About St. Joseph · Marshall, Texas
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a bilingual Roman-Latin rite parish located at 410 N. Alamo Boulevard in Marshall, Texas, serving Harrison County and the surrounding East Texas region. Established in 1874 when the Rev. Thomas Loughery was sent by the Galveston Diocese, it is the oldest Catholic parish in Marshall and one of the older parishes in what is now the Diocese of Tyler. Today the parish offers a robust schedule of Masses in English, Spanish, and bilingual formats, weekly Eucharistic Adoration in the Saint Joseph Prayer Chapel, and a variety of lay ministries, faith formation, and outreach programs. Its mission statement is to nurture a diverse and welcoming community and to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of Marshall and the world.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Morgan White
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tyler
Why belong here
St. Joseph Catholic Church welcomes Catholics from across Marshall and Harrison County with a schedule that genuinely fits working families and the Hispanic community alike — multiple daily Masses in English and Spanish, a bilingual Sunday Mass, weekday Confession, and Saturday-evening Confession before the vigil. The parish operates weekly Eucharistic Adoration in the Saint Joseph Prayer Chapel on Thursdays and First Fridays, and the parish website actively invites parishioners to sign up for an hour with the Lord. The former St. Joseph School building now serves as a family faith formation and life center, with Totus Tuus summer VBS, RCIA-style programming, faith formation for children, and parish-wide fellowship meals — making it a true community hub rather than just a worship site.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday: 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM
- Saturday: 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM
- Tuesday: 6:15 PM to 6:45 PM
- Or by appointment at other times
Adoration times
- Thursdays: 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM (Saint Joseph Prayer Chapel)
- First Fridays: 7:30 PM to 11:55 PM (overnight into Saturday morning)
History of St. Joseph Parish
Catholic missionary priests were visiting Marshall as early as 1853, when French Vincentian Father Louis Claude Marie Chambodut preached in the area. Scattered Catholic families had already settled the region — the oldest known graves in what would become the parish cemetery date from 1872. In 1874 the Rev. Thomas Loughery was sent by the Diocese of Galveston to formally establish the parish, giving St. Joseph its founding date. Four years later, in 1878, C. F. Chevaillier sold land to the Diocese for the parish cemetery, which became the burial ground for Catholics from across Harrison County and mission communities including Carthage, Jefferson, Waskom, Uncertain, and Scottsville. After the Diocese of Tyler was erected in 1986–87 under Bishop Charles E. Herzig, St. Joseph became part of the new diocese, which covers thirty-two counties of northeast Texas. A Texas Historical Commission marker at the cemetery was dedicated in 1999.
- 1853: French missionary Father Louis Claude Marie Chambodut preaches in Marshall
- 1872: Oldest known graves in the parish cemetery
- 1874: Rev. Thomas Loughery sent by Galveston Diocese to found St. Joseph Parish
- 1878: Cemetery land sold to Diocese by C. F. Chevaillier
- 1986–87: Parish placed in newly erected Diocese of Tyler (first bishop: Charles E. Herzig)
- 1999: Texas Historical Commission marker placed at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery
- 2016: St. Joseph Catholic School closed; building repurposed as family life and faith formation center
Faith Formation & Family Life Center
After St. Joseph Catholic School closed in May 2016, the parish repurposed the school facility at 2307 S. Garrett Street as a family life center and faith formation center. Pastor Father Morgan White articulated the vision: offering age-appropriate religious instruction up to three days a week, faith formation, Bible study, and faith enrichment programs for every Catholic family in the parish. The parish has run the diocesan Totus Tuus summer VBS program with a team of college students and seminarians from the Diocese of Tyler, including parish-graduate Jacob Hanson.
- Totus Tuus VBS for Grades 7–12 (7:30 PM – 9:40 PM)
- Totus Tuus VBS for Grades 2–6 (9:00 AM – 2:30 PM)
- Parish-wide potluck dinner during VBS week
- Bible study and faith enrichment programs
- Family faith formation offered three days a week at the former school building
Parish Ministries & Outreach
The parish maintains an active roster of lay ministries and outreach initiatives. In addition to Eucharistic Adoration and faith formation, the parish has hosted 'Calling Catholics Home' discussion evenings aimed at welcoming non-practicing Catholics back to the faith, and refers those facing crisis pregnancies to the Gabriel Project East Texas. The parish website also links to the St. Philip Institute for catechetical videos in English and Spanish, and to Bishop Barron's reflections.
- Eucharistic Adoration (with substitute hour sign-up)
- Calling Catholics Home discussion series
- Totus Tuus summer youth program
- Bible study and faith enrichment
- Bilingual liturgical ministry (English and Spanish Masses)
- Referral to Gabriel Project East Texas (888-300-5112) for crisis pregnancy support
- Promotion of the St. Philip Institute and Bishop Barron catechetical resources
Spiritual Resources & Online Links
The parish website provides a steady stream of spiritual resources for parishioners and visitors: weekly bulletins, parish announcements, daily Scripture readings, Bishop Barron's reflections, and a Spiritual Communion Prayer for those unable to receive the Eucharist. The monthly Holy Father's Prayer Intentions are posted in both English and Spanish, and the site links to the St. Philip Institute for catechetical videos.
- Today's Scripture Readings (posted daily)
- Weekly parish bulletins
- Holy Father's Prayer Intentions (English and Spanish)
- Bp. Barron's Reflections
- St. Philip Institute video messages (English and Spanish)
- Spiritual Communion Prayer
St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery
Located at 1000 E. Travis Street on the south side of Travis Street between Edwards and Doty streets in Marshall, the parish cemetery is one of the oldest Catholic burial grounds in northeast Texas. While the exact date of first use is unclear, the oldest known graves date from 1872 — two years before the parish was formally established. Land for the cemetery was sold to the Diocese by C. F. Chevaillier in 1878. The cemetery served Catholics across Harrison County and outlying mission stations, and contains the graves of numerous railroad workers who died in Marshall's rail industry, many with no traceable family. White crosses placed by the Knights of Columbus mark these unknown graves. A Texas Historical Commission marker was dedicated in 1999.
- Address: 1000 E. Travis St., Marshall, TX
- Oldest known graves date to 1872
- Land purchased from C. F. Chevaillier in 1878
- Served Catholics from Marshall, Carthage, Jefferson, Waskom, Uncertain, and Scottsville
- Many unknown graves of railroad workers marked with Knights of Columbus white crosses
- Texas Historical Commission marker placed in 1999 (Atlas #5203011977)
Visiting & Contacting the Parish
St. Joseph Catholic Church is located at 410 N. Alamo Boulevard in Marshall, Texas 75670. The parish office can be reached at (903) 935-2536. Summer office hours (May 28 – August 2) are 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The parish website at stjosephmarshall.org publishes the current Mass schedule, Confession times, adoration hours, parish bulletins, and announcements.
- Address: 410 N. Alamo Blvd., Marshall, TX 75670
- Phone: (903) 935-2536
- Website: http://www.stjosephmarshall.org/
- Summer Office Hours (May 28 – Aug 2): 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Mon–Fri
- Fax: (903) 938-1591