About St. Mary of the Purification · Houston, Texas
St. Mary of the Purification is a Roman Catholic parish in Houston's Third Ward, founded April 5, 1929 under the Diocese of Galveston-Houston (now the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston). The church and its adjacent Catholic school sit at 3006 Rosedale Street in one of Houston's historic African American neighborhoods, and St. Mary's has served as a center of Black Catholic life in the city for nearly a century. The parish is presently staffed by the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), with the community motto 'We Are Family.' It also hosts Houston's principal Igbo/Nigerian Catholic community, whose Mass is celebrated on the last Sunday of each month.
- Established
- 1929
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of her Purification (Presentation of the Lord)
- Rector
- Rev. Jaison George Mangalath, SVD (appointed Pastor effective July 1, 2022)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston (Diocese of Galveston-Houston prior to its elevation in 1959)
Why belong here
St. Mary of the Purification is a historic African American Catholic parish in Houston's Third Ward that combines deep roots in the city's Black Catholic community with a present-day international character — the parish is staffed by the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) and also hosts Houston's Nigerian/ Igbo Catholic community, whose Mass on the last Sunday of each month draws worshippers from across the metro area. The parish offers traditional daily and Sunday Masses, Eucharistic adoration, a Catholic Montessori school (PreK–5), and active liturgical ministries led by deacons Andrew Malveaux Sr. and Glen Pratt, all under the banner 'We Are Family.' For Catholics seeking a parish where Black Catholic heritage, multicultural worship, and a tight-knit community converge, St. Mary's has been that home since 1929.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Purification
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Sunday 8:00 AM – 8:25 AM (before the 8:30 AM Mass)
History of St. Mary of the Purification
St. Mary of the Purification was established on April 5, 1929 by the Diocese of Galveston-Houston as a 'special parish' for African American and Creole of color Catholics during the Jim Crow era. It is among the oldest continuously active Black Catholic parishes in Houston, situated in the Third Ward on Rosedale and Ennis Streets. From the start the parish was paired with a parochial school, and both institutions have remained at the heart of the community for nearly a century.
- Founded April 5, 1929 — Diocese of Galveston-Houston
- Established alongside Houston's other Black/Creole parishes (St. Nicholas, 1887; Our Mother of Mercy, 1929)
- Quiet desegregation of some school grades in September 1960
- Pastoral home of Fr. Vincent M. Rizzotto in the 1960s — CCCR race-relations chair
- Today served by the Society of the Divine Word (SVD)
Parish Life & Clergy
St. Mary's is led today by the Society of the Divine Word. Rev. Jaison George Mangalath, SVD, was appointed Pastor effective July 1, 2022 by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. The parish is also served by Rev. Justin Arockiasamy, SVD (named in the Archdiocese's Nigerian Catholic directory) and by Deacons Andrew Malveaux Sr. and Glen Pratt, who assist in liturgical ministry and appear regularly in the parish's livestreamed Masses. The parish's community motto is 'We Are Family.'
- Pastor: Rev. Jaison George Mangalath, SVD (since July 2022)
- Rev. Justin Arockiasamy, SVD
- Deacon Andrew Malveaux Sr.
- Deacon Glen Pratt
- Parish motto: 'We Are Family'
St. Mary of the Purification Catholic School
The parish school, located at 3002 Rosedale Street next door to the church, operates as St. Mary of the Purification Catholic School — a PreK3 through Grade 5 Catholic Montessori school. The school motto matches the parish: 'We Are Family.' The school mascot is the Lions, and it serves roughly 186 students with an 18-teacher faculty and a 10:1 student-teacher ratio. Sports include basketball, cheering, track and field, and volleyball.
- Address: 3002 Rosedale St, Houston, TX 77004
- Grades: PreK3–5 (Catholic Montessori)
- Motto: 'We Are Family' / Mascot: Lions
- Enrollment: ~186 students, 18 teachers
- Sports: basketball, cheering, track & field, volleyball
Nigerian / Igbo Catholic Community
St. Mary of the Purification is the designated worship home of Houston's Nigerian Catholic community, under the Archdiocese's Ministry to Catholics of African Descent. The Igbo Catholic Community of Houston gathers at St. Mary's for a 1:30 PM Mass on the last Sunday of every month, as well as on Christmas Day, Easter, Mothers'/Fathers' Day, and the Feast of the Holy Family. The community's chaplain and contact persons are listed in the Archdiocese's directory.
- Mass: 1:30 PM on the last Sunday of the month
- Additional feasts: Christmas, Easter, Mothers'/Fathers' Day, Holy Family
- Chaplain: Fr. Romanus Muoneke (Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston)
- Community president: Goddy Orgor
Sacraments & Faith Formation
As a Roman Catholic parish, St. Mary's celebrates the full sacramental life of the Church: infant and adult Baptism (typically through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), First Communion and Confirmation preparation for children and adults, Matrimony (with marriage preparation), and Anointing of the Sick by request. Faith formation and catechesis are coordinated through the parish office and the adjacent Catholic school.
- Baptism (infant and adult, RCIA)
- First Communion & Confirmation preparation
- Matrimony (with marriage preparation)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Faith formation for children and adults
Notable Facts & Significance
Beyond its long history, St. Mary of the Purification holds a distinctive place in Houston's Catholic story: it is one of the city's earliest Black Catholic parishes, its school was quietly desegregated in 1960 in step with the federal court's order for Houston public schools, and by the late twentieth century it was described as the only fully integrated parish in the Galveston-Houston diocese. Today it continues that cross-cultural ministry under the international missionary congregation of the Society of the Divine Word.
- One of Houston's oldest Black Catholic parishes (founded 1929)
- Site of early parochial-school desegregation (1960)
- Described as the diocese's only fully integrated parish by the late 20th century
- Served by the international missionary Society of the Divine Word (SVD)
- Home of Houston's Nigerian / Igbo Catholic community
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Vincent M. Rizzotto1960s
Houston native (b. 1931); chaired the race-relations committee of the Catholic Council on Community Relations (CCCR); helped organize Social Justice Sunday and signed 'Commitment to Racial Justice.'
- Rev. Justin Arockiasamy, SVDthrough c. 2022
Served as pastor under the Society of the Divine Word; named on Archdiocese directory for Nigerian Catholics ministry.
- Rev. Jaison George Mangalath, SVD2022–present
Appointed Pastor effective July 1, 2022 in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston pastoral appointments.