Saint Mary's Church of the Assumption

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Saint Mary's Church of the Assumption in Waco. Now, some stories are about gunfights and cattle drives, but this one is about something that outlasts all of that. Roots.

A congregation that just kept building. Founded in 1869, Saint Mary's Church of the Assumption holds the distinction of being the oldest Catholic parish in Waco. That's not a small thing in a city that's seen its share of history come and go.

Father Bussant was leading the way when that congregation raised its first sanctuary in 1870, right there at the corner of 6th and Washington streets. A proper place of worship, standing in a city that was still finding its footing. But here's the thing about a living community.

It grows. By 1879, they had built a second structure, this time up at 9th and Washington streets. That building itself got replaced in 1886, which tells you something about the kind of people we're talking about.

They weren't content to let things crumble. They kept building, kept renewing. And then, in 1942, a new building was completed at this very site.

Three buildings across the decades, each one a statement of permanence. Now, a church is more than its walls, and this marker knows that. Saint Mary's reach into the Waco community has stretched wide and long.

Associations with Academy Sacred Heart for girls, St. Basil's School for boys, Holy Cross Cemetery, Providence Hospital, Reicher Catholic High School, and even the city library. That is a congregation with its hands in the life of a city, not just its Sundays.

Founded in 1869, still standing in Waco. Some things, it turns out, are built to last.

What the marker says

Founded in 1869, St. Mary's Church of the Assumption is the oldest Catholic parish in Waco. Led by Father Bussant, the congregation erected its first sanctuary in 1870 at the corner of 6th and Washington streets. A second structure, built in 1879 at 9th and Washington streets, was replaced in 1886. A new building was completed at this site in 1942. The church's community outreach programs have included associations with Academy Sacred Heart for girls, St. Basil's School for boys, Holy Cross Cemetery, Providence Hospital, Reicher Catholic High School, and the city library. (1990)