About St. Mary Our Lady of Lourdes · Caldwell, Texas
St. Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes is a Roman Catholic parish in Caldwell, Texas (Burleson County), within the Diocese of Austin. Founded in 1892 as a mission attended from Frenstat and built its first church in 1895, it serves a heritage community of Czech, German, and Hispanic Catholic families in the Brazos Valley. The parish celebrates Mass in English and Spanish, maintains a Lourdes Grotto, stained-glass Rosary windows, a bell tower, a parish gym, and a cemetery, and has the mission parish of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Frenstat under its care since 1999.
- Established
- 1892
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lourdes (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Melvin Dornak
- Diocese
- Diocese of Austin
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers a warmly bilingual Catholic community — English and Spanish — in a small-town Texas setting with deep Czech, German, and Hispanic roots. It combines an active sacramental life (daily and Sunday Mass, Saturday confessions, a mission parish at Holy Rosary Frenstat) with tangible heritage: the miraculously preserved 1895 painting of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rosary-mystery stained glass, a Lourdes Grotto built of local petrified wood, and a parish cemetery begun in 1899. A parish gym (built 1970 as a memorial to Father Svrcek), active religious education for children, and stewardship of time, talent and treasure make it a place where families can worship, form their children, and belong across generations.
Mass times at St. Mary Our Lady of Lourdes
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM (St. Mary's, Caldwell)
Adoration times
- Friday 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM (First Friday, at St. Mary's, Caldwell)
History of St. Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes
Catholic life in the Caldwell area goes back roughly two centuries to Franciscan missionaries traveling El Camino Real, but the parish's definite history begins in 1892 when Rev. Charles Kacer traveled monthly from Frenstat to say Mass. The first wooden church was built in 1895 and destroyed — with everything in it except the painting of Our Lady of Lourdes — by the 1900 Galveston Hurricane. The present brick-and-frame church was completed and dedicated by Bishop John McCarthy on February 15, 1987. (See the full history section for the complete story.)
Founding and Early Years (1892–1900)
Mass was first celebrated in Caldwell in 1892 by Father Kacer in an empty store and then in the Opera House. Rev. Jacob Lauth and Rev. A. Laski also traveled in from Austin and Brenham to serve Czech and German Catholic families. In 1895 the parishioners built a small wooden church, and in 1899 a three-acre tract was purchased for the parish cemetery.
- First Mass in Caldwell: 1892 by Father Charles Kacer of Frenstat
- First wooden church built 1895; first Mass on August 1, 1895
- Cemetery land purchased 1899
- Pioneering families: Beran, Fleckenstein, Fuchs, Kallus, Kocurek, Kral, Kubena, Matcek, Matus, Noska, Novosad, Pavlas, Pivetz, Pollach, Prazak, Rychlik, Schweda, Urbanovsky, Veiss, Windhausen
The 1900 Hurricane and the Miraculous Painting
The Galveston Storm of September 8, 1900 destroyed the wooden church and all its contents — except, parishioners say, a painting of Our Lady of Lourdes. The painting was hung above the main altar of the next church in thanksgiving and remained there until September 18, 1984, when it was removed, renovated, reframed, and later restored again in 2002.
- Galveston Hurricane: September 8, 1900
- Painting of Our Lady of Lourdes preserved
- Next (1901) church: 30' × 60' frame building, dedicated September 18, 1901
- 1908: two side altars purchased
- 2002: painting restored again through memorials and donations
The Present Church (1984–Present)
Under Msgr. Emilian Foltyn, the 1901 church was dismantled in 1984 and the present church built and dedicated by Bishop John McCarthy on February 15, 1987. The Lourdes Grotto was relocated, statues from the 1901 church were restored under Father Scott Mikkelson, and a free-standing Bell Tower was dedicated by Bishop McCarthy in April 1997. A new rectory and new office complex were dedicated at the 130th-anniversary Jubilee on August 31, 2025.
- Present church dedicated February 15, 1987
- Bell Tower dedicated April 1997
- Cemetery expansion land purchased 2001
- Paved parking completed 2003
- Church debt retired February 13, 2005
- 130th Anniversary Jubilee celebrated August 31, 2025
Architecture, Art, and Campus
The 1987 church combines modern construction with heritage furnishings: its main altar, ambo, baptismal font, lectern and presider chairs were crafted from the 1908 side altars of the previous church. The stained-glass Rosary windows, the Lourdes Grotto built of local petrified wood, the bell tower and a daily Mass chapel all enrich the campus, along with the parish gym, Parish Activity Center, and cemetery.
- Main altar, ambo, baptismal font, lectern and presider chairs — reused from 1908 altars
- 15 stained-glass windows of the Mysteries of the Rosary on the upper rear wall
- 8 additional stained-glass windows from 1958 throughout the church, chapel and stairwell
- Lourdes Grotto of local petrified wood (built 1936)
- Free-standing Bell Tower (dedicated 1997)
- St. Mary's Gym (built 1970; memorial to Father Svrcek)
- Daily Mass chapel
- Parish Activity Center
- Cemetery (begun 1899; expanded 2001)
- New rectory and office complex (dedicated August 31, 2025)
Clergy and Staff
Rev. Melvin Dornak has served as pastor since July 2019 and is also responsible for the mission parish of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Frenstat. He is assisted by three permanent deacons serving the parish community. The parish office is staffed by an office manager reachable at [email protected].
- Rev. Melvin Dornak — Pastor (since 2019)
- Deacon John W. Young
- Deacon Samuel Reyes
- Deacon Glen Wearden
Sacraments
The parish prepares and celebrates all seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church, with Reconciliation offered weekly before Saturday Vigil Mass and First Communion / Confirmation preparation routed through the parish Religious Education program.
- Eucharist — daily and Sunday Masses
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 5:00–5:45 PM
- Baptism — contact parish office
- First Communion & Confirmation — through Religious Education
- Matrimony — contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — contact parish office
Religious Education & Faith Formation
The parish Religious Education (CCD) program for all school-age children was started by Father B. J. "Boli" Zientek in the 1970s and continues today as a central part of parish life. The parish emphasizes educating children in the Catholic faith and offers preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
- CCD / Religious Education for school-age children
- First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Founded by Father B. J. "Boli" Zientek (pastor 1972–1976)
Parish Life, Ministries, and Stewardship
St. Mary's is a stewardship parish, calling all parishioners to share their time, talent, and treasure. The Parish Activity Center and St. Mary's Gym host parish gatherings, youth activities, and community events. Online giving is available through Vanco Give+.
- Stewardship of Time, Talent and Treasure
- St. Mary's Gym — youth and community activities
- Parish Activity Center
- Vanco Give+ online donations
- Liturgical devotions to Our Lady of Lourdes
Mission Parish: Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Frenstat
Since 1999, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Frenstat has been a mission parish of St. Mary's — bringing the parish's history full circle, since it was a Frenstat priest (Father Charles Kacer) who began traveling to Caldwell in 1892 to celebrate Mass. The mission maintains its own Sunday Rosary and Tuesday evening Mass schedule.
- Assigned as mission parish to St. Mary's in 1999
- Original sending parish of Father Charles Kacer in 1892
- Sunday Rosary 8:30–8:45 AM
- Tuesday 6:00 PM Mass
Visiting, Location, and Contact
The parish sits on the west side of Caldwell along Old San Antonio Road (the historic El Camino Real / SH 21 corridor), with paved parish parking. Visitors are welcome at any Mass; for tours, cemetery visits, or sacramental arrangements outside Mass times, contact the parish office.
- Address: 500 Old San Antonio Road, Caldwell, TX 77836
- Phone: (979) 567-3667
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stmaryscaldwell.com/
- Facebook: facebook.com/stmarycaldwelltx
Anniversary and Jubilee
The parish marked its 130th anniversary on Sunday, August 31, 2025, with a Jubilee celebration that included blessing and dedication of a new rectory, a new office complex, and a marble statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. The anniversary is counted from the first Mass offered in the original wooden church on August 1, 1895, with the parish's mission history going back to 1892.
- 130th Anniversary: August 31, 2025
- Officiants: Very Rev. James Misko (Diocese of Austin) and Father Melvin Dornak
- Dedicated: new rectory, new office complex, marble statue of Our Lady of Lourdes
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Charles Kacer1900–1903
Visited from Frenstat; celebrated Mass monthly in Caldwell beginning in 1892.
- Rev. J. B. Gleissner1903–1908
Came from Hearne and later from Bryan.
- Rev. Joseph Kunc1908–1917
- Rev. James Kveton1917–1922
- Rev. William J. Skocek1922–1929
Died March 20, 1929 and is buried in the parish cemetery.
- Rev. Elias A. Holub, Rev. Thomas Healey, & Rev. Thomas Ryan1929–1931
Visiting priests.
- Rev. Thomas Hanak1930–1931
- Rev. Frank D. Urbanovsky1933–1937
Built the Lourdes Grotto from local petrified wood with parishioners in May 1936.
- Rev. Joseph F. Hanak1937–1941
- Rev. V. A. Svrcek1941–1972
Longest-tenured pastor. Built St. Mary's Gym in 1970 (later dedicated as a memorial to him).
- Rev. B. J. "Boli" Zientek1972–1976
Started the religious education (CCD) program for all school-age children.
- Msgr. Emilian Foltyn1976–1992
Oversaw dismantling of the 1901 wooden church and construction of the present church, dedicated in 1987.
- Rev. Scott Mikkelson1992–1995
Restored and installed many of the statues from the 1901 church in the present building.
- Rev. Dimitrij Colankin1995–2010
- Rev. Brion Zarsky2010–2013
- Rev. Bernard Hung2013–2019
- Rev. Melvin Dornak2019–present
Also pastor of mission parish Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Frenstat; celebrated his 30th anniversary of ordination in December 2022; led the 130th-anniversary Jubilee in August 2025.