About St. Joseph · Cyclone, Texas
St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a small, historic rural parish in the Cyclone community of deep East Bell County, Texas, belonging to the Diocese of Austin. Erected on a hill on five acres of donated land, its cornerstone reads 1902 and the building was dedicated by Bishop Gallagher that October. The parish is currently served by Father Ranjan Cletus (since November 2019) and offers Mass several days a week, weekly Religious Education, and a tight-knit menu of traditional lay ministries.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Ranjan Cletus
- Diocese
- Diocese of Austin
Why belong here
St. Joseph's is a small, neighborly rural parish where the same families have worshipped for over a century. Members can serve as Eucharistic Ministers, lectors, altar servers, ushers, council or finance committee members, join the St. Mary's Altar Society, the Knights of Columbus, or volunteer in the Religious Education program, the cemetery association, or collections — every parish function is run by parishioners themselves. With weekday Masses Tuesday through Friday, a Saturday Vigil, and Sunday Mass, plus weekly REP for children, it offers an authentically Catholic small-town rhythm that is hard to find elsewhere.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday before the 4:00 PM Vigil Mass
- By appointment
Our Parish History
St. Joseph's Catholic Church traces its roots to the East Bell County Catholic farming community, whose first members had belonged to the Church of the Visitation in Westphalia before building their own church on five acres of donated hilltop land. The cornerstone reads 'erected in 1902' and the building was dedicated by Bishop Gallagher in October of that year. The parish remains anchored in this rural tradition and has published a 100-year celebration booklet documenting its story.
Our Priest
The Reverend Ranjan Cletus has served as pastor of St. Joseph's since November 2019. He came from St. Louis Catholic Church in Waco and has been a priest of the Diocese of Austin since 1993, having been ordained in 1984. Born in Alleppey, Kerala, India, Father Ranjan continues to support St. Antony's orphanage in his hometown as his chosen charity. He enjoys the local restaurants, watching soccer, and playing tennis and basketball — and is known for never memorizing his homilies, instead digesting the readings on the spot and asking God to guide his preaching.
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the parish liturgically as Eucharistic Ministers, lectors, altar servers, and ushers. Schedules for each ministry are linked from the Ministries page.
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Lectors
- Altar Servers
- Ushers
Parish Councils and Committees
Lay leadership includes elected/appointed councils that guide the temporal and spiritual life of the parish.
- Parish Council
- Finance Committee
- Collections Work Schedule
Religious Education Program (REP)
St. Joseph's REP offers weekly catechetical formation for parish children. Registration forms for the 2025–2026 year are available online, and VBS is held each summer — the 2025 VBS theme was 'Holywood – Walk of Saints.' The DRE shares weekly lesson-plan links through email and the parish's REP Facebook page so families can keep up with material at home when a class is missed.
- REP classes every Wednesday, 6:45–8:00 PM (PreK and K dismiss at 7:45 PM)
- Director of Religious Education: Shirley Hoelscher (254-541-7950)
- VBS 2025 theme: 'Holywood – Walk of Saints' (held Saturday, June 14, 2025)
Parish Organizations
Two long-standing parish societies carry the bulk of the parish's social and charitable life.
- Knights of Columbus
- St. Mary's Altar Society
- St. Joseph's Cemetery Association
Cemetery
The parish maintains a historic cemetery through the St. Joseph's Cemetery Association, one of its formal lay ministries.
Knights of Columbus
The parish hosts a Knights of Columbus council that supports parish life, fundraising, and service projects in line with the order's mission.
St. Mary's Altar Society
St. Mary's Altar Society is the traditional women's organization that prepares the sanctuary, altar linens, and flowers, and supports parish needs.
Ethics in Ministry (EIM)
As a parish of the Diocese of Austin, St. Joseph's operates under the diocese's Ethics in Ministry policies; a link to those policies is available from the parish homepage.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Ranjan CletusNovember 2019 – present
Came to St. Joseph's from St. Louis Catholic Church in Waco. Ordained in 1984 and has served in the Diocese of Austin since 1993. Born in Alleppey, Kerala, India.