About St. Joseph · Rotan, Texas
Saint Joseph Parish is a small Roman Catholic community serving the Fisher County seat of Rotan in West Texas, established in 1929 and part of the Diocese of Lubbock. The parish is pastored by Rev. S. Selvaraj 'Selva' Santhiago, HGN (a member of the Heralds of Good News), assisted by Deacon Valentin Morin, and shares its clergy with neighboring mission parishes Sacred Heart in El Ranchito and Saint Mary in Aspermont. With an average Mass attendance of about 58 worshippers, St. Joseph offers Sunday and weekday Masses in English, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays, and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) formation. The parish office is open Monday through Friday afternoons and the parish is supported by a small lay staff.
- Established
- 1929
- Patron
- Saint Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. S. Selvaraj "Selva" Santhiago, HGN
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lubbock
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers a close-knit, small-town Catholic community in Fisher County where every face is known and every Mass counts. Worshippers gather three times a week — Saturday vigil, Sunday morning, and a Wednesday school-year Mass — with Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays and OCIA formation for adults discerning the faith. Lay ministers lead parish life through roles recognized by the diocese (PCL, YL, WFFF), and a parish secretary keeps the office open weekday afternoons to welcome visitors.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment (Penance – appointments available)
- Before Mass — check the parish bulletin
Adoration times
- Friday 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM (Except First Friday)
- Friday 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM (First Friday)
About St. Joseph Parish, Rotan
Saint Joseph is a small Roman Catholic parish in Rotan, Texas, in the Diocese of Lubbock, established in 1929 and dedicated to Saint Joseph, husband of Mary. The parish serves Fisher County's roughly 540 Catholics, with an average Sunday Mass attendance of about 58. It shares pastoral leadership between Father Selvaraj Santhiago, HGN and Deacon Valentin Morin.
- Established 1929
- Diocese of Lubbock
- 540 Catholics in Fisher County
- Average Mass attendance: 58
- 303 East Lee, Rotan, TX 79546
History
St. Joseph has been a fixture of Catholic life in Rotan since 1929, when the parish was formally established to minister to the small but growing Catholic population of Fisher County. Over the decades the parish has been served by a series of diocesan and religious-order priests who also traveled to mission communities in the surrounding ranch country. The Diocese of Lubbock, erected in 1983, lists St. Joseph among its senior parishes.
- 1929 — Parish established
- 1983 — Diocese of Lubbock erected
- 2018 — Father Selvaraj Santhiago, HGN assigned as pastor
Parish Staff
Parish operations are coordinated by a small lay staff working alongside the pastor and deacon. The diocesan directory lists the roles below for St. Joseph.
- Pastor: Rev. S. Selvaraj "Selva" Santhiago, HGN (assigned October 15, 2018)
- Deacon: Valentin Morin
- Secretary: Isabel Zambrano
- PCL, YL, WFFF: Pat Morin, Jessica Lujan
- OCIA: Deacon Valentin Morin
Clergy
Father Selvaraj belongs to the Heralds of Good News (HGN), an Indian missionary society, and was ordained December 27, 2007. He pastors St. Joseph from the Rotan rectory while also serving Sacred Heart in El Ranchito and St. Mary in Aspermont. Deacon Valentin Morin assists at Mass and coordinates the parish's OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program.
Devotions
Devotional prayer opportunities (such as the rosary, Benediction, or seasonal novenas) are listed in the weekly parish bulletin. Visitors are encouraged to consult the bulletin or call the parish office for the current week's schedule.
Faith Formation & OCIA
St. Joseph welcomes adults seeking to become Catholic or to complete their initiation sacraments through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). The parish's OCIA team is coordinated by Deacon Valentin Morin, with sessions and inquiry conversations scheduled to suit adult learners in this rural West Texas community.
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
- OCIA coordinator: Deacon Valentin Morin
Parish Ministries & Lay Leadership
Lay faithful carry the parish's pastoral council, youth, and women's apostolate work, supported by a parish secretary who keeps the office running weekday afternoons.
- PCL — Parish Council Leadership
- YL — Youth Life
- WFFF — Women for Faith and Family (Pat Morin, Jessica Lujan)
- Parish Secretary: Isabel Zambrano
Office, Location & Contact
The parish office is located at 303 East Lee in Rotan and is open weekday afternoons. Visitors and parishioners can reach the office by phone during posted hours.
- Address: 303 East Lee, Rotan, TX 79546
- Phone: (325) 267-6413
- Office hours: Monday – Friday, 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM
- Website: catholiclubbock.org/Parishes/RotanSaintJoseph.html
Wider Pastoral Region
Because rural parishes on the South Plains often share clergy, Father Selvaraj — resident at the St. Joseph rectory in Rotan — also pastors two nearby mission parishes. Together these communities form an interconnected cluster of Catholic life across Fisher and surrounding counties.
- Sacred Heart, El Ranchito (Fisher County) — established 1924
- Saint Mary, Aspermont — also served from the Rotan rectory
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. S. Selvaraj "Selva" Santhiago, HGN2018–present
Heralds of Good News (HGN) missionary priest; assigned as pastor October 15, 2018; also serves Sacred Heart, El Ranchito and St. Mary, Aspermont, residing at the St. Joseph rectory in Rotan.