Holy Cross Catholic Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Holy Cross Catholic Church in Matagorda County. Now settle in, because this story starts before there was much of anything out here on the Texas frontier, and it ends with a church that's still standing today. In May of 1847, the Catholic church established a new frontier diocese in Galveston.

That's the seed. Over the next several years, Polish Catholic immigrants made their way to Matagorda County, and priests from nearby towns would ride out to visit their small community, known as St. Francisville.

It was a long way to come, and somebody had to make sure those priests kept coming. That somebody was Louisiana Thompson Bowie. Born in 1848 to Anna Taliferro and Elbert A.

Thompson, Louisiana grew up right across Caney Creek from a man named Harris Walker Bowie. She married him. Now here's the detail that lands different when you hear it out loud.

On April 13th, 1895, while she was in New Orleans, Louisiana was baptized into the Catholic faith at Immaculate Conception parish. Then she came back to Texas, to her home on the Bowie Plantation, and she got to work. She arranged for priests to stay with her family, and she traveled with them out to the church in St.

Francisville. That same year, 1895, Bay City became Matagorda County's seat of government, and visiting priests began holding Mass in the courthouse or in private homes, wherever they could find a roof and a congregation. Then along came Monsignor Jacob B.

Schnetzer. He became priest for the Bay City area in 1907, by which time the Bowies had moved into the growing town. Schnetzer stayed in their home.

He was a guest in the house of the very woman whose quiet, persistent hospitality had kept the faith alive out here for years. And in March of 1907, he bought lots at Avenue M and Fifth Street to build a proper sanctuary for the Bay City parish. He hired no ordinary architect.

The design came from Nicholas Clayton, a prominent Galveston architect, and the structure that went up served the congregation for many years. As the twentieth century rolled on, the church kept growing, adding a rectory, a school, a new sanctuary, and other facilities along the way. Today, Holy Cross Catholic Church offers worship and education programs, and it connects its members to their faith and to their history.

That history runs all the way back to a woman who crossed Caney Creek as a girl, crossed a river delta to be baptized, and then came home and made sure the priests had somewhere to sleep. Louisiana Thompson Bowie didn't build the church herself. She just made it possible.

What the marker says

In May 1847, the Catholic church established a new frontier diocese in Galveston. During the next several years, many Polish Catholic immigrants moved to Matagorda County, and priests from nearby towns visited their small community, known as St. Francisville. In the latter part of the 19th century, Louisiana Thompson Bowie was instrumental in bringing the priests to deliver Mass to area residents. Born to Anna Taliferro and Elbert A. Thompson in 1848, Louisiana grew up across Caney Creek from Harris Walker Bowie, whom she married. On April 13, 1895, while in New Orleans, she was baptized into the Catholic faith at Immaculate Conception parish. Back in Texas, at her home on the Bowie Plantation, she arranged for priests to stay with her family and traveled with them to the church in St. Francisville. Bay City became Matagorda County's seat of government in 1895, and visiting priests held Mass in the courthouse or in private homes. Monsignor Jacob B. Schnetzer became priest for the Bay City area in 1907, by which time the Bowies lived in the growing town; Schnetzer stayed in their home. In March 1907, he bought lots at Avenue M and Fifth Street to build a sanctuary for the Bay City parish. Designed by prominent Galveston architect Nicholas Clayton, the structure served the congregation for many years. As the church grew during the 20th century, it built new facilties, including a rectory, school, new sanctuary and other facilities. Today, Holy Cross Catholic Church offers worship and education programs and connects its members to their faith and to their history. (2006)