About St. Jude Thaddeus · Pharr, Texas
St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish located at 505 S. Ironwood Street in Pharr, Texas, within the Diocese of Brownsville. Since 1974 the parish has been entrusted to the pastoral care of the Fathers of the Pharr Oratory of St. Philip Neri (Congregation of the Oratory, C.O.), a pontifical society of apostolic life headquartered in the Rio Grande Valley. St. Jude Thaddeus is known for serving a bilingual Catholic community in English and Spanish, with a special emphasis on the Traditional Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form) celebrated on Sundays, and for the daily recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Holy Rosary. The parish also runs the Canastita de San Martín de Porres food pantry to assist families in need.
- Established
- 1951
- Patron
- St. Jude Thaddeus (Apostle, patron saint of lost causes and desperate situations)
- Rector
- Rev. Jose E. Losoya, C.O.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brownsville (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Jude Thaddeus offers one of the richest liturgical schedules in the Rio Grande Valley: seven Sunday Masses including a Traditional Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form) in Latin, plus English and Spanish Masses every day of the week, with Confession available before Sunday Mass, on Thursday evenings during Holy Hour, and on Saturday afternoons. The parish community is deeply devotional — praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy daily at 3:00 PM and the Holy Rosary at 6:00 PM in the church, gathering for a weekly St. Jude Novena on Tuesday evenings, and spending a weekly Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration on Thursday evenings. The parish lives out its faith through the Canastita de San Martín de Porres food pantry (with a second collection on the first Sunday of every month) and supports the wider community through the bilingual Oratory Academy school system. For a Catholic family seeking a vibrant bilingual parish with a strong traditional Latin Mass presence and a tight-knit Oratorian community, St. Jude Thaddeus is a distinctive home in the Diocese of Brownsville.
Mass times at St. Jude Thaddeus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM
- Thursday: 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM (during Holy Hour)
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Adoration times
- Thursday: 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM (Holy Hour)
Parish History & Founding
St. Jude Thaddeus was founded in 1950–1951 to serve the English-speaking Catholics of the growing Pharr–San Juan area, who had previously belonged to Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in McAllen. Bishop Mariano S. Garriga of Corpus Christi established the new parish, and Rev. George A. Doyle led the lay committee that purchased five acres in the Kelly-Pharr Subdivision. Rev. William Disney, sent from Christ the King in Corpus Christi, became the first pastor in July 1950. The parish passed to the new Diocese of Brownsville in 1965, and since 1974 it has been served by the Fathers of the Pharr Oratory of St. Philip Neri.
- Founded 1950–1951 under the Diocese of Corpus Christi
- Original territory: Puente Negro to the Rio Grande, Morningside Road to Jackson Road South
- Rev. William Disney — first pastor (July 1950)
- Five acres purchased in the Kelly-Pharr Subdivision from McIntyre Real Estate
- Became a Diocese of Brownsville parish in 1965
- Entrusted to the Pharr Oratory of St. Philip Neri since 1974
The Pharr Oratory of St. Philip Neri
The parish is pastored by the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri (C.O.), a pontifical society of apostolic life made up of priests and lay brothers living in community without vows. The Pharr Oratory was canonically erected at the request of Bishop Humberto Medeiros with the approval of Pope Paul VI in 1966; it was first seated in McAllen, then moved to Pharr under Bishop John J. Fitzpatrick in the early 1970s. Fr. Leo-Francis Daniels, C.O. has been the Founding Provost and Religious Superior of the Pharr Oratory since 1974. One of its priests, Rev. Mario Alberto Avilés, C.O., who served at St. Jude Thaddeus as Parochial Vicar, was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop of Brownsville by Pope Francis.
- Pontifical Society of Apostolic Life directly under the Holy See
- Canonical erection 1966, originally in McAllen; transferred to Pharr in early 1970s
- Fr. Leo-Francis Daniels, C.O. — Founding Provost & Religious Superior (since 1974)
- Bishop Mario Alberto Avilés, C.O. — former Parochial Vicar at St. Jude Thaddeus, now Auxiliary Bishop of Brownsville
- Br. Sebastian Caballero — current seminarian of the Pharr Oratory
Outreach: Canastita de San Martín de Porres
The parish operates the Canastita de San Martín de Porres food pantry, named for the Dominican saint known for his service to the poor. On the first Sunday of every month, a second collection is taken up specifically to support this ministry. The pantry helps parishioner families with groceries, utility bills, medical emergencies, and provides 10 pounds of chicken per family. Donations are welcomed at any time, not only on collection Sundays.
- Monthly 2nd collection on the 1st Sunday of the month
- Food pantry assistance
- Utility-bill assistance
- Medical-emergency assistance
- 10 lbs of chicken per family
Faith Formation & OCIA (RCIA)
The parish provides lifelong faith formation for children, youth, and adults. Children and youth programs include Religious Education for grades 1–8, preparation for First Communion, First Reconciliation, and Confirmation, and a youth ministry. For adults seeking full communion with the Catholic Church, the parish runs OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, formerly RCIA) — a communal process of inquiry, catechumenate, Rite of Election, the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil, and mystagogy.
- Religious Education classes for grades 1–8
- First Communion preparation
- First Reconciliation preparation
- Confirmation preparation (typically ages 12–14)
- Youth Ministry (middle and high school)
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults)
Oratory Academy & Athenaeum Schools
The Pharr Oratory of St. Philip Neri School System is the educational apostolate of the same Oratorian community that staffs St. Jude Thaddeus. Founded in 1983 with 15 PK-K students, the Oratory Academy has grown into a dual-language Catholic school system serving the Rio Grande Valley with a classical, bicultural, Catholic liberal-arts curriculum. In 1998 the system expanded with the Oratory Athenaeum, a university-preparatory high school.
- Founded 1983 with 15 PK-K students and a staff of three
- Dual-language Catholic education rooted in the Rio Grande Valley's bicultural heritage
- Oratory Athenaeum established 1998 for university preparation
- Now serves over 400 students across three campuses
- School offices located at 505 Ironwood, Pharr (alongside the parish)
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Jude Thaddeus is pastored by Rev. Jose E. Losoya, C.O., a Vicar of the Pharr Oratory of St. Philip Neri. The wider Oratorian community that staffs the parish is led by Founding Provost and Religious Superior Fr. Leo-Francis Daniels, C.O. (since 1974). The parish community is asked to keep Br. Sebastian Caballero, a current Pharr Oratory seminarian, in their prayers, as well as Bishop Daniel E. Flores (sixth Bishop of Brownsville, installed Feb. 2, 2010) and the parish's own alumnus Most Rev. Mario A. Avilés, C.O., now Auxiliary Bishop of Brownsville.
- Pastor: Rev. Jose E. Losoya, C.O.
- Founding Provost & Religious Superior: Fr. Leo-Francis Daniels, C.O.
- Seminarian: Br. Sebastian Caballero, C.O.
- Diocesan Bishop: Most Rev. Daniel E. Flores
- Auxiliary Bishop (and parish alumnus): Most Rev. Mario A. Avilés, C.O.
Visit, Contact & Location
St. Jude Thaddeus is located at 505 S. Ironwood Street, Pharr, Texas 78577, in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. The parish office can be reached by phone at (956) 781-2489 and by email at [email protected]. The parish shares its property with the Oratory Academy school offices. Visitors are warmly welcomed, and the parish publishes a weekly bulletin and announcements on its website and Facebook page.
- Address: 505 S. Ironwood Street, Pharr, TX 78577
- Phone: (956) 781-2489
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stjudethaddeus.net/
- Facebook: St. Jude's Catholic Church (Pharr) page
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William Disney1950–
First pastor of St. Jude Thaddeus; transferred in from Christ the King, Corpus Christi.
- Rev. Jose E. Losoya, C.O.
Current pastor (Vicar of the Pharr Oratory of St. Philip Neri).