St. Anthony Catholic Parish

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about St. Anthony Catholic Parish in Harper, Gillespie County. Now settle in, because this story starts with a long, dusty road, and it ends with something that's still standing today.

The community of Harper, named after George Franklin Harper, grew in the 1880s as pioneers from surrounding settlements moved into the area. And when a community grows, it needs its institutions. But for the Catholic families of Harper, the nearest church was in Fredericksburg, and that was twenty-five miles away.

Twenty-five miles by horse and wagon. You think about what that means in terms of weather, and time, and sheer determination, and you start to understand the kind of people we're talkin' about. That kind of exigency, as the marker puts it, could not stand forever.

So the Catholic Diocese of San Antonio assigned Father Frederick Fassbender to come say mass in Harper, in 1908. Now, the very first mass in Harper had to happen somewhere, and it happened at the home of Jacob Fielder. On St.

Patrick's Day, 1908. You couldn't script that if you tried. Father Fassbender, along with the trustees and the parishioners, then put their time and their money together to build an actual church.

The St. Anthony Catholic Church was dedicated on August 10, 1909. And the community didn't just show up.

They gave. The altar, the bell, the cross, the crucifix, the statues, and a tapestry dated all the way back to 1887, all of it came through the generosity of church members and the wider community. That's a congregation putting its whole self into something.

From there, St. Anthony's kept growin'. A cemetery was added in 1911.

A rectory came in 1920, and again in 1970. A parish hall was built in 1933, and expanded in 2007. A new church rose in 1958.

That parish hall, in particular, became the heartbeat of the community, hosting weddings, games, bazaars, parties, and all manner of gatherings for the people of Harper. When the nation called, St. Anthony's parishioners answered.

They served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, and Desert Storm. And when they came home, or when they stayed, they served in quieter ways too. The church choir.

Vacation bible school. Youth activities, community events, projects for the people of Harper and Gillespie County. The marker says it plain and I'll say it plain: for more than a century, St.

Anthony's Catholic Parish has served the church, the community, the state, and the nation. That first mass on St. Patrick's Day was just the beginning of a very long road.

And unlike the road to Fredericksburg, this one never asks you to hitch up the wagon.

What the marker says

The community of Harper, named after George Franklin Harper, grew in the 1880s when pioneers from surrounding settlements moved to the area. Prior to the establishment of a Catholic church, families drove horses and wagons twenty-five miles to the Catholic church in Fredericksburg. Because of this exigency, the Catholic Diocese of San Antonio assigned Father Frederick Fassbender to say mass here in 1908. The first mass in Harper was held at the home of Jacob Fielder on St. Patrick's day in 1908. Father Fassbender, the trustees, and parishioners sacrificed time and money to build the St. Anthony Catholic Church, dedicated on August 10, 1909. The generosity of the church members and the community contributed to many of the integral pieces of the church, including the altar, bell, cross, crucifix, statues, and a tapestry dated 1887. St. Anthony Catholic Parish added to their campus over the years with a cemetery in 1911, a rectory in 1920 and 1970, a parish hall in 1933 and 2007, and a new church in 1958. The parish hall has operated for many years as a location for social activities such as weddings, games, bazaars, parties, and events for the community. Many of St. Anthony's parishioners proudly served their country in the armed forces, including World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, and Desert Storm. The parishioners also contributed to their community through the church choir, vacation bible school, or with youth activities, events, or community projects for the people of Harper and Gillespie County. For more than a century, St. Anthony's Catholic Parish served, and continues to serve, the church, community, state, and nation.