Holy Cross Catholic Church

Holy Cross Catholic Church www.holycrossaustin.org We serve a diverse spiritual community, that is committed to glorifying God Weber, C.S.C. Weber. Weber with some help from volunteers.

Holy Cross Catholic Church History

Holy Cross Catholic Church was established as a Diocesan Parish in 1936 by the Reverend Francis R. He gathered the few already baptized and confirmed Black Catholics and met in the living room of the William M. Tears family residence at 1203 East 12th Street for the first Mass. Although this faith community was small, it was mighty, and within several months of

its establishment, a site had been obtained to build a church. The house on the site served as a chapel and living quarters for Fr. The parishioners worshipped in the rectory parlor which was equipped with a hand organ and a few benches. The original church was completed in 1937 through the labors of Fr. Among the first parishioners were Mathilde DeBlanc; Willametta Givens; Eva Marie and James E. Mosby, Jr.; Marie Smith; and Mrs. LillianPollard,

Having built the rectory and church, with a day nursery in the basement, Fr. Weber and Fr. Baxter, his assistant, planned to build a structure that would include a charity clinic with three beds for emergency operations and a grade school. After the structure was built, Fr. Weber discovered that his parish and the East Austin community had a greater need – a need for medical services. Thus, he immediately converted the new two-story building into a hospital. In 1940 Holy Cross Hospital opened its doors staffed by the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. The resident physician was Sr. Celine Heitzman, the first and only Catholic nun in the United States to serve as physician and surgeon. The Sisters devoted their time, energy, and talents to Holy Cross Hospital and it soon expanded so that a new facility was needed. The hospital moved from the location on the church grounds to a larger facility at 2600 E. 19th Street, now Martin Luther King Boulevard, in 1951. Holy Cross Hospital was assumed by the Daughters of Charity and became a part of the Seton network of hospitals. It closed in 1989, thereby eliminating a hospital facility in East Austin. In 1941, Holy Cross Catholic School was established. The school was the continuation of Fr. Weber’s dream. The school had begun as a day nursery for children whose parents were away from home all day working. After five months in operation, there were 38 pre-school and primary age children whose teacher was Mrs. K.L. Williams. A warm, noonday meal was provided for the children. They met in the basement of the church. With the addition of teaching Sisters from the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, the 2nd – 8th grades were added; however the 7th and 8th grades were at the school only a few years. The school closed in 1960 after nineteen years of service to the Austin Community. Some of the graduates of this parochial school are among the most distinguished professionals in the United States today. In 1942, Holy Family Catholic Church was established as an offshoot of Holy Cross to serve the needs of the growing number of Black Catholic families in South Austin. It closed in 1951, and its members rejoined Holy Cross Catholic Church. In 1960, the Society of the Divine Word assumed responsibility for ministering to the people of Holy Cross. In 1996, Holy Cross was once again designated as a Diocesan Parish. In 2002, the Missionaries of St. Paul, a religious order based in Nigeria, assumed responsibility for the pastoral duties at Holy Cross. In 1972, Meals on Wheels and More was founded at Holy Cross Church by eight volunteers, including parishioners, who used the kitchen facilities in the basement of the church, and the kitchen at another East Austin church to prepare and deliver meals to twenty-nine people three times a week. Today, thirty-three years later, more than 1,800 meals are served daily and hundreds more people are served through five other programs as a result of Meals on Wheels and More. Holy Cross Catholic Church has had a significant and important impact on the community and many of our parishioners have been very involved in numerous educational, social, and political issues that affect East Austin, the City of Austin, and the State of Texas. Two members of the parish have served on the Austin Independent School District School Board; two have served as state legislators (one currently), and one served as Speaker Pro-Tempore of the Texas State Legislature. One parishioner was an Austin City Councilman and also served as Mayor Pro-Tempore. Currently, the state president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a member of Holy Cross. Holy Cross has been the site of numerous forums that have been held at Holy Cross to inform church members and the community of pertinent issues, including forums which featured candidates for City Council, the School Board, Travis County, and State offices. Holy Cross was also very involved in the efforts that ultimately brought about the move of the Austin airport from the East Austin community. In the 50th Anniversary brochure, there were several congratulatory letters with comments worth quoting again. Then Bishop of Austin, Vincent Harris, said, “certainly no parish in the city has a larger percentage of parishioners who have become leaders in the civic community.” That comment is no less true today. The Provincial Superior of the Society of the Divine Word, Very Rev. Borgia Aubespin, asserted, “any organization or institution that came about by the cooperative efforts of so many people acting together could only succeed for fifty years if all were united in an effort to achieve a common purpose.” That purpose has kept us going for an additional twenty-five years, and will keep us going into the future! In conclusion, it seems appropriate to repeat once again the words from Isaiah carved into the front of our pulpit and quoted in the 50th anniversary brochure: “The Lord has breathed soul into me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to mend broken hearts, to proclaim freedom for the enslaved, to seek deliverance for the oppressed.” (Isaiah 61: 1-2) This is still our mission – “to serve as a diverse spiritual Catholic community, committed to glorifying God and serving the needs of others as Christ did. We Welcome All. We Embrace All!”. We are called to work toward this goal with great passion. We have flourished as a parish, but we cannot sit back and relax. We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors… those who built this parish. We would be remiss not to thank those who struggled to get a priest to begin a church for the African-American Catholic Community. To honor them and their hard work we will continue to develop leaders, to build buildings, to form a strong faith community, and to work together with others in the community. Let us press on together! The following 14 Pastors have served at Holy Cross Catholic Church:
1936 – 1951: Fr. Francis Weber, C.S.C.
1951 – 1952: Fr. Edwin Bauer, C.S.C.
1952 – 1960: Fr. Aloysius Dayberry
1960 – 1961: Fr. Joseph A. Francis, SVD.
1961 – 1973: Fr. Stanley Goatee, SVD

Fr. Maxim Williams, SVD

Fr. Clement Mathis, SVD
1973 – 1981: Fr. Michael Fritzen, SVD
1981 – 1982: Fr. William Feldner, SVD
1982 – 1986: Fr. Mark Figaro, SVD
1986 – 1996: Fr. George Artis, SVD
1996 – 2001: Fr. Isidore Ndagizimana
2002 – 2005: Fr. Cletus Udoh, MSP
2005 – 2011: Fr. Michael Ajewole, MSP
2011 – Present: Fr. Basil Aguzie, MSP

09/06/2026

Holy Cross Catholic Church, Austin TX, Sunday September 6, 2026 - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

08/30/2026

Holy Cross Catholic Church, Austin TX, Sunday August 30, 2026 - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

08/23/2026

Holy Cross Catholic Church, Sunday August 23, 2026 - 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

08/16/2026

Holy Cross Catholic Church, Sunday August 16, 2026 - 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

08/09/2026

Holy Cross Catholic Church, Austin TX, Sunday August 9, 2026 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

08/02/2026

Holy Cross Catholic Church, Austin TX, Sunday August 2, 2026 - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

07/17/2026

Remembering the Wounds of the Past as an Act of Patriotism
by Shareena M. Grant, Associate Director, Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation

“Painful events require both history and memory, the former to recount the facts, the latter to bear witness to lived experiences.” — Pope Leo XIV

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. While this milestone invites celebration of the many achievements that have shaped our nation, it also calls us to an honest reflection on moral failures such as slavery and violence against Native Americans. Remembering the wounds of the past is an act of love for those communities impacted by the sins of the past, and for our nation, as we seek to ensure that those failings are never repeated.

In Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV reminds us that social injustice is not solely the result of individual wrongdoing, but is often embedded within structures, systems, and cultural norms that perpetuate inequality. Echoing the teaching of Saint John Paul II on “structures of sin,” the Holy Father emphasizes that justice requires both personal and societal conversion. It is not limited to the fair distribution of resources or the correction of present injustices; rather, it includes a restorative dimension—one that seeks to mend broken relationships, restore dignity to those who have been marginalized, and address the enduring wounds caused by historical injustices such as war, colonialism, racial discrimination, and exploitation (MH, no. 79).

Remembering is not merely something passive; it is a sacred act. To remember is to make the past present, allowing truth to shape our conscience today. As Catholics, we profess that all people are created in the image and likeness of God (Imago Dei) and endowed with an innate human dignity that is God’s gift. Yet history tells us that Black and Indigenous peoples endured dehumanizing treatment in denial of their dignity. In the U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter against racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, they describe the experiences of these communities in detail.

Slavery is often referred to as America’s original sin. It denied the human dignity of many people, and its long shadow has ramifications even now. The Church, too, has had to confront its own historical complicity and gradual moral development in condemning such injustices. The Holy Father states,

“the Church has gradually come to a deeper awareness of the gravity of these issues… neither can we deny or diminish the delay with which both society and the Church came to denounce the scourge of slavery…there has been a continuous affirmation throughout history of the dignity of every human being, created in the image of God, even if it took eighteen centuries for its full incompatibility with slavery to be explicitly recognized. This constitutes a wound in Christian memory, one from which we cannot consider ourselves detached. It is impossible not to feel deep sorrow when contemplating the immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many in stark contrast to their immeasurable dignity as persons infinitely loved by the Lord. For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for pardon” (MH, no 176).

Sharing truthfully about past wrongs is essential to healing the historical wounds that come with rejecting the human dignity of people— wounds that continue to impact our society today. For many, hearing these stories evokes deep emotions: pain, sorrow, shame, and discomfort. These reactions can tempt us to avoid truth-telling altogether. However, Pope Saint John Paul II calls the Church to a different path in Ecclesia in America, “The memory of the dark chapters of America’s history… must awaken a sincere desire for conversion leading to reconciliation and communion” (no. 58). Though remembering may be painful, it is through this honesty that healing becomes possible. Memory opens the way to conversion, reconciliation, and renewed communion with one another.

This call to healing and justice is not abstract; it is embodied in the lives of those whose witness points the Church toward a more hopeful future. Black Catholics await with anticipation the causes for canonization of seven African American candidates often referred to as the Saintly Seven.

Each of their lives was shaped—directly or indirectly—by America’s original sin of slavery and the racism that followed. Yet their witness testifies to the perseverance, faith, and hope of Black Catholics who continued to love and serve the Church even when they themselves experienced exclusion, rejection, or injustice from the very community that was called to embrace them as brothers and sisters in Christ. For example, Venerable Augustus Tolton, discerned a call to the priesthood—only to be denied entrance because religious orders and seminaries in the United States refused to accept Black vocations. Despite these barriers, he and the other Saintly Seven found ways to persevere, to respond faithfully to God’s call, and to serve others who shared their experience of marginalization.

They embody resilience rooted not in bitterness, but in hope. Their witness echoes the words of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, when she asked the U.S. bishops in 1989:

“What does it mean to be Black in the United States?... Our history includes deep suffering and injustice, but also profound faith, spiritual richness, and cultural gifts... Those who survived the Middle Passage brought with them wisdom, faithfulness, and a deep trust in the God who saves.”

For Sister Thea, and for the Saintly Seven, memory is not about dwelling on suffering alone, but about honoring the faith that endured within it. This is why we remember. This is why we tell the stories. And this is why the work of repairing past harms and striving for justice, healing, and reconciliation must continue. History also shows that transformation is possible when individuals and communities commit themselves to the dignity of all people. The Holy Father points to moments such as the civil rights movement in the United States—shaped by the witness of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—and the end of apartheid in South Africa under the leadership of Nelson Mandela. These examples, along with the contributions of countless courageous individuals across the world, demonstrate that a more just and humane society can be built when we choose reconciliation over division and love over hatred (MH, no. 124).

This is the reason the work of the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice is important in accompanying the Church in the work of racial justice and moving towards healing and reconciliation.

As our nation marks 250 years of independence, may we remember our history in its fullness—giving thanks for the achievements and progress that have shaped our country, while also acknowledging the pain, suffering, and wounds that remain. May we commit ourselves to the work of healing and reconciliation. And may we faithfully pass these stories on to those who come after us, so that future generations are inspired to confront injustice, repair harm, and work for true reconciliation. In all of this, may love always prevail.

This article is part of a series exploring Catholic contributions over 250 years of American history. Find out more at We Hold These Truths.

Thank you Joe for your service in God’s house
07/06/2026

Thank you Joe for your service in God’s house

KPC outing
07/05/2026

KPC outing

Young Adult Ministry second year anniversary and thanksgiving outing.
07/05/2026

Young Adult Ministry second year anniversary and thanksgiving outing.

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1610 E 11th Street
Austin, TX
78702

Opening Hours

4:45pm - 5:15pm

Telephone

+15124723741

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