Missions take care of their own needs, parish is responsible for the care of souls

In the early years of the Diocese of Corpus Christi priests visited their far-flung missions on horseback. The days of the saddlebag priests are gone; today Father Ouellette in Premont visits his missions in a pick-up truck and fits right into the brush country landscape. Alfredo E. Cardenas, South Texas Catholic

For 135 years Immaculate Conception Church in Concepción—in Southern Duval County—has had an active faith community, but it has never been able to grow enough to sustain itself as a parish. Our Lady of Guadalupe in the neighboring community of Ramirez, has experienced a similar fate since its founding as a station in 1920.

The Code of Canon Law provides for diocesan bishops to “provide spiritual care in some other way” where a faith community cannot be established as a parish. Historically, the method used by bishops is to establish mission churches and attaching them to a parish.

“A mission is not capable of providing for itself and is attached to a mother church until such time that it can. The parish is responsible for the care of the souls at the mission, but people at the mission have financial responsibility,” Msgr. Thomas P. Feeney, JCL, judicial vicar for the Diocese of Corpus Christi, said.
 

Father John Ouellette greets a parishioner after Mass at Immaculate Conception Mission in Concepción. Alfredo E. Cardenas, South Texas Catholic

The Diocese of Corpus Christi has 27 mission churches. Most parishes that have mission churches assigned to them are in rural areas of the diocese and typically a parish in charge of missions has more than one under its care. Ordinarily, the pastor at the mother parish serves as the priest for the missions and the missions contribute to the parish budget to maintain for the priest’s care.

Father Peter Bard established the church in Concepción in 1879 and for the next 40-plus years Immaculate Conception remained a mission of St. Francis de Paula in San Diego. In the early 1920s Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe came under the care of the parish in Hebbronville and remained there until 1968 when they—along with St. Francis of Assisi in Rios—were assigned to the care of St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus Parish in Premont.

St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus Parish has had charge of these missions ever since. St. Francis of Assisi recently became inactive, but Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe are “growing spiritually and communally,” Father John Ouellette, their current pastor, said.

St. Theresa has had an active faith community since 1911 when the Catholic Extension Society donated $460 to build a church in Premont. Bishop Peter Verdaguer, assisted by Father P. Esteve and Father J. Solsona, pastor of St. Gertrude’s in Kingsville, dedicated the church on Sunday, May 21, 1911. The church was first assigned to St. Gertrude’s and later became a mission of Alice and then Falfurrias. In 1958, St. Theresa became a parish.

Father Ouellette, who has served at St. Theresa for 13 years, said that the mother church in Premont and the missions understand their connection, which wasn’t the case before. This unity among the three is due in large part to the example that Bishop Michael Mulvey has provided, the pastor said.

“The bishop is very good about reaching out to the rural areas, making them feel connected to the rest of the diocese. This helps them to understand their responsibility to reach out to each other,” Father Ouellette said. “They [the parish and missions] have very good communications and collaboration. Volunteers from each help the others.”

“More and more they are connected. That’s really the key. If the main parish does what it can to recognize their connection to the mission, that they are responsible for the missions, and if parishioners realize that, the missions will reciprocate,” he said.

Father Ouellette begins his Sunday mornings with an 8 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe. After Mass, the 25 or so parishioners enjoy coffee and breakfast with their pastor. He is also available before and after Mass to hear confessions and takes care of anointing of the sick “on the spot”.

By 9:30 a.m. Father Ouellette is seven miles down the road in Concepción for Mass at Immaculate Conception. After Mass, the 40 or so Mass attendees gather at the mission hall to socialize with each other and with their pastor. And then Father Ouellette is off to St. Theresa’s for an 11 o’clock Mass.

Father John Ouellette tends to missions in Concepción and Ramirez. Alfredo E. Cardenas, South Texas Catholic

The missions take care of their own needs and contribute to the parish budget to care for the priest. Father Ouellette has appointed finance councils at each mission and “they loved the idea.”

“When a main parish is trying to do budgets, they would rather not deal with mission budgets. Now they have ownership. They control their own future,” Father Ouellette said.

Immaculate Conception held its first Jamaica last year and is preparing for their second annual event soon. The funds raised are designated to build a new hall. They will get help with their festival both from Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Theresa.

“Ramirez and Concepción are developing, growing spiritually and communally. They are developing a life that holds them together. They are working together. They support each other in the various ministries. They are very good about keeping structure to make sure they maintain the proper liturgy,” Father Ouellette said.

“Its awesome how they are coming alive,” Father Ouellette said. “These communities are so wonderful that I get energy from them.”