The parish of Immaculate Conception, officially Ecclesia Immaculatae Conceptionis Beatae Mariae Virginis: Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, had its founding back in 1854. Following the independence of Texas in 1836 and its subsequent statehood in 1846, eight years later the faithful of this area dedicated their Church to the honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It's history is intimately tied to the chapel of Nuestra Senora de Loreto, Our Lady of Loreto, at La Bahia, located at the Presidio La Bahia. Established just outside Goliad in 1749, the chapel predates the parish church, and is the oldest continuous use Catholic Chapel west of the Mississippi River. Owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Victoria in Texas, it is the only diocese in possession of Spanish fort in the United States.
The first church was built on land bought in 1892, directly across the street from the present Immaculate Conception Church building built in 1962. The land on which the present church is located was bought in 1945 and had a two story house on it that served as a school; the top floor being the convent, the lower being the school. A new school was built in 1952, and now serves as the parish catechetical center.
On December 6, 1899, the parish bought a plot of land to be used as a cemetery, now known as Holy Cross, which is across the street from the historical Oak Hill Cemetery.
Construction on a parish hall began in September of 1989, just near the site of the old church. It was completed in March of 1990.
Formerly, the parish included the missions at Charco, Fannin, and Berclair. The missions were closed in 1993.
The title of Immaculate Conception, refers to the teaching that Mary was conceived in the womb of her mother Saint Anne, free from original sin by virtue of the merits of her son Jesus. It was declared a Dogma of the Church in 1854 by Pope Pius IX. The feast is celebrated on December 8th.
In 2022, the parish church of Immaculate Conception will celebrate sixty years since her Solemn Dedication. She continues the work of handing on the faith to the next generation, until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again in glory.
The pastors who served the parish were:
The Reverend Louis Plana 1892-1932
The Reverend Harold Palmer 1932-1949
The Reverend Peter Kolvenbach 1949-1972
The Reverend Gregory Deane 1972-1980
The Reverend Celestine Murray 1980-1981
The Reverend Jerry Caponi 1981-1986
The Reverend Arnold Anders 1986-1993
The Reverend Jude Belisle 1993-1994
The Reverend Rafael Baidoo 1994-2016
The Reverend Charles Otsiwah 2017-2019
The Reverend Ty Bazar 2019- present