Our History
St. Vincent’s Anglican Cathedral traces its beginnings to the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, which, in the mid-20th century, oversaw all Episcopal congregations in North Texas. Rapid regional growth during this period led to the founding of several new missions, including St. Vincent’s.
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In September 1955, the mission began in the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Holder in Hurst, Texas, under the leadership of the Rev. J. E. Flinn, with just seven communicants. As the congregation expanded, it moved in June 1956 to a three-acre property at 3201 Pipeline Road in Euless. When Fr. Flinn entered the U.S. Air Force as a chaplain in 1958, the Rev. Hadley became Vicar. By 1960 the mission had grown to 129 members, and in 1961 it attained parish status after becoming fully self-supporting. A rectory was built the following year, and in August 1963 St. Vincent’s Episcopal School was established, becoming one of the parish’s most enduring ministries.
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Growth continued steadily under several rectors, including the Rev. Stephen D. Carter beginning in 1968, the Rev. William F. Forrest in 1973, the Rev. William A. Crary in 1978, the Rev. Rex D. Perry in 1984, and the Rev. Louis L. Tobola in 1987. During this same era, the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas experienced significant expansion, particularly in its western counties—where St. Vincent’s was located. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, the vast geographic area had become increasingly difficult to administer. In response, the Diocese of Fort Worth was created in 1983 from the western region of the Diocese of Dallas, and St. Vincent’s became part of the newly formed diocese.
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As both parish and school outgrew the Pipeline Road campus, St. Vincent’s relocated in 1989 to its present site at 1300 Forest Ridge Drive in Bedford. In 1995, Bishop Jack L. Iker, the third Bishop of Fort Worth, designated St. Vincent’s as the Pro-Cathedral of the diocese. Continued development followed, including the arrival of the Rev. Ryan S. Reed (now Bishop Reed) in 2002 as the second Dean of St. Vincent’s. That same year, construction began on the Upper School building for St. Vincent’s School, dedicated in 2003. The parish celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005 and hosted an important Anglican Communion Network meeting in response to the Windsor Report. In December 2007, the church building, designed in a stripped modern Gothic style with a distinctive three-sided campanile, was consecrated as the Cathedral of the Diocese of Fort Worth.
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A historic milestone followed in April 2009, when St. Vincent’s hosted the inaugural assembly of the Anglican Church in North America. Delegates from dioceses and jurisdictions across the continent gathered at the Cathedral to ratify the Constitution and Canons of the new province and to elect Bishop Robert Duncan as the first Archbishop of the ACNA.
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In the fall of 2011, St. Vincent’s School expanded again, officially opening its Upper School and becoming a PreK–12 institution. By the 2013–2014 school year, the school served 108 students. Sadly, the school closed in 2016 after more than fifty years of ministry.
In 2019, the Very Rev. Ryan Reed was elected Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Fort Worth and later succeeded Bishop Jack Iker as diocesan bishop. On the first Sunday of Advent 2020, the Very Rev. Mark D. Polley became the third Dean of St. Vincent’s Cathedral.
