About St. John The Baptist · Waco, Texas
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a historic parish in Waco, Texas, belonging to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin. Founded in 1952 by Divine Word Missionary Father Henry Marusa, S.V.D., it was originally established to introduce Black Catholics in the Waco area to the Catholic faith, growing out of an earlier mission in Taylor, Texas. Today the parish describes itself as a diverse, growing congregation of all races and colors, modeling the Catholic Church as a whole. The parish serves the community at 1312 Dallas Street with Sunday and weekday Masses, a religious education program, RCIA, the Knights of Peter Claver Court #385, and a monthly food pantry in partnership with Shepherd's Pantry.
- Established
- 1952
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Father Cyril Ejaidu (Pastor/Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist offers a small, historic parish where newcomers are explicitly welcomed. It runs a full Sunday CCD program for ages 5 through high school, a Saturday-morning RCIA for adult confirmation and ongoing faith formation, and is served by the Knights of Peter Claver Court #385 — the largest African American Catholic lay organization in the United States. The parish reaches beyond its walls through a monthly food pantry with Shepherd's Pantry, ministry to the sick and homebound, and a tradition of Lenten Days of Reconciliation and Stations of the Cross. For Catholics in Waco looking for a parish with deep roots in Central Texas and an intentionally diverse, family-sized community, St. John the Baptist is a genuine home.
Mass times at St. John The Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 10:00 am – 10:25 am (preceding Mass)
- Lenten Days of Reconciliation: 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm (Wednesday and Thursday before Easter, as scheduled)
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- First Saturday of every month, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
History of St. John the Baptist
St. John the Baptist traces its lineage to the Divine Word Missionaries, whose Southern Province began work among Black Americans in the United States in 1895 in Merigold, Mississippi, and went on to staff Black Catholic parishes across Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. In 1946, the order opened St. Peter Claver Mission in Taylor, Texas; after five and a half years without traction, the mission's third pastor, Rev. Henry Marusa, S.V.D., closed it and relocated to the larger city of Waco.
- Founded in 1952 by Rev. Henry Marusa, S.V.D.
- First Mass: February 10, 1952 — five parishioners on the front porch of the 1850s Davis red brick house
- Kindergarten opened in the restored basement of the Davis house; first class graduated July 19, 1953
- Church building ground broken 1957; dedicated January 12, 1958 by Bishop Louis J. Reicher
- Site acquired with leads and a loan from the Union of Czech Women of Texas (K.J.Z.T.)
Worship & Liturgy
The parish celebrates a regular Sunday Mass at 10:30 am and a Wednesday evening Mass at 6:00 pm. On the first Saturday of each month, the parish gathers for Eucharistic Adoration from 3:00 to 4:00 pm followed by a non-vigil Mass at 4:00 pm. Confessions are heard each Sunday from 10:00 am to 10:25 am, immediately before Mass, with additional opportunities during the annual Lenten Days of Reconciliation and by appointment.
- Sunday Mass — 10:30 am
- Wednesday Mass — 6:00 pm
- First Saturday: Adoration 3:00 pm, Mass 4:00 pm
- Confessions: Sundays 10:00–10:25 am, or by appointment
- Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent
- Lenten Days of Reconciliation (5:30–6:30 pm, scheduled)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. John the Baptist runs a Sunday-morning religious education program (CCD) for children and youth from age 5 through high school, held from 9:00 am to 10:15 am. Curriculum tracks the standard sacramental milestones — an introduction to the Blessed Trinity and the Holy Family for the youngest grades, first Reconciliation and first Holy Communion preparation in second grade, pre-Confirmation formation through seventh grade, and Confirmation preparation in high school.
- Sundays 9:00 am – 10:15 am
- Age 5 – First Grade: Blessed Trinity and the Holy Family
- Second Grade: First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion preparation
- Third – Seventh Grade: pre-Confirmation education
- High School: Confirmation preparation
RCIA — Becoming Catholic
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults meets on Saturdays at 9:00 am, providing adult confirmation preparation and ongoing learning for those discerning or completing initiation into the Catholic Church.
- Saturdays, 9:00 am
- Adult confirmation and ongoing faith formation
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Beyond worship and formation, the parish sustains a range of lay ministries and service organizations. The Knights of Peter Claver Court #385 is the parish's signature fraternal organization, and ministry to the sick and homebound is coordinated by Carolyn Brown. A monthly food pantry, run in conjunction with Shepherd's Pantry, serves the wider Waco community on the second Saturday of each month.
- Knights of Peter Claver, Court #385 — Grand Knight: Mr. Stanley Glynn; Grand Lady: Mrs. Teaberta Black
- Ministry for the Sick and Homebound — Carolyn Brown
- Food Pantry with Shepherd's Pantry — 2nd Saturday of each month, 10:00 am (volunteer coordinator: Sylvia Glynn)
- Parish Choir (paused since COVID-19; expected to resume)
- Parish Council (monthly meetings)
- Bulletin & Website team (Celeste Sheehy)
- Live-Streaming ministry (Greg Guerra)
- Photography ministry (David Haliburton)
Outreach & Charity
The parish's principal outreach is its monthly food pantry, operated in partnership with Shepherd's Pantry on the second Saturday of each month beginning at 10:00 am. Volunteers are coordinated through Sylvia Glynn. The parish also keeps an active ministry to the sick and homebound, led by Carolyn Brown, extending the Church's pastoral care to those unable to attend Mass in person.
- Shepherd's Pantry food distribution — second Saturday of each month, 10:00 am
- Visitations and outreach to the sick and homebound
Our Staff
The parish is led by Father Cyril Ejaidu as Pastor/Administrator, supported by a small lay staff and ministry leaders responsible for sick and homebound ministry, the bulletin and website, photography, and live-streaming of services.
- Father Cyril Ejaidu — Pastor/Administrator
- Carolyn Brown — Ministry for the Sick and Homebound
- David Haliburton — Photographer
- Celeste Sheehy — Bulletin/Website
- Greg Guerra — Live-Streaming
Bulletin & News
The parish maintains a regularly updated online bulletin archive going back several years, with weekly bulletins issued in 2021 through 2026. The News page also serves as the canonical channel for schedule changes — including Mass cancellations due to weather or pastoral absence, Adoration cancellations, and the dates of Lenten Days of Reconciliation and Stations of the Cross.
- Weekly online bulletin archive (2021–present)
- Schedule-change notices (Mass cancellations, Adoration updates, Lenten schedules)
Diocese of Austin
St. John the Baptist is one of 127 parishes, missions, and university Catholic centers in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin, which covers 25 counties in Central Texas — stretching from West (just north of Waco) in the north to San Marcos in the south, and from Bryan/College Station in the east to Mason in the west. Its largest metropolitan areas include Austin, Bryan/College Station, the Killeen/Temple/Belton area, and Waco.
- Part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin
- Diocese covers 25 Central Texas counties
- Diocese website: https://www.austindiocese.org
Visit, Contact & Practical Information
The parish welcomes visitors and new members. Mass is celebrated at 1312 Dallas Street in Waco; the parish office can be reached by phone at (254) 753-6742 or by email at [email protected]. The parish's Welcome page explicitly states its openness to all visitors and new members each week.
- Address: 1312 Dallas Street, Waco, Texas 76704
- Phone: (254) 753-6742
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stjohnswaco.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Henry Marusa, S.V.D.1952 (founding)
Divine Word Missionary; third pastor of the earlier St. Peter Claver Mission in Taylor, TX; closed the Taylor mission and organized St. John the Baptist in Waco; celebrated the first Mass on Feb 10, 1952.
- Father Cyril Ejaidu
Current Pastor/Administrator of the parish.