About St. Wenceslaus · Beasley, Texas
St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church is a small mission parish located in the rural community of Beasley, Texas, in Fort Bend County. It operates as a mission of Holy Rosary Catholic Parish in neighboring Rosenberg and is part of the Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston. The parish traces its roots back to 1916, when Czech Catholic settlers in the area first registered baptisms, marriages, and burials at the church; it was formally established as a parish community by 1923. Today the mission is served by Fr. Orrin Halepeska, pastor of Holy Rosary, who celebrates Saturday vigil Mass at the church and welcomes visiting families and single faithful to join in worship, prayer, and ministry.
- Established
- 1916 (parish registers begin); 1923 (formal founding per GCatholic)
- Patron
- St. Wenceslaus (Duke of Bohemia, patron of the Czech lands)
- Rector
- Fr. Orrin Halepeska (Pastor of Holy Rosary Catholic Parish, Rosenberg — St. Wenceslaus is a mission under his care)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston
Why belong here
St. Wenceslaus offers the small-town warmth and personal welcome that larger parishes often cannot. Fr. Orrin Halepeska's greeting on the parish website extends a direct invitation to 'come dive deeper in your faith as a single person, a family, or just journey with us' — and the staff is small enough to help each newcomer get connected personally by phone. As a mission of Holy Rosary, St. Wenceslaus combines the intimacy of a rural church (one Saturday vigil Mass and a Wednesday evening Mass) with the wider sacramental and formation resources of the Rosenberg parish, including CCD religious education for children and shared ministries. It is a natural fit for Czech-heritage Catholic families in western Fort Bend County and for anyone seeking a quiet, faith-centered community rooted in over a century of local worship.
Mass times at St. Wenceslaus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes prior to Mass (based on priest's availability); confessions end 10 minutes before Mass begins
- By appointment
Welcome to St. Wenceslaus
St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Beasley, Texas is a small, mission-status Catholic community serving the rural western part of Fort Bend County. The parish website greets visitors with a personal note from Fr. Orrin Halepeska inviting anyone — single, married, or family — to come worship, pray, and serve with the community. The parish describes itself as ready to grow with new members and encourages anyone interested in getting involved to call the office at 281-342-3089 so the staff can help connect them with the right ministry or activity.
Our History
The parish traces its roots to the early Czech Catholic settlers who came to farm the Fort Bend County bottomlands in the early 1900s. Sacramental registers for St. Wenceslaus begin in 1916, and GCatholic records 1923 as the parish's formal founding. The community belongs to the long network of Czech-heritage Catholic parishes founded across Central and Southeast Texas during this period — congregations named for Bohemian saints, served originally by missionary priests who cared for immigrant farm families.
- Parish registers begin 1916 (FamilySearch).
- Formal founding recorded as 1923 (GCatholic).
- Named for St. Wenceslaus, patron of the Czech lands.
- St. Wenceslaus Catholic Cemetery lies ~0.7 mi east of Beasley on Hwy 59.
- Today administered as a mission of Holy Rosary Catholic Parish, Rosenberg.
Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Care
Because St. Wenceslaus is a mission of Holy Rosary Catholic Parish in Rosenberg, the priests of Holy Rosary share pastoral responsibility for the Beasley community. Fr. Orrin Halepeska is currently the pastor named on the St. Wenceslaus website. Other listings note Fr. William Bartniski as pastor with Fr. Jamie Abercrombie as retired priest in residence, and Deacon Billy Guerrero, Jr. assisting, with Renee Michulka serving as parish secretary. Parishioners seeking to speak with the priest or staff can call the office number shared with Holy Rosary.
- Fr. Orrin Halepeska — Pastor
- Fr. William Bartniski — Pastor (per catholicchurch.directory)
- Fr. Jamie Abercrombie — Retired Priest in Residence
- Deacon Billy Guerrero, Jr.
- Renee Michulka — Secretary
Faith Formation & CCD
Religious education for the children of St. Wenceslaus is offered through the parish's CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program. CCD classes meet in conjunction with the Wednesday evening Mass at 6:30 PM — that Wednesday Mass is celebrated only while CCD classes are in session. This shared schedule makes it easy for parents to bring children to class and attend Mass together. Sacramental preparation for First Communion, Confirmation, and other sacraments is coordinated through the Holy Rosary parish office in Rosenberg.
- CCD classes for parish children
- Wednesday evening Mass at 6:30 PM is offered during the CCD session
- Sacramental preparation coordinated through Holy Rosary, Rosenberg
Sacraments
The seven Catholic sacraments are available to parishioners at St. Wenceslaus or through its parent parish of Holy Rosary. Reconciliation (Confession) is heard 30 minutes before each Mass and by appointment. Baptisms, weddings, anointing of the sick, and First Communion are arranged by contacting the parish office; because the office is shared with Holy Rosary in Rosenberg, sacramental scheduling and formation generally happens through the Rosenberg staff.
- Baptism — by arrangement through the parish office
- Marriage — by arrangement through the parish office
- Reconciliation — 30 min before Mass or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment / at Mass
- First Communion & Confirmation — via CCD / Holy Rosary
Devotions & Prayer Life
The parish maintains a simple devotional rhythm centered on the Mass and the Rosary. The Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is prayed 30 minutes before every Mass, giving parishioners a quiet half-hour of meditation on the Mysteries before each liturgy.
- Rosary — 30 minutes prior to every Mass
Office, Contact & Bulletin
The Beasley mission address is 407 S Third Street, Beasley, TX 77417, with phone 281-342-3089 and email [email protected]. Because the mission shares administration with Holy Rosary, the parish office physically located at 1416 George Street, Rosenberg handles most administrative work; the Beasley office has limited on-site hours. The weekly parish bulletin is published online and is available through the St. Wenceslaus website.
- Church address: 407 S Third Street, Beasley, TX 77417
- Phone: 281-342-3089
- Email: [email protected]
- Parent-parish office: 1416 George St, Rosenberg, TX
- Bulletin available at stwccbeasley.com/bulletin
St. Wenceslaus Catholic Cemetery
The parish's associated cemetery — St. Wenceslaus Catholic Cemetery — is located about seven-tenths of a mile east of Beasley on Highway 59 (now part of the US-59/I-69 corridor) in Fort Bend County. The cemetery remains an important historical and spiritual landmark for descendants of the original Czech Catholic families who settled the Beasley area in the early twentieth century.
- Located ~0.7 mi east of Beasley on Hwy 59
- Fort Bend County, Texas
- Historic resting place of the parish's founding Czech-Catholic families
Getting Involved
Fr. Orrin's welcome makes clear that getting involved is as simple as picking up the phone. The parish encourages individuals, couples, and families to call 281-342-3089 to be connected with a ministry, to enroll children in CCD, or simply to introduce themselves. As a mission of Holy Rosary, parishioners also have access to the wider slate of ministries, RCIA, and youth programs offered through the Rosenberg parish.
- Call 281-342-3089 to get connected with a ministry
- CCD enrollment for children
- RCIA and adult faith formation via Holy Rosary, Rosenberg
- Shared ministries across Holy Rosary and its Beasley mission