About St. Justin Martyr · Houston, Texas
St. Justin Martyr is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston serving the Ashford Point / west Houston area (zip 77082). Founded in 1982 to minister to roughly 200 families on Houston's expanding west side, it has grown into a multi-ethnic community of more than 2,000 registered families celebrating Mass in English, Vietnamese and Spanish each Sunday. The parish is led by Rev. Paul R. Chovanec, a Houston-born priest ordained in 1972, who is also noted in the Archdiocese for his long-running project hosting Czech transitional deacons in Texas.
- Established
- 1982
- Patron
- St. Justin Martyr (Justin the Philosopher and Martyr, c. 100–165 AD)
- Rector
- Rev. Paul R. Chovanec
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Why belong here
St. Justin Martyr is a large, multi-ethnic Catholic community that explicitly centers family life and the call of every member to ministry — its mission statement says there are 'no volunteers at St. Justin Martyr, only those called to serve.' Worship is offered in three languages every Sunday (English, Vietnamese and Spanish), plus a signed Mass for the hearing impaired, and the parish supports an unusually wide range of weekly devotions, a vibrant Social Ministry with a Wednesday drive-thru food pantry, and the parish-run Christian Formation Center with year-round adult Bible study, youth ministry and Vacation Bible School.
Mass times at St. Justin Martyr
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Adoration times
- Benediction on Saturday mornings (per parish history)
Our Story — A Parish on Houston's West Side
St. Justin Martyr Parish was established in 1982 to minister to about 200 families on Houston's expanding west side. Its earliest Masses were held at the neighboring St. Kevork Armenian facility, with parishioners carrying their own lawn chairs. The current church was dedicated in 1985, and the Christian Formation Center was added a decade later in 1996. Today the parish counts well over 2,000 registered families drawn from multiple ethnic and linguistic communities.
- Founded 1982
- Church dedicated 1985
- Christian Formation Board formed 1991
- Christian Formation Center dedicated 1996
Mission Statement
The parish describes itself as 'a spirit filled community of believers, made up of all who call upon Jesus as Lord.' Its written mission commits the community to fostering family life and welcoming newcomers; recognizing that each member has a call to ministry — 'there are no volunteers at St. Justin Martyr, only those called to serve'; providing for the continued spiritual, educational and emotional development of the community; and increasing social consciousness in Houston and beyond.
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by Rev. Paul R. Chovanec, a Houston-born priest of Czech heritage who was ordained in 1972 and has served St. Justin Martyr for more than fifteen years. He is assisted by parochial vicars (most recently Fr. Joseph Phong Nguyen and, effective July 1, 2025, Fr. Linh Nguyen) and three deacons: Deacon Corney Llorens, Deacon Nhat Tran and Deacon Sean Nguyen. Karen Rachal serves as Parish Administrator, and Jackie Baca as Coordinator of Religious Education and Youth Ministry.
- Fr. Paul R. Chovanec — Pastor (ordained 1972)
- Fr. Linh Nguyen — Parochial Vicar (effective 7/1/2025)
- Fr. Joseph Phong Nguyen — Parochial Vicar (2024)
- Deacon Corney Llorens
- Deacon Nhat Tran
- Deacon Sean Nguyen
- Karen Rachal — Parish Administrator
- Jackie Baca — Coordinator of Religious Education & Youth Ministry
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Children's faith formation is provided through the Continuing Catholic Education (CCE) program, with annual registration for the school year. Adult faith formation includes a Monday-night Catholic Bible study that meets from 7:30 to 8:30 PM in the Christian Formation Center (CFC) Building, Room 110. Adults seeking Baptism or full reception into the Catholic Church are served through the parish's RCIA process; practicing Catholics seeking Confirmation can contact the parish office.
- CCE for children — register online for 2025–2026
- RCIA — Adult Baptism and reception into the Church
- Adult Confirmation for practicing Catholics
- Monday Night Bible Study — 7:30–8:30 PM, CFC Room 110
Youth Ministry
Youth Ministry is coordinated through the parish's Christian Formation Center, supported by Jackie Baca (Coordinator of Religious Education & Youth Ministry) and the parish's Christian Formation Board, which was first formed in 1991.
Vacation Bible School
The parish runs an annual Vacation Bible School program for children ages 4–12. The 2024 VBS ran July 22–26 from 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM, with a $40 per-child registration fee ($105 family fee for three children) and a financial-aid option through the CCE office (281-902-5712 / [email protected]).
Social Ministry
St. Justin Martyr's Social Ministry maintains a Wednesday drive-thru food distribution from 7:30 to 9:30 AM for parishioners and neighbors in need. The office can be reached at 281-556-6882 (fax 281-752-5985). Printable client-services documents and Kroger Neighbor-to-Neighbor enrollment forms are posted on the parish website.
- Drive-thru food distribution — Wednesdays 7:30–9:30 AM
- Phone: 281-556-6882
- Kroger Neighbor-to-Neighbor program enrollment available
Devotions and Prayer Groups
A long-standing schedule of devotions supplements daily Mass: a Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help on Tuesdays, a Charismatic Prayer Group on Thursdays, a Vietnamese Prayer Group on Saturdays, monthly Anointing of the Sick, Saturday-morning Benediction, and the parish's traditional St. Joseph Altar on the Sunday nearest March 19.
- Tuesday: Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Thursday: Charismatic Prayer Group
- Saturday: Vietnamese Prayer Group
- Monthly: Anointing of the Sick
- Saturday mornings: Benediction
- Sunday near March 19: St. Joseph Altar
Prayer Blanket Ministry
Listed among the parish's adult faith-formation offerings, the Prayer Blanket Ministry provides handmade prayer blankets to parishioners who are sick, suffering or in need of spiritual support.
Multi-Ethnic and Vietnamese Community Life
St. Justin Martyr explicitly identifies itself as a parish with 'a rich variety of cultural backgrounds, interests and experiences.' Vietnamese Catholics are a major part of the parish's identity — there is a dedicated Vietnamese-language Mass on Sunday at 12:00 PM and a First-Friday Vietnamese Mass at 6:30 PM, along with a Vietnamese Prayer Group on Saturdays. The parish also celebrates a weekly Spanish Mass and offers a signed Mass for the hearing impaired.
Czech Heritage and the Annual Deacon Visit
Since 1999, St. Justin Martyr and its pastor, Fr. Paul Chovanec — himself of Czech ancestry and a board member of the Czech Catholic Foundation of Texas — have hosted transitional deacons from the Czech Republic each year. The visiting deacons stay with parish families, share parish meals, and join parish liturgies as a way to practice their English and connect the Czech and Texan Catholic communities. The tradition has been covered by the Texas Catholic Herald and is one of the parish's distinctive marks.
Knights of Columbus
Fr. Paul Chovanec serves as chaplain of the St. Justin Martyr council of the Knights of Columbus, which is regularly featured in parish events, including gatherings with visiting Czech deacons.
Parish Communications
Parish news and Mass reminders are distributed through Flocknote (sjmtx.flocknote.com). Sunday bulletins carry weekly collection totals, Mass intentions, RCIA information, faith-formation announcements, and reflections. Online Giving is available through the parish website, and donations may also be mailed to the parish office at 13350 Ashford Point Dr., Houston, TX 77082-5100.
- Flocknote: sjmtx.flocknote.com
- Online Giving via sjmtx.com
- Mailed donations: 13350 Ashford Point Dr., Houston, TX 77082-5100
Patron — St. Justin Martyr
The parish is named for St. Justin Martyr (c. 100–165 AD), the second-century philosopher who converted to Christianity and became one of the Church's first great apologists. Beheaded in Rome under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, he is the patron saint of philosophers, apologists, lecturers and orators, and is commemorated on June 1.
- Feast day: June 1
- Patron of philosophers, apologists, lecturers and orators
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Paul R. Chovanecc. 2007–present (as of 2022 he had served 15 years at St. Justin Martyr)
Houston-born priest, ordained 1972 by Bishop John L. Morkovsky for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston; also chaplain of the parish Knights of Columbus council and board member of the Czech Catholic Foundation of Texas and Slavic Alliance of Greater Houston.