About St. Margaret · Giddings, Texas
St. Margaret Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Austin located in Giddings, Texas, a small town in Lee County southeast of Austin. It serves a bilingual community, offering Masses in both English and Spanish, and ministers to Catholic families across the rural central Texas area, including the mission of St. Mary's, Pin Oak. The parish is led by Pastor Father Javier Toscano and a small, dedicated staff who coordinate faith formation (Escuela de Iniciación Ministerial or EIM), liturgical ministries, youth activities (LifeTeen/EDGE), Vacation Bible School, and outreach through online giving.
- Patron
- St. Margaret (of Scotland is the traditional patron)
- Rector
- Father Javier Toscano
- Diocese
- Diocese of Austin
Why belong here
St. Margaret offers a warm, bilingual Catholic home in Giddings with daily and weekend Mass, weekly Confession, monthly Eucharistic Adoration, sacramental preparation (First Communion, RCIA-level faith formation), youth ministry through LifeTeen and EDGE, Vacation Bible School, and fellowship opportunities like parish-hall potlucks. Families can grow in faith alongside others who share the same small-town central Texas roots, while benefiting from online resources such as Formed, EWTN, and Word on Fire recommended by the parish.
Mass times at St. Margaret
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Adoration times
- Friday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (First Friday of the month)
Parish Overview
St. Margaret Catholic Church is a bilingual parish in Giddings, Texas, belonging to the Diocese of Austin. It serves the small-town communities of Lee County and outlying areas, with Mass offered in English and Spanish each Sunday. The parish also serves as the parish church for the mission community of St. Mary's, Pin Oak, which has been attached since 1944.
Faith Formation (EIM / Religious Education)
The parish's faith formation program — known by its Spanish acronym EIM (Escuela de Iniciación Ministerial) — is directed by Laura Orocio. Registrations are taken before each program year on the parish website, after Masses, and at the parish office Monday–Thursday 8 AM–5 PM. Programs include First Communion preparation (with mandatory parent meetings and certificates issued by the office), and formation for teens including the Steubenville retreat track.
- Director of Religious Education: Laura Orocio
- Religious Ed Projects/Activities & Altar Server Coordinator: Vicky Orocio-Correa
- First Communion classes with parent meetings
- Bilingual registration and announcements
Youth Ministry — LifeTeen and EDGE
St. Margaret runs a LifeTeen high school program and an EDGE middle school program. The teens are sent on retreats including the Steubenville Conferences and Franciscan LEAD discipleship retreats. The parish also organizes intergenerational events, parish-hall potlucks, and youth rallies (DCYC).
- LifeTeen high school ministry
- EDGE middle school ministry
- Steubenville youth conferences (DCYC)
- Franciscan LEAD retreat (Houma)
Vacation Bible School
Vacation Bible School is held each summer, open to children who have completed 4-year-old preschool through 8th grade. Registration carries a small materials fee and the week typically ends with Mass, Adoration, and a parish reception. VBS is heavily supported by teens and adult volunteers from the parish.
- Open to ages 4-year-old through 8th grade
- Held 5–8 PM on weeknights
- Closes with Mass, Adoration, and reception
Mission Parish — St. Mary's, Pin Oak
Since 1944 St. Mary's, Pin Oak has been a mission parish of St. Margaret's in Giddings. The Pin Oak community traces its Catholic roots to 1849, when the first Mass was celebrated in the home of Adam Becker. The original church was built in 1869 on land east of Pin Oak Creek and replaced by the present church in 1911. The mission is currently listed with a Saturday Vigil Mass at 6:15 PM.
- First Catholic Mass celebrated 1849 in Adam Becker's home
- Original church built 1869; replaced by present church 1911
- Mission parish of St. Margaret's since 1944
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 6:15 PM at Pin Oak
Parish Staff
The parish is served by a small but committed team. Father Javier Toscano is the pastor. Laura Orocio directs Religious Education, Vicky Orocio-Correa coordinates Religious Education projects, the Altar Server program and Faith Formation activities, and Florentino Orocio cares for the maintenance and grounds. The staff can be reached through the office at (979) 542-0217 or by email.
- Father Javier Toscano — Pastor
- Laura Orocio — Director of Religious Education
- Vicky Orocio-Correa — Religious Education Projects & Altar Server Coordinator
- Florentino Orocio — Maintenance and Grounds
Giving, Media, and Online Resources
The parish offers online giving through a QR-code linked E-Giving portal on its homepage (English and Spanish). The parish website promotes Catholic formation through Formed, EWTN Mass streaming, Word on Fire videos with Bishop Robert Barron, and Ascension Presents with Father Mike Schmitz. Notices about IRS raffle guidelines, First Communion, Eucharistic Ministry (EIM) registration, and youth events are regularly posted on the homepage.
- E-Giving online donations (English & Spanish)
- Formed digital formation platform
- EWTN Mass streaming link
- Word on Fire (Bishop Robert Barron)
- Ascension Presents (Father Mike Schmitz)
- Amazon Smile support option
Location and Contact
St. Margaret Catholic Church sits at the corner of S. Leon Street and E. Bellville Street in Giddings, Texas 78942. The parish office can be reached at (979) 542-0217, and visitors are directed to the Location & Direction page on the parish website for a map. Mass streaming is available through the EWTN link posted on the parish homepage.
- Address: 276 E Bellville St., Giddings, TX 78942 (also referenced at S. Leon St. & E. Bellville St.)
- Parish office phone: (979) 542-0217
- Mass streaming via EWTN