History exhibit travels around diocese

The Diocese of Corpus Christi’s traveling exhibit “Becoming the Body of Christ” is showing at La Retama Central Library, located at 805 Comanche in Corpus Christi until Friday, June 1. The exhibit depicts the growth of the diocese since its beginning in 1912 to recent times.

“The Corpus Christi Public Library promotes the study of local history.  The Central Library houses a large local history collection, where numerous items relating to Corpus Christi are on permanent exhibit in the second floor gallery.  The exhibition on the 100th anniversary of the Diocese of Corpus Christi enhances the library’s efforts to educate the community about the city’s history as it tells the story of the significant development of the Catholic Church in the area,” Herb Canales, Director of Libraries for the city of Corpus Christi said.

The exhibit includes material from the diocesan archives, including replicas of glass photographic negatives made at the turn of the century for the Catholic Extension Society. The images show people, buildings, activities and events.

In addition to the photographic displays, it includes a number of small items displayed in museum style locked boxes. These include the Chalice of Father Claude Jaillet, known as the “Saddlebag Priest of the Nueces” and the gold pectoral cross of Bishop Peter Verdaguer.

The exhibit consists of several panels that fold and a kiosk, which contains a television that plays a three-minute video, narrated by Msgr. Daniel Flores, now bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville.

The exhibit is showing on the first floor of the library. The library is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

If your business, library, school, parish or organization would like to host the traveling exhibit, please call the Diocese of Corpus Christi Chancery Office at (361) 882-6191 or email [email protected].