St. Boniface Catholic Church - Palo Pinto County, TX
N 32° 41.055 W 098° 25.363
14S E 554119 N 3616430
The old St. Boniface Catholic Church is now retired, but it still sees occasional use. A hidden gem, it is one of the remnants of the old Dodson Prairie community, in rural Palo Pinto County, south of US 180.
Waymark Code: WM107BF
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/13/2019
Views: 1
An April 2013 article in
The Strawn Advocate (see Web Site, below) observes centennial celebrations by two Palo Pinto churches, St. John's Catholic Church in Strawn, and this one.
The church is one of the remnants of the Dodson Prairie community, which was settled by Germans and Czechs in the early 1900s. Until it was built, the faithful had to travel nearly twenty miles to Thurber, or catch a traveling priest when he was in nearby Springer Gap. Eventually, this land was donated, and materials were brought in from Strawn, about eleven miles away. The name, "St. Boniface", is a nod to the eighth century missionary who Christianized the Germanic people.
Construction was completed in 1912, and over time, the sanctuary was furnished with cast-off materials from other churches, including a bell that had survived the 1900 Galveston hurricane. The church was officially dedicated in May 1916, and it was a focal point in the community, while the community lasted. Today, there are a few homes, a few schoolhouses, an old service station, and the old cemetery to serve as reminders of Dodson Prairie.
Regular masses were held here until May 1997, when the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth informed parishioners that their congregation was too small, and encouraged them to move to St. John's in Strawn. Today, the church is used infrequently, for special services like weddings or funerals, but there is no indication that they are still holding occasional masses.
Note: A copy of the Advocate article is available from me upon request should it go offline. It is also available here.