About St. Mary · Lampasas, Texas
St. Mary Catholic Church is a historic parish of the Diocese of Austin serving the Catholic communities of Lampasas and Lometa in the Texas Hill Country. Founded in 1885 by Bishop Nicholas Gallagher as Irish railroad workers settled the area, the parish now encompasses about 430 families and includes Good Shepherd Mission Church in Lometa as a sister worship site. St. Mary's offers Mass in both English and Spanish, a robust slate of lay ministries (Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, Guadalupanas, OCIA, Youth Group, etc.), and sacramental preparation for parishioners across Lampasas County. The parish sits at 701 North Key Avenue in Lampasas and is led by Fr. Antony Akkappallil, CMI, installed as pastor on 21 November 2025.
- Established
- 1885
- Patron
- Saint Mary (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. Antony Akkappallil, CMI
- Diocese
- Diocese of Austin
Why belong here
St. Mary's is the historic heart of Catholic life in Lampasas County — a small, multigenerational bilingual parish where families encounter Christ in the Eucharist, in Reconciliation, and in a vibrant lay community. The parish feeds that community through sacramental preparation, OCIA, a youth group, a religious education program, the Knights of Columbus, Guadalupanas, St. Vincent de Paul's thrift store and food pantry, a Respect Life ministry, a Homebound Ministry, prayer groups, and a lively music program with choirs serving English and Spanish Masses. Whether you're a newcomer, a visitor passing through the Hill Country, or a long-time Lampasas family, St. Mary's welcomes you to worship, to serve, and to be part of a 140-year-old faith family that stretches from central Lampasas out to Lometa.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 pm – 4:45 pm (St. Mary, Immaculate Conception)
- Sunday 7:30 am (Good Shepherd, Lometa)
- By appointment
About St. Mary Catholic Church
St. Mary Catholic Church in Lampasas, Texas is a parish of the Diocese of Austin founded in 1885, currently serving about 430 registered families. It shares ministry with Good Shepherd Mission Church in Lometa, together forming the Catholic Communities of St. Mary and Good Shepherd. The parish office is located at 701 North Key Avenue and can be reached at (512) 556-5544 during office hours, Monday–Friday 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
- Founded: 1885
- Number of registered families: 430
- Diocese: Austin
- Mailing address: 701 North Key Avenue, Lampasas, TX 76550
- Phone: (512) 556-5544
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Parish History
St. Mary's story begins in 1880, when local Catholics first gathered for Mass at a chapel on William Mark Wittenburg's ranch some 23 miles northwest of Lampasas. Five years later, in 1885, Bishop Nicholas Gallagher formally established the parish and a church was built on West Fifth Street in Lampasas, dedicated to Saint Mary. For many years Mass was offered only monthly across a vast 3,200-square-mile territory. Father Joseph le Gardeur — chaplain at a nearby convent and school — began offering weekly Mass after 1900 and became St. Mary's first resident pastor in 1907; Bishop Christopher E. Byrne briefly served as acting pastor in 1921.
- 1880: First Catholic services at a ranch chapel ~23 mi NW of Lampasas
- 1885: Parish established by Bishop Nicholas Gallagher; first church built on West Fifth Street
- After 1900: Father Joseph le Gardeur begins weekly Mass as convent chaplain
- 1907: Father Le Gardeur becomes first resident pastor
- 1921: Bishop Christopher E. Byrne serves briefly as acting pastor
- 1940: Stone sanctuary built on the present North Key Avenue site
- 1970: Stone sanctuary destroyed by fire
- 1972: Current church building completed on the same site
- 1986: Texas Historical Commission Marker No. 4466 erected for the Texas Sesquicentennial
Pastoral Leadership
St. Mary's is currently served by Fr. Antony Akkappallil, CMI — a member of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate from the Diocese of Mananthavady in Kerala, India. Ordained a priest on 2 January 2006, Fr. Antony served in Catholic schools, as a missionary priest in Argentina (2013–2016), and as pastor of three parishes in the Diocese of Mandya, India (2020–2023) before coming to the United States in February 2024. After an assignment as associate pastor at St. Martin de Porres in Dripping Springs, he was named Administrator of St. Mary and Good Shepherd on 1 July 2025 and installed as Pastor of St. Mary's on 21 November 2025. He can be reached at [email protected] or 737-299-1808.
- Fr. Antony Akkappallil, CMI — Pastor (installed 21 November 2025)
- Clay Harrington — Assistant Administrator (parish staff)
Good Shepherd Mission Church, Lometa
Good Shepherd is a mission church of St. Mary's serving the Lometa community in the western part of Lampasas County. The mission shares St. Mary's pastor and is administered from the Lampasas parish office.
- Address: 411 W. Main, Lometa, TX 76853
- Parish office phone: (512) 556-5544
- Weekday Mass: Thursday 8:00 am
- Weekend Mass: Sunday 8:00 am
- Confessions: Sunday 7:30 am, or by appointment
Parish Staff
Beyond the pastor and assistant administrator, the parish employs a Director of Religious Education and a network of lay ministry leaders organized through the Pastoral Council and Finance Council.
- Fr. Antony Akkappallil, CMI — Pastor
- Clay Harrington — Assistant Administrator
- Diane Morua — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Pastoral Council: Melissa Schulze (President), John Wendele (Secretary), Anthony Montes, Karen DeZarn, Charlie Ybarra, Matilda Werlinger, Eduardo Arevalo
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the Mass as lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, ushers, and choir members in both English and Spanish.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Shane Guthrie (English), Rosa Arevalo (Spanish)
- Lectors: Simon Valles, Eduardo Arevalo
- Altar Servers: Armando Montes
- Ushers / Usher Ministry: Armando Montes
- Choir: Craig Benton (English 10 am Mass); Robert & Suzanne Baxter (English 5:30 pm Mass); Tomas Muñoz (Spanish Mass)
- Money Counters: George Gondorchin
- Flowers & Church Decorating: Donna Benton
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's Director of Religious Education coordinates catechesis for children, the OCIA process (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), and ongoing formation for parishioners of all ages. The OCIA team and Youth Group leaders are named on the parish ministries page.
- Director of Religious Education: Diane Morua
- OCIA: Armando Montes
- Youth Group: Victor Olivarez & Pat Olivarez — Goals: empower, encourage, and support the personal and spiritual development of each young person
Prayer, Devotional & Cultural Societies
St. Mary's nurtures devotional and cultural life through the St. Mary's Prayer Group, the Guadalupana Society, and the San Benito Prayer Group, alongside devotional outreach to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
- St. Mary's Prayer Group — Mission: to spiritually enrich the individual and parish community through contemplative prayer
- Guadalupana Society — Stella Morua
- San Benito Prayer Group — Francisca Romero
- Sacred Heart of Jesus & Immaculate Heart of Mary — DeeAnn Smith
- Respect Life — DeeAnn Smith
- Homebound Ministry — Rebecca Ramos
Outreach & Charity — St. Vincent de Paul
The parish operates St. Vincent de Paul ministries to assist those in material need in the Lampasas community, including both a thrift store and a food pantry.
- St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store — Teresa Hays
- St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry — parish-operated
- EIM (Ethics and Integrity in Ministry) Site Administrator — Teresa Hays
Knights of Columbus & Men's Ministry
The parish supports a Knights of Columbus council and a Men's Ministry that seeks to empower Catholic men to live their faith at home, in their parish, at work, and in their community.
- Knights of Columbus — Jess Ramos ([email protected])
- Parish Men's Ministry — empowering Catholic men to live their faith at home, in their parish, at work, and in their community
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments and provides preparation and sacramental records upon request. (The online sacraments page is currently noted as 'under construction'; contact the parish office at (512) 556-5544 for current requirements and scheduling.)
- Baptism
- Eucharist
- Confirmation
- Reconciliation (Confession)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Marriage
- Holy Orders
- Wedding / Anniversary Mass
- Sacramental Records, Letter of Good Standing, Letter of Permission for Sacraments
I'm New Here — Visiting St. Mary's
St. Mary's warmly welcomes newcomers, visitors, and long-time parishioners. The parish offers information for first-time visitors on parking, hearing assistance, dress, and children's programs.
- Conveniently located at 701 N. Key Avenue, Lampasas, Texas 76550
- Ample parking on the side and rear of the church property
- Hearing accessibility services available — contact the parish office at (512) 556-5544
- Children's programs available — call the office for details
- Offerings are accepted and encouraged but not obligatory
- For questions about Catholic worship (when to sit, stand, kneel), contact Religious Education at (512) 556-5544
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, email, or in person during office hours. The parish office can also connect you with Good Shepherd Mission in Lometa.
- Address: 701 North Key Avenue, Lampasas, TX 76550
- Phone: (512) 556-5544
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
- DRE Email: [email protected]
- Pastor's Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stmarycatholic.faith/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph le Gardeur1907–
Chaplain at a nearby convent and school who began offering weekly Mass after 1900; in 1907 he was made the parish's first resident pastor.
- Bishop Christopher E. Byrne1921
Served briefly as acting pastor.