History Our Lady of Guadalupe

There are only a few historic landmarks in the city still in operation today, and the East End is home to one of the most important: Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, located at 2405 Navigation Boulevard.

Since the church was founded in 1912, it’s served as an important cultural and community touchstone for Mexican-American Houstonians and the Spanish speaking community. It was the first Mexican-American church in Houston and the first to offer services in Spanish, in addition to being the first (and now oldest) Catholic grade school in the city.

Church Beginnings

At the time Our Lady of Guadalupe Church was founded, the Mexican American population in Houston was growing exponentially. By 1910, records show that 2,000 people of Mexican ancestry were living in Houston, and that number continued to increase in the years to come.

Seeing this growth and recognizing the need to administer the Sacraments in Spanish, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galveston sent four priests from The Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1911 to establish a mission church. By September 8, 1912, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, named for Mexico’s patron saint, was open for mass and operating a Catholic grade school.

By 1923, the congregation had grown large enough to warrant a new church facility. Designed by architect Leo M.J. Dielmann, the building still in use today features rhythmic ornamental arches characteristic to the Lombard Romanesque architectural style.

Our Lady of Guadalupe as Community Center

The strong sense of community people felt from what became known as the “Mother Church” to the city’s Mexican Americans meant that even when families moved away, they continued to visit and contribute money when they could. On the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12th, the church “stays open late and the community celebrates with mariachi, food, and dancing.” Depending on which weekday the feast falls, as many as 5,000 people might be in attendance.

As leaders sought to advocate for their parishioners over the years, the church also became a hub for championing social change. Priests and nuns fought for immigrants, refugees, and underpaid workers over many decades, fighting for housing rights and against developments that would leave homeowners with no place to go.

Today, the church continues to play an important role for the immediate community and Mexican American Catholics throughout the Greater Houston Area. Sunday Mass is still given in Spanish, with bilingual and English Mass offered on Saturdays and weekdays.