About St. Peter Mission · Mertzon, Texas
St. Peter Mission is a small Catholic mission church serving the community of Mertzon, Texas, in the heart of ranching country in Irion County in West Texas. It is one of two mission churches (the other being Immaculate Conception Mission in Knickerbocker) of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in nearby Eldorado, and falls under the Diocese of San Angelo. Because it is a mission rather than a standalone parish, its priest — currently Father Mamachan Joseph — commutes from Eldorado to celebrate Mass, sacraments, and pastoral care for the Catholic faithful of Mertzon. The mission is a humble, close-knit outpost of the Diocese of San Angelo, sustained by devoted local families who worship at a small church on North Commerce Street.
- Patron
- St. Peter (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. Mamachan Joseph (Father Mamachan Joseph)
- Diocese
- Diocese of San Angelo
Why belong here
St. Peter Mission offers Catholics in the small ranching community of Mertzon a place to worship close to home, sustained by visiting priests from nearby Eldorado. It is part of a tight-knit three-church cluster that shares pastors, so parishioners receive regular Sunday Mass, sacraments, devotions such as Adoration and the Rosary, and bilingual (English/Spanish) ministry — making it a warm, family-style mission church in the Diocese of San Angelo.
St. Peter Mission, Mertzon, Texas
St. Peter Mission is a small Catholic mission church located in Mertzon, the seat of Irion County in West Texas. It is a mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Eldorado, which is itself served by the Diocese of San Angelo. Because Mertzon is a small ranching community without a resident priest, the pastor assigned to the Eldorado parish also travels to Mertzon (and to Immaculate Conception Mission in Knickerbocker) to celebrate Mass and care for the faithful. The mission is listed by the Diocese of San Angelo at 549 N Commerce St. with a mailing address of PO Box 772, Mertzon, TX 76941-0772, and by GCatholic at 423 N Commerce St.
Parish Cluster: Our Lady of Guadalupe and Its Missions
St. Peter Mission does not operate as a standalone parish; it is one of two missions of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Eldorado. The other mission is Immaculate Conception Mission in Knickerbocker. Together these three churches form a single pastoral cluster under one pastor, who resides in Eldorado. Bilingual ministry (English and Spanish) is a hallmark of the cluster, and the mission's contact email goes through the diocesan email system at [email protected].
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Eldorado (parent parish)
- St. Peter Mission, Mertzon
- Immaculate Conception Mission, Knickerbocker
- Languages: English and Spanish
Contact Information
The mission can be reached through the Diocese of San Angelo at the email [email protected] or by phone at (325) 650-6654 (Diocese listing) / (325) 835-2000 (GCatholic listing). Mail may be sent to PO Box 772, Mertzon, TX 76941-0772. The parish office operates out of the parent parish, Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Eldorado.
- Phone: (325) 650-6654 or (325) 835-2000
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing: PO Box 772, Mertzon, TX 76941-0772
- Church location: 549 N Commerce St. (Diocese) / 423 N Commerce St. (GCatholic), Mertzon, TX
Diocese of San Angelo
St. Peter Mission belongs to the Catholic Diocese of San Angelo, which covers a large portion of West Texas including San Angelo, Eldorado, Mertzon, Knickerbocker, and the surrounding ranching and oil country. The diocese's official parishes page lists the mission under the care of a diocesan pastor. Bishop Michael Sis is the diocesan bishop and has made clergy assignments affecting the Mertzon mission.
- Diocese: San Angelo
- Bishop: Most Rev. Michael Sis
- Parish cluster: Eldorado–Mertzon–Knickerbocker
Faith Formation and Sacraments
Because St. Peter Mission is a small mission served by a commuting priest, formal faith formation programs and sacramental preparation are typically coordinated through the parent parish, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Eldorado. Families in Mertzon preparing for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, or Marriage should contact the Eldorado parish office for information about classes, retreats, and sacramental registration. The mission itself celebrates the sacraments when the visiting pastor is present.
- Sacramental preparation coordinated through Our Lady of Guadalupe, Eldorado
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage available via cluster
Getting Involved
As a small mission, St. Peter relies on the dedication of local Mertzon Catholic families who serve as lectors, musicians, ushers, and altar servers, and who keep the church clean and ready for the priest's visits. The mission participates in the broader life of the Eldorado–Mertzon–Knickerbocker cluster, including joint celebrations and devotions. To learn about liturgical ministries or to volunteer, parishioners are encouraged to contact the parish office in Eldorado.
- Liturgical ministries (lector, music, usher, altar server)
- Cluster-wide devotions and celebrations
- Contact Eldorado parish office to volunteer
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Vathalloor2003–2020
Served as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish (Eldorado) and its two missions — St. Peter Mission (Mertzon) and Immaculate Conception Mission (Knickerbocker) — from July 1, 2003. Commuted from Eldorado to Mertzon every Sunday for Mass. Died December 17, 2020 after contracting COVID-19.
- Rev. Anthony Francoafter 2020
Served as pastor of the Eldorado–Mertzon–Knickerbocker cluster following Father Vathalloor's death.
- Rev. Mamachan Joseph2023–present
Appointed by Bishop Michael Sis effective July 1, 2023 as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Eldorado with its two missions, St. Peter Mission in Mertzon and Immaculate Conception Mission in Knickerbocker.