About St. Joseph · Palito Blanco, Texas
St. Joseph Mission is a small Catholic mission church in the rural community of Palito Blanco, Jim Wells County, South Texas, listed as established in 1903 and administered from St. Francis de Paula Catholic Church in nearby San Diego, Texas. It belongs to the Diocese of Corpus Christi and is currently pastored by Fr. James Farfaglia, who oversees both the parish in San Diego and this mission. Weekly Sunday Mass is celebrated at 5:00 PM, and the mission shares its phone line, mailing address, and pastoral staff with St. Francis de Paula (361-279-3596). Its presence is a quiet but enduring witness of Catholic life in one of the most sparsely populated corners of the diocese, where the village of Palito Blanco itself has numbered only a few dozen residents in modern times.
- Established
- 1903
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Shijo Joseph
- Diocese
- Diocese of Corpus Christi
Why belong here
St. Joseph Mission offers a simple, faithful Sunday Mass to a small, deeply rooted rural community in Jim Wells County that otherwise has very few places to gather. Because it is pastored from St. Francis de Paula Catholic Church in San Diego, the mission is supported by an experienced priest, ongoing faith formation, online giving, and sacramental preparation available through the parent parish. For Catholics in or passing through the Palito Blanco area — or those drawn to its long history as a 1903 mission — it is a quiet, community-centered place to worship and stay connected to the wider Diocese of Corpus Christi.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Joseph Mission
St. Joseph Mission is a small Catholic mission church serving the rural village of Palito Blanco in Jim Wells County, South Texas. It belongs to the Diocese of Corpus Christi and operates as a mission of St. Francis de Paula Catholic Church in San Diego, TX, founded in 1867. The mission is listed in the diocesan parish finder and the GCatholic directory, which records its founding year as 1903. Because the village is small, the mission shares staff, communications, and sacramental support with the parent parish in San Diego. The mission's mailing location is given as 2688 FM 735, Palito Blanco, TX 78332 on the St. Francis de Paula website.
- Type: Mission church (Diocese of Corpus Christi)
- Established: 1903 (per GCatholic)
- Parent parish: St. Francis de Paula Catholic Church, San Diego, TX
- Sunday Mass: 5:00 PM
- Phone: (361) 279-3596 (parish office in San Diego)
History of the Mission and Community
Palito Blanco — Spanish for 'small white saplings,' though locals say Mexican ranchers named it after hackberry trees — was first documented with 25 residents in 1891. A post office opened in 1916, closed, and was reestablished in 1928. The community peaked at 100 residents in 1943 and has remained very small in modern decades, with about 35 residents counted in 1990. The Mission of St. Joseph has been a continuous Catholic presence in the village since 1903, and a photo of the small St. Joseph Catholic Church taken in 2010 by Gerald Massey confirms it was still in use at that time. The mission has historically been served by priests from St. Francis de Paula in San Diego, the regional Catholic center for the area since the 1860s.
- 1891: First recorded population of Palito Blanco (25 residents).
- 1903: Mission of St. Joseph established.
- 1916 / 1928: Palito Blanco post office opens, closes, and reopens.
- 1943: Village population peaks at 100.
- 2010: St. Joseph Catholic Church photographed and confirmed active.
Connection to St. Francis de Paula, San Diego
St. Joseph Mission is pastored from St. Francis de Paula Catholic Church, 401 S. Victoria St., San Diego, TX 78384. That parish dates to 1867, when Father Claude Jaillet — a French-speaking priest who became known as the 'saddlebag priest of the Nueces' — raised $700 to build the first chapel. The current San Diego church was built in 1908 under Father Pedro Bard and dedicated in 1909. St. Francis de Paula has long served as a mother church for surrounding missions, and its website (stfrancisdepaula.church) lists St. Joseph Mission directly under its Mass Times page, confirming the pastoral relationship.
- 1867: Father Claude Jaillet founds St. Francis de Paula in San Diego.
- 1908: Present San Diego church built under Father Pedro Bard.
- Today: St. Francis de Paula serves as the parent parish for St. Joseph Mission.
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
St. Joseph Mission is currently pastored by Rev. James Farfaglia, who is also the pastor of St. Francis de Paula Catholic Church in San Diego. Fr. Farfaglia, a priest of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, is a frequent speaker on Catholic radio, an author, and the founder of West Side Helping Hand, an after-school youth program in Corpus Christi. He serves both the San Diego parish and the St. Joseph Mission in Palito Blanco, with the parish office in San Diego handling inquiries and sacramental scheduling for the mission.
- Parish office (for both St. Francis de Paula and the mission): (361) 279-3596.
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 279, San Diego, TX 78384.
Diocese of Corpus Christi
St. Joseph Mission is one of more than 100 Catholic churches and missions in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, which covers South Texas. The diocese lists the mission in its official parish finder, and GCatholic's directory classifies it as a mission church (Type: Church, History: 1903) within the diocese. The current diocesan bishop is Bishop Michael Mulvey. The mission's inclusion in the diocesan directory confirms its standing as a recognized worship site, even though it relies on the pastoral staff of St. Francis de Paula for regular sacramental ministry.
- Jurisdiction: Diocese of Corpus Christi.
- Diocesan parish finder lists the mission as 'Saint Joseph Mission.'
- Bishop: Most Rev. Michael Mulvey, STD.