About St. Mary · Graham, Texas
St. Mary Catholic Church is a small, bilingual English/Spanish parish in Graham, Texas, in the heart of Young County. It is one of the older Catholic communities in North Texas, with Mass being celebrated in Graham since 1921 and a parish gathered in its own right in 1969, the same year the Diocese of Fort Worth was created. Under Father Eugene Nyong — who also pastors nearby St. Theresa in Olney — the parish of about 550 members maintains a full week of Masses (including a Sunday Spanish Mass), a Saturday Vigil, monthly Confession, First Friday Adoration, and a monthly Friendship Meal that feeds the wider community.
- Established
- 1921
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Eugene Nyong
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth
Why belong here
St. Mary offers a full sacramental life in two languages — a Saturday Vigil, an English Sunday morning Mass, and a Spanish Mass in the afternoon, plus weekday Masses and a Saturday confession hour. Bilingual worship, a monthly Friendship Meal that feeds anyone in the community who is hungry, First Friday Adoration that runs late into the night, and a dedicated Youth & Family Director (Olivia Olvera, jointly shared with St. Theresa in Olney) make this a parish that takes both liturgy and outreach seriously. Longtime parishioners describe it as 'so strong and has a rich legacy of good, of helping each other as brothers and sisters in the Lord' (Bishop Olson, 2022).
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 PM – 5:40 PM (in the confessional, or by appointment — En el confesionario los Sábados o con cita)
Adoration times
- First Friday of every month: 11:00 AM to 12:00 noon (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament) and 7:00 PM to 12:00 midnight (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament / Adoración al Santísimo)
Parish Story — A Century in Young County (1921–2022)
St. Mary's roots run deep into the missionary Catholicism of 19th-century North Texas. In the 1850s Father Michael Sheehan, chaplain at Fort Belknap, celebrated Mass across Young County, and a Newcastle-area coal miner, Joseph Novakowski, even built a makeshift altar — wooden crates and salt boxes topped with an image of Our Lady of Czestochowa — for the priest's visits. The first Mass in Graham was offered in early 1921 in the home of C.A. Graves on Plum Street, by a priest sent from Fort Worth. The next year, in 1922, the small community built its first church — a wooden frame building with a bell tower — and for decades St. Mary functioned as a mission, served by priests who rode in from Breckenridge every other Sunday. Bishop Thomas K. Gorman dedicated the present Rodgers Drive church in 1965, and St. Mary was formally erected as its own parish on August 9, 1969, the same day Pope Paul VI established the Diocese of Fort Worth. The parish marked its centennial on September 24, 2022 with a Mass concelebrated by Bishop Michael Olson and Father Eugene Nyong.
- 1850s — Father Michael Sheehan brings Mass to Young County from Fort Belknap
- c. late 1800s — Joseph Novakowski builds a wooden-crate altar with a Czestochowa image for visiting priests
- Early 1921 — First Mass in Graham, in the C.A. Graves home on Plum Street
- 1922 — First church building erected (wooden frame, bell tower)
- 1965 — Present church dedicated by Bishop Thomas K. Gorman
- 1969 — St. Mary formally erected as a parish; Diocese of Fort Worth created the same day
- September 24, 2022 — Centennial Mass concelebrated by Bishop Olson and Father Nyong
Staff & Parish Leadership
St. Mary is led by Father Eugene Nyong, who also serves as pastor of St. Theresa Parish in Olney, about 30 miles west. He is assisted by Deacon Adolfo González, parish secretary Sandra (Sandi) Shifflett, and full-time Youth & Family Director Olivia Olvera, whose salary and ministry are jointly shared with St. Theresa. A volunteer Religious Education team — Marida Baucum, Janet Sims, and Alicia Olvera — handles ongoing faith formation for children and families.
- Pastor: Rev. Eugene Nyong
- Deacon: Adolfo González
- Administrative Assistant / Secretary: Sandra (Sandi) Shifflett
- Youth & Family Director: Olivia Olvera (also safe-environment coordinator, annulment advocate, translator)
- Religious Education Team: Marida Baucum, Janet Sims, Alicia Olvera
Sacramental Life
Confessions are heard every Saturday before the Vigil Mass, and Father Nyong is available by appointment as well. The parish prepares children and adults for Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation, and celebrates weddings and funerals for registered members. Reconciliation is offered in English or Spanish (En el confesionario los Sábados o con cita).
- Reconciliation: Saturdays 5:00–5:40 PM in the confessional, or by appointment
- Baptism preparation
- First Holy Communion preparation (through Religious Education / CCD)
- Confirmation preparation
- Marriage and Funeral arrangements through the parish office
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Olivia Olvera directs Youth & Family ministry across both St. Mary (Graham) and St. Theresa (Olney). Her work — partly funded through the diocese's Annual Diocesan Appeal grants — emphasizes getting young people involved from First Communion onward, including serving at the altar and, after Confirmation, taking on lector roles. Adult faith formation and family catechesis are part of the same program.
- Youth Group meetings
- Church retreats and faith-enrichment activities
- Altar-server formation (after First Communion)
- Lector formation (after Confirmation)
- Family Catechesis — parents learning alongside their children
- Ongoing Religious Education (CCD) volunteer team
Community Outreach — The Friendship Meal
Once a month, the parish hosts its Friendship Meal — Cena de la Amistad — a community supper open to anyone in the Graham area who needs a meal, not only parishioners. Father Nyong has called it one of the most visible signs of the parish's active lay participation: 'People in this parish are really active and really helping out. That takes a lot of stress off my shoulders when you have people willing to help out.'
- Friendship Meal / Cena de la Amistad — monthly (typical Tuesday, 6:00 PM)
- Open to everyone in the community, not just parishioners
Heritage & Diversity of Priests
Over 100 years, 19 priests have served St. Mary Graham — a lineage the Diocese of Fort Worth describes as 'represent[ing] the historical immigration to our area.' Father Nyong himself was ordained in Nigeria's Diocese of Uyo in 1997, learned French and Ngambaye for missionary work in war-torn Chad, survived a violent rectory robbery in Nigeria, and arrived in Graham in 2016 — where he promptly added Spanish to his liturgical languages. Before him, Father John Pacheco served as pastor until his July 2016 transfer to St. Mary Parish in Gainesville.
- 19 priests have served since 1921
- Father Eugene Nyong — ordained 1997, Diocese of Uyo, Nigeria; pastor since 2016
- Previous pastor Rev. John Pacheco — transferred to St. Mary, Gainesville, effective July 1, 2016
- Liturgy offered in English, Spanish, French, Ngambaye, and Ibibio across Father Nyong's ministry
Parish Mission & Identity
The parish's published Mission Statement (Misión Parroquial), in English and Spanish, captures the parish's self-understanding: 'Having been united with Christ at baptism, strengthened by confirmation, and nourished by the Eucharist, members seek to grow joyfully in faith, hope and charity as God's family.'
- United with Christ in Baptism
- Strengthened in Confirmation
- Nourished by the Eucharist
- Growing joyfully in faith, hope, and charity as God's family
Visiting & Contact Information
The parish office and church sit at 1218 S. Rodgers Drive in Graham, the seat of Young County. Office hours and event details are listed on the parish website and Facebook group, and confessions or anointings can be arranged by calling the office.
- Address: 1218 S. Rodgers Drive, Graham, TX 76450
- Mailing: PO Box 547, Graham, TX 76450
- Phone: (940) 549-4314
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stmarygraham.org/
- Facebook group: St. Mary Catholic Church, Graham TX
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Eugene Nyong2016–present
Ordained September 14, 1997 in the Diocese of Uyo, Nigeria. Served as a missionary in Chad (French and Ngambaye), survived a rectory robbery in which he was shot, then came to Texas where he served at St. Mary Cathedral in Austin and as parochial vicar of St. Francis of Assisi in Grapevine. Appointed Parochial Administrator of St. Mary, Graham and St. Theresa, Olney effective July 1, 2016; currently serves both parishes. Also celebrated his 25th priestly anniversary in 2022.
- Rev. John Pachecountil 2016
Transferred from Pastor of St. Mary, Graham and St. Theresa, Olney and appointed Pastor of St. Mary, Gainesville, effective July 1, 2016.