About St. Patrick - Sabinal · Sabinal, Texas
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a historic parish in Sabinal, Texas, in Uvalde County, founded on May 12, 1897, making it one of the oldest Catholic communities in the Hill Country west of San Antonio. It belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio and serves the small ranching and farming town of Sabinal and surrounding ranch lands, with worship offered in both English and Spanish. The parish is the spiritual home of approximately 1,000 registered parishioners and is staffed today by Fr. Antonio Xavier Hernandez-Peraza as Administrator.
- Established
- 1897
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Fr. Antonio Xavier Hernandez-Peraza (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio
Why belong here
St. Patrick offers a welcoming bilingual Catholic home in the heart of Uvalde County, with Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish, daily weekday Mass, a Saturday evening Vigil, First Saturday devotions, and a perpetual Adoration Chapel for prayerful visits throughout the week. Families in Sabinal and the surrounding ranch country have entrusted their baptisms, weddings, funerals, and faith formation to this parish for more than 125 years. Whether you are a long-time ranching family or a visitor passing through the Hill Country, you will find a faithful, down-to-earth community rooted in the Eucharist and devoted to making disciples of Christ.
Mass times at St. Patrick - Sabinal
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 6:30 PM – 6:55 PM (before the 7:00 PM Vigil Mass)
- First Saturday: 11:00 AM – 11:20 AM
Adoration times
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel available
Parish History
St. Patrick Catholic Church was formally established on May 12, 1897, when 18 Catholic families in the Sabinal area came together to organize a parish. Worship in the community, however, long predates that date: ranch families throughout east central Uvalde County had gathered in homes and outdoors for prayer for decades before the parish was founded. Sacramental registers were kept from as early as 1891 and survive on microfilm through 1956. The current church building was designed in the early 1950s and dedicated on June 15, 1952, in honor of St. Patrick, with seating for roughly 300 people. Today the parish lists nearly 1,000 registered families and individuals on its census rolls.
- Founded May 12, 1897
- Present church dedicated June 15, 1952
- Approximately 1,000 registered parishioners
Patron Saint: St. Patrick
The parish takes its name from St. Patrick (c. 385–461), the apostle of Ireland, whose feast day is celebrated on March 17. As a missionary bishop, St. Patrick is the patron of Ireland, engineers, and Nigeria, and is invoked against snakebite and other dangers. The parish proudly honors him as its patron and marks his feast annually.
- Patron: St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland
- Feast Day: March 17
Leadership & Clergy
St. Patrick is currently served by Fr. Antonio Xavier Hernandez-Peraza in the role of Parish Administrator. The parish office sits across the street from the church at 510 N Orange St. and can be reached at (830) 988-2255.
- Administrator: Fr. Antonio Xavier Hernandez-Peraza
- Parish Office: 510 N Orange St., Sabinal, TX 78881
- Parish Phone: (830) 988-2255
Cluster Parishes
St. Patrick shares pastoral ministry with neighboring Hill Country parishes in the Archdiocese of San Antonio, providing Mass and confession coverage across the rural area. The cluster allows parishioners in outlying communities like Knippa and Vanderpool to attend Mass and Reconciliation at a nearby church each weekend.
- St. Joseph — Knippa, TX (Saturday Vigil 5:00 PM; Confessions Saturday 4:30 PM)
- St. Mary — Vanderpool, TX (Sunday 9:00 AM; Confessions Sunday 8:30 AM)
- St. Patrick — Sabinal, TX (cluster hub)
Diocese
St. Patrick is a parish of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio, the oldest archdiocese in Texas and the mother church of Catholic faith in this region of the state.
- Jurisdiction: Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio
- Archdiocesan Rite: Roman-Latin
Visit, Location & Directions
St. Patrick Catholic Church is located at 501 N Orange St. in Sabinal, Texas, on the corner of Kennedy Ave. and Orange Street, easy to find off U.S. Highway 90 — about 63 miles west of San Antonio on the road toward Del Rio. The parish office sits across the street at 510 N Orange St. The parish phone line is (830) 988-2255, and the official website is stpatricksabinal.org.
- Address: 501 N Orange St., Sabinal, TX 78881
- Parish Office: 510 N Orange St., Sabinal, TX 78881
- Phone: (830) 988-2255
- Website: stpatricksabinal.org
- Landmark: corner of Kennedy Ave. and Orange St.
- Travel note: on U.S. Hwy 90 between San Antonio and Del Rio
Records & Archives
Parish sacramental registers from St. Patrick survive on microfilm from 1891 through 1956 and have been preserved as a research resource. Baptisms, confirmations, marriages, communions, and burials from this period are accessible through the Family History Library (films 16882 and 16883). These records are a valuable resource for genealogists tracing Catholic families of the Sabinal River valley.
- Baptisms: 1891–1956 (FHL film 16882)
- Confirmations: 1891–1893, 1920–1955
- Marriages: 1891–1955 (FHL films 16882–16883)
- Burials: 1892–1955
- Communions: 1931–1955