About St. Jude · Mansfield, Texas
St. Jude Catholic Church is a growing, multicultural parish in Mansfield, Texas, belonging to the Diocese of Fort Worth. Originally founded in 1897 as a mission served by priests traveling from Waxahachie, the parish now numbers roughly 2,500 families and offers Mass in both English and Spanish, with live-streamed liturgies and a 104.1 FM radio broadcast. In 2014 Bishop Michael F. Olson consecrated the present 1,762-seat worship space, and the parish continues to expand its faith-formation, youth, and outreach ministries for the fast-growing communities south of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.
- Established
- 1897
- Patron
- St. Jude (Thaddaeus)
- Rector
- Fr. Daniel Kelley
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Worth (Bishop Michael F. Olson)
Why belong here
St. Jude is a parish that openly welcomes newcomers and visitors, with bilingual weekend liturgy and a growing campus in a fast-developing corner of North Texas. Families find a full sacramental life — daily Mass, Saturday Reconciliation, weekday Adoration, and Spanish-language Masses — alongside a strong faith-formation program for children and teens, an active St. Jude Youth Organization, Adult and Teen OCIA/RCIA, and outreach such as Homebound Communion to the sick and elderly. With its 104.1 FM radio broadcast, live-streamed Mass, and newly dedicated St. James Parish Center, the parish combines small-community warmth with big-parish resources.
Mass times at St. Jude
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM in the Chapel (by appointment for other times)
Adoration times
- Thursday — after the 8:30 AM Mass until 6:25 PM
- Friday — after the 8:30 AM Mass until 5:00 PM
Parish History
St. Jude Catholic Parish began in 1897 when six families — the Moriarty, Bartin Ballweg, Patrick Henry Day, John Reitz, John Wisrock, and Joseph Wisrock households — gathered monthly for Mass celebrated by Father Thomas Hagerty of Waxahachie, who traveled by train. A small frame church dedicated as St. Joseph was erected in 1898 on land donated by local merchant J. W. Wright. By 1928 the community numbered 28 families, and Bishop Joseph Lynch dedicated a red-brick church on the Dallas Street site as St. James Catholic Church. Through the 1930s the parish was still served by priests from Waxahachie; in the 1940s–early 1950s it came under St. Patrick's in Fort Worth, and the St. James Altar Society was formally established. By 1954 a weekly Mass was being celebrated, and an influx of Czech and German families in the late 1950s set the stage for further growth. In 1969 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cartwright donated an acre of land, and on March 14, 1971 Bishop John Cassata dedicated a new 300-seat building on the Dallas Street site as St. Jude Catholic Church — the parish's present name. The Texas Historical Commission erected a State Historical Marker at the site in 1998.
- 1897: First Mass celebrated in a private home for six founding families.
- 1898: Frame church dedicated as St. Joseph on land donated by J. W. Wright.
- 1928: Red-brick St. James Catholic Church dedicated by Bishop Joseph Lynch.
- 1971: New church dedicated as St. Jude Catholic Church by Bishop John Cassata.
- 1998: Texas Historical Commission dedicates a State Historical Marker.
- 2014: Present-day 1,762-seat church consecrated by Bishop Michael F. Olson.
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Jude offers a full formation program for children, teens, and adults. The St. Jude Youth Organization (SJYO) walks students through First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation, supplementing classroom formation with retreats, conferences, and diocesan gatherings. Adult and Teen OCIA / RCIA classes prepare those seeking Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation, with the Teen track serving students in grades 5–12. A separate Elementary Faith Formation program supports younger students. Programs are led by Director-level staff and coordinators including Jasmine Rodriguez (Coordinator of Teen Faith Formation, ext. 2127) and Mariana Loarca (Coordinator of Elementary Faith Formation, ext. 2103), under the umbrella of parish Adult Faith Formation leadership.
- St. Jude Youth Organization (SJYO) — children and youth faith formation
- Sacrament Preparation: First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation
- Adult OCIA / RCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Teen OCIA / RCIA — for grades 5–12
- Elementary Faith Formation for younger children
Mass, Sacraments & Devotions
The parish runs a robust liturgical schedule with daily Mass Monday through Saturday, a Saturday Vigil, and five Sunday Masses in both English and Spanish. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons in the Chapel, and weekday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is offered Thursday and Friday after the morning Mass. Homebound Communion is available for the elderly and infirm, and the parish provides live-streamed Sunday Masses and an on-site FM radio broadcast (St. Jude Radio 104.1 FM) so worshippers can participate from home.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM English, 7:00 PM Spanish
- Sunday: 7:30, 10:00, 11:30 (no music), 5:00 PM English; 1:00 PM Spanish
- Weekday Mass: 8:30 AM Mon–Fri; additional 6:00 PM Spanish Mass on Thursday; 8:30 AM Saturday
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:30–4:30 PM in the Chapel
- Adoration: Thursday after 8:30 AM Mass until 6:25 PM; Friday after 8:30 AM Mass until 5:00 PM
- Live-streamed Mass: Sundays at 10:00 AM (English) and 1:00 PM (Spanish)
- St. Jude Radio 104.1 FM (FMLP)
Music & Liturgical Ministry
St. Jude's Liturgical Ministry supports both English and Spanish weekend Masses with choirs and musicians. Mass musicians warm up well before each liturgy — for example, the 5:00 PM Saturday English Mass warms up at 4:00 PM, and the 7:00 PM Saturday Spanish Mass warms up at 6:00 PM — and choir rehearsals are built into the weekly rhythm, with English choir practices on Thursday evenings and Spanish choir practices on Wednesday evenings.
- English Masses: warm-ups before each liturgy; weekly Thursday rehearsals 7:00–8:30 PM
- Spanish Masses: weekly Wednesday rehearsals 7:00–8:30 PM
- 11:30 AM Sunday Mass celebrated without music (quieter option)
- Live-streamed and radio-broadcast Masses integrated into music ministry
Outreach & Pastoral Care
Beyond the liturgy, St. Jude Catholic Parish is actively extending pastoral care to members who cannot be physically present. The parish office coordinates Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who bring the Eucharist to those in nursing homes and to private residences for the sick and elderly. St. Jude also uses a free mobile app (myParish App) to push urgent and immediate information about parish events, cancellations, and ministries directly to parishioners' phones.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to nursing homes
- Homebound Communion visits to private residences
- myParish App for parish-wide notifications
- Building Fund / Stewardship campaigns supporting parish growth
Campus: Church, St. James Center & Historic Site
The Mansfield campus centers on the present-day St. Jude Catholic Church, consecrated April 12, 2014, which seats 1,762 in the main worship space plus 126 in the chapel and houses religious treasures gathered from around the world. Adjacent to it is the newly dedicated St. James Parish Center — a $5 million facility completed through a three-year "Embracing our Past and Connecting our Future" campaign that physically incorporates the older expanded church building into the new structure. The parish hall, rectory, and a religious education center (added in 1984) round out the original buildings, and the 1998 Texas Historical Commission marker stands as a visible reminder of the parish's roots.
- Main church: 1,762 seats + 126 in the chapel (consecrated April 12, 2014)
- St. James Parish Center: dedicated by Fr. Daniel Kelley; incorporates earlier church building
- Parish hall and rectory (built in the 1970s)
- Religious education center (added 1984)
- Texas Historical Commission marker (1998) on the Dallas Street site
Clergy & Parish Staff
St. Jude Catholic Parish is shepherded by Pastor Fr. Daniel Kelley, with Fr. M. Francis Chinthamalla, HGN, serving as Parochial Vicar. The parish is also served by permanent deacons and an administrative and formation staff reached through the parish office line (817) 473-6709. Faith formation is led by coordinators for Elementary Faith Formation (Mariana Loarca, ext. 2103) and Teen Faith Formation (Jasmine Rodriguez, ext. 2127), along with an Adult Faith Formation Coordinator (Gary Morgan) overseeing OCIA/RCIA.
- Fr. Daniel Kelley — Pastor
- Fr. M. Francis Chinthamalla, HGN — Parochial Vicar
- Deacons serving the parish
- Mariana Loarca — Coordinator of Elementary Faith Formation (ext. 2103)
- Jasmine Rodriguez — Coordinator of Teen Faith Formation (ext. 2127)
- Gary Morgan — Adult Faith Formation Coordinator (Adult OCIA/RCIA)
Visit, Register & Get Involved
Newcomers and visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Jude. The parish invites people to attend Mass, learn about the community, and register online or in person. Parish office hours run 9:00 AM–5:00 PM Tuesday–Friday, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM Monday, 8:00 AM–12:30 PM Sunday, and the office is closed Saturday. With robust bilingual liturgy, formation tracks for every age, active youth ministry, and outreach to the homebound, St. Jude offers multiple on-ramps to parish life.
- Register online via the official parish website
- Mass times and live-stream links on the homepage
- myParish App for parish-wide communication
- Bulletin and parish calendar linked from the website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Thomas Hagerty1897–c.1898
Pastor of St. Joseph, Waxahachie; traveled by train once a month to celebrate Mass for the six Mansfield families.
- Father Joseph O'Donohoec.1898–
Succeeded Father Hagerty as the priest from Waxahachie serving the Mansfield mission.
- Bishop Joseph Lynch1928
Dedicated the red-brick St. James Catholic Church in November 1928.
- Bishop John CassataMarch 14, 1971
Dedicated the new St. Jude Catholic Church building (300-seat) on Dallas Street.
- Bishop Michael F. OlsonApril 12, 2014
Consecrated the present-day St. Jude Catholic Church (1,762-seat).
- Fr. Daniel Kelleypresent
Current pastor; presided at the dedication of the new St. James Parish Center.