Who Are We? - The Parish

Regina Caeli Parish was formally erected in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston by His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo on August 15, 2013. It is the only Archdiocesan parish to offer the sacred liturgy and sacraments exclusively according to the Traditional Latin rites. The apostolate began operations in late August 2011 and celebrated its first Mass as a community on September 4, 2011. 

Located in Northwest Houston on a 40 acre tract, Regina Caeli is entrusted as a personal parish to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), an apostolic society instituted by Pope St. John Paul II in 1988 to offer the sacred liturgy in all of its solemnity according to the Latin liturgical books of 1962. Since it is a personal parish, any person who wishes to join may become a member or supporter.  Fr. Van Vliet, FSSP is the founding pastor.

The parish moved from its temporary quarters to its property on October 29, 2016, when St. Athanasius Chapel Hall was blessed by Cardinal DiNardo. The chapel hall is the first building in a multi-year, master-planned parish complex that will be in the Mission Style. Once the main church is built, this building will be converted for use as a meeting hall. Future development includes a chapel dedicated to St. Joseph, to whom we have entrusted the property, an educational facility and a rectory for our priests. The buildings will be enclosed in a fenced area in the style of early missions. The main Church and Hall will lie on 2.2 of the 40 acres, but most of the 40 acres will remain rural for meditative purposes, with outdoor shrines and Stations of the Cross. 

Our second building, the Blessed Fr. Solanus Casey Gatehouse, became operational November 2021. It consists of a temporary rectory, administrative offices and meeting rooms.

To see a visual division of the 40 acres and our past capital projects, see our summaries below. 

In 2024, His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo granted permission to launch a capital campaign for the permanent Church. Please keep this endeavor in your prayers, asking especially Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, and her Blessed Spouse, St. Joseph, to intercede for us.  

Click here for the Parish Prayer to St. Joseph.