About St. Mark · Houston, Missouri
St. Mark Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish in Houston, Missouri, the county seat of Texas County in the Ozarks. It belongs to the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau and today is served by Fr. Rayappa Chinnabathini, with Deacon Mike Evers assisting. The parish also provides pastoral care for two mission churches: St. John the Baptist in Licking and St. Vincent de Paul in Roby. Weekend Mass is celebrated Sunday morning, with three weekday Masses, weekly Sunday confession, and a monthly Eucharistic Adoration hour.
- Established
- 1953 (dedicated June 14, 1953 as a mission church); became a parish in 1975
- Patron
- St. Mark (the Evangelist)
- Rector
- Rev. Rayappa Chinnabathini
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau
Why belong here
St. Mark is a close-knit rural parish where the entire community knows one another by name, and the pastor and deacon personally shepherd not only Houston but the mission churches of Licking and Roby as well. Worship is offered Sunday morning and three weekday mornings, with confession each Sunday before Mass and a dedicated Eucharistic Adoration hour on the fourth Friday of the month — giving steady opportunities for prayer, the sacraments, and adoration throughout the month. For Catholics in Texas County, it is a place with deep local roots reaching back to a post-Civil War congregation of 60 members, where every soul still counts.
Mass times at St. Mark
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 10:00 – 10:15 a.m. (before Mass)
Adoration times
- Fourth Friday of the month, 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Parish Overview
St. Mark Parish serves the small community of Houston, Missouri, in Texas County, in the heart of the Ozarks. It is one of the parishes of the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau and, like several in the region, is a smaller rural church paired with mission churches. The pastor and deacon together provide care for St. Vincent de Paul Mission Church in Roby and St. John the Baptist Mission Church in Licking, forming a small cluster of Catholic communities in this part of the diocese.
- Pastoral care extended to St. John the Baptist Mission, Licking, and St. Vincent de Paul Mission, Roby
- Member of the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau
- Listed under the diocese's regional deanery structure
History
Catholic life in the Houston area goes back to a post–Civil War congregation of roughly 60 members around 1867. That first church burned in 1914; a replacement built in Beulah in 1932 was eventually closed during the Depression and war years as families left. In the 1940s, area Catholics attended Mass in Cabool or Willow Springs until Archbishop Joseph Ritter of St. Louis authorized the purchase of land in Houston in 1952 and Fr. Sylvester Bauer oversaw construction. The new church was dedicated June 14, 1953, by Bishop Charles Helmsing of St. Louis, becoming a mission church of St. Joseph Mission Center in White Church. By 1969 the parish debt was paid off and membership had reached about 100.
- 1867 — First Catholic church in the area built with about 60 members
- 1914 — Church destroyed by fire
- 1932 — New church built in Beulah
- 1952 — Archbishop Joseph Ritter authorizes land purchase in Houston
- June 14, 1953 — Church dedicated by Bishop Charles Helmsing; becomes mission of St. Joseph Mission Center, White Church
- 1969 — Parish debt retired; community grown to ~100 members
- 1975 — Elevated to parish status under first resident pastor, Fr. Paul McLoughlin; receives care of St. Vincent de Paul, Roby
Clergy & Staff
St. Mark is currently served by a pastor and a deacon. Fr. Rayappa Chinnabathini was assigned as pastor in the diocese's 2025 pastoral assignments, continuing to shepherd the three-church cluster of Houston, Licking, and Roby. Deacon Mike Evers assists in parish ministry.
- Rev. Rayappa Chinnabathini — Pastor
- Deacon Mike Evers
Pastoral Care of Mission Churches
As a parish, St. Mark provides pastoral care for two mission churches in the diocese: St. Vincent de Paul Mission Church in Roby and St. John the Baptist Mission Church in Licking. Both are listed under Fr. Rayappa Chinnabathini in the diocese's deanery listings.
- St. Vincent de Paul Mission Church, Roby, MO
- St. John the Baptist Mission Church, Licking, MO
Visit & Contact
The parish office is located at 117 E. South Oak Crest Dr., Houston, MO 65483-1536, with the church at 118 North Oak Crest St., Houston, MO 65483 (GPS: N37° 19.198', W091° 57.401'). Office hours are Tuesday and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The published phone line is (417) 967-3589. Schedules are subject to change, so visitors are encouraged to call the parish office to confirm Mass and event times.
- Mailing: 117 E. South Oak Crest Dr., Houston, MO 65483-1536
- Physical: 118 North Oak Crest St., Houston, MO
- Phone: (417) 967-3589
- Office hours: Tuesday & Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Sylvester Bauer1952–1953
Supervised the construction and landscaping of the Houston church grounds; under Archbishop Joseph Ritter of St. Louis.
- Fr. Paul McLoughlin1975–
First resident pastor when St. Mark Mission Church was elevated to parish status; given care of St. Vincent de Paul Mission Church in Roby.