Tradition & Beauty
Our Latin Mass community is growing and we need your help.
1
Since 2003, the Fraternity of St. Peter has offered the Tridentine latin mass in the Diocese of Tyler.
2
Our community has grown rapidly, exceeding the capacity of our current site. Parking and seating are no longer sufficient to accommodate all who would like to come.
3
The Diocese of Tyler is supportive of our mission and the land has been secured, giving us the opportunity to build something enduring for generations yet to come. Will you help us?
Past
The story of St. Joseph the Worker begins in 2003 in the Diocese of Tyler. Bishop Alvaro Corrada invited and welcomed the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter to Tyler as a mission church of the Cathedral.
From 2003 to 2006, the Extraordinary Form of the Mass was celebrated within the Diocesan Chancery Building in St. Paul's Chapel. In 2006, Bishop Corrada approved the acquisition of the current property that we now know and love and made St. Joseph the Worker a parish of the Diocese of Tyler.
Present
As the world darkens, people seek the light.
East Texas and St. Joseph the Worker have become the beacon of light and hope for a growing number of families.
With time, the community of St. Joseph the Worker has grown. In the past year, that growth has been exponential.
Our growth has exceeded the capacity of our current site.
Parking and seating are no longer sufficient to accommodate all who would like to come. Our capacity, or lack thereof, has become our greatest limitation.
Our beloved campus is also showing the scars of time. Rust stains decorate what was once new. The foundation and structural integrity of our parish hall is buckling under years of weather and wear. Aging pipes have leaked and broken, causing floods, water damage and mold.
Despite these issues, our church is still beautiful. It is rich with memories and love from a devoted community for which it was the soil. We must continue to honor and respect it. It remains the House of God and the Gate of Heaven.
But now we have both the opportunity and responsibility to build anew.
To build a Church whose beauty gives due honor to our Priest, Prophet, and King; whose spaciousness is welcoming to friends and strangers alike. To build a new church and parish hall that will allow us to continue to plant the seeds of our community, cultivate it, and watch it thrive. To build up our beacon and shine brightly.
As the world darkens, our light must shine brighter. . .
Future
Within our means, without compromising.
The aim of the building committee has been to design and develop a church that addresses our current needs while remaining affordable within the means of our community without compromising on traditional elements and beautiful design. Studio io, a Catholic architectural design firm with experience in traditional design, has been valuable in allowing us to fulfill all three goals.
Land for the project has been secured.
Seven acres of land located off of highway 110 on the North side of Tyler has been generously donated to the cause. It is in a safer neighborhood surrounded by the homes of Catholic families.
Divided into three principle phases.
Conceptually, the project has been divided into phases to provide smaller benchmarks for fundraising. This will allow for flexibility in the construction of the new campus with the ability to adapt its scope to match funds raised. The more we raise, the more we can build.
As it stands, the project is currently divided into three principle phases.
Phase 1: New church building with temporary sanctuary and no bell tower.
- 5,200 sq ft
- The initial phase of the church seats 300 people, counting 20" per person. By comparison, our current church seats ~100 people using the same calculation.
- The back wall of the sanctuary is temporary, allowing for continued use of the church during construction of the expansion, minimizing interruption.
- Two confessionals.
- Benches/pews with seating in the Narthex for nursing mothers
- Choir loft.
Phase 2: Parish hall.
- Main hall for parish events and banquets including weddings.
- Large commercial kitchen with storage.
- Office space for clergy business.
- Two adjacent meeting rooms that can be used for small group functions or classes.
Phase 3: Full church
- Additional 2,150 sq ft.
- Full church expansion with a larger nave which seats 450 people
- Larger, more beautiful sanctuary with greater detail and more expensive material.
- Bell tower with dedicated baptistry underneath.
Estimated total cost of all three phases is $8 Million. The current priority and most pressing need is to build a new church with more space, so Phase 1 is the primary goal.
Bishop Strickland and FSSP leadership are supportive of this plan to build our new church. This outlined plan has been approved by the Bishop and the Diocesan building committee.
Now that final approval has been granted, fundraising can begin. We need to raise a minimum of 60% of total building costs to break ground, with the remaining 40% loaned to us from the Diocese to be paid back in no more than 5 years. This 40% must be covered with pledges from donors.
A pledge is a non-binding commitment made in good faith. We encourage everyone to consider making a pledge to the campaign for a 3 year period. An abatement of the Diocesan assessment has been granted, so the entirety of the pledge payments will be used for the building campaign.
Each family has different financial obligations to consider and all pledges and contributions will be held in the strictest confidence. For the success of this campaign, we ask that families who are financially capable of pledging $25,000, $50,000, $100,000 or more step forward and become leaders of this campaign.
Studio io
We are a passionate team of faithful Catholic designers.
Founded in 2018, Studio io has assisted over 75 Catholic parishes, dioceses, campus ministries, schools, seminaries, religious communities, retreat centers, and other apostolates with design and consulting for beautifications, renovations, and new construction.
Our mission is beauty and order.
Instaurare Omnia (io) is a latin phrase meaning 'to renew all things'. Taken from the papal motto of Pope St. Pius X (Instaurare Omnia in Christo), who paved the way for a great deal of liturgical renewal prior to Vatican II, this phrase acknowledges the original beauty, order, dignity, and purpose of all creation to participate fully in the divine life and love of the Trinity through membership in the Mystical Body of Christ.
Our work is rooted in the Church's integrated vision for formation.
We incorporate liturgical & mystagogical catechesis into the church's larger mission of evangelization. Our clients are devoted to providing a transforming encounter with Christ as the basis for renewal in the Church, as well as a commitment to forming disciples and re-establishing a wider culture of beauty as a privileged means for evangelization.
WE FOSTER A SPECIAL DEVOTION TO THE HOLY FAMILY, ESPECIALLY VIA MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH AND ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER
Pray with us
Please join us in praying the St. Joseph Novena daily until the parish is moved into the new building.
Click here to view the St. Joseph Novena
Our intention prayer: "Obtain for us, O foster father of the Redeemer, our intentions of a new church building for our parish."
