The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston ...

… serves 1.2 million Catholics.

… is the first and oldest diocese in Texas, established by Pope Pius IX in 1847, when Galveston was named the mother diocese of the Lone Star State.

… has the largest Catholic population in Texas and is the 12th largest of the 195 dioceses in the United States.

… is home to the only cardinal in the Southern United States. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2007.

… includes 146 parishes in 10 counties: Harris, Galveston, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Montgomery, Austin, Grimes, San Jacinto, Walker, and Waller.

… has 454 priests, 449 religious sisters, 12 religious brothers and 415 permanent deacons.

… includes some of the area's largest churches, such as Epiphany of Our Lord parish in Katy, with 6,937 registered families, and St. Laurence in Sugar Land, with 6,545 families. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Northwest Houston is the largest parish in the Archdiocese, with 10,538 families.

… reflects the region's multicultural character with one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the nation. Mass is celebrated in 14 different languages in the Archdiocese.

… is one of the largest social service providers in Texas, offering specialized children's services, housing programs, food banks, protective shelters, half-way houses, immigration and refugee programs and countless other ministries to people in need. In 2012, more than 1.1 million people of all creeds and backgrounds were served at local Catholic hospitals, health care centers, social services agencies, daycare centers, schools and the Archdiocesan nursing care facility.

… oversees the largest private school system in Texas. More than 18,000 students are educated in the Archdiocese's 59 Catholic schools, which includes 44 diocesan grade schools, six private elementary schools and nine private high schools.

For more information about the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, please visit the Archdiocesan website by clicking here.