Texas Catholics are preparing to welcome fans from around the world as the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament officially gets underway today. Source: EWTN News.
The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, the Diocese of Fort Worth, and the Diocese of Dallas have launched special initiatives blending hospitality, faith, and outreach for the hundreds of thousands of fans descending on those cities during the largest World Cup in history.
The cities of Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth will host 16 matches in total, with a tournament-high nine matches taking place at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, which sits in between Fort Worth and Dallas.
The Diocese of Dallas has launched the “Welcome the World, Welcome the Stranger” initiative, encouraging parishes to extend hospitality to the city’s visitors, offering a downloadable resource kit that includes prayers and ideas that “will help your community welcome visitors from around the globe with faith, joy, and generosity”.
The diocese is also offering fans information on Mass times in multiple languages and “everything you need to stay connected to your faith during your visit to north Texas”.
“We are grateful for your presence among us and for this moment that brings the world together in a spirit of joy and unity,” Dallas Bishop Edward Burns said on the dioceseʼs World Cup website. “It is my hope that, during your time here, you will experience not only our hospitality but also the peace that comes from being welcomed as part of one human family.”
The Fort Worth Dioceseʼs initiative, “Together for the Win,” is available in multiple languages and offers visiting fans parish locations, including their distance from Dallas Stadium.
Diocesan spokesman John Cuccaro said individual parishes may organise watch parties, and the diocese plans to share social media reels featuring parishioners attending matches.
The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houstonʼs dedicated World Cup website, meanwhile, offers a parish locator, information on special Masses and other events, and links to notable Catholic sites in the city, which expects over 500,000 visitors.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament opens in Mexico City with the match between Mexico and South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca. This expanded 48-team tournament features a record 104 matches across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, running through until the final on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
FULL STORY
Texas Catholic dioceses welcome hundreds of thousands of fans as 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off (By Amira Abuzeid, EWTN News)
