Religiotes Commu11ities of 111 en in T ezas
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in San Antonio in March, 1926, on the invitation of the late Archbishop Drossaerts. The Holy Family made their first foundation in New Braunfels ,•nd dedicated themselves to the apostolate of the Spanish-speaking. From the time of their arrival they have successfully extended their labors to Seguin, Gonzales, Cuero, Yorktown, Yoakum, Charlotte, Poteet, Jourdanton, Honey Creek, Beeville, Refugio, Lamar, Corpus Christi and Odem. 7 z Carmelite Fathers, O.C.D., 19.26. The Discalced Carmelite Fathers of the American Province of St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus were originally members of the Province of Valencia, Spain. Most of them came to the United States from Mexico, where they had been laboring until forced to seek refuge in the United States by the bitter persecutions that char- acterized in part the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Archbishop Drossaerts had repeatedly invited them to establish them- selves in San Antonio, but not until 1926 did they accept the invitation. The Superior of the Order decided to open a foundation on the corner of Zarzamora and Kentucky in the northwest section of the city of San Antonio. The Very Reverend Edward Soler, O.C.D., accompanied by a postulant, Brother Anthony, arrived on March 30, 1926, and was joined the next day by Fathers Cyril Corbato, O.C.D., and Joseph Sanchez, O.C.D. They took possession on February 22, 1926, of the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Theresa, recently erected by Archbishop Drossaerts. The first church was a small frame building partitioned to serve as church, school and sacristy. The unpretentious building, where the new Province of St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus was to be born, was duly dedi- cated on August 29 of the same year. Seven years later, in a new and sumptuous church and monastery building, the new American province was formally constituted and a novitiate opened with seven native born ~tudents and one Canadian. The original modest frame building served as church and school for two years. In 1928 a separate school building was put up and plans were begun for the erection of the present structure, the Shrine of the Little Flower, erected at a cost of more than $300,000.00 in marked contrast to their humble beginnings. The new church was blessed by Father Edward Soler, O.C.D., and solemnly consecrated by the Most Reverend Jose Jesus Manriquez, Bishop of Huejutla, Mexico. on September 29, 1931, through special delegation from the Archbishop.
~~Official Cat/10/ic Direrlor·y, 10.fi, pp. :?79-282, 403-405.
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