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Our Catholic Heritage in Texas
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Colored was ordained by the Bishop and placed in charge of Holy Rosary Parish. He may well be regarded as the builder of the new parish. His devotion, zeal, and spirit of self sacrifice enabled him to make rapid strides. Within two years he built the church which was blessed by Bishop Gallagher on the Feast of the Holy Rosary in 1891.s 1 The new parish grew rapidly. In 1897, the Sisters of the Holy Family (Colored), whose Mother House is in New Orleans, took charge of the parish school. They immediately added an industrial department where the children were taught cooking, washing, ironing, and other useful domestic sciences. Father Keller continued to work in Holy Rosary parish until 1913. After his departure the parish was placed under the J osephite Fathers. Those who have served since are : Fathers Charles Gately, S.S.J., William Murphy, S.S.J., Charles E. Riley, S.S.J ., and Andrew J. Fitzpatrick, S.S.J. The little parish school became a high school for Colored children in 1927 and was moved into a spacious new building in 1928.si Let us return to the Colored parish of St. Nicholas in Houston. The first resident pastor was Father Francis J. Tobin, S.S.J., who immediately set zealously to repair the run-down building in 1901. Fathers Narcisse Denis, S.S.J., and Joseph Murphy, S.S.J., followed him. In July 1904, the Reverend Charles Reilly, S.S.J., took over for the next six years. His outstanding achievement was the building of a small convent for the Sisters of the Holy Family, who took over the parish school in September 1905, and expanded its curriculum to include vocational training. They replaced the Incarnate Word Sisters who had heroically looked after the Colored children of St. Nicholas parish in spite of many difficulties. The parish property was sold early in 1920 by Father John McKeever, S.S.]., the pastor, who purchased a new plot at the corner of Bell Avenue and St. Charles Street. Here two frame buildings were erected, which were later stuccoed. One was a combination church and school, and the other a convent. The new chapel was inaugurated on September 19, 1920. The site proved unsatisfactory and in August 1922, the new pastor, Father Carl F. Schappert, S.S.J., was instructed to find a new site. The present St. Nicholas was dedicated on December 2, 1923, and in 1931, the new convent and school were completed. A high school course was offered and the first class was graduated in 1935 from St. Nicholas SI/bid., 44. It is to be noted that the date given is 1893, which is evidently a ml!-s print for I 89 I . st /bid., 44-45.
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