Our History

The Pastors

Fr. Gilbert F. Pekar replaced Fr. Kennelly, who died November 10, 1978, as our pastor in 1960.

A year earlier, our first assistant pastor, Fr. John Ulm, joined Fr. Kennelly.

In 1961, Fr. John McCarthy, now Bishop of Austin, joined Frs. Pekar and Ulm.

Both Frs. Ulm and McCarthy were transferred in 1963, Fr. Pekar in 1970. Fr. Alfred W. Raye, who served until he died September 2, 1982, replaced him as our pastor.

Msgr. Vincent M. Rizzotto has been our pastor since. In our 40 year history, we have been blessed with four superb pastors, twenty-eight excellent assistant pastors, and six able permanent deacons.

During Fr. Kennelly's tenure (on July 25, 1959), the name of our diocese was changed from ‘Galveston' to ‘Galveston-Houston’.