About St. Joseph · Elk, Texas
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a small Catholic mission parish in the rural farming community of Elk, Texas (McLennan County), serving the predominantly Czech and German families of the area. It is a mission of the Diocese of Austin and gathers at 9656 Elk Road for weekly Sunday Mass, remaining the spiritual heart of the historic Elk community just as it has since the 1920s. The parish is administered with the help of dedicated lay leaders who coordinate faith formation, youth ministry, liturgy, and a building committee.
- Established
- 1925
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Diocese
- Diocese of Austin
Why belong here
St. Joseph's is the long-standing Catholic heart of the rural Elk community, with Mass every Sunday morning and the warmth of a small mission where most parishioners know one another by name. The parish has been recognized by the Diocese of Austin for its lay leaders who run youth ministry, religious education (CCE), the building committee, and liturgical roles such as sacristan, lector, and extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. Joining or visiting means becoming part of a multi-generational Czech and German Catholic farming community whose faith has endured on the same Elk Road since 1925.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sun: 8:00am-8:15am
Community & History
St. Joseph Catholic Church has been the spiritual anchor of the rural Elk, Texas community since 1925. Elk was first settled by the Scots-Irish Harper family in 1855 and grew with the arrival of Czech and German immigrants around 1885. According to the 1998 Texas Historical Marker (No. 12119) for the Elk Community, St. Joseph's 'remains at the heart of the community, which is surrounded by farmland and houses in the predominantly Czech and German Elk community.' The parish is listed by GCatholic as a church in the Diocese of Austin.
- Founded: 1925
- Diocese: Diocese of Austin
- Recognized on the 1998 Elk Community Texas Historical Marker
- Historically Czech and German farming community
Parish Leadership & Staff
The parish is administered in conjunction with the Diocese of Austin and relies heavily on lay leadership. Texas Secretary of State filings (filed 2007) list Ronald J. Walker as the registered agent, with directors and parish officers including Walter Dhanwar, James A. Misko, and Isidore Rozycki, reflecting the active involvement of laymen and women in parish governance and operations.
- Registered agent: Ronald J. Walker
- Lay directors/officers on file include Walter Dhanwar, James A. Misko, and Isidore Rozycki
- Clergy serving the mission are provided through the Diocese of Austin
Lay Ministry & Parish Life
St. Joseph Mission has been honored by the Diocese of Austin through its Lumen Gentium Award for outstanding lay service. Recognized members include Ricky and Margaret Stecher (youth ministry — Ricky on the building committee and a lector, Margaret as sacristan, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, money counter, and member of the CCE Committee and former Pastoral Council member) and Debra Atomanczyk, also honored as a Lumen Gentium Award recipient from St. Joseph Mission, Elk.
- Youth ministry
- CCE (religious education) committee
- Building committee
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Sacristans
- Money counters
- Pastoral Council
Practical Information
St. Joseph Mission is located on Elk Road in the unincorporated community of Elk, within the West, TX 76691 mailing area of McLennan County. The official online presence for the parish is its Facebook page at facebook.com/sjcc.elk/, where current Mass times, parish announcements, and event information are posted. The parish can be reached by phone at (254) 822-1145.
- Address: 9656 Elk Road, Elk, TX 76691
- Phone: (254) 822-1145
- Online: facebook.com/sjcc.elk/
- Diocese of Austin, Roman-Latin (Latin) Rite