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Our Catlzolic Heritage in Texas
without sin, may the definition of your immaculate conception become an inexhaustible source of blessing for the whole world...." 15 A decade of Cliurclz Progress. Bishop Odin, while in Rome in 1851, had with elation summarized for the Cardinal Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith the progress made in the decade from 1840 to 1850. "During this time," he said with justifiable pride, "I have been instrumental in bringing to Texas thirty-five priests, a good many of whom were trained for the mission after their arrival, and for all of whom I have had to defray the expenses of transportation. Of these priests ten have succumbed to fatigue, privations, and sickness. Eleven others, members of religious congregations, have been moved by their superiors to other places where their services were needed.... There remain not more than twelve in Texas." 16 The exact number of Catholics, he reported, was unknown, but it was not an exaggeration to place it above forty thousand, principally Span- iards and Indians who spoke Spanish. The rest were Americans of Irish, Gennan, French, or Italian extraction. During the last eleven years he had been able, in spite of great difficulties, t? repair the churches of San Antonio and Laredo, erect a cathedral in Galveston, build stone churches at Castroville and Fredericksburg, and put up wooden structures-gen- erally modest chapels-at Brazoria, Houston, Lavaca, Nacogdoches, Frels- burg, New Braunfels, Victoria, Rancho de San Carlos, Fagan, Refugio, Brownsville, and Santa Rita. The Cathedral was his pride and joy. "It is a solid, adequate building of Gothic style, with inside measurements of 120 feet by 60 feet and a transept of 80 feet." Education had been his constant goal. He could now boast that his efforts were beginning to bear fruit. "In 1847 I obtained eight Usurline Sisters in New Orleans to establish a convent in Galveston," he declared, "for the purpose of providing education for young girls. This establish- ment has already rendered important services to religion and is for me a source of great consolation." A new convent had just been built in San Antonio for the Usurlines, who were to open a school for girls there in November of 1852. He then gave voice to his needs. Referring briefly to the recent visita- tion of his Diocese, during which he had traveled over seven hundred llQdin, to the Clergy and Faithful of the Diocese, Galveston, March 2 S, I 8 S S, C. A. T. 16 This enumeration accounts for only thirty-three priests.
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