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Our Catholic Heritage in T ezas
teed equal protection to all faiths. Congress, however, had granted powers to municipalities in the older sections, which endangered the retention of prerevolutionary parochial holdings: these town and county governments could grant such holdings to others, unless priests came soon to reorganize the old parishes and defend Catholic interests. A Catholic church had been started in Galveston, and in Houston a com- mittee had been appointed to raise funds for the same purpose. Although it was expected that the churches would be finished by spring, Timon noted that the absence of a priest might delay their completion. His fears were confirmed within a month by Fitzgerald, chairman of the building committee, who wrote, "I have not been successful in raising up that edifice, the foundation of which was so well laid by yourself when you were here." 49 Missionaries prior to the Prefecture. Timon's consuming desire to bring relief to the starving Catholics in Texas made the months after his return seem to drag. Shortly after arriving at the Barrens, he made arrangements to send two missionaries as soon as possible. The first of these was the Reverend Joseph Paquin, a classmate of Dr. Nicholas Labadie, a native of Missouri, who had known the Menards in Illinois before they went to Texas. The other was the Reverend John Peter Chandy, an emigre from France, attached at this time to the newly established seminary at Lafourche. It was planned that they leave immediately after Easter Sunday in order that they might embark at New Orleans for Matagorda and arrive in ample time to enable Catholics in Texas to comply with their Easter duty before Trinity Sunday. They, accordingly, sailed on April 13. The two were to visit first the settlements in the southwest, then Paquin was to go by way of San Felipe de Austin to Houston and Gal- veston, while Chandy was to stop .in San Augustine and Nacogdoches. To avoid any embarrassment, they were to by-pass San Antonio. 50 In New Orleans the two missionaries obtained from Texan Consul William Bryan a letter of introduction to President Lamar announcing their appointment by Bishop Blanc to the Republic "with the object of promulgating the Christian faith and using their devout exertions in promoting harmony and good feeling throughout the country."s1 Bishop Blanc was overjoyed with their account when they returned to New Orleans on May 27. They had traveled over a good portion of 4 9Fitzgerald to Timon, February 17, 1 839, C. A: T . . SOTimon to Etienne, May 4 and May 2 l , l 839, cited m Bayard, op. cit., 69. SlB L April 11 1 839, Lamar Papers, V, 272. ryan to amar, , .
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