St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church

Duane's take

The official marker tells it this way, and I'm just the voice carrying it down the road. Somewhere around Megargel, in Archer County, there's a story that starts small, the way the best ones do. A group of Czech immigrants, no grand building, no steeple reaching up to catch your eye.

Just people gathering in one another's homes to celebrate Holy Mass together. The year was 1909, and the priest making those visits was Father Philibert Haase. Picture it: a front room, maybe a supper table pushed aside, faith carried across an ocean and now settling itself into the Texas plains one home at a time.

That's where this church begins. Not with a cornerstone, not with a congregation sitting in pews. With a community finding a way.

Seven years of that, of meeting and worshiping and building something that doesn't have walls yet, and then in 1916 the Czech community built the present house of worship. Walls. A roof.

A place of their own. And then, on May 1, 1917, the church was dedicated to the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St.

Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church had a name, a purpose, and a home. Then 1936 rolls around, and the Knights of Columbus build a parish hall. One building doing the work of several, serving as a rectory, as classrooms, as a celebration area.

The community kept finding ways to serve more, to hold more, to welcome more. And every year, on August 15th, the Annual Feast Day draws people in, a tradition that ties the calendar to the community. Through mission work at home and abroad, St.

Mary of the Assumption has made an impact on Megargel and beyond. It started in a borrowed living room in 1909. That's worth remembering.

What the marker says

In 1909, a group of Czech immigrants began to meet in parishioners’ homes around Megargel to celebrate Holy Mass with Father Philibert Haase. The Czech community built the present house of worship in 1916. On May 1, 1917, the church was dedicated to the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1936, Knights of Columbus built a parish hall that served as a rectory, classrooms and celebration area. Through mission work at home and abroad, and community events such as the Annual Feast Day (august 15), St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church has made an impact on Megargel and beyond with its service and community involvement. (2017)