Saint Patrick's Catholic Church

Irish Catholic immigrant families brought to Texas about 1829 by empresarios John McMullen and James McGloin to form San Patricio de Hibernia established Saint Patrick's Catholic Church about 1830 under the direction of the Rev. Henry Doyle. A fire in 1858 destroyed the original frame church building and all church records, and the Rt. Rev. Jean Marie Odin, first Bishop of Texas, dedicated a replacement church building about 1859. Local citizens built a two-and-one-half story building on the church grounds for a convent and school, and after an 1875 hurricane destroyed facilities at Indianola, Sisters of Mercy nuns relocated to San Patricio and operated Saint Joseph's convent and school from 1876 until 1884. After a 1919 hurricane completely demolished the church facilities, the congregation rebuilt in 1922, and a need for a larger facility led to construction of a fourth structure in 1961. Through the years the church has served the community with Sunday Mass, sacraments, and missions given by visiting priests.

San Patricio, Texas · United States