Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham — Attraction in Houston

I had heard only good things about OLW over the past few years from various people in our circle of friends, but I never made the decision to visit there until this past summer when my kids started attending the Holy House homsechool enrichment program there.

My family attended the Solemn High Mass (at 11:15 on Sundays) one time and my wife and I agreed that this was where we were supposed to be. We immediately chose to make this our new parish home. Many people drive from all parts of Houston and farther to attend this parish.

My wife and I had long looked for a more traditional Mass, and had attended Extraordinary Form Masses from time to time. The Masses at OLW are in English, though Latin is sometimes used for some of the ordinary parts of the Mass (not the proper). A high English, reminiscent of King James English, is used for the Anglican Use Missal. The hymnal used is a 1940 edition of "The Hymnal" used by the Episcopal Church - all of the hymns are quite beautiful, and are usually played on the organ. Though terms like "Anglican Use" and an older Episcopal hymnal is used, this is a Roman Catholic church; many of the parishioners and (as far as I know) all of the priests are converts from Anglicanism (Episcopalian in the US). This parish is the principal parish in the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

The people in the church are all very welcoming to visitors, and the rector delivers wonderful homilies. If you haven't visited yet, you don't know what you're missing!

Also - though all of the Masses here draw a crowd, if attending the Solemn High Mass, you should arrive 15-20 minutes early if there are more than 2 or 3 in your group. The pews...

With the arch-diocese of Galveston Houston imposing strict, Covid restrictions on our previous parish (shutdown for a month, Mandatory masks, restricted access per Mass, removal of Holy Water and Eucharist forced onto the hand) OLW became our refuge! Here, they do not operate from fear and have continued to offer Mass without the above restrictions. Cleary the "word is out" as you can hardly get a seat now as many other parishoners (in similar situations) have now made OLW their home too! Bishop Lopes, Father Hough...a TRUE blessing to the faithful who worship here. Thank you for your steadfast devotion to the gospel and your courageousness. Celebrating Mass at OLW has been a profound blessing for me and my family and we've made it our...

I went to speak to the priest I am not catholic, they were having school day and a teenager told me to go see a deacon. It was a horrible he opened one of the only doors that were not locked and said the deacon is on the left, so I approached him and he immediately called the secretary and she was very confrontational with me saying you have to come through me and make an appointment. Really????. Worst experience they practically frisked me and said you can't speak to a deacon without an appointment and led me out of the door. I truly needed help the Deacon actually closed his door after going to the other one next door laughing at me they are evil at that church!!!!!! ...