Mission Statement of The Diocese Of Beaumont

As a community of believers, our mission is to live and proclaim Jesus Christ and His gospel by what we are, by what we say, and by what we do. We give expression to our rootedness in tradition and in Scripture when we gather as a worshipping community. We are signs of the loving and compassionate Christ when we care not only for each other but seek ways to serve the needs of the larger community around us. We give credibility to gospel values when the dignity of each person as an image of God is the foundation of our respect for each individual and our commitment to social justice.

The presence of multi-ethnic groups in this area reflects the diversity of the Body of Christ. We believe that this diversity is both a challenge and a source of enrichment. The challenge lies in finding ways of sharing our faith and of developing the potential leadership in each group. Enrichment is experienced when those relationships are nourished which call forth the unique gifts of each person.

We believe that faith-filled lives and loving communities will make a difference in this part of the Father's creation. We acknowledge the need for conversion of heart, renewal of relationships and reconciliation of differences if our words and actions are to be agents of proclamation and of evangelization.

We, the Church of Beaumont, find our unity and purpose through continuing the saving mission of Jesus. Sacrifice and courage are hallmarks of this way of life. We open ourselves to the Holy Spirit to breathe harmony and vitality into us as the Body of Christ.

Revitalization of our efforts will be our on-going response to the Spirit of Jesus who continues to call us to be a new creation.

History of The Diocese Of Beaumont

Bishops of Beaumont
Diocese of Beaumont
Established September 29, 1966

Most Rev. Vincent M. Harris, D.D., J.C.L.
Installed First Bishop - September 29, 1966

Most Rev. Warren L. Boudreaux, D.D., J.C.D.
Installed Second Bishop - August 25, 1971

Most Rev. Bernard J. Ganter, D.D., J.C.D.
Installed Third Bishop - December 13, 1977

Most Rev. Joseph A. Galante, D.D., J.C.D.
Installed Fourth Bishop - May 9, 1994

Most Rev. Curtis J. Guillory, S.V.D., D.D.
Installed Fifth Bishop - July 28, 2000

The Diocese of Beaumont was established September 29, 1966. It took 11,790 square miles from the mother diocese of Texas, Galveston-Houston. The area included 13 complete counties – Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby and Tyler, and portions of Chambers and Liberty Counties east of the Trinity River.

There were 45 diocesan priests, one religious priest and 115 teaching sisters serving in the diocese when it was formed. Thirty-two parishes had resident pastors with 16 mission churches. Three high schools, 20 grade schools and three hospitals, with a total capacity of 551 beds, caring for 43,655 patients, were also part of the diocese. Twenty-two young men were studying for the priesthood. There were 2,187 infants baptized and 270 adults converted that year.

Bishop Vincent Harris was consecrated as the founding bishop of the Diocese of Beaumont in ceremonies at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Houston, September 28, 1966. The following day, September 29, 1966, he was installed in St. Anthony Cathedral by Archbishop Robert E. Lucey of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Bishop Harris was the first native priest in the 119-year history of the Diocese of Galveston to be elevated to the episcopacy. He guided the diocese through its infancy for the next five years until he was named coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Austin in the spring of 1971. Msgr. H.A. Drouilhet was elected diocesan administrator.

In August of 1971, Bishop Warren L. Boudreaux was named the second bishop of the Diocese of Beaumont, a position he held until he was named founding bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in March 1977. Rev. Joseph L. Bertrand was elected diocesan administrator.

In 1975 the cultural diversity of Southeast Texas expanded when the Diocese of Beaumont assumed the responsibility of resettling refugees following the fall of South Vietnam. The original target was to resettle 1,000 people, but, by mid-1976, more than 2,000 had arrived in Southeast Texas. The Resettlement Office’s effort received national recognition in the New York Times and Texas Monthly. In the 1980s the office was recognized as an official entity by the Immigration and Naturalization Service in its amnesty program.

At the end of its first decade, the diocese had 48 diocesan priests serving in the diocese and five serving outside its boundaries. Seven priests were listed as retired, sick or absent. The number of religious priests serving had grown to 23. One transitional deacon, one brother and 119 sisters also were serving the 75,000 Catholics.

The Diocese of Beaumont received its third bishop, Bishop Bernard Ganter, in 1977. Bishop Ganter had been founding bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was installed by Archbishop Jean Jadot, apostolic delegate to the United States, on December 13, 1977.

The first class of five permanent deacons was ordained in ceremonies May 26, 1979. These men had studied with a class from the Diocese of Dallas for three years. In 1983 a second class of 17 men completed its studies in the diocese and was ordained. This group had taken all its classes in the diocese. A third group of 14 permanent deacons where ordained in 1992.

In 1982 the diocese began a capital fund drive for the construction of Holy Family Retreat Center located in north Beaumont. Ground was broken in August 1983 and more than $4 million collected to construct the facility. Funds in excess of construction costs were placed in an endowment fund to help reduce the center’s operating costs.

The Diocese began its Catholic Charities Office in 1985. In 1989, Catholic Charities and Partnership for Human Development (Resettlement Program) merged. Catholic Charities is active in ecumenical efforts, helping the homeless through the Hospitality Center in Port Arthur. It was also instrumental in beginning the Triangle Interfaith Project, a broad-based, grassroots organization that worked to identify and correct problems across the entire Golden Triangle.

In September 1985 the Diocese began its Catholic Biblical School, a comprehensive, systematic study of the Bible for adults. The school, under the Diocesan Department of Religious Education, held classes at various locations throughout the diocese. That first year 600 participated in the classes. Participation the second year had grown to 2,000. The Catholic Biblical School continued until December 1996.

Shortly after the 20th anniversary of its founding, in December 1986, approximately 4,000 square miles in six counties were taken from the Diocese of Beaumont to become part of the newly created Diocese of Tyler. The Beaumont Diocese lost Angelina, Cherokee, Nacogdoches, Sabine, San Augustine and Shelby counties. The Diocese of Beaumont grew in 1989 when the rest of Chambers and Liberty counties were added to its territory. The previous boundary line was the Trinity River.

In 1992 at the close of its year-long celebration of its 25th anniversary, the Diocese entered into the process of Renew. Thirty-one parishes and five missions participated in the five-season program which had at its heart faith-sharing among members of small groups formed in the parishes.

Bishop Ganter died on October 9, 1993, following a battle with brain cancer. Msgr. M. N. Enderle was elected diocesan administrator. In April 1994, Bishop Joseph A. Galante, then auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, was named the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Beaumont. He was installed May 9, 1994.

The Diocesan Office of Religious Education was merged with the Diocesan Office of Catholic Schools in 1994 to form the Department of Catholic Education. This continued until the end of 1996, when a new school superintendent was named. At that time the two offices were again separated.

The Diocesan Office of Youth Ministry became the Office of Youth and Campus Ministry. It was housed at the Catholic Student Center adjacent to the Lamar University, Beaumont, campus.

The Office of Jail and Prison Ministry was established in 1994.

In November 1995, the first woman Chancellor was appointed for the diocese. A new office of Stewardship and Development was opened in July 1996.

In September 1996, a new director of the Office of Religious Education was named, and the office was changed to the Office of Lifelong Catholic Formation/Education. A lay ministry program was initiated in August 1999 – known as the Catholic Education and Ministry Institute.

A grant from the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word funded an Office of Hispanic Ministry which began operation the summer of 1996. An Office of African American Ministry was established in the summer of 1997.

On September 28, 1996, the 30th anniversary of its founding, Bishop Galante proclaimed the opening of the first Synod for the diocese. The bishop, along with members of the steering committee and the Synod Central Commission, visited each parish and mission to gather information on the concerns, dreams and visions of the people for the Diocese of Beaumont. A written survey was also conducted. From this information the Synod Central Commission, along with delegates from the parishes and missions, drafted documents as proposals for legislation for the diocese as it entered the 21st century. The first synod session was held April 9-11, 1999. The second session was September 18-19, 1999, and the final session, the closing liturgy, was November 21, 1999, the feast of Christ the King.

In September 1998, Holy Cross Benedictine Monastery was established on the grounds of the Holy Family Retreat Center, Beaumont, with the first two monks.

On November 23, 1999, Bishop Galante was announced as coadjutor bishop of Dallas, where he was officially received January 14, 2000. The College of Consultors elected Msgr. Michael A. Jamail as diocesan administrator January 17, 2000.

July 28, 2000, Curtis John Guillory was installed as the fifth bishop of Beaumont. Bishop Guillory, a member of the Society of Divine Word, is the first Beaumont bishop to be a member of a religious community and the first African American ordinary of any diocese in Texas. Prior to serving as Bishop of Beaumont, Bishop Guillory served for 12 years as auxiliary of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston. In the years since he’s been in Southeast Texas, Bishop Guillory has initiated many changes.

In October 2000, in response to the growing number of correctional facilities located in the diocese, the Office of Jail and Prison Ministry became the Office of Criminal Justice Ministry with a full-time staff and offices at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. In addition to ministering to the offender and the ex-offender, the office also ministers to the victims of crime.

Following the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, the statement “Lord, Make Us Instruments of Your Peace” grabbed attention in January 2002 as it was one of the first statements of its kind in the United States. Bishop Guillory, Rabbi Barbara Metzinger of Temple Emanuel and Imam Fahmi AL-Uqdah of the Islamic Society of the Triplex joined together in issuing the joint statement and commitment to peace by the Jewish, Muslim and Catholic religious leaders of Southeast Texas.

In the spring of 2002, the Bishop established the Office of Renew, offering guidance to pastors and parish leaders in the development of parish-based, small, faith-sharing groups. The groups met weekly over a three-year period.

Bishop Guillory, a strong supporter of the Catholic school system, commissioned Diocesan School Board members to conduct an 18-month study to look at the sustainability of the Catholic schools in the Beaumont Diocese. In August 2004, Bishop Guillory put their findings into effect. Four areas were identified as those needing the most attention – marketing, school board, pastoral relations and finances. Student retention system-wide went from losing 90 to 150 students each year for several years to gaining 20 students a year. Bishop Guillory encouraged pastors to become more attentive to the challenges of Catholic schools. The individual school boards have become more active and proactive in their leadership. Three of the six schools have moved toward true-cost tuition – with the result of the doubling of financial aid that is available for those students needing financial assistance. However, despite valiant efforts, Sister Thea Bowman Academy, an elementary school in Port Arthur, was closed May 2005 due to declining enrollment and limited resources.

Bishop Guillory oversaw the multi-million dollar renovation, restoration and repair of the historic St. Anthony Cathedral in downtown Beaumont.

Mater Ecclesia, Porta Caeli, Mother Church, Gate of Heaven began welcoming the public with open arms during a week-long celebration that ended with the dedication October 17, 2004.

In January 2005, Bishop Guillory issued a pastoral letter to the faithful of the Beaumont Diocese titled “Revitalizing Our Parishes for Mission.” This letter was to motivate all Catholic faithful to renew their baptismal commitments and their responsibilities to their parish communities.

In 2006, the diocese initiated a concerted evangelization effort dubbed “Return to Me.” The effort began with television and newspapers ads encouraging “occasional” Catholics (those who do not attend Mass regularly) to become active participants in the life of the Church and inviting the unchurched to learn more about the Catholic faith. The multi-part project also provides training for clergy on evangelization and communication and includes revamping the diocesan website to provide more information on the Catholic faith.

The strength of Bishop Guillory as both a church and community leader came to the forefront in September 2005 as Hurricane Rita hit. Bishop Guillory not only worked to support the Catholic community but also stepped up in the larger secular community as well – even being in Beaumont when it was still under mandatory evacuation, celebrating Mass in the Entergy building for the first responders, emergency workers and others who were around. Rita swept through Southeast Texas damaging almost every parish and school in some way. Several parishes were out of their churches for several months – forced to hold services in parish halls. Two parishes, St. Theresa, Orange, and St. Paul, Sabine Pass, were out of their church buildings for two years. One of the saddest effects of the storm was the damage to St. Mary Church in Port Arthur. On April 23, 2006, St. Mary, the oldest church in Port Arthur founded in 1903, was merged with Sacred Heart to become Sacred Heart-St. Mary Parish on the parish plant of Sacred Heart. St. Mary Church suffered severe hurricane damage and had other structural damage as well, making the cost of repairs to the church astronomical.

In February 2006 Bishop Guillory merged the Office of Stewardship and Development and the Office of Communications to become the Office of Stewardship and Communications. Also in February, Bishop Guillory ordained 17 permanent deacons and began the process of informational meetings for another class.

The 2006-07 year was also marked by several celebrations and honors. In April 2006, Catholics in Orange celebrated more than 125 years of Catholic history, while in Anahuac, the parish doubled that – they celebrated 250 years of Catholicism with festivities in October. On August 8, 2006, the announcement was made that the Vatican recognized the artistic and historical significance of St. Anthony Cathedral as well as its importance in liturgical and pastoral ministry and named the Cathedral a Minor Basilica. In celebration, Bishop Guillory opened a Centenary Jubilee Year September 10, 2006, which celebrates the naming of St. Anthony as a Minor Basilica, the 40th anniversary of the Diocese of Beaumont and the 100th anniversary of the dedication of St. Anthony with a year of jubilee activities.

Bishop Guillory received the national 2006 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award at a banquet Oct. 2 in Washington, D.C., for progress made in the Catholic schools in Southeast Texas. It was presented by the National Catholic Educational Association. The NCEA once again recognized excellence in the Catholic education system in the Beaumont Diocese in March by awarding a national Outstanding School Board Award to St. Anne Catholic School, Beaumont.

Several firsts occurred in 2006. The first Hands of Hope workcamp, a ministry of the Office of Youth and Campus Ministry, was held June 2006. About 40 teens came together to improve homes in the Jasper area for people who where unable to work on the houses themselves or could not pay to have repairs made. Bishop Guillory threw out the first pitch at an Astros baseball game June 21, 2006. More than 800 Southeast Texans were in attendance, many of them high school youth attending the annual diocesan Youth Convention. In July 2006 the first Operation Andrew was held. It was a day of prayer to help young men, mostly high school age, think about a call to the priesthood.

The first Diocesan Liturgical Conference, May 31-June 2, 2007, brought hundreds of Southeast Texans together to hear nationally known speakers such as Rev. Ed Foley and Steve Angrisano

The annual Stewardship Awards Ceremony in May 2007 recognized those nominated for the Msgr. Richard DeStefano Faithful Steward Award. The Bishop Curtis Guillory Parish Award was presented to Our Lady of Light, Anahuac, and its station Casa Madre Teresa, Smith Point, for strides made in stewardship in 2006. The 2005 recipient was Our Lady of the Pines, Woodville, and 2004 recipient was St. Anne, Beaumont.

In July 2007, the Office of Youth and Campus Ministry became separate ministries, the Office of Youth Ministry and the Office of Campus Ministry.

In October 2007, Bishop Guillory closed the Year of Jubilee with a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica, installing the Tintinnabulum and the Ombrellio.

Still recovering from being hit by Hurricane Rita in September 2005, several churches made progress. St. Joseph, Beaumont, celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving in September 2007. In November St. Therese, Orange, broke ground for its new church building. And Bishop Guillory dedicated St. Paul Church, Sabine Pass March 2008.

In December 2007, the Hospitality Center in Port Arthur celebrated 20 years of serving a daily hot meal to those in need in Port Arthur. The only time they had closed in those 20 years was following Hurricane Rita.

The Dominican Sisters gathered at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica in January 2008 as part of their celebration of 125 years in Southeast Texas.

Our Lady of the Pines was again recognized for the greatest strides in Stewardship in 2007 as it received the Bishop Curtis Guillory Parish Award at the annual Stewardship Awards Ceremony in June 2008. The parish received additional recognition in October at the International Catholic Stewardship Conference – receiving an award for being an example of Stewardship in a small parish.

The diocese kicked off a $25 million Capital Campaign – Together For God’s Good Work, raising $11.2 million from major donors in the quiet phase of the campaign.

The campaign was put on hold after Hurricane Ike struck the area September 13, 2008. When Ike swept ashore that day, it tore through Southeast Texas leaving only one church untouched. Thirteen of the churches in the diocese sustained major damage. Many events, workshops and activities were cancelled including the fall semester of CEMI and the annual Stewardship Conference. Communities such as Orange, Bridge City, Sabine Pass, LaBelle, Stowell and Oak Island were especially hard hit with major flooding from the storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico. Many of the diocesan ministries and Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas immediately sprang into action, working with people throughout the area, helping them to pull their lives together and begin repairs.

According to the latest statistics, the Diocese of Beaumont has 44 parishes, eight missions, two stations, five Catholic elementary schools and one Catholic high school, 79 priests, 45 permanent deacons, 18 sisters, three brothers, and a Catholic population of 76,107.