The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops (TCCB) is disappointed by the Texas House's vote to pass SB 4, which will punish local police officers if they do not fully cooperate with detainer requests issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). SB 4 would also allow local peace officers to inquire into the legal status of people who are arrested or detained.
The first-fifth grade students from Sacred Heart School in Rockport modeled the STREAM discipline on April 24. STREAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. It is an interdisciplinary approach to learning and connects academic concepts with "real-world" lessons.
Central Catholic Elementary celebrated Earth Day with the blessing of their school garden on April 25. The garden was dedicated to their patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi. The blessing began with a prayer service with Father Angel Montana, pastor of Sacred Heart Church, blessing the garden, a new birdbath, and a statue of St. Francis of Assisi.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Edroy celebrated first Holy Communion on April 23. Pictured in the front row, from left are the Catechist Sacramental Class Amparo Benavidez, Richard Oscar Bravo III, Joe Anthony Mata, Von Ryan Barrera, Catechist Richard Bravo II. In the second row from left are Deacon Robert Flores, Father Isaias Estepa, and Director of Religious Education Norma Vargas.
On April 19, Bishop Michael Mulvey extended Father Alfredo Villarreal's appointment as Parochial Administrator of St. Philip the Apostle Parish until June 30, 2018. Father Villarreal has been serving as Parochial Administrator since January, when Pope Francis named the parish's pastor Msgr. Louis Kihneman III as bishop of Biloxi, Mississippi.
The Texas State Court of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas held its 50th Biennial Texas State Convention in Corpus Christi on April 20-23 and celebrated "100 years of Unity and Charity" at the American Bank Center.
Members from the Knights of Columbus Council 3389 from St. Gertrude Parish in Kingsville recently built a ramp for 96 year old Joyce 'Memaw' Mooney. KOC Council 3389 members pooled their resources, time and talents to build the ramp and Lowes Home Improvement donated planks and wood for the planks.
Fifteen new altar servers began their ministry at Sacred Heart in Mathis on Palm Sunday, April 9. The new servers include Emma Westbrook, Madison Espinoza, Samantha Espinoza, Nick Crezo, Mia Encinia, John Paul Coronado, Alexis Ganceres, Alayna Munoz, Rey Garcia III, Aries Garcia, Lesette Munoz, Seth Munoz, Ethan Munoz, Mia Olivarez, and Yulianna Sanchez.
The Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory School softball team hosted their first home game in school history on April 13 against Banquete. School President Father Peter Martinez gave the invocation and threw out the first pitch. The Lady Crusaders defeated the Bulldogs 10-6 in thrilling fashion. Their next home game is Monday, May 1 at 4:30 p.m.
The Corpus Christi Cathedral was packed on Tuesday, April 12, as Bishop Michael Mulvey celebrated the annual Chrism Mass in which the sacred oils are blessed for the upcoming year. The bishop was joined at the altar by many of the priests and deacons from the Diocese of Corpus Christi.
Incarnate Word Academy's High School Level Mission Team is spreading God's love by serving others during Holy Week. The IWA Mission Team is painting, raking leaves, weed eating and doing general chores and maintenance at Habitat for Humanity homes, Sacred Heart Church, St. Theresa Church and CASA of the Coastal Bend.
The Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory School baseball team hosted its first home game in school history on April 8 at St. John Paul II Baseball Field. Bishop Michael Mulvey gave the invocation and threw out the first pitch. The Crusaders played a doubleheader against the Santa Gertrudis Lions, losing the first game 6-3 and rallying to win the second game 2-1.
During the Corpus Christi City Council meeting on April 11, Mayor Pro Temp, Lucy Rubio issued a proclamation declaring the 75th Anniversary of the traditional Easter Sunrise Passion Play and encouraged all residents to attend the play.
School, CCD and Life Teen students and families from St. Anthony of Padua Parish and St. Mary Mission in Robstown are providing Easter messages to the incarcerated at the Coastal Bend Detention Center this Easter Season. These are handmade Easter messages/cards and messages of faith, hope and love.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church will hold a Live Stations of the Cross (El Vía Crucis) on Good Friday (Viernes Santo), April 14, starting at 11 a.m. The Stations will start at the OLPH Pavilion, behind the Parish Hall, and ending at the front of the Church.
The Vatican confirmed Monday, April 10, that Pope Francis' trip to Egypt at the end of the month will go on as planned, despite terrorist attacks which killed more than 43 people during Palm Sunday celebrations in the country.
KLUX 89.5HD-1 and CCN Radio 89.5-2 will team up to carry all of the evening Holy Week Liturgies live from Corpus Christi Cathedral, as well as special programming on Good Friday. Any programming available on KLUX 89.5HD-1 will be available simultaneously online as streaming audio at KLUX.org and by way of the KLUX Smartphone APP.
Catholics from the Diocese of Corpus Christi and across Texas met on the South Steps of the State Capitol in Austin on April 4 to promote Advocacy Day: Faith in Action, a day organized and hosted by the Texas bishops to promote life, dignity and the common good.
Several Incarnate Word Academy High School Level students placed in this year's TAPPS State Academics Championships on April 4-5 in Waco.