Victoria's First Church - Texas Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

St. Mary’s Catholic Church was founded by Martin de Leon in 1824, along with Victoria. The first church was built of log and native timber. Shortly after the establishment of the Republic of Texas in 1836, most of the Mexican families were driven out of Victoria. The victorious Texans weren’t very kind to the Irish-Catholics in Victoria, either. The church was abandoned and put to various other uses, including a short period as a Presbyterian Church.

Father John Odin arrived at the port of Linnville in 1840 to re-establish the Catholic church in Texas. He reorganized St. Mary’s parish, restoring the church. When Father Odin became the first Bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Texas, centered in San Antonio, Father Augustine Gardet became pastor of St. Mary’s. Father Gardet moved the church building nearer the Nazareth Academy.

References:

• Historic and Architectural Resources of Victoria, Texas Historical Commission, 1986
• Handbook of Texas Online

Marker Number: 6577 Marker Text: Erected by Martin De Leon, founder of Victoria, soon after his arrival in October, 1824. Priests serving there were Rev. Fathers Jose Miguel Muro, Jose Antonio Valdez, Antonio Diaz De Leon, O.M.F. The church was restored in 1840 by Most Rev. John Mary Odin, first Catholic Bishop of Texas. In 1850 Father Agustine Gardet had it removed to the northwest corner of the lot where Nazareth Convent now stands. (1936)

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