First church of
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
built in1954.
Archived Photo
When Joann De Los Santos learned Bishop Michael Mulvey would make a pastoral visit to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Corpus Christi, she knew immediately her family had to be there.
“I’m so thankful! We were so deeply moved by Bishop Mulvey’s homily. And I think it’s important for the bishop to be present in our community. It shows he wants to know us on a personal level. That means a lot.”
De Los Santos and her husband Tom have two boys, Justin, 14, and Thomas, 21, who is currently serving in the military in Germany.
“There are so many distractions in today’s world,” she lamented. “Bishop’s homily was a powerful reminder about being fully present. We are bombarded with so many distractions. It’s sometimes hard to remember what is really important.”
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Bishop Mulvey greeted parishioners at the end of both Masses. Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic |
Not only did Bishop Mulvey celebrate with OLPH parishioners at the 9 a.m. Mass, he also stayed for the 11 a.m. Mass, as well.
He challenged parishioners to come to Mass prepared to listen attentively for the call of God’s presence in their day-to-day lives and not be easily dissuaded by the distractions of life.
“If we really understood the power of God’s word, we would not be thinking of: ‘Did I turn the oven off before I left home?’ or ‘How’s that ball game gonna go later on this afternoon?’”
The most important hour of our entire week is the hour we give to God at Mass each Sunday, he said.
“I hear some people say they don’t like to come to Mass because it’s boring,” Bishop Mulvey said.
“It’s not boring! We are not listening. We are so wrapped up in our own problems, difficulties or anxieties…just thinking about everything we want to be doing, that we don’t truly hear. Coming here, to this parish community, to listen to God’s word, is perhaps one of the most delicate things we can do this week.”
Our Lady of Perpetual Help was built in 1954 to serve the growing population in Corpus Christi’s south side. It was entrusted to the Redemptorist Fathers. It did not take long for Bishop Mariano S. Garriga to realize the parish was badly needed in the area. In January 1955 the parish was home to 300 families but the following month, the pastor estimated 500 people attended Mass each week, leading Bishop Garriga to remark the church was “one of the fastest growing churches in the city.”
Fast forward to April 1972, when a brand new church was blessed and dedicated by Bishop Thomas Drury. By July 1985, it was announced the Redemptorist Fathers would leave OLPH after 32 years of faithful service. The order was leaving parishes throughout the south.
Several parishes have been erected in what was OLPH’s parish boundaries, including: St. Pius X, 1963; Most Precious Blood, 1966; St. Paul the Apostle, 1967; St. Philip the Apostle, 1982; Saint John the Baptist, 2002; and St. Helena of the True Cross of Jesus, 2004.
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Bishop Mulvey concelebrated Mass with Our Lady of Perpetual Help pastor Father Frank Martinez. Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic |
At the conclusion of both masses, Father Frank Martinez, current pastor at OLPH, thanked Bishop Mulvey for visiting the parish. Long lines of parishioners waited for the chance to greet the bishop, take photos or ask for special blessings.
“Having Bishop Mulvey celebrate the Masses and visit with the parishioners gave us all a sense of being loved, listened to and guided by our shepherd. He took time to take pictures, dialogue and give some of his insights on what a dynamic parish is called to be in our diocese. We are blessed.” Father Martinez said.