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St. Anthony's New Church To Be Dedicated Sunday Formal dedication of the new St. Anthony's Church, Palacios, Texas, has been scheduled for 5:30 p. m. on Sunday, February 21, 1960. Msgr. Julius A. Petru, V. F., will officiate at the dedication ceremony, and will be celebrant of the Solemn High Mass. Rev. Anthony Constantino, the former pastor will act as Deacon and the Rev. Vaclav Bily, also the former pastor will be Subdeacon. Rev. Joseph R. Till, will act as Master of Ceremonies. The sermon for the occasion will be preached by Rev. Patrick J. Murray, J. C. L. The new church was built at a cost of $63,747.70. The walls are of reinforced brick and the roof contains a 2-inch fiber glass decking. The flooring is of vinyl asbestos type. Bohlmann Bros. of Schulenburg, Texas, were the general contractors. The church was designed by Draker & Draker, architects of San Antonio. The S. K. Cabinet Co., of Jacksonville, Texas installed the pews at a total cost of $5,366.46. Pal-Port Clay Products Corp. of Palacios furnished the brick for the new building. The seating capacity of the building is 410. The new church was built with the help of a $5,000 donation from the Catholic Church Extension Society. St. Anthony's Parish is located on the southeastern most tip of the Archdiocese, and includes half of Matagorda County, west of the Colorado River. The first Mass was said in Palacios by Father Pallanche of Victoria, Texas. Until 1930, it was attended by priests from Victoria, El Campo, Port Lavaca, Edna, and Hillje. Among the visiting priests were Fathers Vaquet, Vervaeke, V. A. Raska, A. J. Morkovski, Jansen, Boeding, Smiers, and Kloseck.
In 1917, Father Vaquet acquired a block of land,
and the first church was built. When Blessing became a separate
parish in 1930. Palacios became a permanent Mission of Blessing,
Texas. From then until 1954, when it was elevated to the status of a
Parish, it was served by the following priests: In 1938, Rev. A. Gorek, added living quarters at the back of the church, and for a few years, Palacios had a resident priest. Rev. E. B Kolodizie followed Father Gorek until June 1942. In 1944, the church was demolished by a storm. Under Father Bauman's administration, it was rebuilt on a new site and enlarged. In 1947, an army surplus building was purchased and made into a parish hall. In 1954, St. Anthony's was elevated to the status of a parish with Father Anthony Constantino as its pastor. It was during his pastorate, that an extensive building program was initiated. Future parish plans call for a rectory and a Catholic School. On September 15, 1959, Father Patrick O'Farrell was assigned Pastor of St. Anthony Church.
Palacios Beacon, February 18, 1960 |
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The beginning of St. Anthony's Parish dates back to September 11, 1912, when Father Francis Pallanche recorded the first baptism. By September, 1913, the mission in Palacios was attached to the newly formed Our Lady of the Gulf Parish in Port Lavaca under Father Pallanche's pastorate. In 1917 Father Peter Baque acquired some land on the corner of Moore and Fifth Streets and erected the first church. It was dedicated by Bishop Shaw on December 29, 1917. In 1930 St. Anthony's was attached to St. Peter's Parish in Blessing as a mission. In 1938 Father A. Gorek added living quarters at the back of the church, and for a few years Palacios had a resident priest, first Father Gorek and then, Father E. Kolodzie. In June, 1942, both the church and the priest's living quarters were destroyed by a hurricane. Father Hubert Bauman rebuilt and enlarged the church, and the original living quarters were remodeled into a small rectory. In 1947 a parish hall and religious education facility were constructed from surplus buildings from nearby Camp Hulen. These old buildings are on the present church site. After 42 years as a mission, Palacios was elevated to the status of a parish in July, 1954, with Father Anthony Constantino as its first pastor. By then the church was too small for the congregation and the parish property too limited for further expansion. A two-block tract was purchased near the western edge of town, and the church and hall were moved to the new site. In 1959 work commenced on a new brick church. It was completed under the pastorate of Father Patrick O'Farrell in 1960. A small house, purchased from Lige Dry, was moved onto the site to serve as a rectory. In 1963 Father Brian Crookes served for six months until Father Michael Harrold was appointed pastor. In 1964 the tradition of blessing the shrimp fleet was inaugurated and with it, the Shrimporee Festival. Father Eugene O'Callaghan succeeded Father Harrold as pastor in 1968 and served until 1970. During that time a new parish hall was constructed with rooms to serve as a religious education center. Farther Armand Florizoone became pastor in 1970 and served until his accidental death in 1974. During this time, the church was air-conditioned and plans were formulated to construct a modern rectory. The new rectory was completed under Father Brian Crookes, who returned to Palacios in September, 1974. Other priests who have served the parish include Fathers Vaclav Bily and Joe Till. Father Larry Matula serves the parish in 1985. Recent acquisitions to the church have been a new organ and chimes.
Historic Matagorda County, Volume I, page
606 |
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