About St. Philip Benizi Mission · Smiley, Texas
St. Philip Benizi Mission is a small Roman Catholic mission church located in the rural community of Smiley, Texas, in Gonzales County. It was established in 1963 and is administered as a mission of St. Joseph Catholic Church in nearby Nixon. The mission serves the Catholic faithful in and around Smiley with a weekly Sunday Mass and is part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed into a simple, country-style community of faith under the patronage of the 13th-century Servite friar Saint Philip Benizi.
- Established
- 1963
- Patron
- St. Philip Benizi
- Rector
- Rev. Kuriakose Ouseph
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio
Why belong here
St. Philip Benizi Mission is the spiritual home for Catholics in Smiley and the surrounding rural area of Gonzales County who would otherwise face long drives to attend Mass. As a mission of St. Joseph Parish in Nixon, it offers a warm, small-town Catholic community where parishioners know one another and worship together each Sunday. It is a fitting place to belong for families and individuals seeking a quieter, traditional parish life connected to the wider Archdiocese of San Antonio.
Mass times at St. Philip Benizi Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Philip Benizi Mission
St. Philip Benizi is a Catholic mission church in Smiley, Texas, founded in 1963 and administered as a mission of St. Joseph Parish in Nixon. It is one of several small missions sustained by St. Joseph to bring the sacraments to scattered rural communities in Gonzales County. The mission belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio.
History
Established in 1963, the mission was created to serve the Catholic faithful of Smiley, a small town along Highway 87. From its founding it has functioned as a satellite of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Nixon, and it continues to rely on the parish priest assigned to St. Joseph for its sacramental life. The mission carries the name of Saint Philip Benizi, a 13th-century Servite friar and Prior General known for his humility and care of the sick.
- Founded: 1963
- Diocese: Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio
- Parent parish: St. Joseph Catholic Church, Nixon, TX
Patron Saint: Philip Benizi
Saint Philip Benizi (1233–1285) was an Italian Servite friar who served as the fifth Prior General of the Servite Order. He was renowned for his preaching, his gentleness, and his care of the poor and sick, and was canonized by Pope Clement X in 1671. His feast day is celebrated in the Roman calendar on August 23.
- Born: 1233 in Florence, Italy
- Died: 1285
- Religious order: Servites (Order of the Servants of Mary)
- Feast day: August 23
Connection to St. Joseph Parish, Nixon
St. Philip Benizi Mission is administered through St. Joseph Catholic Church in Nixon, Texas, located at 207 South Washington Avenue. St. Joseph offers additional Masses in English and Spanish throughout the week, along with confessions, adoration, and anointing of the sick, and serves as the sacramental home for the mission.
- Parent parish: St. Joseph Catholic Church
- Address: 207 S Washington Ave., Nixon, TX 78140
- Parish phone: (830) 582-1127
- Sunday Mass at St. Joseph: 9:00 AM
- Saturday Vigil (Spanish): 6:30 PM
- Wednesday (Spanish): 6:30 PM
- Friday (Spanish): 6:30 PM
Clergy & Leadership
The mission is currently administered by Rev. Kuriakose Ouseph, who also serves as administrator of the parent parish, St. Joseph in Nixon. Pastoral care, sacramental ministry, and the celebration of Mass are provided through him and any assisting clergy assigned to the parishes of the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
- Administrator: Rev. Kuriakose Ouseph
Visit & Contact
The mission chapel is located at Highway 87 and Carpenter Street in Smiley. For current Mass times, sacraments, or parish business, parishioners may call the mission or the parent parish office in Nixon.
- Address: Hwy 87 & Carpenter St., Smiley, TX 78159
- Mailing: P.O. Box 32, Smiley, TX 78159
- Phone: (830) 587-6258
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish website: https://www.smileytx.com/default.htm
- Facebook: facebook.com/St.Joseph.Catholic.Church.NixonTx