About St. Patrick · Dallas, Texas
St. Patrick is a Roman Catholic parish in the Lake Highlands neighborhood of northeast Dallas, Texas, serving more than 2,000 registered families and roughly 7,600 parishioners. Founded on the Feast of St. Patrick, March 17, 1963 by Bishop Thomas K. Gorman, the parish operates a K-8 Catholic school (currently over 300 students) and a religious education program that includes sacramental preparation, youth ministry, and adult faith formation. Their mission — "Know, Love, Serve" — centers on the Holy Eucharist, supported by a 24/7 Adoration Chapel open to all. The community is described as multi-cultural, drawing parishioners from over a dozen countries, with weekly Mass celebrated in both English and Spanish.
- Established
- 1963
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Fr. Charles Githinji
- Diocese
- Diocese of Dallas
Why belong here
St. Patrick is a 2,000-family Catholic community in Lake Highlands that puts the Eucharist at the center of parish life — including a 24/7 Adoration Chapel open to anyone, day or night. Families can send their children to the parish's own K-8 Catholic school or enroll them in faith formation, while adults have opportunities to grow through RCIA, youth ministry, and adult faith formation. With a richly multi-cultural congregation (parishioners from more than a dozen countries) and weekly Mass in both English and Spanish, newcomers are welcomed into an active parish with a clear mission to know, love, and serve God and neighbor.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Thursday: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- By appointment
- Third Wednesday of each month
Adoration times
- The Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
About St. Patrick Catholic Parish
St. Patrick Catholic Parish is a 2,000-family Roman Catholic community in the Lake Highlands neighborhood of northeast Dallas, with roughly 7,600 parishioners and a K-8 school of more than 280 students. Their stated mission is to 'Know, Love, and Serve' — rooted in the love of the Eucharist, Adoration, Prayer, and Study. The parish is described on its own website as 'a diverse and welcoming Roman Catholic community seeking to know, love, and serve God and our neighbor,' drawing parishioners from over a dozen countries.
A Parish Story: Two St. Patricks
The current Lake Highlands parish was established March 17, 1963 on the same date as the patron's feast day, but St. Patrick's Catholic presence in Dallas actually begins in 1882 — the second Catholic parish in the city while Dallas still belonged to the Diocese of Galveston. That original Gothic Revival church at 1320 Harwood Street served downtown Dallas until January 6, 1963, when its last Mass was celebrated. The building was demolished to make way for Interstate 30 the same year Bishop Gorman was planting the seeds for the present parish just to the north.
Founding Decade (1963 – 1976)
On March 17, 1963, Bishop Thomas K. Gorman formally established St. Patrick Roman Catholic Parish in Lake Highlands and named Father Fred J. Mosman, J.C.L., as its first pastor. The first Mass was celebrated Easter Sunday, April 14, 1963 in the Community Room of the First Federal Savings & Loan Building in the Northlake Shopping Center; daily Mass was held in the remodeled rectory garage. With about 250 families and 300+ public-school students in C.C.D., the parish moved quickly: construction of the school began November 23, 1963, and the all-purpose building/classrooms/auditorium (which doubled as the church) opened for the 1964 school year. On April 15, 1964, Father Mosman was elevated to Very Reverend Monsignor by Pope Paul VI.
The New Church (1976 – 1987)
Msgr. James Tucek succeeded Msgr. Mosman on March 1, 1976 and oversaw the 1978 'burning of the mortgage' ceremony after the parish paid off the original $375,000 school debt. In June 1980, Rev. Monsignor Joseph Erbrick became the third pastor and shepherded the most ambitious project yet — a new church built by Yarbrough Construction, designed by P.L.M. Design Incorporated with parishioner John Danna as architectural consultant, on land purchased a generation earlier by Bishop Gorman. The new church, dedicated November 29, 1981 by Bishop Thomas Tschoepe, sits 'high on the hill' with a form described as 'hands praying to God.' A gymnasium, school addition, parish office, and rectory followed in November 1987.
Leadership & Clergy
The pastoral team is led by Father Charles Githinji, originally from Kenya, the youngest of seven children, who was ordained for the Diocese of Dallas in 2013 and previously served at St. Patrick itself, St. Gabriel the Archangel (McKinney), and St. Francis of Assisi (Frisco). He is assisted by two parochial vicars and four deacons.
- Fr. Charles Githinji – Pastor
- Fr. Jude Chukwuma – Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Luke Turner, OSB – Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Fidel Alvarez
- Deacon David Banowsky
- Deacon Doug Breckenridge
- Deacon Andrew Maal
Parish Staff
Beyond clergy, the parish is supported by a full lay staff in music, liturgy, communications, faith formation, youth ministry, operations, and facilities.
- Haling Perdomo-Mihalek – Intercultural Ministries & Infant Baptism Coordinator
- Andrew Maal – Youth & Young Adult Ministry Coordinator
- Patti Armstrong – Director of Evangelization, Catechesis & Family Life
- Amy Vitek – Director of Evangelization
- Amy Deibert – Director of Liturgy
- Daryl Nagel – Director of Music
- John Banowsky – Safe Environment Coordinator
- Tim Jacquet – Ministry Services Coordinator
- Emily Orihuela – Director of Communications
- Genie Dunn – Director of Advancement
- Richard Ferry – Business Manager
- Mike Hill – Director of Operations
- Natalie Reid – Director of Information Technology
- Alex Vaquera – Director of Facilities and Maintenance
- Joseph Kerr – Pastoral Assistant
Faith Formation & School
St. Patrick Catholic School (spsdallas.org) has served the Lake Highlands community since 1964, currently enrolling more than 300 students in PK3 through 8th grade with an average class size of 17 and a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. The school is led by Principal Mrs. Julie Hendry. The parish also runs a vibrant religious education program of Sacramental preparation, youth programs, and adult faith formation — including RCIA for those inquiring into the Catholic faith.
- St. Patrick Catholic School (PK3 – 8th grade)
- Principal: Mrs. Julie Hendry
- Sacramental Preparation (Baptism, First Eucharist, Confirmation)
- RCIA — Becoming Catholic
- Youth and Young Adult Ministry
- Adult Faith Formation
Outreach & Parish Life
The parish describes itself as striving to live out the two Greatest Commandments — love of God and love of neighbor — through multiple outreach opportunities, a healing ministry, liturgical ministry, youth ministry, fellowship, and ongoing faith formation. The community's multi-cultural character is highlighted as a defining feature of parish life.
- Healing Ministry
- Outreach & Service to Neighbor
- Liturgical Ministry
- Music Ministry
- Fellowship
- Intercultural Ministries
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Fred J. Mosman, J.C.L.1963 – 1976
Founding pastor appointed by Bishop Thomas K. Gorman; elevated to Very Reverend Monsignor / Papal Chamberlain by Pope Paul VI on April 15, 1964.
- Msgr. James Tucek1976 – 1980
Succeeded Msgr. Mosman; oversaw the burning of the mortgage in 1978 and the groundbreaking for the new church on March 17, 1980.
- Msgr. Joseph Erbrick1980 – c. 2007
Third pastor; presided over construction of the new church (first Mass June 11, 1981) and its dedication by Bishop Tschoepe on November 29, 1981.
- Fr. Josef Vollmer-Konig2007 – 2020
Launched the 2011 'Renewal' renovation ($1.8M, Halff Associates) including pipe-organ repair and facility updates; retired in 2020.
- Fr. Charles Githinji2020 – present
Appointed Pastoral Administrator July 1, 2020; installed as pastor on June 5, 2022; originally from Kenya, ordained for the Diocese of Dallas in 2013.