About St. Paul the Apostle · La Puerta, Texas
St. Paul the Apostle is a Spanish-speaking Roman Catholic mission parish in the small community of La Puerta, Starr County, in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. It sits along U.S. Highway 83 about six miles east of Rio Grande City and belongs to the Diocese of Brownsville, whose official timeline records the parish as formally established in 2009 under Bishop Daniel E. Flores. The parish is pastored by Rev. Eduardo Villa and serves a predominantly Hispanic ranching and farming community at the historic La Puerta ranch headquarters.
- Established
- 2009
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Eduardo Villa
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brownsville
Why belong here
St. Paul the Apostle is a small, close-knit Spanish-speaking mission parish rooted in the ranching community of La Puerta and connected to the wider Diocese of Brownsville. Families can attend a daily Mass in Spanish throughout the week, gather for the Saturday vigil and two Sunday Masses, and come together for Thursday evening Eucharistic Adoration and Saturday confession — a rhythm of devotional life that fits the pastoral character of the South Texas borderlands. The parish is one of the diocesan communities participating in the Love Builds Hope capital campaign, an indication that it is actively investing in its future while remaining a humble, neighborhood-scale mission.
Mass times at St. Paul the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM (before the vigil Mass)
Adoration times
- Thursday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
About St. Paul the Apostle
St. Paul the Apostle is a Roman Catholic mission parish in La Puerta, an unincorporated community on U.S. Highway 83 in Starr County about six miles east of Rio Grande City. It belongs to the Diocese of Brownsville and serves a predominantly Spanish-speaking population along the Rio Grande Valley. The parish was formally established in 2009, though Catholic life in La Puerta dates back decades earlier, with the community's church, cemetery, and youth building already noted in the 1991 Handbook of Texas.
History & Community Roots
Catholic worship in La Puerta long predates the parish's 2009 establishment. An organization called 'St Paul Church La Puerta' was granted IRS tax-exempt status as a religious organization in March 1946, and by 1991 the community of La Puerta — whose name means 'the door' in Spanish — already featured St. Paul's Catholic Church alongside a parish cemetery and a youth building. The Diocese of Brownsville formally constituted St. Paul the Apostle Parish in 2009 under Bishop Daniel E. Flores, the same year the diocese launched The Valley Catholic newspaper.
- 1946 — 'St Paul Church La Puerta' recognized as a religious organization (EIN 50-0017764).
- 1991 — St. Paul's Catholic Church, cemetery, and youth building noted in Starr County.
- 2009 — St. Paul the Apostle Parish formally established by the Diocese of Brownsville.
- 2009 — Bishop Daniel E. Flores appointed sixth Bishop of Brownsville by Pope Benedict XVI.
Parish Leadership
St. Paul the Apostle is pastored by Rev. Eduardo Villa, who also serves as the parish's principal contact. The parish office shares the church address on East Highway 83, and correspondence may be mailed to PO Box 269, Garciasville, TX 78547.
- Rev. Eduardo Villa — Pastor
- Parish office phone: (956) 488-8349
- Parish fax: (956) 488-8085
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
All Masses at St. Paul the Apostle are celebrated in Spanish. The parish offers a full weekly schedule including a Saturday vigil, two Sunday Masses, and a daily Mass on weekdays. Saturday confessions are heard before the vigil Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration is held one evening a week.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM (Spanish)
- Sunday: 8:00 AM & 11:00 AM (Spanish)
- Monday: 5:30 PM (Spanish)
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM (Spanish)
- Wednesday: 8:00 AM (Spanish)
- Thursday: 8:00 AM (Spanish)
- Friday: 5:30 PM (Spanish)
Diocese of Brownsville
St. Paul the Apostle is one of more than 70 parishes and missions that make up the Diocese of Brownsville, which covers the lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. The diocese's official timeline marks the establishment of the La Puerta parish among the milestones of 2009, the same year Bishop Daniel E. Flores — a native of Corpus Christi — was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI. The parish also participates in the diocese's 'Love Builds Hope' capital campaign as a Wave 1 parish.
- Diocese: Diocese of Brownsville (cdob.org)
- Ordinary: Bishop Daniel E. Flores (since 2009/2010)
- Listed in Love Builds Hope Wave 1 campaign (Jan–Apr 2025)
Visit & Contact
St. Paul the Apostle welcomes visitors along the U.S. 83 corridor in Starr County. The easiest way to confirm Mass times, schedule a sacrament, or reach the parish office is by phone.
- Address: 5752 E. Highway 83, Rio Grande City (La Puerta), TX 78582
- Mailing: PO Box 269, Garciasville, TX 78547-0269
- Phone: (956) 488-8349
- Fax: (956) 488-8085
- Diocesan directory: cdob.org/parishes-directory