About St. Paul · Sinton, Texas
St. Paul Mission is a Roman Catholic mission church in Sinton, Texas, sharing its parish life and pastoral staff with Sacred Heart Church in the Diocese of Corpus Christi. It serves the farming and ranching community northwest of Sinton and offers one weekly Sunday Mass in English. As a mission, it is supported by Sacred Heart, where weekday Masses, the Saturday Vigil, and most parish-wide activities take place. The mission is part of a Catholic presence in Sinton that dates back to the late 1890s.
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Father Yul Ibay
- Diocese
- Diocese of Corpus Christi
Why belong here
St. Paul Mission is a small, close-knit Catholic mission in the rural Sinton area that gathers every Sunday for a single English Mass at 7:30 AM, supported by the larger Sacred Heart parish in town. Joining means becoming part of a community whose Catholic roots in Sinton go back to the 1890s, served today by Father Yul Ibay and Deacon Solomon Willis, with weekday Masses, confession, adoration, religious education, youth group, Altar Society, and choirs available at Sacred Heart. It is a parish where, as the former pastor Father Paul Rajareegam put it, 'the church is always full' and 'people are growing in faith.'
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM (at Sacred Heart)
- Thursday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (at Sacred Heart)
- Sunday 7:00 AM – 7:30 AM (at St. Paul Mission, per third-party listing; please confirm with parish office)
Adoration times
- Adoration is listed as part of the parish schedule on the shcsinton.org website; specific hours are not detailed in the public schedule and should be confirmed by calling the parish office.
St. Paul Mission at a Glance
St. Paul Mission is a Roman Catholic mission church in Sinton, Texas, in the Diocese of Corpus Christi. It is shepherded together with Sacred Heart Church in Sinton under a single pastor and shares the same parish website, phone number, and office hours. The mission gathers for Sunday Mass at 7:30 AM in English and is supported by the larger Sacred Heart parish for daily Mass, confession, formation, and parish activities.
- Type: Catholic Mission
- Diocese: Corpus Christi
- Sunday Mass: 7:30 AM (English)
- Pastor: Father Yul Ibay
- Deacon: Solomon Willis
- Shared parish website: shcsinton.org
History of the Catholic Community in Sinton
The parish history page on shcsinton.org tells the story of Catholic life in Sinton from 1896 onward, when Father B. J. Donada, pastor at San Patricio, announced in the diocesan newspaper The Southern Messenger that he hoped to bring a mission to Sinton in late April of that year. The church was completed in November 1897 and blessed by Bishop Peter Verdaguer of the Vicariate of Brownsville on December 5, 1897. The mission continued under San Patricio until 1916, when Bishop Paul Nussbaum assigned Father Martin Ford as the first resident pastor of Sacred Heart.
- 1896: Father B. J. Donada plans a mission to Sinton.
- November 11, 1897: First church completed.
- December 5, 1897: Bishop Verdaguer scheduled to bless the new church.
- October 27, 1898: First newspaper mention of the name 'Sacred Heart.'
- Early 1916: Sacred Heart becomes an independent parish under Father Martin Ford, CP.
- 1924: Parish moves to four acres donated by the Odem family; parochial school opens with Incarnate Word Sisters.
The Sacred Heart Church Buildings
Sacred Heart has worshipped in three successive buildings. The original 1897 church was succeeded by a second building completed in 1940 under Father A. J. Ordner, which was dedicated by Coadjutor Bishop Mariano Garriga on May 12, 1940 — that older structure was then moved and became the church for Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission. The present Sacred Heart church was built under Father Frank Gronotte (pastor since 1953) and dedicated on May 16, 1962 by Auxiliary Bishop Adolph Marx after the cornerstone was laid on March 2, 1962.
- 1897: First church building completed.
- 1940: Second church dedicated; old building moved to become Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission.
- 1962: Current Sacred Heart church built ($200,000) and dedicated; cornerstone includes signatures of the building committee, the pastor, the U.S. presidents, the Texas governor, the Sinton mayor, and coins from around the world.
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Paul Mission and Sacred Heart share one pastoral team. Father Yul Ibay is the current pastor, reachable at [email protected]. Deacon Solomon Willis assists with Holy Mass, baptisms, funerals, and other pastoral duties. Father Paul Rajareegam is identified on the parish history page as the pastor at the time of the 2016 Sacred Heart centennial. Parish support staff include Joan Kunitz (Finance) and Gilbert Silva (Maintenance).
- Pastor: Father Yul Ibay
- Former Pastor (centennial era): Father Paul Rajareegam
- Deacon: Solomon Willis
- Finance: Joan Kunitz
- Maintenance: Gilbert Silva
Parish Ministries & Organizations
According to the parish history page, the parish has the usual liturgical ministries — lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, religious education, and choirs — along with volunteer organizations that include the Altar Society, the Sacred Heart Youth Group, and the Quilters.
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Altar Servers
- Religious Education
- Choirs
- Altar Society
- Sacred Heart Youth Group
- Quilters
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the sacraments at Sacred Heart Church and St. Paul Mission. Deacon Solomon Willis assists the pastor with baptisms, funerals, and other pastoral duties. For First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and other sacraments, parishioners are encouraged to contact the parish office during weekday office hours (Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 NN).
- Baptism
- First Communion & Confirmation
- Marriage
- Funerals
- Confession / Reconciliation
Devotions & Special Events
The parish maintains a tradition of devotions and community events. The parish website's photo albums include a Holy Rosary Rally for Life and images of Confirmations and a Baccalaureate Mass, showing an active liturgical life that supports the wider Sinton Catholic community beyond weekend Masses.
- Holy Rosary Rally for Life
- Annual Confirmation Mass
- Baccalaureate Mass
- Adoration (schedule available on request)
Visiting & Contact Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the shared parish office at (361) 364-1768 during office hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon. The office is at Sacred Heart Church, 906 E. Sinton St., Sinton, TX 78387. The St. Paul Mission chapel is located at 9981 Co Rd 39, Sinton, TX 78387 (also referenced as Hwy. 181 and FM 798).
- Parish phone: (361) 364-1768
- Office email: [email protected]
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 NN
- Mission location: 9981 Co Rd 39, Sinton, TX 78387
- Mailing: P.O. Box 266, Sinton, TX 78387
St. Paul Mission in the Local Community
St. Paul Mission and Sacred Heart are an active part of life in Sinton, a small Texas town best known as the seat of San Patricio County. The current pastor, Father Yul Ibay, is a familiar figure in town: he has blessed the Sinton Pirates baseball team before their UIL 4A state tournament runs, and a number of the players regularly attend Sunday Mass at the parish. The parish marked its centennial with a celebration attended by Bishop Mulvey, and the parish history notes that religious education enrollment and registered-family counts have both grown substantially over the past decade.
- Catholic presence in Sinton since 1896.
- Centennial celebrated in 2016 with Bishop Mulvey.
- Parish regularly hosts blessings for local schools and athletic teams.
- Religious education enrollment grew from ~200 to 470; registered families grew from 250 to 450.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father B. J. Donada1896–early 1916
Pastor at San Patricio who founded the Sinton mission and oversaw construction of the first church (completed 1897). Sacred Heart remained a mission of his parish until 1916.
- Father Martin Ford, CP1916–1920
Passionist priest; first resident pastor of Sacred Heart, assigned by Bishop Nussbaum.
- Father David Buckley1920–1923
Succeeded Father Ford; recommended assigning a resident priest to George West.
- Father Daniel Lanigan1923–
Named pastor of Sacred Heart in 1923; opened the parochial school with Incarnate Word Sisters in fall 1924.
- Father A. J. Ordner–1940
Built the second church building, dedicated May 12, 1940; old church moved to become Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission.
- Father Frank Gronotte1953–
Built and dedicated the current Sacred Heart church in 1962.
- Father Paul Rajareegam
Pastor at the time of the Sacred Heart centennial celebration (2016); quoted in the parish history describing the community as 'vibrant' and 'loving.'
- Father Yul Ibay
Current pastor of Sacred Heart Church & St. Paul Mission; email [email protected]; known for blessing the Sinton Pirates baseball team before state tournament play.