History of Our Lady of the Lake

Our Lady of the Lake is one of 83 parishes and missions in the Catholic Diocese of Dallas. Our Lady of the Lake was established in 1974 through the efforts of the Catholics in the Rockwall area, with the assistance of Monsignor Thomas W. Weinzapfel, then-pastor of St. Pius X Catholic Church in Dallas. Our Lady of the Lake was founded on December 1974 as a mission of St. Pius X Catholic Church. During its mission years, the parish was ministered to by Fathers J. Dominic Tamburello (1974), Richard Weaver (1975) and Richard Sokolski.

The first Mass was celebrated on December 8, 1974 in the old Rockwall High School Cafeteria with 120 people in attendance. Mass was celebrated in the cafeteria until the purchase of a Baptist church with its adjoining lot at 306 Rusk Street for $52,000.00. The purchase of the facility was made possible by the generosity of Monsignor Weinzapfel and St. Pius X Catholic Church with a contribution of $40,000.00.

The first Mass celebrated at the Rusk Street facility was on February 22, 1976 after completion of the renovation. On December 3, 1978, the mission was elevated to a parish by the Most Reverend Thomas Tschoepe, Bishop of Dallas.

The Rusk Street facility, under the leadership of founding pastor Reverend Albert Cuschieri (1974-1985) served the parish well until it became clear that membership growth would require a new, larger facility. In May 1983, the seven acres where the parish is presently located was purchased.

Under the pastoral leadership of Reverend William J. Doran (1985-1992), work began to raise funds for a new church building. On Sunday, January 6, 1991 ground was broken for a partially constructed new facility. In September 1992 under the leadership of Pastoral Administrator, Reverend Richard W. Filice, the move was made to our current facilities which consisted of lower level offices, classrooms and a temporary Sanctuary.

Mass was celebrated in the Parish Hall, now the Holy Family Center, while fundraising efforts continue under the leadership of then-pastor Father Richard T. Brown (1992-1993). Finally in the fall of 1998, under the leadership of Father William A. Richard (1993-2005) the finish-out of the upper level began: the main sanctuary, chapel, upper classrooms, and offices were designed by Jane and Dwayne Landry, prominent Dallas architects. The first Mass in the new completed sanctuary was celebrated on Holy Thursday, April 1, 1999. The sanctuary was formally dedicated on May 9, 1999 by Bishop Charles V. Grahmann, D.D., then-bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas.

Reverend Monsignor Robert M. Coerver served as pastor from 2005 until 2010. After leaving Our Lady of the Lake and serving elsewhere in the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, he was named the third Bishop of Lubbock, Texas in September, 2016. On July 23, 2010, Father George P. Monaghan was assigned as pastor. After nearly ten years of faithful service as pastor of Our Lady of the Lake, he died suddenly on May 19, 2020.

Father Seán Charles Martin, S.T.D. became pastor on July 1, 2020. A biblical scholar by training, he has held academic appointments in Rome, in Houston, in Irving, and most recently, in Saint Louis, Missouri, where he served at Aquinas Institute of Theology, first as professor of Biblical Studies, and then as the Institute's president from 2014-2019. Our Lady of the Lake is his first pastorate.

The parish continues to minister to every age and group, from the smallest infants to our most venerable senior citizens, both English speakers and Spanish speakers. Our mission is summarized by our parish motto: "LOVE ONE ANOTHER"  (John 13:34).