About St. Matthew · Rogers, Texas
St. Matthew is a small Catholic mission parish in the rural community of Rogers, Texas, situated in Bell County east of Temple along US Highway 190. Listed in the Diocese of Austin's Parish Finder as 'St. Matthew Mission – Rogers,' the parish serves both English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics in the area and is tended from St. Luke Parish in Temple. The parish's mailing address and worship site is along East Highway 190, and it operates as a 501(c)(3) religious organization registered in Texas.
- Patron
- St. Matthew (the Apostle and Evangelist)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Austin
Why belong here
St. Matthew is a welcoming bilingual mission church where the small Rogers community gathers each week for an English Mass, a Spanish Mass, and a weekday evening Mass. Because it is a mission rather than a large independent parish, it offers an intimate setting in which worshippers are likely to know one another and be known by name. Visitors and travelling Catholics in the rural stretch of US-190 east of Temple are invited to 'come celebrate Mass with us,' as the parish's own directory listing puts it — a simple, accessible community rooted in the Diocese of Austin.
Mass times at St. Matthew
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM (per Discover Mass archive)
- Sunday: 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM (per Discover Mass archive)
About St. Matthew Mission, Rogers
St. Matthew is a small Catholic mission parish serving the rural community of Rogers, Texas, in Bell County along US Highway 190 east of Temple. It appears in the Diocese of Austin's Parish Finder directory as 'St. Matthew Mission – Rogers,' indicating that, unlike most parishes, it is a mission church rather than a self-governing parish. The mission is administered in connection with St. Luke Parish in Temple, and the diocesan priest assigned to St. Luke has historically also been given care of the Rogers mission.
- Classified by the Diocese of Austin as a Mission
- Administered from St. Luke Parish, Temple
- Located in Bell County along East Highway 190
Sacramental Life
The sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is offered before Sunday Masses, with archived times showing priests available roughly half an hour before each Mass. As a small mission, baptisms, weddings, and other sacramental preparations are typically coordinated through the connected parish office. Because the website is currently being rebuilt, parishioners are asked to call the parish office for current sacramental schedules.
- Confession before Sunday Masses
- Sacramental coordination through the parish office
Parish History
Catholic worship in the Rogers area has roots stretching back at least to the mid-twentieth century: the parish's IRS registration carries a March 1946 ruling date under the name 'St Matthew Catholic Church Rogers Texas.' In more recent decades, St. Matthew has functioned as a mission church of St. Luke Parish in Temple. The published history of St. Luke Parish records that in 1996 Father Louis Pavlicek, newly assigned as pastor of St. Luke, was 'also assigned later as Pastor of the Mission Church in Rogers – St. Matthew,' confirming the mission's dependent status within the diocese.
- IRS ruling date of March 1946
- Pastored from St. Luke Parish in Temple
- Father Louis Pavlicek listed as pastor of St. Luke and the Rogers mission beginning in 1996
Diocese & Governance
St. Matthew Mission belongs to the Diocese of Austin, which oversees Catholic life across central Texas. The diocese's current ordinary is Bishop Daniel Elias Garcia. Because St. Matthew is a mission rather than an independent parish, governance flows through the connected pastorate — historically the pastor of St. Luke Parish in Temple.
- Diocese of Austin
- Bishop Daniel Elias Garcia (Diocesan Bishop since 2025)
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Matthew Mission by phone or email, and the parish office is reachable at its published email address. The parish's website is currently undergoing construction, with the home page stating 'Website Under Construction' and inviting visitors to 'please check back soon.' For the most up-to-date information on Mass times, sacraments, and parish life, callers are encouraged to contact the parish office directly.
- Phone: (254) 642-0312
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: saintmatthewparish.org (under construction)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Louis Pavlicek1996 – (assigned as Pastor of St. Luke Parish and of the Mission Church in Rogers – St. Matthew)
Pastor of St. Luke Parish in Temple who was also given pastoral care of the Rogers mission church, per St. Luke's published parish history.