DUANE
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Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Way back in 1865, the Rev. J.
M. Curtis and 24 communicants out of Harrisburg gathered together in a mission they called Nativity. That's where this story begins.
Small, faithful, and determined. Somewhere around 1875, that mission got a new name, Holy Cross, and the congregation carried on. Now, the numbers weren't always steady.
Membership swung anywhere from 12 to 50, shiftin' with the local economy the way a candle bends in the wind. But here's the thing about this congregation. They didn't quit.
Especially the women. Year after year, they worked and scraped and raised building funds, nickels turning into dollars, dollars turning into something real. And at last, in 1895, they had it.
A red brick church with a steeple, standing proud and facing Erath Street. You can almost picture it. That steeple catching the morning light.
But 1900 brought a hurricane, and that church took damage. It got repaired, patched back together, and the congregation pressed on. Still, time and the elements are patient opponents, and eventually that structure fell into ruin.
So they built again. The present church and parish house were dedicated on April 4, 1920, by Bishop Clinton S. Quin.
A religious force since 1865, the marker says. Sometimes the most powerful forces are the ones that simply refuse to stop.
What the marker says
A religious force since 1865, when the Rev. J. M. Curtis and 24 Harrisburg communicants met in a mission called Nativity, changed to Holy Cross about 1875. Numbering from 12 to 50 as the local economy shifted, members-- especially the women-- spent years raising building funds. At last, in 1895, a red brick church with a steeple was erected, facing Erath Street. Although repaired after 1900 hurricane damage, that structure eventually fell into ruin. The present church and parish house were dedicated on April 4, 1920, by Bishop Clinton S. Quin.