St. Joseph Church New Waverly TX

St. Joseph Parish Mission Statement

St. Joseph Catholic Parish Community of New Waverly, Texas, originating from Polish families and submitting to the authority of our Holy Father, the Chief Shepherd of the Church, and under the direction of the Cardinal of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and guidance of our Pastor, appointed by the Cardinal, is a close, diverse and growing family of Baptized believers.

Our Prime mission is to respond to our baptismal call to live and spread God’s good news in scripture and our valued traditions through the celebration of the Sacraments of the Church instituted by Jesus Christ, especially our Sunday Eucharist, which inspires all within the parish family to draw together into the body of Christ.

We recognize our sacred duty to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Christian values, to share our faith with all especially the young and the non-believers, and to assist those who need our help and compassion while working towards sanctification and eternal salvation through God’s grace.

 

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The Beginnings

The town of Waverly was located eight miles east of present New Waverly. Its demise was the result of the railroad which was rejected by the citizens in the best interest of their town. When the lines was laid in 1872, the railroad laid out and recorded the plat of a new town which they named “Waverly” –sometimes called Waverly Station. To distinguish the two Waverlys, the new town was referred to as a “new” Waverly which became its permanent name.

In 1866 a group of Waverly planters formed the Waverly Emigration Society to import foreign laborers to work on their farms. Approximately 40 families arrived the following summer and soon afterwards they were “found” by Rev. Felix Orzechowski, known as the “peregrinating priest” for past problems in the San Antonio area. He traveled primary by foot, eating bacon and corn bread or less, and the ground was often his bed. In 1869 the Parish of St. Joseph was organized under Father Orzechowski’s leadership. Mass was celebrated on various farms, as no church was built during his time in this area.

The First Church, 1877

The first church was a box-house type of approximately 20 by 30 feet. Its construction was overseen by Rev. Victor Linicki, who succeeded Father Orzechowski. Father Linicki also built a rectory for himself. Two lots were purchased on January 15, 1877, from the Texas Land Company for one dollar on the condition that they “shall be used exclusively as the site for a church and school building for the use and benefits of the members of the Roman Catholic Church.”

The Danville Church, 1880

The third St. Joseph pastor, Rev. Adam Laskie, celebrated Mass in the Danville community for the convenience of the worshipers and he encouraged them to build a church. In October of 1880, fourteen acres were purchased. The following June 29th the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul was dedicated. The small church was approximately 20 by 45 feet with ceiling of 12 feet. Facing west, the front had a double door and no windows. Each side of the church had four windows, and a door was near the altar area on the south side. No door or windows were behind the altar. The one room structure has a seating capacity of approximately fifty, with a center aisle separating two sections of pews.

The church was always a part of St. Joseph’s in that the priest was from St. Joseph and all sacraments were recorded as St. Joseph’s. By 1887 dissension had developed and regular services were discontinued. The church remained in use for special occasions, primarily to celebrate the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul and funerals (because of its proximity to Danville/Shepard Hill Cemetery). The building was sold in 1952. It has been stated that the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul was established before St. Joseph, but neither ecclesiastical or civil records support this view.

The Second Church, 1892

The second church was built in 1892 under the pastorate Rev. Theodore Jaron who saw a need for a larger church for the growing parish. The second building was designed and built by Tom Lawandorski with lumber contributed by Mrs. Catharine Ripkowski from her property in Elmina. The sills of the new church were hand-hewn with a foot adze and joined with two inch oak pins. Whole trees were cut and hewn and moved to the building site. The size of the second church was about 40 by 68 feet with 12 foot high walls. The main altar was given to the new St. Joseph’s church by a Chicago publishing firm. The parish paid the freight and bought two side altars. The benches seated six persons. They were fourteen inch wide boards for the seat with a sixteen inch wide board for the pews’ backs. The end and center supports were of cast iron. About half of the church had pews and the remainder was standing room. The dedication of the new church was of the Feast of Corpus Christi 1897. The smaller first church was converted into a school block.

The Third and Present Church, 1905

The third and present church was built in 1905. Soon after his arrival in 1902, Father Bily wanted the congregation to build a new church as a “thanksgiving by the people of St. Joseph’s for having been brought together into a successful community, for having been given a parish, and for having been allowed to live as a free people in a great country.” And they did. They bought the remainder of the block and one lot across the street. Architect L. S. Green planned the Gothic structure which cost $13,000 excluding the altars and stained glass windows. Three years after laying the cornerstone, the third and present St. Joseph Catholic Church was judged the finest and best in the South upon its dedication on December 16, 1906 (Huntsville Post-Item, Dec. 14, 1906). The parish had grown to about 125 families at this time.

A new two-story rectory was built to replace the much smaller house. This rectory dismantled and replaced with the present bungalow about 1952. All three churches were built on the same site.

The Interior

Every aspect of the rural St. Joseph Catholic Church is reminiscent of a grand cathedral. It is no coincidence that worshippers enter from the west and symbolically look to the east during services as the morning sun illuminates the rich stained glass windows on each side of the imposing main altar. The cruciform edifice measures 120 by 60 feet with a ceiling vault of 60 feet. The pointed arch dominates the external and internal features. The interior woodwork is further enhanced with the rose design. The two sections of pews seat about 300 plus the choir loft seating.

Traditionally were the “men’s side” and the “women’s side.” The men’s side was on the “gospel side” –the speaker’s right–and the women sat on opposite the side from which the epistle was read. The backs of the men’s pews have clips for their hats, whereas the women’s pews have hooks for their purses. The custom of separate seating was observed through the 1950's and still some of the most senior members prefer their respective sides. In keeping with the custom of separate seating, the altar picture windows and statuary of male saints are on the men’s side and the women saints are on the women’s side of the church. Except for the two picture windows (St. Joseph and the Virgin Mother) at each side of the main altar, the other windows are opaque and translucent glass without a picture except for the various religious symbols encircled about two-thirds upward in each window. (Mary Marshall has provided a list of each window with a translation of the inscriptions.)

The matching Gothic altars are carved wood painted to resemble marble.–and very ofter they are mistaken for it–and trimmed in gold leaf. The main altar is adorned with a statue of St. Peter and St. Paul, but more prominent is the statue of Jesus on the Cross with the three Marys at His feet. The small altar on the men’s side has a statue of St. Joseph. Underneath the altar is a statue of Jesus in the tomb which is opened only on Good Friday after the three o’clock service and closed before the Resurrection Mass on Easter morning. A statue of the Virgin Mary holding her Baby Son is on the women’s side. Seasonal statuary include the Nativity, the Risen Savior, and the Sacred Heart. The Stations of the Cross are represented in statuary along the side and back walls of the church. (Each statue is identified, so the docent can refer to a book on the lives of saints for specific information.)

The interior of the church is wood and plaster. Varnished wainscot with the pointed arch feature rises four feet from the floor and joins painted plaster.

The choir loft is located above the west entrance. The organ and choir occupied it until about 1970 when they were relocated to the front of the sanctuary. The large stained glass window that was originally in the bell tower was destroyed by a storm in the 1940's, however, it interior frame remained. During the 1986 restoration the window was replaced. A cross punctuates the 102 foot steeple. The crosses on the northeast and southeast eaves were also blown down during the storm and they too were replaced in 1986. The steeple clocks have always had painted faces with the mysterious 11:25 time. And contrary to one written account, the large bell in the church yard was not in the belfry. It was ordered for it but the bell was too big for the tower construction. It sits in the church yard and is tolled at funerals. The bell in the tower is from the second church.

In 1976, the Texas Historical Commission designated St. Joseph Church with a state historical marker.

1984-1985 Restoration

During 1984 the parishioners planned a repair-restoration program for the historic church. Work began on December 17th and the following June 9th a rededication service was held with hundreds in attendance.

Besides replacing the tower window and eaves’ crosses, the confessional was restored and placed near its original location in the northwest corner of the church. The staircase was exposed as it was originally. The interior was painted white and trimmed in gold leaf and red carpet was laid. The pews were stripped and re-varnished and new ceiling lights were installed. Under the leadership and hard work of Father Stredny, parishioners and friends paid for the $250,000 restoration project within two years. A new organ was bought with donations and a new Nativity was donated.

Today, the parish has expanded to over 600 families of diverse backgrounds whose common goal is to live and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Christian values. In celebration of the heritage of a new group of parishioners, the parish conducts a Spanish Mass and has conducted classes in the Spanish language.