Ingleside parish celebrates with Father Doherty

Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Ingleside celebrated Father Charles Doherty’s 90th birthday with a Mass and reception on Oct. 15. Father Doherty, who is presently living in San Antonio, was the pastor when Our Lady of the Assumption was elevated to a parish in 1970.

That same year, Hurricane Celia demolished the parish church, and it fell on Father Doherty and his parishioners to rebuild it. Before Our Lady of the Assumption became a parish, Father Doherty served as priest in residence at the mission for a number of years. 

Bishop Michael Mulvey and parish administrator Father Patrick Higgins concelebrated Mass and thanked Father Doherty for all the years he ministered to the Ingleside community. Father Doherty spoke briefly before Mass ended and he recalled, with humor, a past bishop who directed him to start up religious education in Brownsville and Laredo with zero dollars and another who gave him just $7.80 to elevate the mission in Ingleside to a parish.

After Mass, the three clergy symbolically shoveled dirt onto a newly planted tree just outside the church and parishioners old and new joined in a potluck reception held in the parish hall. 

Founding parishioners reminisced on marriages Father Doherty officiated over and the children he baptized. 

"He knew everybody's schedule and he was close to everyone in the parish," Father Higgins said.