About St. Raphael the Archangel · Houston, Texas
St. Raphael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston located at 3915 Ocee Street in west Houston, Texas (77063). Established in 1961, it has grown into a bilingual, Hispanic-Catholic community whose liturgical life is predominantly in Spanish, with one Sunday Mass celebrated in English. Under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Ramon J. Arechua, the parish operates a vibrant program of faith formation, charismatic prayer, Bible study, Legion of Mary, and outreach to families in the Woodlake/Briar Meadow neighborhood, serving the spiritual needs of Houston's growing Spanish-speaking Catholic population.
- Established
- 1961
- Patron
- St. Raphael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Ramon J. Arechua
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston
Why belong here
St. Raphael the Archangel is a welcoming, predominantly Spanish-speaking parish that offers the rare combination of a robust daily Mass schedule, a strong Hispanic Catholic devotional culture, and concrete formation programs — including on-site pre-baptism classes, evening Spanish Bible study, a family prayer group with Virtus-trained facilitators, a Charismatic prayer community, Legion of Mary activities, and night adoration. For Catholic families in west Houston seeking a faith community where Spanish-language liturgy, sacramental preparation, and lay apostolate are central to parish life, St. Raphael's offers an unusually deep and active parish home.
Mass times at St. Raphael the Archangel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM
Adoration times
- Saturday 10:00 PM – 5:00 AM (First Saturday evening into Sunday morning)
History of St. Raphael the Archangel
St. Raphael the Archangel was established in 1961 as a parish of the (then) Diocese of Galveston–Houston. Located at 3915 Ocee Street in west Houston, it was created to serve the growing Woodlake and Briar Meadow neighborhoods. Over more than six decades, the parish has evolved into a bilingual, predominantly Spanish-speaking Catholic community, recognized by the Archdiocese as a center of Hispanic liturgical and formation life in west Houston.
Pastoral Leadership
Rev. Ramon J. Arechua has served as pastor/administrator of St. Raphael the Archangel since his appointment by the Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston, effective July 1, 2014, as published in the Texas Catholic Herald's pastoral appointments. Under his leadership the parish has expanded its Spanish-language sacramental preparation, faith formation offerings, and devotional programs.
- Rev. Ramon J. Arechua — Pastor / Administrator (2014–present)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish pastoral council's action plan explicitly prioritizes faith formation. Pre-baptism classes are now conducted on-site at the parish rather than being referred to the St. Dominic Center, easing sacramental access for Hispanic families. A new prayer group for families, facilitated by Virtus-trained leaders, has been formed; the parish also runs an evening Spanish-language Bible study that has grown sufficiently to require additional class sections.
- On-site pre-baptism classes
- Evening Spanish-language Bible study
- Family prayer group (Virtus-trained facilitators)
- Legion of Mary activities
Hispanic Ministry
St. Raphael the Archangel is recognized within the Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston as a model of vibrant Hispanic parish life. The parish's pastoral plan calls for the formation of multi-lingual faith formation classes and for partnering with sister parishes on multi-cultural activities. St. Raphael's has drawn former parishioners back from other Houston-area parishes that offered Spanish Masses, underlining its role as a regional hub for Hispanic Catholics in west Houston.
- Spanish-language daily Mass schedule
- Hispanic Ministry Council
- Multi-lingual faith-formation classes
- Partnership with sister parishes on multi-cultural activities
Parish Life & Ministries
Beyond the sacraments and formation programs, St. Raphael's offers a number of lay-led apostolates and devotional groups that animate parish life. These include the Charismatic Prayer Group, the Night Adoration Group, the Legion of Mary, the Family Prayer Group, and the Hopeful Hearts Ministry. Together they provide multiple pathways for parishioners to live out their faith in community.
- Charismatic Prayer Group
- Night Adoration Group
- Legion of Mary
- Family Prayer Group
- Hopeful Hearts Ministry
- Parish Pastoral Council
Contact & Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at (713) 781-9511 or by email at straphaelcc@comcast.net. The parish is located at 3915 Ocee St., Houston, TX 77063-5417, in the Woodlake / Briar Meadow area of west Houston, with parking available on the parish grounds.
- Address: 3915 Ocee St., Houston, TX 77063-5417
- Phone: (713) 781-9511
- Fax: (713) 278-9705
- Email: straphaelcc@comcast.net
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Ramon J. Arechua2014–present
Appointed administrator of St. Raphael the Archangel Church, Houston, effective July 1, 2014, per the Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston pastoral appointments published in the Texas Catholic Herald; continues to serve as pastor.