Father Reginald Samuels

Our Pastor, Father Reginald Wayne Samuels was born the youngest of six children to Weaver and Edith Samuels in the rural town of Washington, Ga. His family owned a logging company. His father served as a Deacon in the Baptist Church.

Life growing up in the Samuels family centered on church; Sunday worship and Wednesday evening bible study. In his small town everyone knew each other; the pace of living was peaceful, and he grew up in a large and close-knit family.

He graduated with a degree in economics from the University of Georgia in Athens. He moved to Atlanta and worked for Federated (Macy’s) Department Stores as a sales manager and buyer.

In 1997, he moved to Houston to work for a major Coperation here in Houston.  He lived on the west side of Houston and began a Sunday ritual to find a church home. One of the churches he visited was St. Cyril of Alexandria. It was there that he discovered a love for Catholic liturgy and music and began attending St. Cyril’s exclusively.

He was confirmed  in the Catholic faith on Easter of 1999, and soon thereafter joined the choir, became a cantor, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, lector, and a member of the singles group.  As time passed, he began to recognize that the more involved he got in the Church, the less satisfied he was with his career.

He contacted the Vocations Office at the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and sought the counsel of his priest and mentor at St. Cyril’s, Fr. Mario Arroyo. After a yearlong process of investigation and prayerful discernment, he charted a new course for his life.

In August of 2003, at the age of 36, he entered St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston in a new program designed specifically for older seminarians who had already earned their undergraduate degree. The six-year program involved hundreds of hours of theology and philosophy, clinical pastoral education, and Spanish immersion. On May 30, 2009, surrounded by his family and friends, he was ordained to the priesthood by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo at the Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral. 

Early assignments included Parochial Vicar St. Laurence Catholic Church in Sugar Land and Christ the Redeemer Church in Houston. He currently serves as the Cardinal's Vicor for Catholics of African Descent. 

On March 1, 2012, Father Reginald joined his new church family at St. Hyacinth.