About Us
Welcome to St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral Church and St. Mary’s Cathedral School. I
am pleased that you chose to visit us online.
Our new parish church was consecrated and dedicated September 11, 2010 replacing
the 1981 church that burned to the ground on the morning of February 26, 2007. His
Holiness Pope Benedict the 16th elevated St. Mary’s Church to be the new Cathedral
Church of Amarillo on March 25, 2011 on the Feast of the Annunciation:” Rejoice Oh
Highly Favored Daughter of Israel” Luke 1:26
I am certain that I am the only priest in the State of Texas and possibly in the United
States who has been the pastor-rector of the Diocesan Cathedral Church in two different
churches at two different times in the same see city of the diocese. There is one for the
history footnotes.
For the last twenty-five years, I have been pastor of four parish churches in Amarillo plus
the former Catholic Hospital which merged into BSA and the Hospice as a Catholic priest
chaplain. Each of the parish churches and most certainly our hospitals had a unique
personality and identity…but I can tell you that there is only one St. Mary’s. I believe
you will find St. Mary’s Cathedral Church and School and its 2000 family membership a
fine parish. I also know that St. Mary’s will challenge you to grow and stretch.
St. Mary’s Cathedral School is alive and well and very stable environment with 215
boys and girls which includes a waiting list to get into our school. There is a certified
Montessori School for three year olds to five years of age. All the staff are Montessori
certified and we excel with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The upstairs School grades
are Kindergarten through Fifth Grade are full and our boys and girls excel in all levels
as well as on national test scores. We are accredited by the Texas Catholic Conference
of School and have some gold star ratings. The school economy is stable and we have
not had to raise tuition for four years because the parish truly sees the school as a most
valued asset. The school year of August 2011 through May 2012 will see the School
Sisters of St. Francis out of Panhandle coming to live, work and teach in our school and
parish. We are blessed.
Adult Faith Formation is one of the most important values here in our parish and with
regular adult classes every Sunday and during the week plus Renew: Why Catholic? We
have over 800 adults in weekly catechesis and faith formation. There is Youth Ministry
and a free standing Youth Ministry Center where Life Teen for high school students pulls
young people from all over the area, and Edge for Middle School age students is packed
full of young people. We have a full year round continuous Catechumenate based upon
the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops Guidelines and Directives as shaped by
The Forum. Ecclesial Communities live harmoniously within the parish and lay ministry
abounds: Knights of Columbus, Altar Society, Stephen Ministry, Teams of Our Lady,
Retrouvaille, Charismatic Prayer Group, The Deaf Community, Acts, ProLife, Respect
life Ministry, Scouts, ministry of charity and service to the poor and disadvantaged; St.
Vincent de Paul Society, the Downtown Women’s Center, Prison and Jail Ministry,
Communion Ministry to shut-ins, Adoration 24/7, That Man is You, and so much more.
Take a look at the web site.
A long time ago I committed myself to stewardship…and I continuously try to live and
model as well as teach and preach a ministry of good stewardship where our wisdom,
our work and our wealth are welcomed and promoted in order to build up the Body of
Christ…and it has taken root and become part of who we are at St. Mary’s Cathedral
Church and Cathedral School.
We all have read where churches in many places of the country are hurting and
experiencing downturns and diminishing returns…not here. I invite you to study John
3:16 and its companion text John 10:10 and how God the Father sent his only beloved
Son to us that we should have life…abundantly good life…and you will see it and feel it
at St. Mary’s Cathedral Church and School. Come visit us. I would like very much to
meet you in person and give you a tour of our beautiful new church which houses many
treasures from the first Cathedral Church of the Sacred Heart in downtown Amarillo
which was torn down in 1974. You will be most welcome. HW
For further information on the history of the Amarillo Diocese and the transfer of
the Cathedral to St. Mary`s, refer to the following links:
"From Sacred Heart, To St. Laurence, To St. Mary’s"
"A Recap Of Diocesan Cathedral History"