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Oter Cat/1,(Jlic Heritage in Texas
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Smmnar,y of progress in 1846. The anxious Bishop-Vicar undertook a visitation as soon as conditions permitted. Desirous of seeing for h,im- self the progress made by the new German settlements, Odin went to the Guadalupe and Comal districts. In New Braunfels, the principal colony of the M aineer Verein, he had the good fortune of meeting the scientist and scholar Ferdinand von Roemer to whom modern naturalists are so much indebted for his description of Texas fauna and flora. The observant scientist was deeply impressed by the energetic and enthusiastic missionary. "Bishop Odin," he later wrote, "lives as did the early Christian evangelists. He journeys incessantly up and down the country in order to tend a flock scattered in all directions. Knowing neither fear or fatigue, he crosses the lonely plains and prairies on horseback. By his energetic labors and unaffected amiability he has won the respect even of those who do not share his beliefs." 88 Fredericksburg, the second colony in importance of the M ai.nzer V erein, had suffered severe losses from malaria, dysentery, and bilious fever. It seemed to Odin, nevertheless, to hold promise of a bright future. The chronic epidemics that caused the budding settlement a loss of almost twenty per cent of its population had not been confined to Fredericksburg. Central and West Texas had been equally affected. While in Fredericksburg, the Vicar met Baron O. von Meusebach, chief agent of the Association. Upon being invited by the Baron to provide a priest for the Catholics in the colony, Odin made it clear that the local church would have to be entirely free of control by the Company's board. The Bishop-Vicar then offered to build his own church with mission funds and solicited from the colonizing company nothing more than an outright grant of a suitable lot to be deeded to him without strings attached. His request was readily granted. 89 In summarizing for Timon the state of the Texas Mission in January, 1847, Odin was proud to state that there were ten churches in actual use: St. Mary's of Galveston, St. Vincent's of Houston, San Fernando of San Antonio, Our Lady of Refuge of Refugio, Our Lady of Guada- lupe of Victoria, St. Mary's of Brown's Settlement on the Lavaca, St. Louis' of Castroville, ~t. Joseph's of Fagan's Settlement, Refugio County, Santa Gertrudis on Don Carlos' ranch, Victoria County, and St. Peter's of Cumming's Creek Settlement, Austin County. In addition to these churches, there were eleven Mass-stations: Bra- "Roemer, Texas, mit besonderer Riicksicltt auf deutslte Auswanderung und die ,Plzysfrcltm Verltaeltnisse des Landes, 2 s 7. 19 Bayard, o,p. cu., 37S,
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