Our History

St. Andrew by the Sea Catholic Church was established in 1967 as a Mission of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Flour Bluff.

The church was originally conceived by Bishop Drury as an “outdoor pavilion” where visitors could celebrate their Sunday worship dressed informally and near their vacation site. St. Andrew is located on North Padre Island, approximately 20 miles from downtown Corpus Christi. We are the only parish in the world where Mass is celebrated outdoors year-round (weather permitting).

The building was designed by Arlin Yeager, Jr. with Blanton-Yeager Architects, in Corpus Christi.  St. Andrew’s style might be described as Contemporary Greek Classical; such architectural details as the flat roof, pillars, and tooth-shaped details (guttae) along the cornice are references to ancient Greek temples and open-buildings that dotted the Mediterranean shoreline over two thousand years ago.  The church seats 500 people on fixed pre cast concrete pews; the altar and celebrant’s chair are also built of concrete. 

Bishop Thomas J. Drury celebrated the first Mass at 7:00 AM on Easter Sunday, 1973.  Bishop Drury dedicated St. Andrew by the Sea at the noon Mass on July 29, 1973. 

Originally, St. Andrew by the Sea had no resident pastor or office, although a small 500-sq ft. rectory was integrated into the original design.  At the time of 1973 dedication, Msgr. Robert E. Freeman, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle, and his associate pastor, Fr. Vincent Patrizzi, celebrated all Masses for St. Andrew Mission.  Fr. Patrizzi oversaw the spiritual needs for St. Andrew from 1975-1983, while serving as pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea. In August of 1983, St. Andrew Mission was again returned to St. Paul the Apostle and was administered by Fr. Mark Chamberlain. 

St. Andrew by the Sea became an Independent Mission on October 4, 1986.  On October 6, 1986 Fr. James Tamayo became the parish’s first pastor. St. Andrew by the Sea became a canonically established parish on October 17, 1987.  In January of 1990 Msgr. James Tamayo was reassigned as Episcopal Vicar in Western Vicariate of Laredo, Texas. Fr. Thomas Goodwin was appointed pastor in 1990 and served the parish until 1993.  In April of 1993 Fr. Richard W. Filice was appointed pastor and served the parish until 2002. Fr. Tom McGettrick was appointed pastor of St. Andrew by the Sea on July 1, 2002 and served until his retirement in July of 2013.  Fr. Michael Howell served as pastor from July 2013 until his retirement in July 2019, when Fr. Hanh Van Pham was assigned to the parish.

St. Andrew by the Sea has grown considerably since its establishment in 1973, when it was operated only on a seasonal basis.  In 1999 under the administration of Fr. Filice, St. Andrew’s parish built a 7,500 sq. ft. Family Life Center to serve as an indoor gathering place to celebrate Mass during inclement weather and as a meeting place for Religious Education classes and social gatherings.  North Padre Island, once a quiet vacation destination and retirement community, now thrives with a population of many young families. To better serve those families; in 2006 under the administration of Fr. Tom McGettrick, St. Andrew’s parish built a 4,000 sq. ft. Religious Education Building with six classrooms and a large meeting area.

The growth of North Padre Island has led to the ongoing growth of our local parish family. We are also blessed to continually welcome visitors from all over the country, whether they be Winter Texans, summer vacationers, or the many others who worship with us in our unique setting as part of a shorter visit to South Texas. What began as a tiny community of believers, gathering in homes and other local venues, now stretches far and wide to include countless members who hold St. Andrew by the Sea dear to their hearts. The welcoming presence of a church with no physical walls symbolizes God's desire that we all be one with Him, with no walls to separate or exclude anyone.