Vision:

The vision of Notre Dame Catholic Church is to glorify God by being a faithful, inclusive community who, in the name of Jesus Christ, enables all to grow in their relationship with God and with one another through witness, worship and service.

History:

Since the early days of missionary preaching and faithful service in the mid-nineteenth century Hill Country of Texas, the Catholic people of God in Kerrville have been on a journey of hearing, becoming, and proclaiming the Word of God,  Jesus Christ.  In March, 1889, a small band of Roman Catholics in Kerr County formed and erected a small wood frame mission church, St. Mary of the Assumption.  Served by the clergy from nearby Fredericksburg and Boerne, the body of Christ in Kerrville continued to grow by God’s favor and the faithful response of many pioneers.  In God’s time, the Reverend Henry Kemper, recently and hurriedly ordained in Chicago, Illinois, arrived in Texas, and in 1911 he was named the first full time pastor of the Kerrville flock.  Immediately, Fr. Kemper, an alumnus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, declared that the Kerr County Roman Catholic community should fly to the patronage of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, under the French language title “Notre Dame,” Our Lady.  In 1912 he founded a Catholic school in Kerrville, naming it Notre Dame Institute.  Twenty-five years later, when his parents financed the building of the second church in his silver jubilee, he would formalize this name change for the parish as well.

When Father Kemper came to Kerr County, he brought the Good News of Jesus with new life and new hope, exemplifying creative vision, discipline, and faithful service. His tireless work laid a solid foundation for the growth and well-being of Notre Dame Catholic Church and School, and because of that growth, a committee was formed in the late 1980’s to consider building a third church, which was dedicated on January 11, 1990.