About St. Joseph · Port Aransas, Texas
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a small, welcoming parish in Port Aransas, Texas, part of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, that ministers both to year-round island residents and to the many visitors who vacation on Mustang Island. The parish offers a full schedule of weekday and weekend Masses, the Sacrament of Reconciliation before every weekend liturgy, and online giving for ongoing support. Rooted in a Catholic presence on the island that dates back to the 1880s, the modern parish was canonically established in 1992 after serving for decades as a mission attached to neighboring parishes.
- Established
- 1992
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. George Johnson Vallamattam
- Diocese
- Diocese of Corpus Christi
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a small, prayerful coastal parish where visitors and locals worship side by side, with daily weekday Masses Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 8:30 AM and a full weekend schedule offering three Sunday liturgies plus Saturday Vigil. Confession is conveniently available thirty minutes before every weekend Mass, and the parish welcomes online giving for those who want to support its mission year-round. If you are visiting Port Aransas on vacation or live on the island year-round, St. Joseph offers a genuine Catholic welcome, a faithful Eucharistic celebration, and a community that prides itself on bearing witness to the love of God to every person who walks through its doors.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM (30 minutes before weekend Mass)
- Sunday 8:30 AM (30 minutes before weekend Mass)
- Sunday 10:30 AM (30 minutes before weekend Mass)
About St. Joseph Catholic Church
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Port Aransas, Texas, in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, dedicated to filling the island community with God's love. The parish welcomes both year-round residents and the many visitors who vacation on Mustang Island, inviting them to celebrate the Holy Eucharist together in a prayerful, hospitable space. Its stated mission is to be a welcoming Catholic community called by God to live out the message of Christ in love and service to all people.
- Welcoming Catholic community serving Port Aransas residents and visitors
- Diocese of Corpus Christi parish
- Mission: live out the message of Christ in love and service
History of Catholic Presence in Port Aransas
Catholic history on the island runs deeper than the parish itself. While secondary sources note that priests may have visited as early as 1860, the Official Catholic Directory first references the area in 1885 as Mustang Island, with priests from Corpus Christi and later Rockport traveling to serve the faithful. In 1904 the listing shifted to St. Anthony Mission in Tarpon (an earlier name for Port Aransas), and by 1913 the community was called Port Aransas and placed under the care of Sacred Heart, Rockport, until 1947.
- 1885: Mustang Island first referenced in OCD, served from Corpus Christi
- 1885–1903: Also served from Rockport
- 1904: Listed as St. Anthony Mission in Tarpon, Nueces County
- 1913: Community renamed Port Aransas, placed under Sacred Heart, Rockport through 1947
Mission Years and the St. Joseph Name
The Catholic mission at Port Aransas changed hands several times before becoming an independent parish, and the name "St. Joseph" first appears in the Official Catholic Directory in 1954.
- 1948–1970: Under the care of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Aransas Pass
- 1954: First appearance of the name "St. Joseph" in the OCD
- 1971–1988: Under the care of Our Lady of Assumption, Ingleside
- 1989–1992: Independent mission
- 1993–present: Parish (canonically established 1992 per the parish's own dating)
The Former Mission Church on Oakes Street
An earlier St. Joseph church building, thought to have been built in the 1910s–1920s, served the community until 2009 and still stands on Oakes Street. In its earliest mission years Mass was celebrated there every fourth Sunday by Father John C. Dubourgel, who arrived in the diocese in 1912 and also served Lamar, Gregory, and Aransas Pass. The building was later acquired by a Waco couple and carefully preserved; it received a Historic Property Award from the Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association in March 2025.
- Believed built in the 1910s–1920s
- Mass every fourth Sunday in early years by Fr. John C. Dubourgel
- Original stained-glass windows, belfry, altar rail, stations of the cross, and hardwood floors still intact
- Received Historic Property Award from PAPHA on March 14, 2025
- Now privately owned and used as a vacation home
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Fr. George Johnson Vallamattam as pastor, with Barbara Chesshir serving as parish secretary. Office hours are Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, with the parish reachable by phone at (361) 749-5825 and by email at [email protected].
- Pastor: Fr. George Johnson Vallamattam
- Parish Secretary: Barbara Chesshir
- Office hours: Tuesday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Support & Online Giving
The parish offers online giving as a way for both local parishioners and those who vacation in Port Aransas to support St. Joseph's ongoing ministry year-round. Support through Mass attendance, prayers, and financial giving is described on the parish's website as strengthening the community's efforts to bear witness to the love of God.
- Online Giving program available via the parish website
- Donations support parish mission and outreach
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, email, or in person during posted office hours. The office is at 422 Lantana Drive, with mail directed to PO Box 1546, Port Aransas, TX 78373; Mass is celebrated at the church on 100 N. Station Street.
- Address: 422 Lantana Dr., PO Box 1546, Port Aransas, TX 78373
- Church: 100 N. Station Street, Port Aransas, TX
- Phone: (361) 749-5825
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM