About St. John the Baptist Catholic Church · San Juan, Texas
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in San Juan, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley. The parish traces its roots to a chapel built for the local Hispanic community in 1920–1925 and was formally established as a parish in 1949. Today it serves a multi-generational congregation with Masses in both Spanish and English, a CCD religious education program for children in kindergarten through 12th grade, ongoing adoration, weekly confessions, and a long-running community fall festival (Jamaica). It belongs to the Diocese of Brownsville and is recognized as the original parish church from which the famous nearby Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle National Shrine grew.
- Established
- 1949
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. Manuel Alfredo Razo Canales, S.T.D.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brownsville
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist is the original Catholic parish of San Juan, Texas, with more than a century of history rooted in service to the Hispanic community of the Rio Grande Valley. A bilingual congregation gathers here daily for Spanish, English, and bilingual Masses, with confession offered before every weekend liturgy and on Tuesdays and Fridays. Families raising children in the faith will find a CCD religious education program for grades K–12, and parishioners of all ages can participate in the parish's beloved Fall Festival (Jamaica), weekly adoration (including a Tuesday evening Hora Santa), and ongoing Marian traditions honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 5:30 pm
- Friday 5:30 pm
- 30 minutes before each weekend Mass (Saturday 4:30 pm; Sunday 7:30 am, 9:30 am, and 11:00 am)
Adoration times
- Weekday mornings 6:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Tuesday 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Hora Santa, Holy Hour)
Parish History
St. John the Baptist Parish traces its roots to a small chapel on the San Juan Plantation in 1908, with a wooden chapel built in town in 1924. The Oblate of Mary Immaculate priest Rev. Alphonso Jalbert built a chapel for the Hispanic community in 1920/1925. The mission was raised to parish status in 1949 under the first pastor, Rev. Jose Maria Azpiazu, O.M.I. A 1954 shrine-church drew some 60,000 pilgrims to its dedication. In 1970 a small plane crashed into the shrine, but miraculously no one inside was killed; only the bell tower survived. The shrine and parish were separated in 1972, the present parish church was built beside the surviving tower in 1975, and the nearby Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle was dedicated in 1980, becoming a national shrine in 1998 and a minor basilica in 1999.
- 1908 — Original chapel on San Juan Plantation
- 1920/1925 — Rev. Alphonso Jalbert, O.M.I., builds chapel for Hispanic community
- 1948 — Statue of Virgen de San Juan de los Tagos installed by Fr. Azpiazu
- 1949 — Mission designated a parish; Fr. Jose Maria Azpiazu, O.M.I., first pastor
- May 2, 1954 — Larger shrine-church dedicated before ~60,000 pilgrims
- October 23, 1970 — Small plane crashes into shrine; tower and statue survive
- 1972 — Shrine separated administratively from parish
- 1975 — New St. John the Baptist Parish Church built beside the surviving tower
- 1980 — New nearby shrine dedicated
- 2012 — Texas Historical Commission marker (No. 17171) placed at the parish
Mass & Worship Schedule
The parish offers a full weekly Mass schedule in both Spanish and English, reflecting its bilingual Rio Grande Valley community. Weekday Masses are celebrated in Spanish Monday through Friday at 6:00 pm, with a bilingual Saturday vigil Mass at 5:00 pm. Three Sunday Masses are offered: Spanish at 8:00 am, English at 10:00 am, and Spanish at 12:00 pm. The parish notes that the Sunday bulletin carries the most up-to-date schedule.
- Monday – Friday: 6:00 pm (Spanish)
- Saturday: 5:00 pm (Bilingual)
- Sunday: 8:00 am (Spanish), 10:00 am (English), 12:00 pm (Spanish)
Sacraments & Special Events
The parish office and CCD office coordinate preparation for all the major sacraments. The parish encourages families to register early — especially for weddings and quinceañeras — and welcomes new parishioners to register at the parish office.
- Baptisms — contact the parish office
- Weddings — register with the pastor 6 to 12 months in advance
- Reconciliation (Confession) — see schedule above
- Quinceañeras (15th Birthday) — register at the Religious Education Office
- New Parishioner Registration — register at the Parish Office
CCD Religious Education
The parish's CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program provides faith formation for all parish children from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Registration is offered both in person at the CCD Center and online through the parish website. The CCD office has its own phone line and a separate director and secretary on staff.
- Open to parish children in grades K–12
- In-person and online registration
- CCD Center located on the parish grounds
- CCD Office phone: (956) 783-1068
- CCD Director: Norma Guzman, DRE
- CCD Secretary: Irasema Garcia
Parish Staff
The parish is served by a pastor and vicar, three deacons, and a team of parish and CCD office staff along with a maintenance crew. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm.
- Rev. Manuel Alfredo Razo Canales, S.T.D. — Pastor
- Rev. Oscar Ortega Mancha — Vicar
- Deacon Eduardo Reyna, H.O.M.I.
- Deacon Agapito Cantu
- Deacon Graciano Rodriguez
- Maria G. Diaz-Santana — Secretary
- Olga L. Salinas — Secretary
- Norma Guzman — DRE (Director of Religious Education)
- Irasema Garcia — CCD Secretary
- Elias Gonzalez — Maintenance
- Fidencio Treviño — Maintenance
- Jesus Aguinada — Maintenance
Fall Festival (Jamaica)
The parish's annual Fall Festival — known locally as the Jamaica — is a long-standing tradition and a major community gathering. Date is set each year and parishioners are invited to help organize and run the event.
- Annual community festival hosted by the parish
- To volunteer or help organize, call Pete Garcia at 821-7953
Parish Mission & Identity
The parish's published mission statement emphasizes welcome, faith, outreach, service to the poor, work for justice, and a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary — a devotion rooted in the parish's historic role as the home of the original Virgen de San Juan statue.
- Welcoming Catholic community
- Worship that empowers spiritual growth and the sharing of the Good News
- Outreach to those in need, service to the poor, and work for justice
- Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Visit, Contact & Emergencies
The parish office and CCD office are open during the day Monday through Friday. In case of an after-hours emergency, the parish provides a dedicated emergency phone line.
- Parish Office: (956) 783-1196
- CCD Office: (956) 783-1068
- Fax: (956) 702-7447
- Emergency line (after hours): 956-342-2610
- Office hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Alphonso (Alfonso) Jalbert, O.M.I.1920s
Built the original chapel for the Hispanic community of San Juan in 1920/1925; it began as a mission affiliated with St. Margaret Mary Church, Pharr.
- Rev. Jose Maria Azpiazu, O.M.I.1949
First resident pastor; installed the statue of the Virgen de San Juan de los Tagos in 1948 and oversaw the mission's elevation to parish status in 1949.