About St. Therese · Orange, Texas
St. Therese is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Orange, Texas, located in the Diocese of Beaumont. Founded in 1924 as a Black Catholic mission served by the Josephite Fathers, it is the second-oldest Catholic congregation in the city. The parish is named for Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower, patron of Catholic missions, and offers Sunday Mass, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, faith formation, and outreach to the Southeast Texas community. It currently shares pastoral leadership with neighboring St. Mary Parish under Father Antony Paulose, CMI.
- Established
- 1924
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (the Little Flower)
- Rector
- Rev. Antony Paulose, CMI
- Diocese
- Diocese of Beaumont
Why belong here
St. Therese is a small, historically significant parish with deep roots in Orange's African-American Catholic community and a continuing tradition of welcome, including a ministry to Vietnamese families that dates back to 1975. Parishioners worship at Sunday Mass in a warm setting with perpetual Eucharistic Adoration available around the clock in the Adoration Chapel. The parish offers faith formation and youth ministry, Bible study, and a tradition of outreach to those in need — making it a faithful home for Catholics seeking community in Southeast Texas.
Mass times at St. Therese
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM @ St. Mary - Orange
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration (Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament in the Adoration Chapel; entrance code available to registered adorers)
History of St. Therese Catholic Church
St. Therese Catholic Church was founded in 1924 when Father Alexis la Plante, the Josephite pastor of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Beaumont, celebrated Mass for three African-American families in Orange and recommended the city as a promising place for a Black Catholic mission. For the next twelve years, priests from Blessed Sacrament and from Our Mother of Mercy in Beaumont traveled to Orange to worship with the growing congregation in private homes and rented or borrowed spaces. In 1936 a Boston priest donated funds for a church building, and on November 1, 1936, the church was dedicated in honor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, patron of Catholic mission work. Father Michael McCormack, SSJ, became the first resident pastor in 1941 when a rectory was acquired.
- 1924: First Mass celebrated by Father Alexis la Plante, CSSp/Josephite pastor
- 1936: Church building constructed and dedicated November 1
- 1941: Father Michael McCormack, SSJ, named first resident pastor
- 1943: National street preaching institute begun at the parish
- 1945: School and parish hall constructed
- 1975: Parish instrumental in settling Vietnamese refugee families in Orange
- 2001: Texas Historical Commission marker (#12523) erected at 1409 6th Street
Parish Identity and Patron
St. Therese is named for Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (1873–1897), the French Discalced Carmelite nun known as 'the Little Flower,' who is the patron saint of Catholic missions and florists. Her choice as patron is especially meaningful for a parish whose earliest decades were shaped by itinerant mission work by Josephite priests from Beaumont. The parish is recognized as the second-oldest Catholic congregation in the city of Orange.
- Patron: St. Thérèse of Lisieux
- Feast day: October 1
- St. Thérèse: patron of missions and florists
Pastoral Leadership and Staff
St. Therese is currently pastored by Rev. Antony Paulose, CMI (Carmelites of Mary Immaculate), who also serves as pastor of neighboring St. Mary Parish in Orange. Father Antony Paulose can be reached through the parish office at (409) 883-3783. The Diocese of Beaumont priest directory confirms him as Pastor of St. Mary and St. Therese, Orange.
- Rev. Antony Paulose, CMI — Pastor
Faith Formation, Youth, and Bible Study
The parish offers faith formation and religious education for parishioners, a Youth Group, and Bible Study opportunities as part of its ongoing ministry. These programs help form children, youth, and adults in the Catholic faith and build community within the parish.
- Faith Formation / Religious Education
- Youth Group
- Bible Study
Outreach and Community
St. Therese has a long tradition of outreach to those in need. The parish was instrumental in helping Vietnamese refugee families settle in the Orange area in 1975, and throughout its history members have gathered as a community to provide assistance to those in need — a legacy the parish continues today.
- Vietnamese family resettlement ministry (since 1975)
- Ongoing outreach to those in need
Diocese and Wider Catholic Community
St. Therese belongs to the Diocese of Beaumont, which covers the Southeast Texas Catholic community (the 'Golden Triangle' region). The parish shares pastoral care with neighboring St. Mary Parish in Orange, the third-oldest parish in the diocese. Both parishes are supported by the diocese's annual Bishop's Appeal and other diocesan missionary efforts.
- Diocese: Diocese of Beaumont
- Sister parish: St. Mary, Orange (Father Antony Paulose, CMI)
- Annual diocesan Bishop's Appeal
Visiting St. Therese
St. Therese is located at 1409 6th Street, Orange, TX 77630-3927, near the heart of Orange's historic district. The parish office can be reached by phone at (409) 883-3783 or by email at [email protected]. Visitors are warmly welcomed at any of the parish's liturgies.
- Address: 1409 6th Street, Orange, TX 77630-3927
- Phone: (409) 883-3783
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stthereseorangetx.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Michael McCormack, SSJ1941–
First resident pastor; a Josephite who oversaw the rectory acquisition and continued growth of the parish.