About St. Mary · Amarillo, Texas
St. Mary's Cathedral is the seat (mother church) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle. The present brick, Modern-style church at 1200 S. Washington St. was dedicated on September 11, 2010, rebuilt after a 2007 fire, and proclaimed the third cathedral of the diocese on March 25, 2011 — the Feast of the Annunciation. As both a working parish and the diocesan cathedral, St. Mary's offers daily and Sunday Masses in English, the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Wednesdays and Saturdays, multi-day Eucharistic Adoration, parish-school and youth-formation programs (G.I.F.T., RCIA, Confirmation, First Communion), and ministries such as the Knights of Columbus Council #1450 and Stephen Ministry, all under the pastoral leadership of Rector Fr. Anthony C. (Tony) Neusch.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Fr. Anthony C. (Tony) Neusch
- Diocese
- Diocese of Amarillo
Why belong here
St. Mary's is the cathedral of the Diocese of Amarillo, so Mass here ties you into the heart of Catholic life in the Texas Panhandle — the bishop (or, presently, the apostolic administrator) presides here, relics of three great saints are set into the main altar, and the music program centers a 1,200-pipe organ with trumpets. Between daily and Sunday Masses in English, expanded Eucharistic Adoration three days a week (Tuesday–Thursday, 7:30 AM to 9:00 PM), Wednesday and Saturday confessions, and a complete sacramental-preparation track that includes G.I.F.T. family faith formation on Sundays, RCIA catechesis, First Communion, Confirmation and a Vacation Bible School, the parish is built for both daily devotion and family life. Add in the Knights of Columbus Council #1450 breakfasts and Stephen Ministry for pastoral care, and it offers the full menu of a working downtown Catholic cathedral rather than a quiet chapel — a generous, multi-generational faith community eight blocks north of I-40 off Washington Street.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (or by appointment)
- Wednesday 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
- Wednesday 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
- Thursday 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Cathedral History
Catholic worship in Amarillo began in 1903 with a small frame Sacred Heart Church on North Polk Street. A larger red-brick Sacred Heart, completed in 1918, was elevated to Sacred Heart Cathedral when Pope Pius XI created the Diocese of Amarillo on August 3, 1926, and installed Bishop Rudolph Gerken on April 28, 1927. After diocesan growth and an Air Force surplus chapel was moved onto the school grounds in 1947, that 'chapel of convenience' was erected as an independent parish in 1959 and named St. Mary's. A 1981 St. Mary's was destroyed by fire on February 26, 2007, and the rebuilt sanctuary, dedicated on September 11, 2010, was proclaimed the diocese's third cathedral on March 25, 2011, the Feast of the Annunciation.
Rebuild After the 2007 Fire
After a three-alarm fire destroyed the 1981 sanctuary (an estimated $5 million in damage), Monsignor Harold L. Waldow told the assembled hundreds, 'Be Not Afraid,' and those same words now greet visitors on a plaque at the south entrance. Lavin Architects designed the 1,000-seat replacement and Conrad Schmitt Studios of New Berlin, Wisconsin salvaged and supplemented the historic stained glass while designing the new sanctuary windows based on the original Sacred Heart designs.
Transition to Cathedral (2011)
Bishop John W. Yanta first floated the idea that the rebuilt St. Mary's should replace St. Laurence as the cathedral; Bishop Patrick J. Zurek then petitioned the Holy See through Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Pietro Sambi. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation of Bishops, gave swift assent, and the change was deliberately dated March 25, 2011 — the Feast of the Annunciation.
Architecture & Sacred Art
The present cathedral is a Modern-style, brick sanctuary with wood-beam ceilings and a custom exterior brick sculpture of Jesus and Mary. A smaller Adoration/Daily Mass Chapel adjoins the sanctuary. The sanctuary windows were designed by Conrad Schmitt Studios and the original stained glass salvaged from the fire and expanded to match. The main altar incorporates the three altar stones from Sacred Heart Cathedral and houses relics of St. Thomas Aquinas, St. John Vianney and Pope St. Pius X. A copper baptismal font by a South Texas artist holds 150 gallons of constantly circulating water, and a 1,200-pipe organ with trumpets (together valued at about $900,000) anchors the music ministry.
- Architect: Lavin Architects (project later identified with Sims + Architects)
- Capacity: approximately 1,000 worshipers
- Construction cost: about $10 million
- Exterior: brick, with custom brick sculpture of Jesus and Mary
- Stained glass: Conrad Schmitt Studios, New Berlin, Wisconsin
- Baptismal font: copper, 150 gallons of recirculating water
- Pipe organ: 1,200 pipes + trumpets (~$900,000)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Family faith formation at the cathedral, branded as 'G.I.F.T.', is built around the Sunday Mass schedule so that the whole family attends together: parents participate in adult catechesis while children move to age- and grade-appropriate classrooms. G.I.F.T. meets Sundays 10:40 AM – 11:50 AM and is a prerequisite for two consecutive years before a child may receive First Holy Communion. The cathedral runs an annual Vacation Bible School (typically in June, for children age 3 through 5th grade, staffed by adult and teen volunteers who must complete Safe Environment Training).
- G.I.F.T. Family Faith Formation, Sundays 10:40 AM – 11:50 AM
- Vacation Bible School (annual, June) — ages 3 through 5th grade
- Family Faith Formation coordinator: Sarah McWhorter ([email protected])
- VBS contact: Kelsey Matchen ([email protected])
Sacraments
Beyond the Sunday and daily Mass schedule, the cathedral serves the full sacramental life of the diocese's parish faithful: First Holy Communion (with the G.I.F.T. prerequisite), Confirmation (Adults and Teens), Baptism (infant through the parish, adult through RCIA in the copper font) and Matrimony. Confessions are scheduled Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons and are available by appointment.
- First Holy Communion (requires 2 consecutive years of G.I.F.T.)
- Confirmation (Adults and Teens)
- Baptism (infant and adult)
- Matrimony / Reconciliation (see Confession schedule)
- Anointing of the Sick
RCIA — Becoming Catholic
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is offered regularly, with weekly catechesis classes forming the backbone of the journey for adults and older teens who have discerned they want to become Catholic and learn the faith.
Parish Ministries & Community Life
Cathedral life extends well beyond the sanctuary walls. Knights of Columbus Council #1450 serves a community breakfast following every Sunday Mass — one of the parish's most visible fellowship traditions. Stephen Ministry (and the Stephen Leaders formation track) provides confidential, one-on-one pastoral care and peer ministry to parishioners going through difficult times. The parish also runs a youth ministry and a Vacation Bible School each summer.
- Knights of Columbus Council #1450
- Stephen Ministry / Stephen Leaders
- Youth Ministry
- Vacation Bible School
- Parish Administrator: Judy Priess
St. Mary's Cathedral School
A diocesan school sits on the same South Washington campus and is linked into the parish identity (the parish logo carries a 'St. Mary's Cathedral School' mark). The school's roots go back to St. Mary's Catholic Academy, which was purchased from the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word for $85,000 in 1944 and made the cathedral school. In January 2019, a man was arrested after bringing firearms onto the school grounds; no shots were fired.
Diocese of Amarillo & Apostolic Administration
St. Mary's has been the seat (mother church) of the Diocese of Amarillo since March 25, 2011. The diocese, covering a vast stretch of the Texas Panhandle, is currently led by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, who was named Apostolic Administrator by Pope Leo XIV on February 14, 2026, while the episcopal see remains vacant pending the appointment and installation of a new bishop.
- Diocese: Amarillo
- Diocese website: https://amarillodiocese.org
- Apostolic Administrator: Cardinal Daniel DiNardo (named February 14, 2026)
Visiting, Location & Campus
The cathedral sits at 1200 South Washington Street in central Amarillo, eight blocks north of Interstate 40 on the west side of Washington. The campus includes the sanctuary, Adoration/Daily-Use Chapel, St. Mary's Cathedral School, the Monsignor Smyer Activity Center (built 2002–2003 to replace the 1937 Cathedral Hall), the former Sisters of Charity convent (now parish office and ministry center and priests' residence), and a rectory. Parking is on-site; daily English Mass is celebrated throughout the week, and Holy Hour is offered every Sunday.
- Address: 1200 S. Washington Street, Amarillo, TX 79102
- Phone: (806) 376-7204
- Monsignor Smyer Activity Center (built 2002–2003, replacing the 1937 Cathedral Hall)
- Former convent (now parish offices and priests' residence)
- On-site parking
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Harold L. WaldowPastor from July 23, 2002; named Rector March 25, 2011 (when St. Mary's became Cathedral); retired September 30, 2013; died July 17, 2019
Led the parish through the aftermath of the February 26, 2007 sanctuary fire; told parishioners 'Be Not Afraid.' Previously Rector of St. Laurence Cathedral (1986–1990), Prelate of Honor of His Holiness.
- Fr. Anthony C. (Tony) NeuschAppointed 4th Rector; began September 21, 2020 — present
Previously pastor of St. Anthony Catholic Church and School, Hereford, Texas (7 years).
