About St. Joseph · La Pryor, Texas
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish serving the small community of La Pryor in northwestern Zavala County, South Texas. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Laredo and is pastored by Rev. Heleodoro Lozano, assisted by two permanent deacons and a parish secretary. Founded in 1917 — one of the oldest Catholic communities in the region — St. Joseph offers daily and weekend Masses, an adoration chapel, weekly confession, baptism and wedding preparation, a Friday-night charitable bingo, and an annual parish carnival that has become a community tradition.
- Established
- 1917
- Patron
- St. Joseph (husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Heleodoro Lozano
- Diocese
- Diocese of Laredo
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a welcoming, family-sized bilingual parish rooted in the La Pryor community since 1917, where members know each other by name. Parishioners can pray at daily or weekend Mass in English or Spanish, spend time with the Lord in the adoration chapel that is open every day, gather for the weekly Holy Hour on Wednesdays, and support the parish's charitable bingo each Friday night — a key fundraiser and social tradition. With ministries to the sick on the first Friday, baptism and marriage preparation, and the annual June parish carnival, there are many easy ways to belong and to serve.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 5:30 PM
- Sundays 9:30 AM
- Sundays 11:30 AM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Adoration Chapel: open daily
- Holy Hour: every Wednesday 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
About St. Joseph Parish, La Pryor
St. Joseph is a bilingual Catholic parish serving La Pryor and the surrounding ranching country of northwestern Zavala County. The parish was founded in 1917, and the present church was constructed in 1918 according to the Texas State Historical Association. It is one of the eight parishes transferred from the Archdiocese of San Antonio into the newly created Diocese of Laredo in 2000.
- Parish type: Roman Catholic parish (bilingual)
- Diocese: Diocese of Laredo
- Founded: 1917
- Church constructed: 1918
- Address: 620 W. Benson St., La Pryor, TX 78872
Parish History
St. Joseph Parish was established in 1917 to serve the Catholic families of La Pryor, a small railroad-farming town platted on land marketed by Col. Isaac T. Pryor's Zavala Land and Water Development Company. The church building followed in 1918, the same period that saw La Pryor prosper with the coming of the Crystal City and Uvalde Railway and the establishment of La Pryor High School. For most of its history the parish was part of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. On July 3, 2000, Pope John Paul II erected the Diocese of Laredo from portions of the Archdiocese of San Antonio and the Diocese of Corpus Christi, covering the counties of Dimmit, Jim Hogg, La Salle, Maverick, Webb, Zapata, and Zavala. St. Joseph was among the founding parishes listed in the new diocese, and Auxiliary Bishop James A. Tamayo was installed as first bishop on August 9, 2000.
- 1917 — parish founded
- 1918 — present church building constructed
- 2000 — transferred to the newly erected Diocese of Laredo
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is pastored by Rev. Heleodoro Lozano and is assisted by two permanent deacons. Parish administrative contact is handled by parish secretary Bobbie-Jo Castillo.
- Rev. Heleodoro Lozano — Pastor
- Rev. Mr. Gene Corrigan — Deacon
- Rev. Mr. Juan Gallegos — Deacon
- Bobbie-Jo Castillo — Parish Contact
- Parish phone: 830-365-4107
Sacraments
Information about baptism and marriage preparation is published by the Diocese of Laredo for the parish.
- Baptism — second Saturday of the month at 10:00 AM, or alongside weekend Mass; documentation must be submitted in advance; baptismal preparation through catholicbaptismprep.com; language matches the Mass time requested
- Weddings / Quinceañeras — call the parish office to schedule an initial meeting with a priest at least 6 months before the desired date; date confirmed only after the priest's initial assessment
Parish Ministries & Community Life
Beyond the liturgical schedule, St. Joseph runs several parish programs that mark its community life. The weekly Charitable Bingo is a long-standing parish fundraiser and social gathering, and the annual June Carnival has become a signature event for the wider La Pryor area.
- Charitable Bingo — every Friday; doors open 5:00 PM, session 7:00 PM; Super Bingo the first week of the month
- Ministry to the Sick — first Friday of each month, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (call the parish office to be added)
- Adoration Chapel (daily)
- Wednesday Holy Hour (5:30 – 6:30 PM)
- Annual Parish Carnival — held each June
Parish Office & Contact
The parish office is open during the week for calls and visits. Office hours follow a midday break for lunch.
- Address: 620 W. Benson St., La Pryor, TX 78872
- Phone: 830-365-4107
- Office hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (closed for lunch)
- Website: http://www.stjosephlapryor.org/