Otw Catlzolic H eriiage in Texas
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the Alamo, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, San Francisco de la Espada, and Conception. · The initiation and institution of the first San Antonio Council took place in Harmony Hall, where the ceremonies were begun at 7:00 P.M. and happily ended at the late, or early, hour of 2 :30 A.M. Thus the new Council of the Knights of Columbus was installed in San Antonio early in the morning on May 16, 1903. Among its charter members, it had the distinction of counting Bishop Peter Verdaguer of the Vicariate of Brownsville at that time, later to become the Diocese of Corpus Christi, and two priests: Rev. W. S. Henderson and Rev. H. A. Milmo. The valiant band of Knights from El Paso somewhat tired but happy beyond words, set out homeward bound on the last leg of their journey aboard the Tisonia, on Sunday, May 17. In a remarkable trip for those days, the members of the Council of El Paso, the first in Texas, had instituted four new councils in the short space of eight days since the start of their great tour of goodwill. "The Knights of Columbus are expected to cultivate courtesy, friendliness, and brotherly love," remarked the Suutlzern 111essenger, "and the experience of this trip shows that these sterling qualities are not lacking among the newly initiated Knights of Columbus." The Houston Council, in spite of sanguine expectations, was not insti- tuted until almost two years later, on March 26, 1905. An imposing assembly of Catholic men gathered for the formal institution of the new council in what has since become the largest city in the State. Knights came from Sherman, Fort Worth, Dallas, Galveston, Beaumont, Denison, Austin, El Paso, and San Antonio, eloquent proof of the rapid spread of the Order in two years. The ceremonies were held in the Odd Fellows' Hall, with the exemplification of the first degree under the auspices of the Galveston Council, followed by attendance at a High Mass in Annun- ciation Church, sung by Father Thomas Hennessy. The Hon. M. B. McCarthy. representative of the Supreme Council, with his staff, then exemplified the third degree that afternoon. Monday evening the newly instituted council met and elected officers. The Knights of Columbus, it could be said, were now organized in all the principal cities of Texas. The Supreme Council looked to Texas as a great field for Columbianism and time has proved their expectations were right. Three years after the establishment of the El Paso Council in 1902 there were eleven councils. From an estimated less than a thousand mem- bers then and eleven councils, the Order has grown to over one hundred
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