Our Lady of Visitation Roman Catholic Church was built in 1882 by the Missionary Oblate Fathers of Texas, whose civilizing presence here pave the way for many of the older communities in the Rio Grande Valley on either side of the border between Texas and Mexico.
Although boarded up at this time (2015), the community continues to hope and pray for the restoration of their historic church.
A state historic marker nearby reads as follows:
"OUR LADY OF VISITATION CATHOLIC CHURCH
A rare South Texas snowstorm marked the cornerstone laying ceremonies for this church building, Dec. 29, 1880. The Gothic Revival edifice was constructed of bricks made at nearby El Rancho de Santa Maria, owned by L.J. Hynes, who gave land for the church. Built from plans drawn by Father Peter I. Keralum, O.M.I., the structure was dedicated June 29, 1882. The wooden steeple was blown off during a 1933 hurricane. Residents of Bluetown, Santa Maria, and neighboring communities worshiped here.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark 1972"
While Blasterz were Researching this waymark, we discovered the following newspaper article from the morning edition of the Valley Star in Harlingen TX: (
visit link)
"Hope emerges for restoring Our Lady of Visitation
Posted: Saturday, February 7, 2009 12:00 am
Mary Torres/Harlingen Happenings
How many of you have passed the hauntingly beautiful little church on the side of the road on the Old Military Highway in Santa Maria and wondered about its history and current condition? If you have, you are not alone. There are many individuals and groups to whom this church, Our Lady of Visitation, is a precious jewel that must be restored and preserved for future generations as part of the rich history of the Valley.
Our Lady of Visitation Church, with its Gothic-style architecture, was built as a house of worship for the people of Santa Maria, Bluetown and the surrounding community and is part of the Diocese of Brownsville. It is located on property donated to the Catholic Church by L. J. Hynes of Santa Maria from his holdings in the original La Feria land grant of 1776 and built from plans drawn by Father Peter I. Keralum, O.M.I who also was the architect and builder of the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral in Brownsville. According to historical documents, the first cornerstone for the church was laid on Dec. 29, 1880, during a rare South Texas snowstorm. The building was constructed by local people under supervision of the "Monks on Horseback," the Oblate Fathers of Mary Immaculate, a missionary order of the Catholic Church, utilizing bricks made at the nearby El Rancho De Santa Maria and wood that came from trees along the Rio Grande River.
The church was completed in 1882 and fell into disrepair in the early 1900s due to a shift in population one mile to the west. It was rededicated on Dec. 1, 1907. In 1968, The Quinton Stockwell Chapter of the Daughters of the American Colonists sponsored a State of Texas historical marker for the church. Services were offered until the 1970s. After that the church was open occassionally for tourists and visitors. Mrs. Eddie Gathing McNail and her husband, La Feria residents, served as caretakers of the church until her death in 1991. Over the years time and weather have taken their toll and the church was closed permanently in 1995 for safety reasons.
On Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008, a group of individuals gathered at the church for a memorial service to celebrate its 128th anniversary. The Rev. Thomas Matondo, parish priest, conducted the service which was attended by people from the local community as well as Deacon Salvador Saldivar, Larry Lof, Chair of the Cameron County Historical Commission and Mark Clark, Brownsville artist, who presented two of his paintings that will adorn the church.
This is but a brief glimpse of the fascinating history of Our Lady of Visitation. Many efforts have been made in the past to restore the church.
Presently, The Diocese of Brownsville, The Cameron County Historical Commission, The Brownsville Historical Association, the Sam Maverick Chapter, DAR, the Lt. Thomas Barlow Chapter, DAR and The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution who had a planning session in January, are working with the local communities to restore and preserve the church. The next time you drive by the church you will notice that it now has a new roof that was made possible by funds from a grant received by the Diocese of Brownsville.
The Cameron County Historical Commission, which is making the restoration of this church their major project, will hold its bimonthly meeting at 2 p.m. today (Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009) at the Harlingen Public Library at 410 '76 Drive in Harlingen. The current status of this project and a tentative time frame for completion and rededication of the church will be discussed. Come join us for this meeting and learn what other projects the Commission is working on and how you can help save this part of our Valley history and perhaps learn more about the history of your family as well."