Traditional Catholic Church in the Dallas area

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Jeffjjk1

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I am trying to find a catholic church in the Dallas, Texas area (preferably north and/or east) that follows the traditional catholic teachings, ceremonies and procedures. Does anyone have any good recommendations?

Thank you!
 
The FSSP run a church, Mater Dei Catholic Church, in Irving, which is on the west side of Dallas off of Loop 12 and SH 356. Their website is here: materdeiparish.com/

Hope it helps! 🙂

ETA: The FSSP are, for those unfamiliar with them, in good standing with the Catholic Church and have faculties from the local bishop–in this case, Bishop Farrell of Dallas. They should not be mistaken for the SSPX or an independent group, discussions about which I will not enter into here.
 
St. Sophia’s Ukrainian Catholic Church (in The Colony, just east of Lewisville Lake) is pretty neat… stsophiaukrainian.cc/

I suspect you meant a traditional-leaning Latin Rite parish, but still, St. Sophia’s is a neat place to visit.
 
Thanks for the replies. I went to Our Lady of the Lakes in Rockwall two Sunday’s ago and it was not at all traditional. I went to St. Joseph’s in Richardson this past Sunday which was better than Our Lady of the Lakes but it still wasn’t what I’m trying to describe as traditional. By traditional I mean where all the prayers haven’t had the words changed and the choir (more like a band these days) isn’t the focal point and the ones really running the service. I found the below link that contains an outline of a mass and this is what I am looking for. Does this exist anywhere anymore? I’m really struggling to go back and stay back due to these changes and the stress of running around from church to church only to find they have all been corrupted. Can anyone help?

catholic-resources.org/ChurchDocs/Mass.htm
 
Jeffjjk1 said:
Thanks for the replies. I went to Our Lady of the Lakes in Rockwall two Sunday’s ago and it was not at all traditional. I went to St. Joseph’s in Richardson this past Sunday which was better than Our Lady of the Lakes but it still wasn’t what I’m trying to describe as traditional. By traditional I mean where all the prayers haven’t had the words changed and the choir (more like a band these days) isn’t the focal point and the ones really running the service. I found the below link that contains an outline of a mass and this is what I am looking for. Does this exist anywhere anymore? I’m really struggling to go back and stay back due to these changes and the stress of running around from church to church only to find they have all been corrupted. Can anyone help?

catholic-resources.org/ChurchDocs/Mass.htm
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The translation you linked to is now outdated. The new responses, that you are not accustomed to, were implemented beginning in Advent 2011. It is still the same Mass, but the English translation more accurately reflects the Latin for the Order of Mass than the previous translation did. If you want a Mass celebrated in English that is actually in communion with the Church, you’re not going to get the English you linked to.

Otherwise, “culture” in a parish varies widely. Sometimes it varies by Mass time at a particular parish, as well. Our parish has three very good priests and every Mass is celebrated appropriately, but the 11am has a traditional choir, the 7:30pm has a “contemporary” choir, the 9am has more families and young children because that’s when the children’s Liturgy of the Word is, etc. Some parishes have ties to a particular ethnic community, and then there are other parish communities for Catholics who prefer the Traditional Latin Mass (but that doesn’t seem like it’s what you want.)

I would suggest sticking to your geographical parish unless there are severe problems there - major liturgical abuses, or if the pastor is teaching heresy, for instance. You may just try a different Mass time and have a completely different experience. You have the right to a well-celebrated Mass, of course, but you should also be aware that the Mass is the Mass, and simply hopping around to find one that “suits you” doesn’t indicate a proper way of thinking about it, IMO.
 
How traditional are you looking for?

I used to live in Minnesota, and there are some churches in St. Paul that never got the memo about Vatican II. Altar at the back of the church, priest had his back to you as he was saying prayers, communion rail set up/still in use – that sort of traditional?
 
stwilliamtheconfessor.org/

Here is a link to a church east, northeast of Dallas in Greenville.
From what I understand, more traditional.
I believe they have a mass in Latin, not sure if every Sunday.
So take a look at the above link and see what you think.
 
Depending on how far you’re willing to drive, St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Fort Worth does a really beautiful Mass; it’s very traditionally-inclined. Lots of chant, etc. Not sure where you are in the Dallas area, though, so if you’re on the far side of Dallas that could be a brutal trip. The 11 AM Sunday Mass is the Mass with a full choir, and they do a very good job, but the other Masses will have cantors who lead chants and traditional hymns.

I’ve never been there for Sunday Mass, but the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dallas has a very reverent daily Mass. I also went there once for a conference, and found the music and liturgy to be very traditionally-inclined. I believe they have a solid music program there, too, so you might check it out.

If you’ve been away for a while, you may not be aware that there were a number of changes made to the English Novus Ordo Mass in 2011. (If you do know this, please forgive me; I don’t mean to sound patronizing, and it’s hard to convey tone in text. 🙂 ) They are the result of a more accurate translation from the Latin text of the Mass, as the old one was rather faulty in spots. For example, “and also with you” has been changed to “and with your spirit,” as “and with your spirit” is an accurate translation of “et cum spiritu tuo,” which is the original Latin for the phrase in question. It is a bit disconcerting at first, I grant you–I knew about the upcoming changes and still found myself a bit lost for the first month or so–but it really is a change for the better. 🙂 Most churches will have cards in the pews which list the new translation versions of the major prayers and responses.
 
Some great responses with great information I wasn’t aware of such as the updated translations. The wording was throwing me off but if that was the only issue, I wasn’t going to let it deter me. My main issue is with some changes to the procedures.

I can’t provide an exact example yet as I’ve been too thrown off by the combination of everything to be specific but I’m going to focus more on the procedures and less on the specific words (I’ll be sure to get an updated “script” so I know what to expect in that regard). If I identify anything that seems out of place, I’ll certainly check back with some of you who obviously know more of the details than I do.

I am going to try one more church and then settle on one and work through it. I am going to go to Christ the King Church in the University Park area off Preston Road. I have read some positive reviews but if any of you have any knowledge of it as well, it would be appreciated.

Thank you for your assistance and patience as I know I have been a little vague.

By the way, I am located in Rowlett on the far east side.
 
Jeffjjk1 said:
Some great responses with great information I wasn’t aware of such as the updated translations. The wording was throwing me off but if that was the only issue, I wasn’t going to let it deter me. My main issue is with some changes to the procedures.

I can’t provide an exact example yet as I’ve been too thrown off by the combination of everything to be specific but I’m going to focus more on the procedures and less on the specific words (I’ll be sure to get an updated “script” so I know what to expect in that regard). If I identify anything that seems out of place, I’ll certainly check back with some of you who obviously know more of the details than I do.

I am going to try one more church and then settle on one and work through it. I am going to go to Christ the King Church in the University Park area off Preston Road. I have read some positive reviews but if any of you have any knowledge of it as well, it would be appreciated.

Thank you for your assistance and patience as I know I have been a little vague.

By the way, I am located in Rowlett on the far east side.
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Rowlett? Yeah, that would be a pretty awful drive to get to Fort Worth for weekly Mass.

I am not at all familiar with Christ the King in University Park; all I can say is that I am somewhat familiar with the area, and that the church is probably an older one judging strictly by the neighborhood. I’m afraid I’m more familiar with Fort Worth churches than with ones in Dallas. 🙂 Come to think of it, I went to St. Catherine of Siena in Carrollton exactly once, and while I found the music to be a bit cringe-worthy for my taste (I’m no fan of guitars or contemporary music, and there were rather a lot of both), the sermon, which was given the Sunday prior to the 2012 election, was the single best I ever heard, as it dealt point-by-point with consciences, the birth control/abortion mandate, and how both Church teaching and US law apply to these issues. Very thorough, very logical, clear as a bell, and presented perfectly. To also be fair, that was a Sunday evening Mass, and Sunday evening Masses are often more contemporary than their earlier counterparts.

I should add that I know a lot of people enjoy contemporary music and so forth, and I’m not bashing it here. It just isn’t in the least to my taste.

Good luck!
 
I would suggest Mater Dei as someone mentioned. All Masses are in Latin and are very reverent. The parishioners are extremely welcoming. I would go more often, but I volunteer at my local parish and am needed there.
 
I went to Christ the King church off of Preston this past Sunday and really enjoyed the service. Other than the few changes in wording that were explained previously that I will need to get used to, the service was very much like what I grew up with and I felt very comfortable. It was nice to finally see the choir in the back of the church again and not the main focal point of the mass upfront!

I will check out some of the other churches mentioned but think I’ve found my new parish.

Thanks again for everyone’s assistance!
 
Jeffjk1:

Yes, Christ the King is more traditional. I live in the Dallas area and I like to go to St. Thomas Aquinas. I find on a Sunday I can get to St. Thomas Aquinas in about 35 minutes, since it is mostly freeway for me to drive. The morning Masses at 9 and 11 are well done, with the choir singing in the back. People kneel for communion at the altar rail, and I don’t notice the “convention hall mentality” when I walk in. I’m convinced more people pay attention to the reverence when a church is built like a church. I was also really impressed a few weeks ago when I attended the 5 pm Mass there on a Sunday evening.

I noticed you live in Rowlett, and mentioned Our Lady of the Lake in Rockwall. Honestly, if I lived in south Rockwall, Royse City, or even Forney, Like the other poster, I would strongly recommend St. Williams in Greenville. Fr. Paul Weinberger is an excellent priest and is big on tradition. There are also a number of people who drive from all over just to go to Mater Dei in Irving.

In Plano, I recommend St. Mark’s. It’s over by Collin Creek Mall, so it has access to the freeway.

St. Anthony’s in Wylie isn’t far from Rockwall or Rowlett either, about a 20 minute drive. I sometimes attend Saturday evening Mass there. The choir sings many hymms in Latin at the Saturday evening Mass, and the lines for confession before the Saturday evening Mass are long. The Eucharist is reverently celebrated.

Another parish I recommend is St. Rita’s in Dallas. St. Rita’s has a central location (North Dallas). I now live 30 minutes away, but with the freeway on a Sunday it is very accessible for me (I lived 10-15 minutes away when I began attending St. Rita’s). There are three good priests at St. Rita’s with good preaching. Over the past 10 years, I’ve noticed a lot less of the “convention hall mentality” at Mass, better preaching by priests, more reverence, and more people taking the time to dress appropriately.

If you like a “quieter Mass”, I recommend the 7:30 a.m. or 9:00 a.m. Mass at St. Rita’s. The 10:45 a.m. Mass there gets crowded quickly, but they have a good choir, and the last few times I have been to the 10:45 a.m. Mass I’ve noticed more people paying attention during the Mass.

Jeffjk1, I know sometimes too that different Masses have different styles. For example, I try to stay away from “youth oriented” Masses, and I don’t normally like to go to a Saturday evening Masses (but I do like the Saturday evening Mass at St. Anthony and St. Thomas Aquinas), or Masses that have a reputation for being crowded, or the majority of the congregation in shorts and t-shirts.

Hope this helps a little.
 
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