Saint Francis De Paula Catholic Church

James Farfaglia
Pastor

Fr. James Farfaglia was born on February 20, 1956, to Salvatore and Eleanor Farfaglia, in Stamford, Connecticut. Father is the oldest of four children. When Father was five, Sal and Ellie took their young family to the beautiful New England town of Ridgefield, Connecticut. Ridgefield is where Father James grew up. Upon graduating high school, God’s divine providence led Fr. James to a new Catholic College that was just beginning in New Hampshire. Magdalen College welcomed their first group of students in September 1974. During his sophomore year at Magdalen College, Father experienced a profound calling which led him to the Catholic priesthood. Upon graduating college in 1978, Father joined the Legionaries of Christ. His path to the Roman Catholic priesthood brought him to study in Spain and Rome. Throughout his years with the Legionaries of Christ, he participated in the foundation and development of seminaries, schools, and the Regnum Christi Lay Movement, in Spain, Mexico, Canada and throughout different parts of the United States. Father speaks fluent Spanish and can celebrate Mass in Latin. He also dabbles in Italian as well. Once again, divine providence was at work, and God led Fr. James to parish life in May 1999. He met Bishop Edmond Carmody who was then the Bishop of Tyler, Texas. Bishop Carmody asked Father to found and build a new parish in Lufkin, Texas. Saint Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church was built in 6 months and the rectory within 3 months. When the project was completed, God’s providence was at work again, and Bishop Carmody was transferred to the Corpus Christi diocese in March 2000. Although the founding of Saint Andrew’s was a rewarding ministry, through much prayer and discernment, Father decided to follow Bishop Carmody to South Texas. It is there that he founded Saint Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Catholic Church in the city of Corpus Christi. The current bishop of Corpus Christi, Bishop Michael Mulvey, needing a bilingual priest, asked Father to leave Saint Helena’s and become the pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish, also in Corpus Christi. After 10 years of service at Our Lady of Guadalupe, Bishop Mulvey asked Fr. James to come to St. Francis de Paula. Father James, with a desire to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel, saw the good advantages of the Internet and he has been posting his Sunday homily since 2002. His weekly Internet homily, both in the written form and in the video form, reaches a wide audience. Father’s first book, Man to Man: A Real Priest, Speaks to Real Men about Marriage, Sexuality and Family Life became a very popular resource for men who want to live a faithful and joy filled marriage. He has been the guest on numerous well-known Catholic radio stations around the country where he has spoken about his first book. With a deep desire to help lay Catholics live a deeper spiritual life, he published a second book. Get Serious! A Survival Guide for Serious Catholics is a clear and inspirational guide for anyone who wants to live a serious Catholic life. Father has been actively involved in the pro-life movement. Thanks to his efforts and the efforts of many dedicated people, the only remaining abortion clinic in the city of Corpus Christi closed on June 6, 2014. He served as a member of the board of directors of Hope House, a Corpus Christi home for unwed mothers. Father also assisted Human Life International by serving one term as a member of their board of directors. Igniting a group of leaders, and with the backing of prominent local charitable foundations and private donors, Father James founded his most ambitious project of all: West Side Helping Hand. West Side Helping Hand is an after school holistic youth formation program that empowers at-risk children and young people to overcome the challenges created by poverty and broken homes. Since October 2019, the program outgrew the facilities at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, and through the generosity of the Ed Rachal Foundation, now exists at a separate facility close to the parish. Aside from his demanding duties as a Catholic priest, Father loves movies, he is an avid Three Stooges fan, enjoys swimming, basketball, soccer, the outdoors, and travel. He listens to jazz, and he started, with some friends, the Monday evening Saint Holger’s Cigar Club which meets every week in Corpus Christi. One of his favorite quotes is: "Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair." - G. K. Chesterton