About St. Vivian · Robstown, Texas
Saint Vivian Mission is a small Roman Catholic mission church serving the rural farming community of Petronila, on FM 665 between Driscoll and Corpus Christi in Nueces County, Texas. Founded in 1972 according to GCatholic records, it is operated today as a mission chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Corpus Christi, and shares that parish's pastor and phone line. The church honors Saint Vivian (Bibiana), an early Roman virgin martyr, and offers a Saturday Vigil Mass and Sunday confession as its core weekly schedule.
- Established
- 1972
- Patron
- Saint Vivian (Bibiana), virgin martyr of Rome
- Rector
- Rev. Gabriel P. Coelho, PhD, LPC-S
- Diocese
- Diocese of Corpus Christi
Why belong here
Saint Vivian Mission is a quiet, intimate mission chapel for Catholics in the Petronila and rural west Corpus Christi area who want a smaller, community-sized worship experience close to home. As a mission of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, it shares in the full sacramental and pastoral life of a larger parish — including access to a pastor (Fr. Gabriel P. Coelho) and the parish office Monday through Thursday — while offering the simplicity of a Saturday Vigil Mass and Sunday confession in a rural setting.
Mass times at St. Vivian
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:45 PM (before 5 PM Vigil Mass)
- Sunday 6:45 PM – 7:00 PM
Saint Vivian Mission — Petronila, Texas
Saint Vivian Mission is a rural Roman Catholic mission chapel in the unincorporated community of Petronila, on FM 665 between Driscoll and Corpus Christi. Although most people reference the church by its Robstown mailing address (ZIP 78380), the mission actually sits in the historic Petronila settlement, which Texas historians call one of the earliest European-rooted communities in Nueces County. The mission was established in 1972 and today is administered as part of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Corpus Christi.
- Founded 1972 (per GCatholic)
- Located in Petronila on FM 665
- Served by Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Corpus Christi
Clergy & Parish Leadership
Saint Vivian Mission shares its pastor with Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Corpus Christi. Day-to-day questions and sacramental needs are routed through the parish office Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
- Pastor: Rev. Gabriel P. Coelho, PhD, LPC-S
- Parish Office: Monday – Thursday, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Friday closed)
Contact & Location
All administrative contact for the mission flows through the Our Lady of the Rosary Parish office. The physical address is on FM 665 in the Petronila community, between Driscoll and Corpus Christi.
- Address: 3516 FM 665, Robstown (Petronila), TX 78380
- Office Phone: (361) 241-2004
- Office Fax: (361) 242-1099
The Community of Petronila
Petronila (also spelled Petronilla) is a small, unincorporated rural community in Nueces County. Texas historians note it is 'said to be the first European community in Nueces County,' named after the historic Santa Petronila Ranch along Petronila Creek. After World War II the community gradually declined, and its census population fell from 155 in 1990 to 83 in 2000, with later estimates hovering around 113–120. The mission church remains a quiet spiritual landmark in this otherwise sparsely settled ranch-and-farm landscape.
- 7 miles east of Driscoll
- 12 miles west of Corpus Christi
- ZIP code 78380
Sister Missions of Our Lady of the Rosary
Saint Vivian is one of three mission chapels that, together with the main parish church at 1123 Main Drive in Corpus Christi, make up the Our Lady of the Rosary pastoral family. Together they extend the parish's reach across the rural west side of Corpus Christi and into Robstown and Petronila.
- Our Lady of the Rosary Parish (main church) — 1123 Main Drive, Corpus Christi
- St. Mary Mission — Robstown
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Mission — Clarkwood Road, Corpus Christi (reported damaged and not in use as of October 2024)
- Saint Vivian Mission — 3516 FM 665, Petronila (Robstown address)
Planning a Visit
Visitors are welcome. Because Saint Vivian is a small mission, arriving a few minutes early helps, and confession is most easily received Saturday at 4:45 PM before the Vigil Mass. For baptisms, weddings, quinceañeras, anointing of the sick, or RCIA, contact the parish office so arrangements can be made through Our Lady of the Rosary Parish.
- Office hours: Monday – Thursday, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Friday: Office closed
- Phone: (361) 241-2004