About St. James · Bishop, Texas
St. James Catholic Church is a Latin-rite parish in the small South Texas farm town of Bishop, Nueces County, located along U.S. Highway 77 in the Coastal Bend. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Corpus Christi and is paired with St. James Mission Church in nearby Driscoll, sharing weekend Mass coverage between the two communities. The parish has served Catholic families of Bishop, Driscoll and the surrounding rural area since the early days of F.Z. Bishop's 'Cotton Capital of the Coast,' and continues as a worship site with daily and weekend Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, Confessions, religious education and parish fellowship.
- Established
- early 1900s (parish organized in the 1910s; IRS-recognized since 1946)
- Patron
- St. James the Greater (Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. Francis Sebastian, MST (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Corpus Christi
Why belong here
St. James offers a small-town, family-friendly Catholic community in the heart of the Coastal Bend, where weekend Mass is shared between the historic Bishop church and the Driscoll mission chapel, allowing parishioners to worship in either location. Daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, a Tuesday holy hour with Adoration, weekly Confession, and ongoing faith formation make the sacraments accessible throughout the week. Generations of Nueces County ranching, farming and petrochemical-plant families have found here a place where everyone knows your name and the parish cemetery links current members to the pioneers of Bishop itself.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 6:00–7:00 PM
- Saturday 5:30–6:00 PM
- Sunday 9:30–10:00 AM (at St. James Mission Church, Driscoll)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 6:00–7:00 PM (Eucharistic Adoration)
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish and its Driscoll mission are presently administered by a priest of the Missionaries of the Holy Family (M.S.T.), appointed by the Bishop of Corpus Christi. Day-to-day parish operations, religious education and liturgy are coordinated through the parish office at 603 W 3rd Street.
- Rev. Francis Sebastian, MST – Parochial Administrator (serves St. James Parish, Bishop and St. James Mission, Driscoll)
- Diocese of Corpus Christi – canonical authority; bishop as of 2026 is Most Rev. Mario Alberto Avilés Campos, C.O.
Parish History & Setting
Bishop, Texas was platted in 1910 by promoter F.Z. Bishop on 2,300 acres of the former Driscoll Ranch, along the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico Railroad. The Catholic community here was organized in the early 1910s to serve the farming and ranching families of southwestern Nueces County, and was formally recognized by the IRS as 'Saint James Catholic Parish Bishop Texas' in March 1946. Over more than a century the parish has ministered to generations of cotton farmers, cattle ranchers and — after Celanese opened its Bishop plant in 1945 — petrochemical workers at the local Celanese/Ticona/BASF facilities.
- Bishop, TX incorporated April 1912; first lots sold May 30, 1910
- St. James Parish organized in the early 1910s with the town
- IRS tax-exempt status granted March 1946 (EIN 74-1504359)
- Diocese of Corpus Christi erected March 23, 1912 by Pope St. Pius X
Mission Church: St. James, Driscoll
St. James Mission Church in Driscoll (about 5 miles east of Bishop) shares clergy and worship life with St. James Parish, giving the two small rural communities a single pastoral team. The Driscoll chapel hosts a 10:00 AM Sunday Mass and Sunday morning Confessions, making weekend worship accessible to families on both sides of the Bishop–Driscoll corridor.
- Sunday Mass – 10:00 AM (English)
- Confessions – Sundays 9:30–10:00 AM
Sacraments & Faith Formation
St. James prepares parishioners of all ages for the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation) through its Religious Education program, and works with couples seeking Matrimony and families needing Anointing of the Sick. Families interested in having a child baptized, scheduling a wedding, or arranging First Communion/Confirmation classes should contact the parish office at (361) 584-3250.
- Baptism preparation
- First Communion & Confirmation preparation
- Marriage preparation / weddings
- Anointing of the Sick / pastoral visits
- Religious Education for children and youth
Ministries & Parish Life
Although a small rural parish, St. James supports an active roster of lay ministries: liturgical ministers serve at weekend and daily Mass, parishioners lead Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays, religious education catechists teach the faith to the parish's children, and parish fellowship brings the Bishop and Driscoll communities together throughout the year. The parish also keeps in touch with parishioners via Flocknote email and Flocknote texting.
- Liturgical ministries (ushers, lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, sacristans)
- Choir / music ministry
- Eucharistic Adoration leaders
- Religious Education / catechists
- Parish fellowship and social events
- Flocknote email & text-message communications
Saint James Catholic Cemetery
Adjacent to the parish is Saint James Catholic Cemetery (Find a Grave ID 6575), located on County Road 4 west of Bishop. With more than 660 memorials, the cemetery is the resting place of pioneer Catholic families of the Bishop and Driscoll area and is a tangible link between today's parish and the founding generation of the town.
- Location: County Road 4, Bishop, TX 78343
- Coordinates: 27.56909, -97.79540
- Memorials: 664+ (81% photographed by Find a Grave contributors)
- County: Nueces County, Texas
Visiting & Contact Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone at (361) 584-3250 or in person at 603 W 3rd Street, Bishop, TX 78343. The parish communicates through its website stjbishop.org, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the Flocknote network.
- Address: 603 W 3rd St, Bishop, TX 78343
- Phone: (361) 584-3250
- Website: https://stjbishop.org
- Social: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Flocknote
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Francis Sebastian, MSTpresent (Parochial Administrator)
Missionary of the Holy Family; currently serves both St. James Parish, Bishop and St. James Mission, Driscoll, as listed by the Diocese of Corpus Christi.