Guardian Angel Catholic Church
N 29° 37.473 W 096° 03.302
14R E 785162 N 3280808
A historical marker outlining the history of the church, located in Wallis Texas.
Waymark Code: WM8ATJ
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/02/2010
Views: 15
Marker Number: 2301
Marker Text:
This congregation was organized in 1892 by several Czech families who had relocated from Fayette County, Texas, to an area about 3 miles southeast of Wallis, Texas. The congregation held services in the Krasna School building which was located on four acres donated by Francis V. Smid in 1892.
At the suggestion of the bishop of the Diocese of Galveston, church members erected a sanctuary in 1899 at a site closer to the railroad at Wallis. The congregation held their first services on Easter Sunday and named their church "Guardian Angel."
The church building was destroyed in the storm of 1900, but rebuilt in 1904 after a determined effort by the small congregation. The Rev. Frank Machan became the first full-time pastor in 1909. In 1913 a new Gothic-style sanctuary was built at this site to accommodate a growing congregation. In 1914 a school was established with an enrollment of 64 students. By 1933 the school consisted of six teachers and 170 students and the parish had grown to 300 families.
The congregation serves the community of Wallis and a number of rural communities in the area with a variety of outreach programs. The church continues to be an important element of the area's heritage.
Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845-1995
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Visit Instructions:
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