About Catholic Charities
of Corpus Christi, Inc.

Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey
Wm. Michael Mulvey was ordained the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi on March 25, 2010. Pope Benedict XVI named him bishop on January 18, 2010.

Bishop Thomas J. Drury
(1965 - 1983)
The beginning of Bishop Drury's administration was during and after the Second Vatican Council. He initiated many new programs such as Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi, which began to operate it's Emergency Aid Department in 1965, and was formally established in 1968.

Monsignor Robert E. Freeman
Appointed first Director of Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi in 1971.

Catholic Charities was established on September 2, 1965 when Monsignor William
C. Kinlough began to develop programs to serve the poor.  During this period of development, many of the Diocesan priests contributed to the development and implementation of programs.  In 1971, six years after the establishment of Catholic Charities, it was decided to officially appoint a Director to oversee the day-to-day operations of the organization.

1965 - 1975 saw the beginning of Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi. Many programs were developed to serve the poor, such as the Emergency Aid & Disaster Assistance department (1968), the Representative Payee Program (1971) and the Rural Outreach department (1971), which remain in service today. The Christmas Food Baskets tradition began. When Hurricanes Beulah (1967) and Celia (1970) struck the Corpus Christi area, Catholic Charities mobilized its resources to help those afflicted.
For a detailed history of the 1965 - 1975 years, click here.

1976 - 1983 saw trememdous growth within Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi. An English as a Second Language program was implemented and programs to help assist Cuban, Cambodian and Indochinese refugees became available. When Hurricane Allen hit (1980), Catholic Charities came to the aid of the victims. In 1982, Catholic Charities began to distribute daily sack lunches to the homeless and unemployed. The Ministry & Life Enrichment for Persons with Disabilities was established in 1983.
For a detailed history of the 1976 - 1983 years, click here.

1984 - 1992 saw the establishment of the Immigration & Refugee Services (1985) and the Family & Individual Counseling (1986) departments. Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi continued to grow. In 1989, Catholic Charities partnered with The US Marine Corps, C Company Toys for Tots Campaign. This partnership still exists today. For a detailed history of the 1984 - 1992 years, click here.

1993 - 2006 saw the expansion of Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi to all 12 counties the Diocese of Corpus Christi serves. In 2001, Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi celebrated its 35th Anniversary and held its first fundraising event. In 2002, the Housing Counseling department was established and became a HUD approved agency. With the need to address the homeless issue in the city, in 2003 the Mother Teresa Shelter was opened.
For a detailed histroy of the 1993 - 2006 years, click here.

2007 - 2016 saw many challenges affecting our communities. Four new programs, First Call - Connecting People & Resources (2008), Community Wellness & Family Outreach (2009), Mother Teresa Transitional Housing for Men (2012), and Catholic Charities - Flour Bluff (2016), were established. The Mother Teresa Multi-purpose Activity and Therapeutic Center opened in 2011. On September 16, 2015, Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi celebrated its 50th Anniversary and the Memorial Rose Garden was built.
For a detailed history of the 2007 - 2016 years, click here.

2016 - Present (2021) continues to see growth for Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi. In April 2016, we moved to our new/current location at 615 Oliver Ct. In June 2016, the Mother Teresa Multi-purpose Activity and Therapeutic Center was named in honor of Joseph P. Mueller. The Memorial Rose Garden was moved to our courtyard and the 1st Annual Celebration of Charity was held in November 2016 in our warehouse. In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey struck and affected 5 counties we serve. Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi mobilized and continues to work with the  hurricane victims through our Disaster Response Services. In 2018, our building was under construction in order for our clients and guests to have easier access to enter the building. In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country. We had to make some adjustments to all of our services, but we are proud to say we never shut down. Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi will continue to listen to the needs of the community.