As we enter the new year...

Dear St. William Parishioners,

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! So many beautiful graces manifested in 2024. For the first time since 2020, our ministry life has returned. We now have a seasoned and dedicated staff who are leading incredible ministry, and I feel that I have truly settled into my role as your pastor. I am grateful to God for these gifts and look forward to what the Lord has in store for us in the new year.

First, I am filled with joy to share with you that Pope Francis has declared 2025 the Jubilee of Hope. The Holy Doors will be opened at the Major Basilicas in Rome, and our own Bishop Joe Vásquez has designated 11 parishes in the Diocese of Austin for pilgrimage during this sacred year. As I have preached, hope is the trust that allows our hearts to rest in the Lord, even in the face of the unknown, amid both struggles and moments of joy. The Lord is faithful, and our hope in Him will never lead us to disappointment.

Secondly, this year we will celebrate a milestone in the life of our parish: the 85th anniversary of St. William Catholic Church. What began as a small Hispanic parish in 1940 has blossomed into the vibrant community we are today, serving the City of Round Rock and surrounding communities. Each of you is a vital part of this living gift we call our parish. As we enter the new year, I invite each of you to begin reflecting on how we as a parish family can foster deeper and more transformative encounters with Jesus Christ for all who come through our doors and how we can be disciples for our surrounding communities. These are two essential questions drawn directly from our mission statement that will help guide us in 2025. Next month , we will reflect further on these and other questions. Together we can help our parish be a place of profound encounter with our Savior—the source of all that we do in the life of the Church.

Thirdly, I am humbled to share that June 6, 2025 will mark the 10th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. These years have been a grace-filled journey, one of spiritual formation, growth, and sanctification. I am deeply grateful to serve as your priest, and even more so, as your pastor. The deepest desire of my heart has always been to be a good father. The gift of priestly fatherhood has filled my soul with joy in ways I could never have imagined. Every day, I pray for spiritual protection over each of you through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I love my parish family dearly, and I thank God for each of you.

Finally, I extend to you a heartfelt invitation to join me on a pilgrimage to Rome, where we will celebrate both the Jubilee year and the 85th anniversary of our parish. Our pilgrimage will take us through Italy, where we will pass through the Holy Doors and visit the monasteries of St. William of Vercelli.

Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to hold all of you in mine. May God’s Kingdom reign at St. William, today and for many years to come.

Ad Jesum per Mariam,


Fr. Francisco Rodriguez III
Pastor