History of St Joseph Catholic Church

HISTORY OF ST JOSEPH CHURCH

Killeen was established in 1882 as a depot on the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroad. In 1942, to meet the training requirements of a rapidly expanding Army, the U.S. Government established Camp Hood some seven miles west of downtown Killeen. The new training post drew large numbers of construction workers to build the barracks, motor pools, and administration buildings necessary for the post’s operation. Some of these new people brought their families and some of these families were Catholic.

There was no Catholic church in Killeen. The nearest Catholic Parish was over 30 miles away in Lampasas, too far for families to travel for Sunday Mass. The disturbed priest assigned to St. Mary’s Parish in Lampasas wrote to the Galveston Diocese and got permission to establish a mission church in Killeen to meet the spiritual needs of these families. Within a few months the Sacred Heart Mission could be seen from Highway 190.

For ten years, circuit-riding priests of St. Mary’s Parish tended as well as they could, but became tired traveling more than 100 miles each Sunday to celebrate Mass and living on a diet of bread and milk, due to low collections.

Killeen’s population was now 15,000, Camp Hood was now Fort Hood, and the Church was filled to capacity. Father Francis Weber, C.S.C, assigned as Pastor of St. Mary’s Parish, visited Sacred Heart Mission, and assessed its need for a new building and a new site.

On Sunday, March 21, 1954, Bishop Reicher of Austin dedicated the new St. Joseph Church (the current Parish Hall) and at the same time confirmed the establishment of St. Joseph Parish including Killeen, Nolanville, and the area that would become Harker Heights.

Father Weber was appointed the Pastor of the newly-created Parish. He recommended the name be changed for two reasons. First, the Holy Cross Fathers have always depended on St. Joseph to help them build their churches; and second, St. Joseph is the Patron Saint of those who work with their hands. To succeed, this Parish was going to need a lot of hard-working hands.

In the Fall of 1955, St. Joseph School opened with only two lay teachers and 54 first and second-grade students.

Years of growth and challenges associated with that growth followed. On September 5, 1960, the current church building of St. Joseph was dedicated by Bishop Reicher. Student enrollment was now at 350 pupils with ten teachers and a principal and included the eighth grade. On January 14, 1974, a ground-breaking ceremony was held for the St. Joseph Religious Education Center, the current school.

The Killeen area Catholic community has come a long way since 1942. In the 1950s, Father Weber couldn’t buy a tube of toothpaste in a Killeen drugstore because of his Roman collar. In 1977, Father DeVliegher was asked to address the graduating class of Killeen High School. St. Joseph Parish is more than brick and buildings; it’s a feeling, a way of life.

St. Joseph in Killeen has had the following Pastors or Administrators. It does not include Associate Pastors:

Francis Weber, CSC, 1954-1964

Allen Cormier, CSC, 1964-1974

Joseph DeVliegher, CSC 1974-1977

John Payne, CSC, 1977-1979

Francis Weber, CSC, 1979-1981

Joseph DeVliegher, CSC, 1981-1987

John Birkmeyer, CSC 1987- February 1994

James Martin, CSC, Administrator, February-June 1994

The Holy Cross Fathers left the Parish on July 1, 1994. As of that date, Diocesan priests have been in charge of St. Joseph Church

Walter Matus, July 1994-January 1998

Albert Ruiz, Administrator, January 1998-February 1998

Charles Davis, March 1998-June 1999

Raphael Clancy, July 1999-February 2004

Hector Flores, Administrator, February 2004-January 2005

Adam Martinez, January 2005-June 2015

Chris Downey, June 2015-Present