Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-06-29

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SionarieS into this troubled land.
In l84s the Catholic church sent
jealous missionaries to the Valley.
One Of them. Father Telmon. was
the founder Of the Church Of the
Immaculate Conception. Not long
after his arrival from France. he
erected several small. rude ROOMS.
These constituted the church in its
Infancy. Their cost, S17OO. was
raised by subscriptions among the
Worshippers Of Brownsville and
Matam0ros. Although the services
could not be performed with tie
luxury accustomed In Catholic
churches. yet the priests did the
best that they could under the cir
cumStances. The services contin-
ued, the worshippers increased. and
the probabilities of building a larger
church ripened
Sccing the disadvantages ~ the
small buildings. Father Parisot. in
1860, purchased another building
and moved it 10 the church grounds.
Then the priest lived more comfort
ably and the services improved. In
these small buildings church serv-
ices were carried on 70 releven years
Larger Buildings Erected
IN 1864 mos OF these buildings
we're pulled down and other better
and larger buildings were put up
In their place. The small bell which
summoned the worshippers 10
church. was kept in these new
buildings; and. up 70 the present
day. II keeps IN memory the tragic
end Of the sea captain who gave It
10 the Superior. Farther Verdict.
Both Of them died when the ill
starred Nautilus wrecked il the Gulf
of Mexico.
Father Verdict drowned while on a
&Ap whose object was 70 secure
Ids for the new church. He m
krked on the Nautilus az Brazos dc
atq&santiago. Unfortunately, a violent
ofu3tbrm was sweeping the Gulf: the
afaka Was rough. and il seemed that
Iti&1l the elements were against them.
PThe steamer was tossed violently 70
4 and fro amidst the waves. but 10
managed to reach Galveston two
DAYS later. And that same day they
embarked again. on the tragic voy-
age that would lead to their death.
without success, the priests in Gal
weston insisted upon Father Verdict
TO stay: one of them even warned
him. THAT steamer VIII never
reach the Mississippi Despite the
sact that conditions for 2 voyage
e bad. he decided that he would
- -~I r~nwr-mraA Ell WNrFfNF IN
my fare going and returning IS
free. II is a God-send. u mission
Is SO poor.
That same d7v the steamer
wrecked about fifteen miles from
Derniere Islands place from
which 200 bathers were swept away
and drowned. The sea was searched
and. nine days later. was found its
only survivor. = negro. floating on
a door. He was found in the nick
of time. for he was at the point Of
diving from starvation and exposure.
In his own words he described the
accident
"A violent gale struck the steam
or On the starboard side Just as she
vas changing her course 10 make for
I9Ou anu taUeNn AfA NN Ntt'aaNf
he said. II saw Father Verdict and
the captain. who were clinging 70
an overturned boat. swept into the
sea by a blast Of wind"
In spite az the great loss sus-
tanned by the church by the death
OF Father Verdict, the building prof.
ect was carried on by his successors.
49, U~~~T-~- - xE,rE
The present church was founded
= nv Peter Keralum In 1854. He per-
formed works Of charity. visited the
moor and healed the sick. lie prac-
ticed poverty to such an extent that
sometimes he was rcbuked by his
-sIperiors. His eyesight was 50 bac
that he often lost his way In the
woods. one time he vas lost for
three DAYS and during that time he
only ate the mesquite beans r
re pears az the wild cactus plants.
He was ordered by his superiors 20
co and visit the coast mission. From
This trip he never returned. Before
eoinr he said that he had a pre-
eartmaut that he was never 70 come
hack but that II he lost his way
~ t5e woods he would set his horse
free. because it would be a sad
thing 70 have the poor animal die
Of hunger
The superior told members Of the
congregation that this was the last
fine he was going to send Father
Earalum on missions because his
.,es;rht was SO bad. The priest
u,err "a his mission but never came
rack. Ten years later his remains
rrrre found in the woods about an
r,iles from Brownsville; and. up 70
80 present day. they gre kept IN
the church. Thus passed away a
cited architect and a sainted priest,
sha founder Of the Church Of the
ImmacuIate Conception.
Tre cornerstone was laid In 1855
hv rather Verdict. This gree cere-
r5onv was attended by all the clergy
and laity, by the public officers.
and bv the Catholic worshippers Of
A1rnwnsville and Matamoros- r
IA ceremony. in a cavity prepared
for the purpose. were placed some
articles which were Of particular in
ferest to the church Among T. !
Continued on page 81