About St. Lawrence · Garden City, Texas
St. Lawrence Catholic Church is a rural parish of the Diocese of San Angelo serving the unincorporated farming community of St. Lawrence in southern Glasscock County, Texas, and the surrounding ranch country around Garden City, the county seat. Built in 1948 by Catholic families of German descent who settled the area after World War II, the parish also shepherds two mission churches — St. Thomas in Midkiff and St. Paschal in Sterling City — and offers Mass in both English and Spanish. The parish is best known in the region for the annual fall festival it co-hosts with St. Thomas Catholic Church, a tradition since 1950 that draws thousands for a barbecue, auction, dance, and bingo.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- St. Lawrence (Lawrence of Rome, deacon and martyr)
- Rector
- Rev. Prem Thumma
- Diocese
- Diocese of San Angelo
Why belong here
St. Lawrence Catholic Church is the spiritual heart of a small rural West Texas community where Catholic families of German descent have worshipped together for more than 75 years. The parish welcomes English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics with daily Mass, a Saturday vigil, and Sunday Mass, plus regular confession and First Friday adoration, while also tending two mission communities in Midkiff and Sterling City. A parishioner here joins a tight-knit family of faith anchored by deep agricultural roots, the historic St. Lawrence Cemetery, and a beloved annual fall festival shared with St. Thomas Catholic Church that draws thousands.
Mass times at St. Lawrence
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00 AM – 8:35 AM (St. Thomas, Midkiff)
- Sunday 12:15 PM – 12:30 PM (St. Paschal, Sterling City)
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:55 PM (St. Lawrence)
Adoration times
- 1st Friday 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM (St. Lawrence)
- 1st Friday 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (St. Thomas, Midkiff)
About St. Lawrence Catholic Church
St. Lawrence Catholic Church is a rural parish of the Diocese of San Angelo serving Garden City and the unincorporated community of St. Lawrence in southern Glasscock County, Texas. Built in 1948 by Catholic farming families of German descent, the parish is bilingual (English and Spanish) and also ministers to two missions: St. Thomas in Midkiff and St. Paschal Baylon in Sterling City. The parish shares a historic Fall Festival with St. Thomas Catholic Church every year, a tradition since 1950.
- Parish: St. Lawrence Catholic Church
- Diocese: San Angelo
- Address: 2400 FM 2401, Garden City, TX 79739
- Phone: (432) 397-2300
- Languages: English and Spanish
History of the Parish
St. Lawrence was settled in the late 1940s by Catholic families of German descent who subdivided the surrounding ranch and farmland. The first Mass was celebrated in 1948 in the new church that gave the community its name, and a parish hall followed in 1959 with a new nave added in 1970. From 1949 to 1957 the community was large enough to support its own post office, and beginning in 1950 the parish has partnered with St. Thomas Catholic Church in Midkiff for a Fall Festival that draws several thousand visitors each year.
- 1948 — Church built and first Mass celebrated
- 1949–1957 — St. Lawrence community post office in operation
- 1950 — First annual Fall Festival with St. Thomas, Midkiff
- 1959 — Parish hall completed
- 1970 — New nave added to the church
Missions Served by the Parish
In addition to the main church at St. Lawrence, the parish operates two mission churches that extend its reach across West Texas ranch and oil country.
- St. Thomas Mission — Midkiff, TX (Sunday Mass 8:30 AM; Tuesday and Thursday Mass 8:00 AM; 1st Friday Mass 8:00 AM)
- St. Paschal Baylon Mission — Sterling City, TX (Sunday Mass 12:30 PM)
Community Life and the Fall Festival
Since 1950, St. Lawrence parishioners have partnered with St. Thomas Catholic Church in Midkiff to host an annual Fall Festival that has become a signature regional event. The festival regularly draws several thousand visitors for a barbecue, live auction, raffle, dance, game booths, crafts, and bingo, and remains one of the most visible expressions of the community's Catholic and German-heritage identity.
- Annual Fall Festival (since 1950) co-hosted with St. Thomas Catholic Church, Midkiff
- Activities: barbecue, auction, raffle, dance, game booths, crafts, bingo
St. Lawrence Cemetery
Adjacent to the church, the St. Lawrence Cemetery is the historic resting place of many of the German-descent founding families of the community. Cemetery records document at least 135 burials, making the grounds an important part of the parish's heritage.
- At least 135 documented burials
- Located adjacent to St. Lawrence Catholic Church
Clergy and Leadership
The parish is led by a diocesan priest assigned by the Diocese of San Angelo and supported by the parishioners who staff its missions and ministries.
- Pastor: Rev. Prem Thumma (Diocese of San Angelo)
- Parish e-mail: [email protected]
- Parish office: (432) 397-2300