About St. Stephen · Salado, Texas
St. Stephen Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Salado, Texas, part of the Diocese of Austin. The community began about 25 years before its new chapel was dedicated in 2014, when a small group gathered in a room at Table Rock and slowly grew into a parish of more than 300 families. It is bilingual (English and Spanish), offers weekday and Sunday Masses, Perpetual-style adoration, confession on Saturday afternoons, a robust set of lay ministries, an annual Fall Festival, and youth pilgrimages such as World Youth Day. The parish is located east of I-35 at FM 2268 (Holland Road) and serves Salado and the surrounding Bell County communities.
- Established
- circa 1989–1990
- Patron
- St. Stephen (the first Christian martyr)
- Rector
- Rev. Jude Uche, MSP (Missionary Society of St. Paul)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Austin (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Stephen is a mid-sized, bilingual (English/Spanish) family parish in a small Central Texas town where the founder-members still worship alongside newer families, giving it a genuinely personal feel. It offers the full sacramental life — daily and Sunday Mass in two languages, Saturday confessions, Friday adoration, and holy-day liturgies — along with a wide range of lay ministries (youth, women's society, EIM-trained volunteers, liturgical music) and signature community events such as the annual Fall Festival and World Youth Day pilgrimages. For Catholics moving into the Salado, Holland, or I-35 corridor of Bell County, it is the closest full-service Catholic parish and a welcoming, EIM-compliant, safe-environment community.
Mass times at St. Stephen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
- By appointment through the parish office (254-947-8037)
Adoration times
- Friday 11:00 AM (before the 12:00 PM Mass)
About St. Stephen Parish
St. Stephen Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Salado, Texas, in the Diocese of Austin. The parish describes itself as 'a worshiping community which seeks to live its Catholic faith based on Christian values,' unified in diversity, committed to community service, and called to extend God's love to everyone. It serves Salado, Holland, and the surrounding Bell County communities along the I-35 corridor and is staffed by the Missionary Society of St. Paul (MSP). The parish is bilingual, offering Mass and ministry in both English and Spanish.
History of the Parish
St. Stephen began in the late 1980s/early 1990s when a small group of Catholic families gathered for worship in a room at the Table Rock facility in Salado. The community grew steadily over the following two decades. On September 26, 2014, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of the Diocese of Austin celebrated the Mass of Dedication of the parish's new chapel before a congregation of more than 300, an event chronicled in the Salado Mayor's blog and the Salado Village Voice. The parish was formally incorporated in Texas as a Domestic Nonprofit Corporation on October 8, 2007.
- Origins: small group meeting at Table Rock, late 1980s/early 1990s
- New chapel dedicated September 26, 2014 by Bishop Joe S. Vásquez
- Incorporated as a Texas nonprofit on October 8, 2007
- More than 300 people attended the dedication Mass in 2014
Parish Staff
The parish is led by priests of the Missionary Society of St. Paul (MSP). The current pastor is Rev. Jude Uche, MSP. The parish office is staffed Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 PM), with a parish secretary listed as Ann Krause in Catholic directories.
- Pastor: Rev. Jude Uche, MSP
- Parish Secretary: Ann Krause
- Diocesan affiliation: Diocese of Austin
- Religious institute: Missionary Society of St. Paul (MSP)
Groups & Ministries
The parish encourages parishioners to take part in a wide variety of lay ministries, with both English- and Spanish-language sign-up forms available. The parish's youth music ministry was specifically highlighted at the 2014 chapel dedication, where young instrumentalists and singers, coached by older parishioners, led the music.
- Liturgical music (choir, instrumentalists, youth musicians)
- Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Altar servers
- Women's Society / Altar Society
- Youth Ministry (World Youth Day pilgrimages)
- RCIA and faith formation
- EIM (Ethics & Integrity in Ministry) / Safe Environment
- Hospitality and potluck ministry
- Hispanic/Spanish-language ministry
- Parish registration and welcome ministry
- Fall Festival committee
Sacraments
St. Stephen prepares parishioners for and celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments. Arrangements are made through the parish office at (254) 947-8037. The parish follows the Diocese of Austin's EIM safe-environment policies for all volunteers who work with minors and vulnerable adults.
- Baptism — by arrangement with the parish office
- First Eucharist & Confirmation — through faith formation
- Marriage — preparation and scheduling via the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
- Confession — Saturdays 4:30–5:15 PM or by appointment
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
Parish Events & Community Life
The parish is known for two signature community traditions. Each October, St. Stephen hosts its Fall Festival, an event that draws parishioners and the wider Salado community together. In July 2016, twelve young parishioners traveled to World Youth Day in Kraków, Poland. The Women's Society hosts an annual spring luncheon (in 2016 held at the Ambrosia Tea Room), and Tuesday evening Mass is regularly followed by a potluck dinner — both hallmarks of the parish's family-table culture.
- Annual Fall Festival (October)
- World Youth Day pilgrimages (2016: Kraków, Poland)
- Women's Society annual spring luncheon
- Tuesday potluck dinners
- Friday holy hour / Adoration
Safe Environment (EIM)
St. Stephen follows the Diocese of Austin's Ethics and Integrity in Ministry (EIM) safe-environment program. The parish hosts regular EIM workshops — including Spanish-language sessions — for new volunteers and renewing members, and provides an online EIM account login on its website. Anyone working with minors or vulnerable adults must be EIM-compliant.
- Diocese of Austin EIM policies enforced
- Spanish-language EIM workshops offered on-site
- EIM Online Training available for renewals
- Contact: Agueda in the Parish Office
Visiting St. Stephen — Location & Contact
St. Stephen Catholic Church is located at 601 FM 2268 (Holland Road), east of I-35, Exit 283, in Salado, Texas 76571 (also referenced as 'IH 35 at Holland Rd'). The parish office is open Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM, closed 12:00–1:00 PM for lunch. The parish can be reached by phone at (254) 947-8037 or by email at [email protected].
- Address: 601 FM 2268 (Holland Rd), Salado, TX 76571
- Phone: (254) 947-8037
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.saintstephenchurch.org/
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–3:00 PM (lunch 12–1 PM)
- From I-35: Exit 283, east on Holland Rd / FM 2268
Pastors & rectors through the years
- MSP founding pastor(s)circa 1989/1990–
Parish was begun by a small group meeting at Table Rock; from early on it has been served by priests of the Missionary Society of St. Paul (MSP). Specific founding-priest name not found in available sources.
- Rev. Jude Uche, MSPcurrent (as of latest directory listings)
Listed as pastor on joinmychurch.com and other Catholic directories.