True Cross Catholic Church

Shrine of the True Cross

Welcome to the Shrine of the True Cross
Bienvenidos al Santuario de la Cruz Verdadera

"Where the Cross is raised, there is raised the sign that that place has now been reached by the Good News of Man's salvation through Love. Where the Cross is raised, there is the sign that evangelization has begun."

Blessed John Paul II, 1979
at the first call for the New Evangelization

The Diocesan Shrine and a Parish Church & School
of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

Masses, Services & Devotions Latest News & Events Bulletins
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Ave Crux, Spes Unica! Hail O Cross, Our Only Hope!

The Shrine of the True Cross in Dickinson, Texas, is the diocesan shrine
of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. The Shrine is a sacred place of pilgrimage, a special place to draw closer to God through prayer, reflection, and devotion to the Cross of Christ. Pilgrims to the Shrine are welcome during these services and devotions:

SUNDAY MASSES: Church. SATURDAY VIGIL - 4:30 p.m.; SUNDAY - 8:00 & 10:00 a.m. (English), 12:00 p.m. (Spanish)

WEEKDAY MASSES: Chapel or Church. Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. (English), Friday 7:00 p.m. (Spanish; bi-lingual during Lent)

CONFESSIONS: Chapel. Wednesday 6:30 p.m., Saturday 3:30 p.m., or by appointment

LITURGY OF THE HOURS: Chapel. Monday - Friday, Morning Prayer 8:00 a.m., Evening Prayer 6:30 p.m.

PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: Chapel. The Blessed Sacrament is generally reposed from the Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m. until after the Sunday 12:00 p.m. Spanish Mass.

MONTHLY RESPECT LIFE MASS AND ROSARY PROCESSION: Church. First Saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m. The Mass is followed by a Rosary procession to the grotto of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the church grounds. A potluck luncheon is served afterwards.

VENERATION OF THE PRECIOUS RELIC OF THE TRUE CROSS: Church. The faithful may venerate the Relic of the Wood of the Cross of Christ just before and just after Sunday Masses.

PARISH OFFICE: Phone (281) 337-4112, Fax (281) 337-5779

Latest News & Events

Season of Lent: February 22 - April 5, 2012

"By immersing ourselves into the Death and Resurrection of Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are moved to free our hearts every day from the burden of material things, from a self-centered relationship with the 'world' that impoverishes us and prevents us from being available and open to God and our neighbor. In Christ, God revealed Himself as Love (cf. 1Jn 4: 7-10). The Cross of Christ, the 'Word of the Cross', manifests God’s saving power (cf. 1Cor 1: 18), that is given to raise men and women anew and bring them salvation: it is love in its most extreme form (cf. Encyclical Deus caritas est, n. 12)."

From the Message of Pope Benedict XVI for Lent 2011

The season of Lent precedes and prepares for the Holy Triduum of Easter and the season of Easter. It is a time to hear the Word of God, to convert, to prepare for and remember Baptism, to be reconciled with God and one's neighbor, and of more frequent recourse to the "arms of Christian penance": prayer, fasting and good works (cf. Matthew 6, 1-6. 16-18). From the Vatican.

During this forty-day period each year, the Church unites itself to the mystery of Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4, 1-11). To prepare to celebrate the Easter mysteries, we devote time during this special season to pray, to perform works of charity, and to deny ourselves by fulfilling obligations more faithfully. From the USCCB.

Fasting and Abstinence in the Lenten Season:
- Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence.
- Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence.
- Fasting binds all persons who have completed their 18th birthday through those who have completed their 59th year, unless prevented by poor health. On days of fast, one full meal is allowed. Two other meals sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to one's own needs. Eating between meals is not allowed although fluids may be taken.
- Abstinence binds all persons who have completed their 14th birthday, unless prevented by poor health. On days of abstinence during Lent, the consumption of meat of mammals or fowl is not allowed. The Church strongly encourages the observance of Friday abstinence throughout the year, but failure to do so is not regarded as sinful. From the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

Internet Resources for the Lenten Season:
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB (link)
- Vatican (link)

Support: Online Donations Available

To make a one-time online donation to the Shrine of the True Cross, please click here. To make a recurring payment donation, please fill out this form and return it to the parish office. If you would like to stop receiving offering envelopes, please inform the parish office.

Parish Bulletins:

February-5-2012 (PDF , size: 3.7 MB)
January-29-2012 (PDF , size: 3.6 MB)
January-22-2012 (PDF , size: 2.0 MB)
Bulletins are also available from TheCatholicDirectory.com (link).

Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions for February 2012 (link):

General Intention: Access to Water.
That all peoples may have access to water and other resources needed for daily life.

Missionary Intention: Health Workers.
That the Lord may sustain the efforts of health workers assisting the sick and elderly in the world's poorest regions.

Rev. Paul Felix, Vicar Forane
Pastor

Rev. Hippolytus Ezenwa
Parochial Vicar

300 FM 517 E -- Dickinson, TX 77539 -- Phone: (281) 337-4112, Fax: (281) 337-5779
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