I’m New
Our Story
We are making disciples for the Lord Jesus Christ and, together in ministry for Him, advancing the Kingdom of God.
Who we are
The family of Christ at St. Theresa welcomes you to the Catholic community of Northwest Austin. We are a community of friends and families who discover together the beauty and power of our Catholic faith — from Northwest Hills, Balcones, Jester, Steiner Ranch, River Place, and neighborhoods across the city. Many parishioners live far beyond our boundaries and choose to make St. Theresa their spiritual home. All are welcome here.
Today St. Theresa is a busy campus of buildings older and newer, a school of about 400 students, and a parish of nearly 6,000 souls — souls called to be saints.
How we began
In 1963, an anonymous donor gave four acres of land in Northwest Hills to the Diocese of Austin, stipulating that it be used for a church dedicated to St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The Diocese purchased five adjacent acres in the undeveloped, rugged hills and established St. Theresa Catholic Church in 1968.
In the earliest months, founding pastor Msgr. Charles Elmer led Sunday Mass at Gullett Elementary and Murchison Middle School — parishioners put away their own chairs afterward. Weekday Masses were held in a nearby barber shop, and confessions were heard in a broom closet. At the 1969 groundbreaking, Bishop Louis J. Reicher looked at the wilderness and joked, “A goat couldn’t live in this place.”
Sixteen months later, on January 10, 1971, the first Mass was celebrated in the new church — with 14-year-old Larry Covington at the organ. The young organist had no idea he would one day be pastor of the parish.
“I wanted to make saints out of everybody in this parish. You’re a special people of God. You are now called St. Theresa Parish.”
— Msgr. Charles Elmer, first pastor
The parish grew — ministries, the San Saba food and clothing drives, a St. Vincent de Paul medical clinic, even a beloved parish zoo in the 1970s. St. Theresa Catholic School opened in 1986 with 38 students, growing to serve Pre-K through 8th grade.
In the early morning of May 23, 2000, a fire destroyed the nearly completed new sanctuary just weeks before its first Mass. The parish worshiped a second year in “Saint Gym” while rebuilding, and the new church was dedicated on September 29, 2001. Two stained-glass windows — the cross and St. Theresa — survived the fire and grace the church today.
Milestones
- 1963 — An anonymous donor gives land for a church dedicated to St. Thérèse
- 1968 — The Diocese establishes St. Theresa Parish
- Oct. 3, 1969 — Groundbreaking for the sanctuary, parish hall, and rectory
- Jan. 10, 1971 — First Mass in the new church; dedication follows Jan. 31
- 1985–1986 — Education Building completed; St. Theresa Catholic School established
- 1999 — Multipurpose gymnasium completed
- May 23, 2000 — Fire destroys the nearly completed sanctuary
- Sept. 29, 2001 — Dedication of the reconstructed church
- 2013 — Elmer Hall completed, honoring our founding pastor
- 2018 — 50th Anniversary Mass and celebration
Our patroness
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, “The Little Flower,” taught the Little Way: doing small, ordinary things with great love and complete trust in God. Her charism shapes our parish and gives our school its heart.