Who are we?
Saint Mary Cathedral consists of a wide range of different people, from all ages and different backgrounds. Whomever you are, you are assured a very warm welcome at the Cathedral.
When to arrive:
If you're planning simply to tour the Cathedral when there is not a Mass being celebrated, please see information about the hours of the Cathedral
here.
If you plan on attending a Mass and it's your first visit, then it's probably best to arrive around 10 minutes early for most Masses. If you plan to attend the noon Mass, however, be aware that this is our High Mass -- our most popular -- so plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early for this Mass. For the Easter and Christmas Masses, you should plan to arrive even earlier: 45 minutes to an hour early. Seating goes quickly!
If you are driving then you'll be pleased to hear that there is plenty of free parking. For directions to reach us please see the
Getting Here page. You'll be greeted at the door by our ushers who will give you a Worship Aid on your way in.
What to wear:
Please dress in a way that will allow you and others around you to focus on God without the danger of being distracted by your attire. Modesty is a must, simplicity is better, cleanliness is helpful and comfort is holy.
What to expect:
For some people, going anywhere for the first time can be a bit of a nerve-racking experience. To help avoid any worries, here's a quick
summary of what you can expect at the Cathedral. If you don't understand something, simply ask.
What we believe:
Saint Mary Cathedral is a Eucharistic community nurtured by the Gospel and led by the Holy Spirit. As members of the Universal Church, we believe the 10 basic Catholic beliefs:
- Catholics believe who God is.
There is a sentence that sums up the whole Bible: "God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him" (1 John 4:16).
- Catholics believe what God did.
The Second Person of the Trinity, the Son, abandoned his godness, as it were, and became a real human being, Jesus of Nazareth, one in flesh with the whole human race.
- Catholics believe who Jesus is.
Jesus was born by virgin birth, of Mary. On earth, Jesus was still the Son of God, eternal God. Jesus is one Person with two natures—one human, one divine—perfectly joined, not mixed. Jesus is the Anointed One (Messiah) promised to the Jews, the Chosen People.
- Catholics believe what Jesus did.
Jesus went out to the ordinary people and told them, in many little stories called parables, about their Father-God's love for them, about the "Kingdom," preaching repentance. By fearlessly proclaiming the truth, He hit a nerve in the powers-that-be. They plotted against him, rigged a set of phony accusations and persuaded the Roman procurator, Pilate, to put him to death. He rose from the dead on the third day (our Sunday) and showed Himself to His friends. So the human race, through its representative, Jesus, was permanently united with God. This is what we mean when we say that Jesus died for us.
- Catholics believe who the Spirit is.
Jesus promised His followers that after His death/resurrection he would send his Spirit to teach them and remind them of all he had told them (see John 14:26).
- Catholics believe who we are as Christ's Mystical Body.
There is a flow of life between Jesus and His followers, a mystical union, forming the "inside" of the Church. It is called grace because it is totally gratis, a gift, unearnable. As a result of sharing God's own life, the love in Jesus' followers is actually God's love literally "indwelling" in them.
- Catholics believe who we are as visible Church.
This is visible organization in our Church. Catholics honor the pope as the successor of Peter, to whom Jesus said: "I will entrust to you [singular] the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you declare bound on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you declare loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19). Bishops, as successors of the apostles, are heads of individual churches called dioceses. Within a diocese, individual congregations are called parishes. A priest is usually designated as pastor, sometimes helped by a deacon.
- Catholics believe what we are called to do as followers of Jesus.
What does God ask us to do? Simply to be wholeheartedly centered on responding to His initiative of love—loving. praising, pleasing Him—and showing this love by the way we treat others.
- Catholics believe what we do as the whole Church.
The Church has the fearful burden of knowing that it must show Jesus to the world, nothing less. The greatest action we perform as Church is to celebrate the death / resurrection of Jesus, which is made present in the Eucharist, the sacrifice / meal we call "Mass." The other six sacraments of our Church are baptism, confirmation, sacrament of Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, marriage and priesthood.
- Catholics believe "...as we wait in joyful hope..."
Like Jesus, we each have our passion, death and resurrection. Faith sees death as the summing up of our great life-decision—made far ahead of time. Faith sees through the veil of death to the resurrection with Jesus.
If you are interested in exploring the Catholic faith, then please come along on a Sunday or contact the office to ask about the
RCIA Program.
Does the Cathedral just meet on Sundays?
Of course not! God is with us all week long and we aim to lead lives pleasing to Him. To further encourage us outside of the Mass, we have over 65
ministry opportunities. Getting involved in a ministry is a great way to get to know others in the parish and to be real with each other about everyday living.
For those with disabilities:
We aim to be an all-inclusive parish. If you wish to discuss specific needs, please contact the church office at (512) 476-6182. Our premises are accessible for those with disabilities. We have reserved parking spaces in the public access alley behind the Cathedral and a ramp near the east entrance. Please see the
parking map for a view of these accessibility features. Restrooms are accessible. We do not currently have a loop for the hearing impaired (please tell us if this would be helpful).
