Our Catholic Heritage in T cxas
day were crowded and the people always had to stand in the aisles and even outside the little church, reared at the cost of many sacrifices. 38 By the middle of July the church in Houston had been completed. It was a small building, fifty by twenty feet, which had cost $1,100.00, of which Odin had had to pay $950.00 out of the recently acquired funds from the French Society for the Propagation of the Faith of Lyons and Paris. The formal dedication took place on July 17, 1842, and the event was well publicized by the 1vlorning Star in its issue of July 16. Curiously enough, the article referred to Odin as "the Bishop from Bexar." Being the third building to be dedicated by Odin since his first coming to Texas, it was but natural that he should have dedi- cated it to St. Vincent de Paul, founder of the Lazarists (Vincentians). The Bishop-Vicar preached during the morning and the evening services. He noted in his Diary that a large concourse attended the evening service, Catholics and non-Catholics, and that among the audience there were several Congressmen, who were attending a called session in Houston at the time. 39 Odin was quite proud of the Houston church with its steeple which made the exterior look "very well." This was a feature which the first St. Mary's church in Galveston lacked. The bell, which was hung Feb- ruary 11, 1843, bore the inscription "D.O.M.-St. Vincenti, ora pronobis, Houston 1843." Every Sunday, Odin remarked, more than a hundred persons tried to find standing room for there were only twenty pews. Since many non-Catholics were attending Mass regularly, the size of the church had been underestimated, Odin explained. He was disap- pointed, however, in the number of penitents, "not as great as I would wish," he noted. But he had great hopes of improvement, and was counting on his announcement of the Jubilee Year to awaken interest. Rumors of a possible second invasion disturbed Odin not so much as the exaggerated spring accounts had. As the summer was approach- ing its end, Odin was enthusiastically making plans for the erection of a church in Richmond, where a large settlement was rapidly growing. General Alexander Somervell graciously donated ten acres to help defray the expenses. Many of the Richmond settlers had originally S&The summary above presented is based largely on Odin to Timon, June 20, ,842; Odin, Diary, entries for March 6, May 11, 1842; Odin to Blanc, May 22, 1842, C. A. T. 19 0dln to Timon, June 20, 1842; Odin to Blanc, July 4 and August 20, I 842; Odin, Diary, entry for July 17, C. A. T. See also W.P.A., Houston, A Histor,y and Guide, 187, 262.
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