On May 4, 1847 as the Lone Star Republic was about to become the State of Texas, the Diocese of Galveston was established and John Odin became our first Bishop. At that time the diocese covered the whole State. On December 29, 2004, Pope John Paul II created a second archdiocese in Texas, raising the Diocese of Galveston-Houston to the status of a Metropolitan Archdiocese. Bishop Fiorenza was named the first Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, and Bishop DiNardo the Coadjutor Archbishop. 
      Archbishop DiNardo became ordinary of the archdiocese upon Archbishop Fiorenza's retirement in 2006. Pope Benedict XVI elevated Abp. DiNardo to the position of Cardinal on Nov. 24, 2007. Two auxiliary bishops, Bishop Emeritus Vincent M. Rizzotto and Bishop Joe S. Vasquez currently assist Cardinal DiNardo. In 2008 there are now 15 dioceses in Texas.       
     Houston was founded in 1836 when the Allen Brothers landed on the banks of the Buffalo Bayou about a mile northwest of where Our Lady of Guadalupe parish is now. It was not until 1911 that a great influx of Mexicans began coming to Houston because of the unrest in Mexico. At that time it became apparent that the Sacraments needed to be administered in Spanish.
      The Oblates of Mary Immaculate were sent to begin Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in 1912. Father Robert Chatillon celebrated the first Mass on August 18 in a two-story building erected that same year. The top floor was the church, and the bottom floor was the school. School opened for class on September 8, 1912. It is the oldest Catholic grade school in Houston. The Diocese has owned the property on which Our Lady of Guadalupe stands since about 1856. The first Catholic parish of Houston was St. Vincent, located a half mile away, across Franklin Street from the present county jail. St. Vincent’s Cemetery, the oldest Catholic cemetery in Houston, was and still is, located on our property.
      The Oblates of Mary Immaculate served Our Lady of Guadalupe parish until 1973 when the Priests of the Sacred Heart came. The Sisters of Divine Providence served the school for many years. A dedicated staff of lay teachers currently serves the school.
       The Missionary Catechists of Divine Providence were founded in Our Lady of Guadalupe parish and one of these Sisters is the Director of Religious Education.       Great efforts have been made in the Archdiocese to develop Hispanic Ministry in every parish. More than 50% of the 1,300,000 Catholics of the diocese are Hispanic, 25% are Black, 17% are Anglo and 8% are Asian. Spanish language Masses are celebrated all over the Archdiocese. Our Lady of Guadalupe is still the ‘Mother Church” for Hispanics in Houston. Its members are composed of 5th generation descendants of immigrants who came to Houston in 1911 and also people who came recently. Many belong to two parishes: the one they live near, and Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is a Church they need to keep coming back to time and time again. In 1991 a State Historical Marker was dedicated outside the church, attesting to the role Our Lady of Guadalupe has played in the development of the Mexican American community in Houston. It notes that the spirit of this community has always been one of welcoming. Our motto is “Nuestra Casa es Su Casa”.