Misa de Nuestra Sra. de Guadalupe, Martes 12 de dic. 6:30p.m.
Misa de Nuestra Sra. de Guadalupe, Martes 12 de dic. 6:30p.m.
Our Mission Statement
Strengthened by the Eucharist and faithful to the life and teachings of Jesus, St. Rita Catholic Church strives to welcome, serve, and minister to all with love.
Nuestra Declaración de Misión
Fortalecidos por la Eucaristía y fieles a la vida y enseñanzas de Jesus, la Iglesia Católica de Santa Rita procura acoger, servir, y attender espiritualmente a todos con amor .
The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
In 1908, seeing the need for a Catholic Church in Handley, Miss Mollie brought her dream to the attention of Bishop E.J. Dunne, second bishop of the Diocese of Dallas. The Bishop advised Miss Mollie it would be an "impossible task", but eventually gave his permission for her to pursue support of her vision.
Our first church opened it
In 1908, seeing the need for a Catholic Church in Handley, Miss Mollie brought her dream to the attention of Bishop E.J. Dunne, second bishop of the Diocese of Dallas. The Bishop advised Miss Mollie it would be an "impossible task", but eventually gave his permission for her to pursue support of her vision.
Our first church opened its doors to 14 families on February 28, 1909. Bishop Dunne named the little mission church, located on Erie Street a block South of Lancaster, St. Rita after the saint of the "impossible".
Fire destroyed the church on December 9, 1916, and for 1-1/2 years Mass was celebrated in the nearby home of Mrs. Pat Ferrell. In 1918, the mission church was rebuilt in the same design of an English bungalow with a front porch and a bell tower. The bell for the bell tower was acquired years later by an employee of the Santa Fe Railroad, who managed to salvage it from a discarded steam engine. Vincentian priests from the old University of Dallas attended the mission from 1913 until 1926, and priests from St. Patrick in Fort Worth had charge of the mission in the intervening years. Due to the mission status of St. Rita Church, it was many years before the Eucharist was reserved in the tabernacle of the church.
There was yet another change in 1942 when St. Rita was associated with St. William mission in Arlington (now St. Maria Goretti), and the parish was referred to as the Arlington-Handley parish under the direction of Father William Silk. It was during this period in 1943, the present church site at Weiler and East Lancaster was purchased. Also, during this time, a former parishioner, Mr. Joseph Noel, under the guidance of Monsignor Langenhorst, in 1945 started the St. Vincent de Paul Society which is continuing their work today throughout the Diocese fo Fort Worth and Dallas.
The present church was built in 1974 when Fr. Albert Tyl was pastor and dedicated by Bishop Joseph Cassata, First Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth. Father William Aaron was assigned as pastor in June 1979 with, then associate pastor, Fr. Joseph Pemberton, who later became our pastor in 1986.
Fr. Richard Flores became our pastor in July 1993 and served St. Rita's until July 2008. Fr. Paul Kahan, SVD served St. Rita's until August of 2015. Fr. Eric Groner, SVD served as pastor until August of 2020. Our current pastor is Rev. Keith Hathaway.
Father Hathaway was born December 18th of 1987 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and ordained on May 23rd of 2015 in St. Patrick Cathedral, Fort Worth, Texas.
"I wanted to be a priest after I got to know the priests of my home parish. Once I saw parish ministry through them I began to see priesthood as a real possibility for me. My experiences of parish ministry in seminary and after ordination have cemented this sense of calling within me.
I love being a Catholic priest and I am very grateful to be assigned here at St. Rita parish. "...the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve..." (Matthew 20:28)"
St. Rita's Deacon
COMING SOON
La Hermanita Juanita nacio un 16 de Abril del año 1973 en la CDMX.
"El llamado que senti a seguirlo mas de cerca, de servirlo en los demas."
"Me gusta conocer a la gente y estar cercana a ellos, me encanta dar formacion religiosa."
Business Manager
"My name is Maribel Ruiz. I am very excited about the opportunity to come and be part of your parish. I feel very fortunate to be able to use my administrative skills and talents to serve in the Catholic Church. I have worked in non-profit for 6 years now and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I have learned a lot about my faith and feel like it has made me a better person.
I am originally from California but moved here when I was just a kid. I have been married for 21 years and have two children, a boy and a girl, who have been the greatest gifts from God. I enjoy going to their school functions. During my spare time, I enjoy reading a good book or going for a walk."
Music Director
"I am Justin Craig and I am very excited for the opportunity to serve as the Music Director for St. Rita Church and School."
Justin was born on November 6th, in Burleson, Texas and has been playing music for over 25 years. Justin is proficient in most musical instruments, his favorite is the organ.
"¡Hola! Mi nombre es Justin Craig y estoy feliz de servir como director de musica de la Iglesia de Sta. Rita y la escuela."
Justin nació el 6 de noviembre en Burleson, Texas y ha tocado música durante más de 25 años. Justin domina la mayoría de los instrumentos musicales, su favorito es el órgano.
Administrative Assistant
Hola! I'm Alicia Moreno, I am your new administrative assistant. I am excited to get to know and serve your community of St. Rita.
I am California born, Texas raised.
Hello! Soy Alicia Moreno, la nueva asistente administrativa. Me da mucho gusto conocer y servirle a su maravillosa comunidad de Sta. Rita.
Soy Californiana pero ya Tejana!
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