About St. Maurice · Mauriceville, Texas
St. Maurice Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the rural Mauriceville community in northern Orange County, Southeast Texas, within the Diocese of Beaumont. The parish was organized in 1966 and dedicated in December of that same year by Bishop Vincent Harris, making it the only church in the diocese to begin organizing under the Diocese of Galveston-Houston and be dedicated under the newly created Diocese of Beaumont within less than a year. It was raised from mission status to a full parish on March 1, 1989, with the assignment of its first resident pastor. Today the parish is pastored by Father Michael Strother (who also serves St. Helen, Orangefield), and it offers Mass four days a week, Sunday confessions, and ministry to a far-flung rural population that once extended to the St. Francis of Assisi Mission in Buna (closed in 2017).
- Established
- 1966
- Patron
- St. Maurice
- Rector
- Father Michael Strother
- Diocese
- Diocese of Beaumont
Why belong here
St. Maurice is the only Catholic parish in the rural Mauriceville area, giving it a tight-knit, family-style character where members know one another well. It offers four Masses a week (Sunday noon, Tuesday evening, Thursday morning, and Saturday vigil) plus Sunday-morning Confessions, and it remains a pastorally cared-for community served directly by a resident priest rather than a mission-sharing arrangement. The parish continues to hold records for the closed St. Francis of Assisi Mission in Buna, reflecting its long role as the Catholic anchor for the wider northern Orange County / Buna region.
Mass times at St. Maurice
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM
History of St. Maurice Parish
St. Maurice was organized in 1966, dedicated in December of that year by Bishop Vincent Harris, and for more than two decades served as a mission before being raised to parish status in 1989. Its history is closely tied to the founding of the Diocese of Beaumont itself.
- Organizational meeting of Catholics in Mauriceville: March 31, 1966 (under the Diocese of Galveston-Houston).
- Diocese of Beaumont established: September 29, 1966.
- Church dedicated by Bishop Vincent Harris: December 1966, on property along Texas Highway 61 (now TX-62).
- First remodeling: 1970.
- Extensive remodeling under Father Enrique Martinez, OSA: two wings added and sanctuary enlarged; blessed by Bishop Boudreaux in 1976.
- Elevated from mission to parish: March 1, 1989, with assignment of first resident pastor Father Jude Brunnert, M.S.
Clergy and Pastoral Succession
Because St. Maurice began as a mission, its earliest pastoral care came from priests based at neighboring parishes, including St. Therese in Orange. The 1988 Golden Triangle Catholic history notes that the mission's ~275 members were administered by Rev. L. C. Delarue of St. Therese. With parish status in 1989 came St. Maurice's first resident pastor. Today the parish is pastored by Father Michael Strother, who also serves St. Helen, Orangefield.
- Rev. L. C. Delarue — administered the mission from St. Therese, Orange (circa 1988).
- Father Enrique Martinez, OSA — oversaw extensive remodeling blessed by Bishop Boudreaux (1976).
- Father Jude Brunnert, M.S. (La Salette) — first resident pastor, March 1, 1989; later retired from Diocese of Lake Charles (2022).
- Father Michael Strother — current pastor; also pastor of St. Helen, Orangefield; resides at St. Maurice rectory.
St. Francis of Assisi Mission, Buna
Until 2017, St. Maurice administered the Mission of St. Francis of Assisi in Buna, extending Catholic pastoral care beyond Mauriceville into neighboring Jasper County. After the mission was closed on June 30, 2017, its records remain accessible through St. Maurice Parish — a reminder of the parish's role as the Catholic hub of the wider rural area.
- St. Francis of Assisi Mission, Buna — operated under St. Maurice.
- Mission closed: June 30, 2017.
- Records for the closed mission are still accessed at St. Maurice Parish.
Parish Life and Organizations
Although a small rural parish, St. Maurice is home to active fraternal and parish organizations typical of Southeast Texas Catholic communities.
- Knights of Columbus Council #11869 — based at St. Maurice.
Visiting and Contact Information
St. Maurice sits along Texas State Highway 62 in Mauriceville and serves the wider northern Orange County / Buna area. The parish office is open limited hours, so visitors are encouraged to call ahead.
- Address: 9079 TX-62 N, Mauriceville, TX 77626 (mailing P.O. Box 940, 77626-0940).
- Phone: (409) 745-4060.
- Email: [email protected].
- Parish Office Hours: Thursdays 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM.
- Diocesan parish page: https://www.dioceseofbmt.org/parishes-of-the-diocese/st-maurice-parish-mauriceville/
Diocese of Beaumont
St. Maurice is one of the parishes of the Diocese of Beaumont, which was carved out of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston on September 29, 1966, and was the second diocese in the United States created after the Second Vatican Council. The diocese stretches from the coastal waters near Sabine Pass to the Piney Woods of East Texas and is led by Bishop David Toups.
- Diocese of Beaumont — established September 29, 1966.
- First bishop: Bishop Vincent Harris.
- Current bishop (per 2021 announcement): Bishop David Toups.
- Diocesan website: https://dioceseofbmt.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. L. C. Delaruecirca 1988 (administrator from St. Therese, Orange)
Administered St. Maurice Mission from St. Therese parish while it was still a mission of approximately 275 members.
- Father Enrique Martinez, OSAmission-pastor era, leading up to 1976 blessing
Augustinian priest who oversaw an extensive remodeling: two wings were added and the sanctuary was enlarged. Bishop Boudreaux blessed the remodeled building in 1976.
- Father Jude Brunnert, M.S.March 1, 1989 – (first resident pastor)
La Salette Missionary. First resident pastor of St. Maurice when it was elevated from mission status to a full parish on March 1, 1989. Later served in the Diocese of Lake Charles; retired from St. Joseph, DeRidder in 2022.
- Father Michael Strotherappointed pastor effective 2021
Initially temporary administrator at St. Maurice, then formally named pastor in April 2021 by Bishop David Toups. Also pastor of St. Helen, Orangefield, with residence at the St. Maurice rectory.