Church Origins

St. Patrick Church was officially established on September 1st, 1970 by Bishop Thomas Drury, Bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.  The first Mass in the Parish was celebrated in the cafeteria of the Salesian Sisters' School here on Del Mar.  The weekday Masses were offered in the Covent Chapel.  St. Patrick has Salesian roots, and we will be forever indebted to the Salesian Sisters.  Monsignor Kevin Dunne was the first pastor of St. Patrick's.

Our new Parish Church, at 555 Del Mar Boulevard, was solemnly dedicated and oficially opened on Sunday, the 25th day of May, 1975 at 5 p.m. by His Excellency Bishop Thomas J. Drury.

Design 

The design is very modern, very eye-catching, and is semicircular in shape.  The main feature of the building is a 90 foot precast, concrete cross.  The Church is seated on a hilltop, and can be seen easily 30 miles away.  One very dramatic feature of the interior is the 25 foot-wide, richly-colored, stained glass skylight, which teaches the story of Creation in the context of South Texas.  It is the work of Don Olszewski.  Other stained glass windows in the roof depict the Sacraments or display Church symbols.  The church is a Laredo landmark and a Del Mar landmark. 

The Church is fully flood-lighted outside on the great feasts of the year.  The Church has a seating capacity of 850 persons.  An imposing tabernacle is recessed into the cross, and the main altar is semicircular and constructed of marble.  The high crucifix over the altar was carved in Northern Italy.  The four statues in the Church are St. Patrick, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Jude, and Our Lady, as well as the Nativity Scene; were all carved in Northern Italy. The Church also has a very devotional statue of the Nino de la Salud-The Child of Good Health.  The Parish has a number of classrooms that are used for different activities.