St. Leo the Great Parish
Centerville TX

St. Leo the Great Parish is located in Centerville, Leon County, Texas midway between Houston and Dallas close to I-45 Exit 164. We are part of the Diocese of Tyler. St. Leo serves both the 'Anglo' and Hispanic communities in the area, and shares our passionate, committed priest Fr. Joseph Lourdusamy with our sister parish of St. Thomas More in Hilltop Lakes. Father Joseph Lourdusamy celebrates the Novus Ordo Mass as prescribed by Vatican II in a very reverent and traditional way. All visitors are welcome, of any Faith or none.

 

http://stleotx.org/  

 

About St. Leo the Great:

Pope Saint Leo the Great was born in Tuscany in 400 A.D. and was pope from 440 until his death in 461. He is the first Doctor of the Church, and our patron saint. St Leo was very influential in establishing Rome and the papacy as the center of our Church, and prevented Attila the Hun from sacking Rome.

Only two Popes have earned the Title 'Great' - Pope Leo I and Pope Gregory I.

St.Leo the Great was the first Pope to have been called "the Great". Leo was born in Tuscany and was ordained a deacon while still a young man. When he was a deacon, other church leaders looked to him for advice and for explanations of the faith. He made a name for himself by serving as an advisor to Pope Saint Celestine I and Pope Sixtus III. Leo was sent to settle arguments between leaders. He was on such a mission in 440 when he was elected pope. He helped the Church stay united when it was being attacked inside by false teachers and outside by warring tribes.

Leo helped rebuild the city after the invaders departed, and he then sent missionaries to minister to those who had been captured and taken there by the Vandals.

Leo is often remembered for his writings and explanations of the faith, especially during the Council of Chalcedon in 451. His words were so powerful that the 600 bishops gathered there felt they had heard Saint Peter speaking through Leo. He is described as a man of boundless energy and a large heart; he had a strong sense of duty and worked to increase the prestige and influence of the church of Rome. He was anxious to ensure that Christians throughout the world believed and practiced the same ways.

+ Pope Leo confirmed the teachings on the Incarnation of Jesus in his writings against certain heretical groups. He was influential in secular politics and showed great courage when he faced the armies of Atilla the Hun, ultimately helping to save the city of Rome from destruction. St.Leo the Great was Pope for 21 years. Saint Leo the Great died on November 10, 461, and was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1754 and was honored as the “Doctor of the Church’s Unity” because his theological writings combated heresies plaguing the Church in his time.