About St. John the Baptist · Alvin, Texas
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Alvin, Texas, the largest and only Catholic church in the city, belonging to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Established as a parish in 1952 and rooted in Catholic missionary activity in Alvin dating back to the 1870s, the parish serves a bilingual (English and Spanish) community from its campus at 110 E. South Street. It offers weekly and daily Mass, perpetual adoration, sacramental preparation, youth ministry, faith formation (CCE) for children, and pastoral counseling. The parish's mission is to develop a more united and involved community actively spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Established
- 1918
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. John Kare Taosan
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist is the largest and only Catholic parish in Alvin, with a strong bilingual identity and a clear bilingual Mass schedule (English and Spanish, including a Vigil Mass and Sunday Masses in both languages). It offers a perpetual Adoration Chapel open Monday through Friday, weekly confession on Friday mornings and Saturday afternoons, an active parish counseling apostolate (MyParishCounseling), a long-running Altar Society dating to 1918, an engaged Junior High and Senior High Youth Ministry, and K–5 faith formation using Loyola Press's Finding God curriculum. For Catholics in northern Brazoria County it is the spiritual hub: a century-old faith community that has served the city since 1918 and now hosts a complete sacramental and formation life for both English- and Spanish-speaking families.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM (some bulletins list 3:00 PM – 4:45 PM)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
History of St. John the Baptist Parish
Catholic worship in Alvin predates the parish itself by decades. The earliest remembered Mass was offered in the 1879 home of Mrs. Jess Bruner, and the city's first resident priest, Father George Montreuil, served a vast Gulf Coast mission from about 1911. In 1917 Alvin became a station of Rosenberg, and with a $500 gift from the Catholic Extension Society of Chicago plus local collections, the first church was built and Mass was first said there in May 1918. After more than two decades as a mission — first of Galveston, then of Our Lady of Guadalupe — Bishop Wendelin J. Nold canonically erected St. John's as a parish on September 17, 1952. The parish grew onto a new 8.5-acre campus at a location called Five Point, where Bishop Byrne blessed the ground in 1948 and where the old church was physically moved in 1949; Msgr. Daniel P. O'Connell, P.A. broke ground for a new church there in 1954.
- 1879: First Mass remembered in the home of Mrs. Jess Bruner
- c. 1911–1914: Father George Montreuil serves Alvin as a station of Bay City
- 1917: Alvin becomes a station of Rosenberg under Father I.J. Valenta; Catholic Extension Society of Chicago gift of $500 received Sept. 27, 1917
- May 1918: First church built; Mass first celebrated there
- September 1918: Altar Society of St. John the Baptist organized
- October 1939: Alvin attached as a mission to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Galveston (Father James Conway in charge)
- December 9, 1948: Bishop Byrne blesses the new Five Point grounds
- August 29, 1949: Old church moved to the Five Point site
- July 1952: Rectory begun; completed September 1952
- September 17, 1952: Canonically erected as a parish by Bishop Wendelin J. Nold, S.T.D.
- April 12, 1954: Groundbreaking for the new church — Msgr. Daniel P. O'Connell, P.A.
Pastoral Lineage
The parish's recorded pastoral succession runs from Father George Montreuil in the early 1910s through Father I.J. Valenta (Rosenberg, 1917), Father James Conway (Our Lady of Guadalupe, Galveston, from 1939), Father James Delaney, O.M.I. (1948–1952, the Oblate who moved and built up the parish at Five Point) and the current pastor, Rev. John Kare Taosan, who was appointed administrator effective July 1, 2014 by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and continues to serve more than a decade later.
- Father George Montreuil — Bay City / Alvin circuit priest, c. 1911–1914
- Father I.J. Valenta — Rosenberg, 1917
- Father James Conway — Our Lady of Guadalupe, Galveston, 1939–c.1948
- Father James Delaney, O.M.I. — 1948–1952, mission-to-parish transition
- Rev. John Kare Taosan — 2014–present
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. John Kare Taosan and is supported by a team of deacons and lay staff. The office manager / bookkeeper is Wayne Nowak; the office assistant is Teresa Flores; and Stacey Vasquez, Diane Jones, LizBeth Hernandez and Ana Hinojosa serve in the CCE (Faith Formation) office, with Hilda R DeLeon and Karen Wollem also listed as CCE office assistants. Deacon David Bowman (who also serves as Assistant Chaplain of the Catholic Daughters Alvin Court 2073), Deacon Allen Stanton and Deacon Lupe Martinez assist the parish, and David Bowman is the parish groundskeeper-listed contact along with Elizabeth Farris as Coordinator for Faith Formation. (Staffing lists on the parish website overlap roles and some names appear under multiple headings; the names above are taken directly from the official staff page.)
- Pastor: Rev. John Kare Taosan
- Deacons: David Bowman, Allen Stanton, Lupe Martinez, Hilda R DeLeon
- Parish Office Manager / Bookkeeper: Wayne Nowak
- Receptionist / Office Assistant: Teresa Flores
- Coordinator for Faith Formation: Elizabeth Farris
- CCE Office Assistants: Stacey Vasquez, Diane Jones, LizBeth Hernandez, Ana Hinojosa, Karen Wollem
Faith Formation (CCE) and Sacrament Preparation
Faith Formation at St. John the Baptist runs K–5 using Loyola Press's Finding God: Our Response to God's Gifts curriculum (Encontrando a Dios for Spanish-speaking students), which is in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church per the USCCB subcommittee on the catechism. Classes are offered Wednesdays 5:15–6:45 PM (English K–5 and Spanish K–2), Sundays 11:15 AM–12:45 PM (English) and 9:15–10:45 AM (Spanish), with a Monday 6:00–8:00 PM Communion Sacramental Preparation track for older children. Tuition is $125 per family for active parishioners (registered at least one year, attending Mass, contributing financially, and serving in the parish) and $200 for non-active/non-parishioner families, with a $25 early-enrollment discount for active parishioners June 1–25. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion is offered twice a year, with a one-year prior formation requirement for children in 2nd–5th grade and a fall-track option for youth in 6th–12th grade. Youth confirmation is handled by the parish, while adult confirmation candidates are routed through the CCE office at 281-824-0877.
- K–5 CCE — Finding God (English) / Encontrando a Dios (Spanish)
- Wednesday 5:15–6:45 PM English K–5 & Spanish K–2
- Sunday English 11:15 AM–12:45 PM; Spanish 9:15–10:45 AM
- Monday 6:00–8:00 PM Communion Sacramental Preparation
- First Reconciliation & First Communion: 2× yearly; children must complete one year of formation
- Confirmation: youth track (parish) and adult track (through CCE office)
- Tuition 2026–27: $125 active parishioners / $200 non-active; $25 early-bird discount June 1–25
Baptism, Marriage and Anointing
Baptism preparation helps parents understand the religious significance of the sacrament and equips them to raise their children in the Catholic tradition. Classes are held monthly in Spanish and bi-monthly in English; parents must register for classes and provide a copy of the birth certificate, and godparents must have received all sacraments of initiation (Baptism, First Eucharist and Confirmation) and, if married, be married in the Catholic Church. The parish also celebrates an Anointing Mass on the first Saturday of each month at 8:00 AM, and offers marriage preparation through the parish office.
- Baptism classes monthly in Spanish, bi-monthly in English
- Godparents must be fully initiated Catholics; if married, married in the Catholic Church
- Anointing Mass — 1st Saturday, 8:00 AM English
- Marriage — contact the parish office
Youth Ministry
St. John the Baptist's Youth Ministry aims to help young people live as followers of Jesus and become responsible participants in the Catholic faith community through faith formation, service ministry, community activities, social gatherings and special events. The parish runs both active Junior High and Senior High youth groups that grow through retreats, service opportunities and socials, with adult volunteers serving as drivers, chaperones, game leaders and retreat leaders after completing Safe Environment Training through Catholic Mutual Group (CMG).
- Junior High Youth Ministry
- Senior High Youth Ministry
- Retreats, service opportunities, socials
- Adult volunteers required to complete CMG Safe Environment Training
Parish Counseling Ministry
In partnership with MyParishCounseling and the Rejoice Counseling Apostolate, the parish offers free or low-cost counseling services. A Rejoice counselor is available at the church office one day per week, and parishioners can also access support through (844) 295-3167 or myparishcounseling.com/stjohnalvin. Fr. John Taosan has highlighted this ministry as a way to care for the well-being of the parish community.
- Counselor on-site one day per week (Rejoice Counseling Apostolate)
- Helpline: (844) 295-3167
- Website: myparishcounciling.com/stjohnalvin
Community Organizations and Lay Groups
St. John the Baptist parish supports a number of long-standing community organizations, beginning with the Altar Society founded in September 1918, which historically funded church improvements through chicken dinners and food sales. The parish is also the spiritual home of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Alvin Court 2073, for which Father John Taosan serves as Court Chaplain and Deacon David Bowman as Assistant Chaplain. Adult volunteers working with youth must complete Safe Environment Training through Catholic Mutual Group (CMG).
- Altar Society (founded September 1918)
- Catholic Daughters of the Americas — Alvin Court 2073
- Court Chaplain: Fr. John Taosan
- Assistant Chaplain: Dcn. David Bowman
- Safe Environment Training through Catholic Mutual Group (CMG)
Visiting, Contact and Office Information
The parish office at 110 E. South Street, Alvin, TX 77511 is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (parish office) and Monday through Thursday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM (CCE office). Phone: 281-331-3751 (parish), 281-824-0877 (CCE). Email: [email protected] (parish), [email protected] (CCE). Fax: 281-331-5430. Saturday Vigil Mass is 5:00 PM English and 7:00 PM Spanish; Sunday Masses are 9:00 AM English, 11:00 AM Spanish, and 6:00 PM Bilingual on the first Sunday of the month. The Adoration Chapel is open Monday–Friday 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM. The parish is the only Catholic church in Alvin and welcomes visitors and new parishioners throughout the year.
- Address: 110 E. South Street, Alvin, TX 77511
- Phone (parish): 281-331-3751 • Fax: 281-331-5430
- Phone (CCE): 281-824-0877
- Email (parish): [email protected] • Email (CCE): [email protected]
- Parish office: Mon–Fri 10 AM–5 PM
- CCE office: Mon–Thu 10 AM–4 PM
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM English, 7:00 PM Spanish
- Sunday: 9:00 AM English, 11:00 AM Spanish, 6:00 PM Bilingual (1st Sunday)
- Daily Mass Mon–Fri 8:30 AM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father George Montreuil1911–c.1914
First priest remembered in Alvin; traveled an enormous Gulf Coast circuit from Bay City. Alvin was a station of Bay City under him.
- Father I.J. Valenta1917
Made Alvin a station of Rosenberg; celebrated Mass in the U.D.C. Hall and began building the first church.
- Father James Conway1939–1948 (approx.)
In charge of Alvin as a mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Galveston; raised funds for Stations of the Cross and electric organ, taught catechism.
- Father James Delaney, O.M.I.1948–1952
Oblate of Mary Immaculate; assistant at Our Lady of Guadalupe in charge of missions at Texas City, Alvin and Pearland. Purchased the Five Point site, oversaw moving the church, and built the rectory.
- Rev. John Kare Taosan2014–present
Appointed administrator (and subsequently pastor) of St. John the Baptist, Alvin effective July 1, 2014 by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston; still serving as pastor more than ten years later.