Fr. James “Jaime” Arrambide

Fr. James “Jaime” Arrambide, C.Ss.R.

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Fr. James “Jaime” Arrambide, C.Ss.R., who died on April 6, 2026 after a brief period on hospice care at the St. Clement Redemptorist Mission Community in Barnhart, MO. He was 79, and had suffered from a variety of health issues.

Fr. Jaime fully embraced his heritage and devoted nearly five decades of ministry to the Hispanic community. He was a popular and effective Redemptorist missionary practically a fixture in the South quietly doing his work and doing it well for many years. He touched countless lives through his ministry.

Jesus and Stella (Perkins) Arrambide welcomed James Claude, their only son, on October 6, 1946 in San Antonio, TX. He grew up with four doting older sisters in nearby Sampasco. His family attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, a mission of the Redemptorists at that time. He felt a call to the priesthood in elementary school, so with the encouragement of his parents, he enrolled at Holy Redeemer College in Lacombe, LA. He proceeded to St. Joseph’s College in Edgerton, WI, where he was known as a quiet, kind and dependable student who already felt specifically called to serve the Hispanic community. He completed Novitiate and professed temporary vows at the newly opened Holy Redeemer College in Waterford, WI on August 2, 1968. After completing theology courses at Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary in Esopus, NY he professed perpetual vows on August 2, 1971 and was ordained to the priesthood on June 23, 1973.

After completing Tirocinium at St. Alphonsus “Rock” Parish in St. Louis, Fr. Jaime was assigned at two English-speaking parishes: St. Leo Parish in Versailles, KY, where he served for nearly two years; and then St. Mary’s Assumption Parish in New Orleans, LA, where he served for two years. Fr. Jaime returned to Texas in 1978, and he continued ministering in the Lone Star State for the next 41 years. He initially was assigned at Holy Redeemer Parish in Odessa. Five years later, he was appointed local superior and pastor of Casa Redentor in El Paso, which included ministry in the outlying Fabens agricultural area bordering Mexico. He returned to the C.Ss.R. Apostolic Center in San Antonio as pastor of the historic Perpetual Help Church in 1984. He immersed himself in ministry, and was a popular and beloved pastor. He had many good friends throughout the city, and it was a special treat for him to enjoy a delicious meal at their family-owned restaurants.

Fr. Jaime was transferred to Holy Ghost Parish in Houston in 1990, where he was assigned for a total of 35 years. Initially he served as pastor of two missions: St. Mark the Evangelist from 1991 to 1995; and St. Raphael from 1995 to 2011, when he was appointed pastor and superior of the local community at Holy Ghost. After his term in leadership at the parish ended in 2015, he continued to serve as associate pastor for the next four years.

Fr. Jaime joined the Hispanic Ministry team at St. Gerard Majella Parish in Baton Rouge, LA in 2019. He was a valued member of the team devoted to serving the Spanish-speaking in the Diocese of Baton Rouge until health issues necessitated his move to St. Clement Redemptorist Mission Community last December.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS:

St. Clement Redemptorist Mission Community Chapel
300 Liguori Drive
Barnhart, MO 63012

Wednesday, April 15, 2026
3:00 PM: Rosary
7:00 PM: Vigil

Thursday, April 16, 2026
10:00 AM: Mass of Resurrection
Burial to follow at Liguori Cemetery