioners have shared accounts of healings and profound spiritual renewals connected with visits.
- Christo Shrine — erected 1997
- Marian Shrine — on parish grounds
- Visitors from across the U.S.
- Featured on radio and TV statewide and nationally
Parish Facilities & Visiting
The parish campus includes the church, a rectory (built 1983), a parish hall (built 1985), and the outdoor Christo and Marian Shrines, all accessed from 17813 N. I-27 in Abernathy. The parish has highlighted that its parking lot suffers from drainage problems and high traffic from shrine visitors, and has run fundraising appeals — including participation in #iGiveCatholic — to re-level, repave, and install drainage. Travelers along I-27 are welcomed to stop and pray.
- Church, rectory (1983), parish hall (1985)
- Christo Shrine (1997) and Marian Shrine
- Capital campaign to repair parking and drainage
- Participated in #iGiveCatholic
Contact & Communication
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone or email during regular office hours, follow the parish's Facebook page for updates, or consult the public online calendar (linked from the parish Google Sites page) for the latest Mass, confession, and event schedule.
- Phone: (806) 298-4278
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stisidoreabernathy.weebly.com (also a Google Sites page)
- Facebook: facebook.com/StIsidoreCatholicChurchAbernathy
- Public online calendar linked from parish site
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Brian WoodJuly 1, 2019 – present
Also pastor of nearby Our Lady Queen of the Apostles in New Deal; previously served Sacred Heart in Littlefield; ordained at Christ the King Cathedral, Lubbock; U.S. Air Force chaplain background.