About St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus · Edcouch, Texas
St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in Edcouch, Texas, in the Diocese of Brownsville. Founded in 1948 to serve the farm-working communities of the lower Rio Grande Valley, the parish shares its campus and ministry with the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in nearby La Villa. Today St. Theresa's offers Mass in both English and Spanish, alongside an active faith-formation program, a youth group, Knights of Columbus councils, Guadalupanas, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, ACTS retreats, a Migrant Ministry, and a young-adult gathering — all rooted in the predominantly Hispanic Catholic life of the Valley.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus
- Rector
- Father Patrick Seitz
- Diocese
- Diocese of Brownsville
Why belong here
St. Theresa's is a welcoming bilingual parish where Spanish-speaking and English-speaking families pray, learn, and serve side by side. With Mass celebrated almost daily in Spanish and on Sundays in English, sacramental preparation, a parish youth group meeting every Wednesday evening, two Knights of Columbus councils, Guadalupanas, ACTS retreats, and a Migrant Ministry serving the agricultural workers of the Valley, the parish offers concrete ways to grow in faith at every age. The Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in La Villa extends that same community life just down the road, making St. Theresa's a spiritual home for a wide stretch of the lower Rio Grande Valley.
Mass times at St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30pm – 4:30pm (St. Theresa, Edcouch)
- Tuesday 5:00pm – 5:45pm (Our Lady of Guadalupe, La Villa)
- Or by appointment
Parish Identity and History
St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus was established in 1948 in Edcouch, Texas, in the Diocese of Brownsville, during a period of expansion of Catholic parishes across the lower Rio Grande Valley. The parish shares clergy and ministry with the nearby Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in La Villa, and together the two sites form one faith community serving Edcouch, La Villa, and the surrounding farming areas of Hidalgo County.
- Founded 1948 — confirmed on the Diocese of Brownsville timeline.
- Parish patron: St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus (feast day October 1).
- Companion mission: Our Lady of Guadalupe, La Villa, TX.
Clergy, Staff, and Office
Father Patrick Seitz serves as Pastor of St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus and Our Lady of Guadalupe. He is assisted by Deacon Florencio Trevino and a lay staff that handles faith formation, parish office administration, and maintenance. The parish office in Edcouch is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and again from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Pastor: Father Patrick Seitz
- Deacon: Florencio Trevino
- DRE (Director of Religious Education): Sister Maria Sanchez
- Secretary: Maricela Lozano
- Receptionist: Lupita Badillo
- Faith Formation Secretary: Teresa Cerda
- Custodian: Nina Alvardo
- Maintenance: Jorge Andaverde
- Parish Office Hours (Edcouch): Mon–Fri 8:30am–12:30pm and 1:30pm–5:00pm
Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
Faith formation for children and youth is led by Sister Maria Sanchez, the parish Director of Religious Education. Pre-Confirmation and Confirmation students meet together with the parish Youth Group on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall in Edcouch, combining catechesis, fellowship, and community-building in preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. The parish also maintains a Remind group and an Instagram account to keep families connected.
- Youth Group — Wednesdays, 6:30pm–7:30pm, Parish Hall, Edcouch
- Pre-Confirmation and Confirmation preparation
- Reminders: text @stijo to 81010
- Instagram: @stij.olg_summer_youth
Parish Ministries and Organizations
St. Theresa's supports a wide range of lay ministries that respond to the spiritual and material needs of the Valley. Two Knights of Columbus councils, the Guadalupanas, ACTS retreats, Comunidades de Base, the Divine Mercy Chaplet prayer group, and a Migrant Ministry all gather under the parish umbrella, giving parishioners of every age and language a place to serve.
- ACTS (Adoration, Community, Theology, Service retreat movement)
- Comunidades de Base (Base Ecclesial Communities)
- Divine Mercy Chaplet Prayer Group
- Guadalupanas
- Knights of Columbus Council 11897
- Knights of Columbus Council 15776
- Knights of Columbus Brownsville chapter
- Migrant Ministry
Devotions and Prayer Life
Beyond the regular Mass schedule, the parish offers weekly devotions and seasonal novenas. The Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed at both worship sites each Wednesday — at 3:00 p.m. at St. Theresa in Edcouch and at 5:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Villa — and the parish runs a 46-Day Grand Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, asking for the maternal intercession of the Empress of the Americas.
- Divine Mercy Chaplet — Wednesdays 3:00pm at St. Theresa, Edcouch
- Divine Mercy Chaplet — Wednesdays 5:00pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe, La Villa
- 46-Day Grand Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe (daily)
Young Adult Ministry
All young adults ages 18 to 30 are invited to the parish's young adult gatherings, which take place on the first and third Sunday of each month from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall in Edcouch. The evenings combine social time with faith sharing.
- Who: young adults 18–30
- When: 1st and 3rd Sundays, 5:00pm–7:00pm
- Where: Parish Hall, Edcouch
Contact, Location, and Visiting
St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus is located at 200 N. Placido Salazar Street in Edcouch, with the parish mailing address P.O. Box 307, Edcouch, TX 78538. The companion mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe sits at 200 N. Laurel Ave., La Villa, TX 78562. Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office at (956) 262-1347 or by email at [email protected]. The parish is active on YouTube (channel @STIJ-OLG) and shares youth content on Instagram.
- St. Theresa: 200 N. Placido Salazar St., Edcouch, TX 78538 (Mailing: P.O. Box 307)
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission: 200 N. Laurel Ave., La Villa, TX 78562
- Phone: (956) 262-1347
- Email: [email protected]
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@STIJ-OLG
- Parish Office Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30am–12:30pm and 1:30pm–5:00pm