Holy Name parish celebrates 100-year legacy in Northside
September 22, 2020
Holy Name Catholic Church in Houston celebrated its 100th anniversary Sept. 13, with virtual anniversary Masses throughout the day in both English and Spanish. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo celebrated the 4 p.m. Mass, with Auxiliary Bishop George A. Sheltz and retired Auxiliary Bishop Vincent M. Rizzotto. (Photo by Holy Name Catholic Church)
HOUSTON — Holy Name Catholic Church celebrated its 100th anniversary Sept. 13.
With anniversary Masses throughout the day in both English and Spanish, Father Anil Thomas, pastor of the church, invited members of the community to join virtually as Masses were livestreamed on the parish's social media. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo celebrated the 4 p.m. Mass, with with Auxiliary Bishop George A. Sheltz and retired Auxiliary Bishop Vincent M. Rizzotto concelebrating.
Father Thomas said that with pandemic measures are in place, the church could not celebrate Mass at full capacity. Through streaming, they were still able to connect with the parish community, former parishioners, students and other friends of Holy Name for the pivotal day.
“We are still a community of faith, regardless of the unforeseen circumstances in which we are living now,” Father Thomas said.
Holy Name Church, founded in 1920, is still a community predominantly made up of first-generation immigrants and has seen many changes throughout its history, Father Thomas said.
“In recent years, we have seen a geographical change to a residential community that originally was made of German-American and Italian-American immigrants,” he said.
“Revitalization is transforming this area that has been a predominantly Hispanic area into a very diverse and intercultural community. It’s a small parish, but former and current parishioners and their families remain engaged in our church because we embody the spirit of community.”
Currently, the parish serves over 450 families from across the Houston area. Amid the pandemic, many of the centennial planned events and festivities were canceled or postponed to ensure the parish community’s safety and welfare, including the centennial gala, which has been delayed until late 2021.
Francisco and Martha Rodriguez, lifelong members of more than 64 years, said, “The parish is like our second home. We brought up our children here; we grew spiritually here. We served in so many different ministries and supported its activities we could and still do.”
Freddy and Juanita Sandoval have been members of Holy Name for more than 24 years.
“The community has helped us strengthen our family relationship,” Juanita said. Her husband added, “I feel that God placed us here and that we have received more than what we can give. This community makes us feel welcomed.”