Our Catliolic Heritage in Texas
Texas was insufficient for the successful support of the new educational institution so sanguinely envisioned by the Bishop and the enthusiastic Vincentians. In vain, they struggled against the competition of rival institutions in the vicinity, public apathy, and general Catholic indiffer- ence. The financial burden of keeping up a first class institution worthy of the name became too great. When in 1927 the contract with the Bishop expired, the various departments of the College were discontinued and the following summer the A_;:ademy itself closed its doors. Under the suc- cessive presidencies of"'Fathers Finney, C.M., Marshall Winne, C.M., William Barr, C.M., "Thomas Powers, C.M., 'thomas Carney, C.M., and Charles McArthy, C. M., the Vincentians tried for twenty years to give ·Dallas a first class Catholic University.* 1J.<)'(:._..j., /i:.s. w /,;,.,- i.7 "Throughout the two decades of college struggle, the city and the Diocese of Dallas were served zealously," says Father Ralph F. Bayard, C.M., noted historian of the order. During that time the Vincentians were in constant demand for Sunday functions. In 1910 they instituted St. Mary's parish in Fort Worth, whose parochial school was built by them, in addition to its fine parish church. For years they took care of Laneri High School in Fort Worth, until unable to maintain it any longer for lack of personnel, they yielded both the school and the parish to the Benedictine Fathers in 1930. The parish of St. Joseph for the Spanish- speaking is another foundation in Fort Worth that stemmed from the University of Dallas. From 1915 to 1925, it was tended by Father Atanaz, C.M., and Father Constantine, C.M., until it was taken over by the Clarentine Fathers. With justifiable pride Father Bayard points out that the memory of the Vincentians as church builders or Sunday pastors is still green in a score of towns, notably McKinney, Wylie, Rowlett, Irving, Bonham, Handley, Grand Prairie, Weatherford, Mineola, Longview, Tyler Terrell, and Mineral Wells. At the invitation of Bishop Bobert E. Lucey of Amarillo, the Vincen- tians took over Holy Souls Parish at Pampa in 1940. The next year Arch- bishop Lucey, shortly after being installed in the Archiepiscopal City of San Antonio, invited the Vincentians to take charge of St. John's Major and Minor Seminary. 109 In answer to a similar call the fellow-members of the Congregation of the Mission returned to the episcopal city of Bishop *The dream of a Catholic University of Dallas has finally been realized by Bishop O'Gorman in 1956. 109 For the history of this and other seminaries in Texas see Chapter VII.
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