1880. Bishop C.M. Dubuis from Galveston dedicated the new church to the patronage of St. James the Greater in appreciation of Dr. James Robertson. It was the only Catholic Church between Jefferson and Dallas. (The house of Dr. James is the same corner house that is now on Texas St. and Robertson St. The cost on the deed transfer was $125.00).

1881. Bishop Dubuis resigned as Bishop of Galveston but kept his title, Bishop Nicholas Gallagher was appointed the Administrator of the Diocese of Galveston in 1881-1892. 

1890-1892. The Diocese of Dallas was established. Thomas Francis Brennan was 1st Bishop.

1893-1910. Edward Joseph Dunne, 2nd Bishop of Diocese of Dallas.

1894-1895. The roof and parts of the first church were blown away by a tornado in March of 1894. The structure was torn down and a second church rebuilt on the same site. The second church was completed in 1895.

1911-1954. Joseph P. Lynch, 3rd Bishop of Diocese of Dallas.

1936. The church building was remodeled and improved in 1936 and at this time the church mission was dedicated again but by Bishop Joseph P. Lynch of Dallas and was now served by various priests from there once a month.

1950-1952. From 1950 to 1952 the church was a mission of Paris and was served by a Priest from Paris.

1953. In 1953 the church was a mission of Greenville and Fr. Edward Harrison celebrated Mass every other Sunday.

1955-1969. THOMAS K. GORMAN, 4th BISHOP OF DIOCESE OF DALLAS.

1958. Bishop Gorman invited the Glenmary Home Missioners to serve in our area and Mass was celebrated every Sunday.

1966. In March of 1966 St. James Church at Sulphur Springs was erected as a parish and Father Hutchison was appointed its first pastor. Glenmary Home Missioners began to serve in the Diocese of Dallas. The Rev. George Hutchison (Glenmary) was appointed the first pastor until 1971.

 1969-1990. THOMAS A. TSCHOEPE, 5th BISHOP OF DIOCESE OF DALLAS.

1969 (June). Manuel and Maria Aguilar, with nine children and grandmother Micaela Altamirano, moved to Sulphur Springs and brought with them their faith, traditions and culture when arriving at St. James. At that time they were mostly migrant workers and their families, who were employed as dairy hands. The Aguilars’  shared Jesus’ ministry while encouraging these men and their families to attend Mass, Maria being the interpreter and serving as Eucharist Minister and also served as a member of the Cursillo de Colores, Virgin de Guadalupe, Parish Council and was organizer of the annual church auction, acting as head chef.

July 1971-1980. Rev. Raymond Orlett (Glenmary) and Brother Francis Sauer (1971-1974).  During the next 9 years the parish grew to a congregation of 450 families. Various properties behind the church and on the side of the church, as well as the actual rectory, were purchased through the years for future expansion and a Spanish Mass was held once a month during this time.

1972. Glenmary Sisters arrived to give leadership to the CCD program. A Sacramental workshop was conducted by the Glenmary Religious Education Department from Nashville, Tennessee.

June 1980-1983. Rev. Bernard L. Pustejovsky. Now the Spanish Mass was held each Sunday at the suggestion of the Aguilar Family.

1982. November 2nd, George Allen and Loren Seely were ordained Deacons from this parish.

1983-1984. Fr. Emil Novak was named pastor. The community received a generous donation of $200,000 given by Mrs. Blanche McMullan Greene for the actual Education Building in 1984. Father Emil Novak (appointed July 11, 1983 as the Priest in charge) established the 11:30 AM Sunday Spanish Mass in 1983. On October 21, 1984 Fr. Novak was finally appointed pastor. 

1986. The church was expanded by adding two wings on each side and doubling its capacity in 1986.

1987. THE DIOCESE OF TYLER WAS ESTABLISHED AND MONS. CHARLES Herzing was the  1st Bishop of DIOCESE OF Tyler until 1991.

1987. Jose Hernandez was ordained Deacon on June 13, 1987.

1992-2000. Edmond Carmody, 2nd Bishop of DIOCESE OF Tyler.

1992. June 22, Buddy O’Brien ordained Deacon.

1994-1996. Fr. Bernie Pustejovsky returned as pastor.

1996-1997. Spanish speaking, Fr. Christopher Shackelford, was Parochial Vicar and when Fr. Bernie was transferred to work in the Chancery in 1996, he became pastor.

1998-2001. Fr. Kingsley Nonis was appointed pastor.

1999 (October 11)- April 21, 2001. Fr. Diego Ossa, Parochial Vicar.

2001-2011. Alvaro Corrada, 3rd Bishop of DIOCESE OF Tyler.

2001 (April 16)- June 12, 2001. Fr. Ben Smylie.

2001(April 21) – (Jan. 12) 2003. Fr. Jose Marin, Parochial Vicar.

2001. (June) – (February) 2002. Fr. Thomas Kandathil.

2001. October 13, Jerry Besze was ordained Deacon.

2002 (March 1) – Feb. 5, 2006. Fr. Joe Kannampuzha was parish administrator and appointed pastor as of February 11, 2003.

2003 (May 1st)- January 1, 2004. Fr. Jessie Arroyave, Parochial Vicar. 

2004 (Feb. 2nd)- October 21, 2004. Fr. Andrés Salinas, Parochial Vicar.

February 8, 2005- March 19, 2009. Fr. Juan Sardinas, Parochial Vicar.

2006- March 19, 2009. Fr. Gary Rottman Pastor.

Fr. Juan Sardinas, Parochial Vicar until March 19, 2009, when he was transferred to Daingerfield.

March 19, 2009 to August 1, 2014. Fr. M. Susai Avula, Pastor.

2009 (March 19th- June 28, 2011).  Fr. Eduardo Lázaro, Parochial Vicar.

The church building underwent extensive interior renovation in 2011 and was blessed on December 11, 2011. Contractor, Ronnie Denton.

After the renovation, the black granite St. James stone was donated by Jenita Cegelski in memory of her late husband, Benny.

2012 to present. Joseph E. Strickland, 4th Bishop of DIOCESE OF Tyler.

August 1, 2014 to present. Fr. Juan Sardinas returned as pastor. In the period from August 1, 2014 through August 1, 2019:

The first thing made in 2014 was the cabinet in the entrance to the church and the shelf in front of the restroom.

The Jesus Risen Statue and the concrete pews around the pecan tree was donated by Danny & Karla Campbell Family in 2014 and the concrete circle sidewalk and the base of the grill and dumpster were donated by Rigoberto Armendariz, Vicente & Memo Torres and Ernesto Alvarez.

November 30, 2014 - Maple trees on the side of Texas St. in front of the Hall were donated in memory of Francisco Melendez and on the side of the rectory in memory of Mary Julian. 

The porch of church building was added on April 29, 2015. Later that same year the hand rails of the sidewalk steps were added by Mark Rasmussen.

The iron-wood pews in the prayer garden in front of the office were donated by Irma Juarez, Maria Reyes, Mary Wallace, Vivian VanVleet and Billie Sue Ray Families on July 23, 2015.

Felipe Herrera donated the iron arch on the back of the Jesus Risen Statue on October 25, 2015 and Antonio Mejia painted it on October 27, 2015.

The St. James marble statue was carved in China with marble from India on July 21, 2015, arrived in Sulphur Springs on March 9, 2016. It was donated by Don-Phillis Dona, Mary Gilbertson (in memory of Millie Juneau), Bill Sutter, Eleazar M. Osornio, an anonymous donor and by a large donation from the Guadalupana Commission.

The St. James interior statue was carved in solid “sabino” wood. It was special order from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. It was donated by the Maria Aguilar & Family on April 4, 2016 in memory of Manuel Aguilar (husband) & Frances Redding (daughter).

The Immaculate Conception status inside the church and the cantera rock status of O.L. Guadalupe outside were donated by the Arsenio-Dula Ugalde family in memory of Arsenio Ugalde II in November of 2015.

Chalices were donated by James-Mary Wallace in November of 2015.

Mosaics were donated for Celina Yanez, Pedro Guerrero, Arsenio-Dula Ugalde in November of 2015 and attached to the wall by Filemon Robles.

Pedro Salas donated the cost of two bases of St. James and Immaculate Conception Statue inside the church in December of 2015. Hand labor by  Luis & Rene Pulido (Luis & Rene also fixed the base of the O.L. Guadalupe inside the church to form a triangle shape).

The hand rails of the altar were paid for with the candle offerings and added by Vicente Torres on April 22, 2016.

The cabinet in the Confessional room was donated by Jean Pogue in April of 2016.

The rock imitation pews in front of the church building; the Sacred Heart of Jesus in front of the rectory; the outside Jesus on the cross outside the Education Building; the two angel heads with wings painted in gold; the two altar boys statues; the Holy Spirit; the two angels with trumpets on the baptistery inside the church and more, were all donated by an anonymous family in 2015-2016.

The Bell Tower was added in 2017 with brick sale money and completed with the major donation of two anonymous parishioners (no church funds were used in this project). The brick floor of the bell tower was donated by Bonifacio Ruiz. Later Vicente Torres, Jesus Mendez, David & Rigoberto Mejia and Tomas Veloz widened the sidewalk in the front of the church. 

(We expect to continue engraving all the bricks with parishioners’ names in the years to come).

2017. The radio station was created.

2018. When security cameras were added, the wiring and internet connections were run underground to the education building by Ernesto Alvarez.

2019. The piece of red fabric behind the crucifix of the altar and the curtains were added.

2019. The kitchen hall was remodeled.

2019. The baptistery was added (the altar boys’ closet on the other side).