A BRIEF PARISH HISTORY

St. Catherine of Siena parish was erected in spring 1975 from the neighboring communities of St. Jerome, St. Cecilia and St. John Vianney.  Initially our Sunday Masses were celebrated in Congregation Beth Am Synagogue, then in Spring Oaks Junior High School, Holy Name Retreat Center and Fairhaven United Methodist Church. Fr. Cliff Natho served briefly as the founding pastor. Fr. Jim Matzinger and Fr. Bob Matzinger followed in that position.  Mary Jean Beard, Jean Unclebach, Jimmie Robinson, Eleanor Brown and Sr. Carol Kottewitz were among the many who offered their professional time and energy during the formative years of the parish.  Joe Donelon and Charlie Hrachovy were among the many who cleared the 1 ½ acre site east of the Addicks Reservoir in order to build a church.

The three year nomadic lifestyle ended with the completion of the first permanent building which featured the parish offices, parish hall, which also doubled as the worship space, & education classrooms.  The move was far more than the construction of facilities; it symbolically announced the permanent presence of a faith community in the neighborhood and gave architectural focus for collaborative parochial ministry.

St. Catherine of Siena parish has, from the beginning, fostered the spirit of a loving family.  For many years the services and ministries of the parish community were organized under the "area” concept, which divided the parish into eight distinct zones.  Neighborhood “areas” shared in the planning and celebration of Eucharist, the maintenance of the new facilities, religious education for children and adults, fellowship, hospitality, welcoming new parishioners, and service beyond the parish boundaries.  The sharing of food has always occupied a place in the heart of the parish life, as it does with every other family.

Fr. Anthony Herndel came out of his well-deserved retirement to serve briefly as pastor before his death in 1985.  Fr. Kenneth Mikulik provided a prayerful and healing presence during that difficult time of loss.  Fr. Wayne Elkins served as pastor for the next ten years.  Because the parish hall served the dual functions of worship space & community gathering center since its foundation in 1978, a permanent sanctuary had seemed like a dream.  It was under the leadership of Fr. Elkins & Parish Council president, Anna Babin, that the parish community was again mobilized for a new construction project.  The present sanctuary was completed in 1993 and stands as a living testament to the unselfish and generous spirit of the people who gather to praise God under the patronage of St. Catherine of Siena.

Vicki Unclebach created the outdoor sculpture of St. Catherine of Siena in memory of Lana Frois, daughter of Rodney and Barbara Scarbrough.  The large cross, attached to the outer east wall of the office building, was donated in memory of Brian O'Driscoll.  The Way of the Cross tapestry displayed on the sanctuary’s inner north wall was designed by Mary Pitre. Eleanor Sedlar and Mary Slattery were two among many women who worked on this project over a fifteen-year period.

Ted Heap Sr., David Malicki and Jim Robin, to mention a few of the many, provided dedicated leadership during Fr. Elkins' illness.  The entire community was saddened by the untimely death of Fr. Elkins in early 1995.  His remarkable faith, love for people, depth of intellect and humor were crystallized in a memorable funeral service.  Once again, Fr. Ken Mikulik offered his priestly service to the parish during a difficult time of loss.  Fr. Bob Barras was appointed to serve as pastor and brought his unique talents to guide the parish to the dawn of the new millennium.  In preparation for the Silver Jubilee of the parish Fr. Bob, the second, organized several committees to plan a yearlong celebration culminating at the feast of the patron saint.  On the drawing board were dinners, dances, a pilgrimage to Siena, prayer services and the building of a gated prayer plaza.

On 1 September 1999 Fr. Barras was assigned to pastor the newly erected parish in Katy, dedicated to the patronage of the Church’s newest saint, Edith Stein.  Before his departure he asked Deacon Jay Vocelka and Mrs. Christine Twardowski to join the parish staff as Pastoral Associate and Director of Religious Education, respectively.  Fr. Michael J. Carmody arrived as pastor to preside over the many 25th Anniversary activities already planned.  Most notable among the events was the dedication of the prayer plaza by Bishop Curtis Guillory, SVD, and assisted by Deacon John Stanley, who served this parish for many years & returned to join in our joy.

The prayer plaza features a brick & wrought iron fence with two gates, matching the existing church & office building.  The plaza honors the founding members of the parish by displaying their names on the bricks forming the west wall, behind a decorative sculpture fountain.  On the walkway directly in front are bricks bearing the names of loved ones memorialized by those wishing to take an active part in the construction of the beautiful plaza.  Six concrete benches invite visitors to contemplate the beauty of the flower beds & fountain, the many small animals who move busily about, the native oak which occupies a central position in the plaza, undisturbed by its construction, the beauty of the campus outside the walls of the plaza, the white marble statue of Mary holding the Christ child which was generously donated to the plaza by Bob & Marianne Stearns, the concrete statue of St. Catherine of Siena which was donated by Rodney & Barbara Scarbrough, or the three wooden picnic tables with matching benches built by Michael Powell as an Eagle Scout project.

Programs of faith formation encourage all to put their Christian beliefs into action. The Pastoral Council, Finance Council and over twenty parish organizations seek to minister to the Catholic, the neighboring and the extended communities.  Born small and committed to growth in the Holy Spirit, the parish family St. Catherine continues its journey into the third millennium of Christian faith and the digital age.