About St. Paul the Apostle · River Oaks, Texas
St. Paul the Apostle is a small, multicultural Roman Catholic parish of about 400 families in River Oaks, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth in Tarrant County. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Fort Worth and worships in both English and Spanish, with a bilingual Sunday Mass alongside two English/Spanish weekend Masses. It is known for its warm community life, an active Food Outreach/Pantry ministry that distributes food and clothing every Tuesday, and a recently renovated sanctuary featuring a new altar, ambo, and pews with kneelers blessed by Bishop Michael F. Olson in March 2023. St. Paul is currently shepherded by Rev. Thu Nguyen, assigned in July 2022.
- Established
- 1952
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Thu Nguyen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Worth
Why belong here
St. Paul the Apostle is a small, multicultural parish of more than 400 families where the pews fill with both English- and Spanish-speaking worshippers, and parishioners describe themselves as a faith community 'striving to reach others by works of mercy and evangelization.' The parish pairs a daily Mass schedule with a robust, multi-level Faith Formation program (Catechesis of the Good Shepherd through high school Life Teen), a longstanding Tuesday-morning Food Pantry that serves neighbors in need, and a calendar of devotional life that includes Friday Eucharistic Adoration, a weekly Cenacle of the Divine Mercy, and Vocation Awareness Holy Hours. For anyone looking for an intimate Catholic parish near Fort Worth where you can know your priest, serve the surrounding community, and worship bilingually, St. Paul is exactly that kind of home.
Mass times at St. Paul the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 8:35 am – 9:00 am
- Saturday 3:45 pm – 4:40 pm
Adoration times
- Friday 8:35 am – 10:45 am, with Benediction ending at 11:00 am
- First Friday 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm (Vocation Awareness Holy Hour)
Parish History
St. Paul the Apostle was born of the December 1952 establishment of St. Peter/St. Paul parish, which served the Catholic families of River Oaks on Fort Worth's near-north side. The single mission was divided roughly a year later, and St. Paul church was dedicated on January 16, 1955 by Bishop Thomas K. Gorman. Through the 1960s and beyond, diocesan priests Rev. Tom Wigginton, Rev. Carl Schilken, and Rev. Michael Holmberg guided the parish before it entered a new era under the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) in September 2015, with Fr. Brendan Murphy as the first SVD pastor and Fr. Anderson De Souza following around 2019. In July 2022 the Diocese of Fort Worth assigned Rev. Thu Nguyen as pastor, and under his leadership the sanctuary received a new altar, ambo, candlestand, and 32 kneelers blessed by Bishop Michael F. Olson on March 19, 2023.
- Established December 1952 (as St. Peter/St. Paul)
- Dedicated as St. Paul church on January 16, 1955 by Bishop Thomas K. Gorman
- Came under SVD (Society of the Divine Word) guardianship in September 2015
- First SVD pastor: Rev. Brendan Murphy (2015)
- Second SVD pastor: Rev. Anderson De Souza (c. 2019)
- Current pastor: Rev. Thu Nguyen, assigned July 2022
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
St. Paul celebrates a full daily Mass schedule with worship in English, Spanish, and one bilingual Sunday Mass, plus regular Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, and Liturgy of the Hours. Weekend Masses are Saturday at 5:00 pm (English) and 7:00 pm (Spanish), and Sunday at 8:00 am (English), 11:00 am (Spanish), and 1:00 pm (Bilingual). Weekday Masses are Monday 8:00 am (Spanish), Tuesday 8:00 am (English), Wednesday 8:00 am (Spanish), Thursday 8:00 am (English), and Friday 8:00 am (Bilingual), the last followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 pm English, 7:00 pm Spanish
- Sunday: 8:00 am English, 11:00 am Spanish, 1:00 pm Bilingual
- Weekday mornings Mon–Fri at 8:00 am (Spanish/English alternating; Friday is bilingual)
- Reconciliation: Friday 8:35–9:00 am and Saturday 3:45–4:40 pm
- Adoration: Friday 8:35 am – 10:45 am with Benediction at 11:00 am
- Liturgy of the Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 7:30 am in Spanish
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Paul's Faith Formation, directed by Jane Sandoval, is described by the parish as a lifelong adventure meant to deepen every member's relationship with Christ. Programs range from the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for PreK and Kindergarten, through Sacramental Preparation for First Eucharist (especially 1st and 2nd grades) and ongoing formation, into the EDGE junior-high (7th–8th grade) and Life Teen high-school (9th–12th grade) programs. OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) and an adapted OCIA process for children ages 8 and up form unbaptized adults and older children for Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist over a minimum two-year process. Parents are also welcomed into parallel adult formation on Sundays.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (PreK–K)
- Elementary Faith Formation: ages 4 – 6th grade, Sundays 9:15 am – 10:30 am (Sept–May)
- EDGE: 7th–8th grade, Sundays after 12:45 pm Mass – 4:00 pm
- Life Teen: 9th–12th grade, Sundays after 12:45 pm Mass – 4:00 pm
- OCIA (adults) and OCIA Adapted for Children (ages 8+)
- Parents Continuing Faith Formation
- Adult Bible Study
- Bienvenido 2.0 advanced lay formation (Fridays 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm)
Outreach & Charity: Food Pantry
St. Paul's longest-running mercy ministry is its Food Outreach / Food Pantry, which has distributed food, clothing, and other necessities to neighbors in need for many years. Every Tuesday morning from 8:30 am until 11:00 am (or until supplies run out), the pantry doors open to serve local community members. Volunteers and donors are welcomed; inquiries can be directed to the parish office at (817) 738-9925.
- Food Pantry: Tuesdays 8:30 am – 11:00 am (until supplies last)
- Coordinated by Jimmie & Laura Robinson
- Sunday Food Fundraising led by Francisco Alvarado
- Volunteer and donation inquiries via parish office
Parish Ministries & Groups
Beyond formation and outreach, St. Paul runs a wide array of lay ministries coordinated by named parish leaders — from Music Ministry and Devotional Coordination to a Guadalupano group, Welcoming Ministry, Vocation Coordinators, Tribunal Advocates, Ornamentation, and Stewardship. A weekly Church Clean Up crew meets Wednesdays at 9:00 am to detail the sanctuary. Catechist volunteers are actively recruited through Jane Sandoval.
- Music Ministry – Rogelio Rios
- Devotional Coordinator – Vicenta Barron
- Guadalupano Coordinator – Carmen Garcia
- Welcoming Ministry – Rita Jimenez & Francisco Alvarado
- Vocation Coordinators – Martin & Reina Rodriguez
- Tribunal Advocates – Carmen Garcia, Mayra Cabrera, Vicenta Barron
- Ornamentation Ministry – Claudia Gonzalez
- OCIA Coordinator – Hannah Fahrenkopf
- Pastoral Representative – Curtis Martinez
- Financial Representative – Cruz Sandoval
- Church Clean Up – Wednesdays 9:00 am
Parish Staff & Governance
Day-to-day parish life is carried by a small staff led by the pastor, Rev. Thu Nguyen (Diocese of Fort Worth). Jane Sandoval serves as both Director of Faith Formation and Administrative Assistant. Patricia McKeever is the Office Assistant; Maria Lopez is the Building Custodian. The parish operates within the Diocese of Fort Worth, established in 1969 by Pope Paul VI and led by Bishop Michael F. Olson, S.T.D., M.A., the fourth Bishop of Fort Worth, ordained and installed January 29, 2014.
- Pastor – Rev. Thu Nguyen, ext. 105
- Director of Faith Formation / Administrative Assistant – Jane Sandoval, ext. 102
- Office Assistant – Patricia McKeever, ext. 104
- Building Custodian – Maria Lopez
- Diocese: Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth (est. 1969; 90 parishes in 28 counties; ~1.1 million Catholics)
- Diocesan offices: Catholic Center, 800 West Loop 820 South, Fort Worth, TX 76108-2919
- Bishop Michael F. Olson, S.T.D., M.A., fourth Bishop of Fort Worth
2022–2023 Sanctuary Renovation
Under Fr. Thu Nguyen, St. Paul the Apostle completed a significant sanctuary refresh in 2022–2023. The original altar was replaced with a new, sturdier altar, a new ambo was installed, and a seven-branch candlestand was added. Because the pews that had come from a Protestant donor church years earlier had no kneelers — meaning parishioners had knelt on the hard floor for over five years — the parish installed 32 new pews with kneelers. Bishop Michael F. Olson blessed the new altar, ambo, and pews on March 19, 2023. The roughly $85,000 project was funded through the Advancement Foundation, the parish's annual festival, and donor giving. To preserve continuity, a piece of marble from the original 1955 altar was consecrated with a relic from the original church and embedded in the new altar.
- New altar, ambo, and seven-branch candlestand installed
- 32 new pews with kneelers added
- Marble from original 1955 altar enshrined in the new altar
- Blessed by Bishop Michael F. Olson on March 19, 2023
- Project cost approximately $85,000
Visiting St. Paul the Apostle
Newcomers and visitors are warmly welcomed. The parish building is wheelchair accessible, with a designated section in the sanctuary and ramps at the front entrance; anyone needing additional accommodations is encouraged to call the office. There is ample parking in front of the church, plus additional parking at the rear during weekend Mass times. Those wishing to formally register can pick up the St. Paul Membership Form from the parish office.
- Address: 5508 Black Oak Lane, River Oaks, TX 76114
- Phone: (817) 738-9925
- Wheelchair-accessible sanctuary and parking
- Front parking plus rear overflow on weekends
- Membership: pick up St. Paul Membership Form from the parish office
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Tom Wigginton
Diocesan priest who served St. Paul the Apostle
- Rev. Carl Schilken
Diocesan priest who served St. Paul the Apostle
- Rev. Michael Holmberg
Diocesan priest who served St. Paul the Apostle
- Rev. Brendan Murphy, SVD2015–c.2019
First pastor under Society of the Divine Word guardianship, which began September 2015
- Rev. Anderson De Souza, SVDc.2019–c.2022
Second SVD pastor; followed Fr. Murphy around 2019
- Rev. Thu NguyenJuly 2022–present
Current pastor; diocesan priest of the Diocese of Fort Worth; led 2022–2023 sanctuary renovations