Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Hondo, Medina County. Now settle in, because this story is built as solid as the building itself. We're talking Seco brick, round arches, and a little piece of Texas Catholic history that has been standing since 1912.

That's not nothing. In fact, that's the whole point. This church was constructed in 1912 from Seco brick, and right away you need to know: this was not the first church to serve the Catholic community in Hondo.

This was the second. Whatever came before, this is the one that endured. The design came from Fred Bowen Gaenslen, a San Antonio architect who knew exactly what he was doing.

He reached back into the Romanesque Revival tradition, and you can see it in every deliberate detail. The brick work, the round arches, the tripartite window. That's one window arranged in three parts, and when the light comes through it just right, well, the building makes its own argument.

The man who actually built it was Alfred R. Wottlin, and he did so during the pastorate of the Reverend J.J. Meyers.

So you've got the vision, you've got the hands, and you've got the spiritual stewardship all converging on one building in Hondo, Texas, in 1912. For decades it stood as the center of worship for that Catholic community, all the way through 1969. Then came a change.

In 1972, the church was rededicated as a parish hall. The building didn't disappear. It didn't fall to ruin.

It just kept serving, in a different role, wearing its Romanesque Revival bones just as proudly as it ever did. A structure built to last, finding new purpose without losing a single brick. That's a Texas story if I've ever heard one.

What the marker says

Constructed of Seco brick in 1912, this is the second church structure to serve the Catholic community in Hondo. Designed by San Antonio architect Fred Bowen Gaenslen, it was built by Alfred R. Wottlin during the pastorate of the Rev. J.J. Meyers. Used for all worship services until 1969, it was rededicated as a parish hall in 1972. The brick detailing, round arches and tripartite window are typical features of the Romanesque Revival style. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark -- 1992