El Campo began in 1881 as a rail stop on the New York, Texas & Mexican Railroad connecting Houston and Victoria, and the region's fertile soils drew farming families of diverse backgrounds to the area. Many residents of Irish, Czech, and German descent were Catholic, and in 1897 the San Antonio bishop bought nearby land to begin plans for a parish. In 1898 the Rev. William E. Heffernan of Inez led the first mass in a private home, and services continued there until 1902, when a building under the patronage of Sts. Peter and Paul was constructed. After a storm destroyed that church in 1909, parishioners met in the local schoolhouse and opera house until a new building dedicated to St. Philip the Apostle was completed in 1910. Priests from the parish served missions in several nearby communities, and as membership grew, the parish added facilities, including a new church building in 1931, support for Holy Cross Memorial Park Cemetery established in 1929, and St. Philip Catholic School, which opened in 1949. Through its first century, the parish provided El Campo residents a place for worship, celebration, music, and education, supporting both its members and the wider community through various programs while reflecting broader changes in the Catholic Church.