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Our Catleolic Heritage in Texas
"Queen of the Missions" of New Spain by Fray Augustin Morfi. The cornerstone was laid on March 15, 1931, and on November 26 of the same year the beautiful replica of San Jose on the Brazos River-originally named Brazos de Dios (Arms of God) was blessed and dedicated under the title of St. Francis on the Brazos. The frescos of the new church depict vividly the history of the Spanish missions in Texas from the establishment of the first to the martyrdom of Fray San Sabastian at San Xavier. The mission-style church of St. Francis on the Brazos River in Waco is a beautiful monument to the early Christian heroes of Texas. From St. Francis on the Brazos the Franciscan missionaries have ex- tended their work in all directions. They have built churches or chapels for their Spanish-speaking missions at Cameron. Marlin, Temple, Bryan, Calvert, Satin, and Rosebud, without neglecting the people of the Stations of Moody, Belton, and Rogers. In 1946, Fathers John Domenge, A. Frontera, and William Buades had the following missions: St. Rita's at Satin, Blessed Sacrament at Cameron, St. Mary's at Calvert, Our Lady of the Pilar at Marlin, St. Teresa's at Bryan, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Church at Temple, besides taking care of the State Training School for Boys at Gatesville. Driven by a desire to reach all the Spanish-speaking in Central and North Central Texas, the Third Order Regulars from Majorca, Spain, established a new mission center in Wichita Falls in 1927. Fathers Miguel Munar, T.0.R., and Antonio Frontera, T.O.R., built Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Church in Wichita Falls as the center of their mission activ- ities for the Spanish-speaking in Knox City, Rhineland, Benjamin, Kemp City, Bridgeport, Crowell, and Vernon. In 1946, the Third Order had in the Diocese of Dallas, besides the Wichita Falls Parish, missions at Benjamin and Santa Rosa and stations at Gilliland, Munday, and Kamay. 71 The Congregation of the Missionaries of the Holy Fa,,nil,y, 111.S.F., 1926. Founded in 1895 by the Very Reverend John Baptiste Berthier, the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Holy Family came to the United States in 1924 and made their first foundation in Minnesota the next year. They began their work in Texas in the Archdiocese of San Antonio in 1926. Father Anthony Elsing, M.S.F., is the Texas pioneer priest of the Congregation. He came as the superior of four, who arrived 11 This summary is based on Diocese of Galveston, Centennial, 1847-1947, pp. 94, 95; !ltatement,; of Father Antonio Frontera, T.O.R., to the author, July 25, 195 1 , now in C. A. T.; Official Cat/10/ic Direr.tory, 1947, pp. 416, 417, 465_, 466.
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