St. John the Baptizer Catholic Church

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Back in the 1890s, large Catholic communities were putting down roots across North Texas, and Wise County was not about to be left out of that story. Now, a man couldn't just snap his fingers and conjure a church out of the plains, so for a while, the faithful in Bridgeport depended on Father J.J.

O'Riordan making his way over from Henrietta, once a month, by train, to hold mass. Once a month. You do what you can.

Out of that persistent, monthly commitment, a mission was established, and St. John the Baptizer became the first Catholic Church ever established in Wise County. That is not a small thing.

Before there was a building, before there was so much as a nail driven into Wise County soil for this purpose, mass was held in the homes of members. Living rooms and dining tables became sacred space, and the collection plate was passed not just among Catholics, but among non-Catholics too, because the records show that a variety of community members and businesses chipped in alike. That is the kind of neighborliness that stays with a place.

By 1908, enough had been gathered, and a small wooden frame church went up on a small lot on Greathouse Street, on the west side of the railroad. Small, but standing. In 1926, the church was remodeled and the walls were covered.

Then, as decades rolled by and more families found their way to the pews, the congregation kept on growing. On October 1, 1967, a new church was constructed to answer that growing membership. Two years later, in 1969, St.

John's became part of the new diocese of Fort Worth. And the growth did not stop there. Over the years, more than 650 families registered with the parish.

Now, a church can have numbers and still lose its soul, but St. John's kept something rarer than square footage. The parishioners worked to hold onto a family atmosphere, maintaining it through frequent Sunday luncheons, parish picnics, and general social activities, the kind of traditions that make a congregation feel less like an institution and more like kin.

The wider world took notice too. On October 1, 1989, Pope John Paul II recognized St. John the Baptizer Church for serving its parishioners for one hundred years.

And in October of 2014, Pope Francis recognized the church again, this time on its 125th anniversary celebration. Two popes. One church on Greathouse Street in Bridgeport, Texas.

Today, St. John the Baptizer Catholic Church stands as one of only three Catholic churches in a two-county area, still serving, still gathering, still carrying the religious heritage of the region forward. Father O'Riordan rode the train once a month to keep that flame alive.

More than a century later, it is burning just fine.

What the marker says

In the 1890s, large Catholic communities were established in North Texas. Father J.J. O'Riordan from Henrietta traveled to Bridgeport once a month by train to hold mass, so a mission was established. The mission of St. John the Baptizer was the first Catholic Church established in Wise County. Mass was held in different homes of members until money could be raised to build a church. Records indicate that several collections were made from a variety of community members and businesses, Catholics and non-Catholics. In 1908, a small wooden frame church was built on a small lot on Greathouse Street on the West side of the railroad. In 1926, the church was remodeled and the walls were covered. A new church was constructed on October 1, 1967, due to growing membership. In 1969, St. John's became part of the new diocese of Fort Worth. Over the years, the church has grown with over 650 families registered. The parishioners work to maintain the family atmosphere that is a tradition at St. John's with frequent Sunday luncheons, parish picnics and general social activities. Pope John Paul II recognized St. John the Baptizer Church on October 1, 1989, for serving parishioners for 100 years, and in October 2014, Pope Francis recognized the church on its 125th anniversary celebration. St. John the Baptizer Catholic Church has played an important role in the religious heritage of the area and continues to serve the community as one of only three Catholic churches in a two-county area.