country I By what heavenly wisdom were God's elect led to endure this dark night of the soul, this utter abandonment and exile, this spiritual and physical crucifixion? In the modern epoch of Texas Catholic history there is the same sus- tained interest. The Catholic pioneers had the difficult task of estab- lishing homes in a wilderness in which unyielding nature seemed at times to thwart their efforts. Isolated as they were by wide expanses of territory on the very .borders of savagery, these homeseekers had a courage no less remarkable than their immediate forerunners of the mission era. From their very entrance into this enchanted region, a land of mysterious romance and startling adventure, there was awakened in their souls a new and strange enthusiasm, a creation of energy and vivaciousness in both body and mind, that reflected the characteristics of an environment enlivened with thrilling incidents so intimately connected with wild f ontier life. No knight-errant of the medieval days surpassed in hardihood the horseman of the plains. No chivalry of the court was more formidable than the valor and daring of these dashing cavaliers of the Southwest, living almost continually in the saddle and. sweeping the expansive ranch lands with their galloping steeds. They cared not for blandishments or favors from anyone, for they were lords of all they surveyed. Here were born that independence and freedom, which dominated their lives. Here G s furnished that sturdy manhood that created heroes in war and cham- ons in peace. Here blossomed the ideals and the aspirations which tracted other migrations to this land of stirring adventure. In these series of volumes, Our Catholic Heritage in Texas, the his- torians have endeavored to present a critical and comprehensive treat- ment of the mission era followed by the modem period, stressing the narration of achievements and events in their relation to the Church through the various epochs to the present day. This contribution to the history of the Lone Star State has been spon- sored by the Knights of Columbus of Texas and has received their active cooperation and support. The Commission organized by them and which bears their name has labored for many years gathering documents and making preliminary studies in preparation for the more intensive research that has followed. The encouragement received and participation bestowed by the hierarchy composed of the Archbishop of San Antonio and the Bishops of Galveston, Dallas, Corpus Christi, El Paso and Amarillo have stimulated activities in every diocese w,ith excellent results. Here then is the Centennial offering of the Catholics of the State of Texas as a memorial to mark this year of jubilee. On this occasion they
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