About St. Joseph on the Brazos · Brazoria, Texas
St. Joseph on the Brazos is a Roman Catholic parish in the historic town of Brazoria, Texas, recognized as the oldest Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Founded in 1840 by German Catholic immigrants and their pastor Father Jacob Weiser, the parish predates the founding Diocese of Galveston itself and serves nearly 500 families across Brazoria County. Today the parish is led by Father Tin Cosmas Kim Pham and offers weekend and daily Mass in English along with a Saturday reconciliation schedule, religious education programs, and a vibrant parish life anchored by an annual church bazaar.
- Established
- 1840
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Tin Cosmas Kim Pham
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Why belong here
St. Joseph on the Brazos welcomes new parishioners into the oldest Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, with nearly 500 multigenerational families rooted in the historic city of Brazoria. The parish offers a full schedule of English Masses each week, Saturday confessions, an active religious education program for children and youth, and a busy calendar of ministry meetings and social events including the annual church bazaar. Visitors are welcomed daily in a peaceful sanctuary that has been a place of refuge for worshippers on the Brazos for more than 180 years.
Mass times at St. Joseph on the Brazos
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Also by appointment
About St. Joseph on the Brazos
St. Joseph on the Brazos is a Roman Catholic parish in Brazoria, Texas, recognized as the oldest Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Founded in 1840 by German Catholic immigrants, the parish today serves nearly 500 families from a six-acre campus at 219 County Road 762 and is led by Father Tin Cosmas Kim Pham. The parish offers weekend and daily Mass in English, Saturday confessions, religious education for children and youth, and a lively parish life built around ministry meetings and an annual church bazaar.
- Founded in 1840 by German Catholic immigrants
- Part of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
- Located at 219 County Road 762, Brazoria, TX 77422
- Led by Rev. Tin Cosmas Kim Pham
- Serves nearly 500 parish families
Parish History
The parish traces its roots to 1840, when a group of German Catholic settlers along the Brazos River founded the community under their first pastor, Father Jacob Weiser. Over the decades the congregation endured the destruction of its church building twice by storms — most notably during the Great Storm of 1900 — but rebuilt each time. The current brick-and-wood church was built in the 1960s, and generous parishioners later donated additional land to expand the campus. According to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, St. Joseph is older than the founding Diocese of Galveston, the first Catholic diocese established in Texas.
- 1840 — Parish founded by German Catholic immigrants and Father Jacob Weiser
- Church destroyed twice by storms, including the Great Storm of 1900
- 1960s — Current brick-and-wood church built
- Parishioner land donations enabled later campus expansion
Architecture and Sanctuary
The current church building was constructed in the 1960s in brick and wood, set on a six-acre lot shaded by tall trees and marked by a distinctive red roof. Inside, the sanctuary is anchored by fourteen rows of dark-wood pews that draw the eye toward the tabernacle, with illuminated beams overhead and a lofty choir space above. Natural light pours through two long rows of square windows, and a floor-to-ceiling tapestry behind the altar frames a suspended crucifix hung above a limestone altar, while a matching limestone table supports the tabernacle.
- Brick-and-wood construction from the 1960s
- Six-acre wooded campus with distinctive red roof
- Fourteen rows of dark wood pews
- Limestone altar and tabernacle table
- Floor-to-ceiling tapestry behind a suspended crucifix
Faith Formation and Religious Education
St. Joseph on the Brazos offers religious education and Sunday School programming for the children and youth of the parish, listed prominently on the parish website alongside Mass times. Classes support the sacramental preparation of younger parishioners and are part of the parish's broader catechetical mission to form the next generation in the faith handed down since 1840.
- Religious Education program
- Sunday School / Children and Youth Activities
- Sacramental preparation for children
Parish Life and Annual Bazaar
Parish life at St. Joseph on the Brazos hums with activity throughout the week, with ministry meetings, social gatherings and parish organizations regularly filling the church and parish hall. The annual church bazaar is a signature tradition that draws generations of Brazoria families together for food, fellowship and fundraising. The parish hall also hosts ministry meetings and community events year-round.
- Annual church bazaar
- Parish hall used for ministry meetings and gatherings
- Bp. Barron's Reflections featured on parish website
- Weekly parish bulletin published online
Staff and Leadership
The parish is led by its pastor, Rev. Tin Cosmas Kim Pham, who recently marked his 25th ordination anniversary according to the Archdiocese's profile of the parish. Day-to-day operations are supported by Sarah Smith, who serves as Parish Administrator. Inquiries about Mass times, sacraments and parish registration can be directed to the parish office by phone or through the contact page on the parish website.
- Rev. Tin Cosmas Kim Pham — Pastor
- Sarah Smith — Parish Administrator
- Phone: (979) 798-2288
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Jacob Weiser1840–
Founding pastor of the parish in 1840, leading the German Catholic immigrant community along the Brazos River.