Water Rails & Oil - Historic Mid & South Jefferson County

❖
Above: The Shrine to Queen of
Vietnam in Peace Park.
Most Reverend Curtis J. Guillory, S.V.D.
(2000-present).
As parishes, missions, schools and health
facilities continued to grow so did ministries of
the Diocese of Beaumont. Those ministries
include education and formation, liturgy and
worship, youth and campus, vocations,
stewardship, counseling, ministry to the
incarcerated and immigration services.
The culturally diversified Diocese of
Beaumont now has fifty-two churches
representative of many ethnicities, thirteen
churches being in Mid- and South Jefferson
County. This includes the first Vietnamese parish
in the United States—Queen of Vietnam in Port
Arthur. Port Arthur is also home to two outdoor
shrines dedicated to Our Lady–Queen of Vietnam
Shrine and Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine. Both
attract many visitors and travelers each year.
St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica in Beaumont,
the mother church for the Diocese, also
attracts many pilgrims. In 2004, the Cathedral
completed a multimillion dollar renovation and
restoration. It was elevated to the status of minor
basilica in 2006 just in time for the one hundredth
anniversary of the church and the fortieth
anniversary of the diocese. In commemoration of
those events, Bishop Guillory proclaimed a Year of
Jubilee for Catholics of Southeast Texas.
Top, left: The St. Anthony
Cathedral Basilica.
Bottom, left: Sacred Heart Church at
Sacred Heart-St. Mary Parish.
Below: St. Catherine of Siena School.
Sharing the Heritage ✦ 71