Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-05-13
New Catholic Encyclopedia.

of Brownsville contained in the new
Catholic Encyclopedia. The general
scope and inflence of ecclesiastical
and educational work of the vicariate
is reviewed, and amply illustrated
by interesting statistics compiled by
the author, c. Jaillet, of Corpus
Christi. New information will be
found in the follow excerpts:
''The Vicariate Apostolic of
Brownsville, was erected 1874. Pre-
yious to this date the entire state OF
Texas was under the jurisdiction of
the Bishop of Galveston. 1t was then
divided into two dioceses: Galveston
comprising all that part of the state
north and northwest of the Colorado
river; San Antonio, comprising all
the territory south of the Colorado
river and north of the Nueces river,
with the exception Of Bee, San Pa
tricio, Refugio, Goliad and Arkansas
counties and the Vicariate Apostolic
of Brownsville comprising Cameron
Hidalgo, Starr, Zapata and Webb
counties, bordering on the Rio
Grande; Encinal, Duval and Nueces,
situated north of these counties; the
part Of La Sale, McMullen and Live
Mt 18th &c +hn N,,onnc riuar and
finally San Patricio, Bee, Refugio,
Goliad and Aransas counties, north
of the Nueces river, a territory COM
prising 22,391 square miles.
The Catholic population is esti-
mated at $4,000, mostly Mexicans;
there are about 5000 English-speak-
ing Catholics. The total population
is about 110,O 600.
This Southern part of Texas was
inhabited by Indians less han sixty
years ago. Corpus Christi had for
it's first settler Capt. Kenny, who
had a store several times visited by
hostile Indians. Brownsville owes
its beginning to Major Brown, who
came there at the time of the MeXi-
can war. The church there was be-
gun in 1852. San Patricio and Re-
fugio were settled by Irish ~colonists
under the Mexican government. La
Bahia is the most ancient settle
ment; it was built by the Spaniards
to oppose the encroachments Of the
French under La Sale. After La
Bahia the oldest place is Laredo
built at the end of the eighteenth
century. In 1856 there was not a
fence nor a railroad to be seen from
San Antonio to Brownsville; now the
whole country is fenced in, and there
are six railroad line in operation.
"The Oblate Fathers, whose mis-
sions extend from San Ignacio to
the mouth Of the Rio Grande, located
in Texas in 1852. their first superior
being Father Verdict. Within a
week he was drowned in the Gulf
on his way from Brownsville to New
Orleans. The mission of Rio Grande
City was begun in 1872, the one at
Roma in 1864, the San Diego mis-
sion in 1866. Laredo was in charge
of Mexican priests until Father Gil
random came in 1855. San Patricio
was under the care Of Irish priests.
Father O'Reilly built in 1856 the
first Catholic church of Corpus
Christi. Brownsville, Laredo, Cor
pus Christi, Refugio, and Beeville
have large and we'll decorated
churches. There are twelve churches
with resident pastors: Brownsville,
Rio Grande City, Roma, Laredo, San
Diego, Corpus Christi, Rockport,
Goliad, Refugio, Beeville and San Pa
tricio. There are also forty chapels
where regular monthly services are
held. The vicariate has two hospi-
tails, one in Laredo, under the care
of the Sisters of Mercy, and a new
one in Corpus Christi, under the care
of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word,
of San Antonio.
There are four academies, name
ly, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, La
redo and Rio Grande City, with about
so boarders in all. and about 200
scholars. Besides, there are nine
parochial schools, with about 500
under the care of 90 teaching
sisters, assisted by 20 lay sisters.
Their are in addition to these, II hos
pital sisters. and 6 engaged in teach
ing non-Catholic public schools.
is but one college Tin Browns
Vile. under the are of the Oblate
Fathers), with about 100 pupils.
The Reverend Dominic Manucy,
then rector of st. Peters church,
Montgomery, Ala, vas appointed
first Vicar Apostolic of Brownsville,
and consecrated Titular Bishop OF