Built to resist hurricanes: Our Lady of the Assumption Parish is as strong in faith

Looking like a fortress, Our Lady of the Assumption in Ingleside was built to withstand the strongest of hurricanes. Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

Fierce 150-mile per hour winds from Hurricane Celia toppled the small church in Ingleside and parishioners were left to wonder what would become of their church. They did not wonder for very long.

?Parishioners decided right away they would rebuild,? said Father Thomas Wellar, who celebrates 27 years as pastor at Our Lady of the Assumption this year. ?They were devastated by the loss, but decided right away that the next church they built would withstand any future hurricanes to hit our area.?

Not only can the new church withstand a hurricane, it is now a government approved hurricane shelter that can sustain 450-mile-per-hour winds.

New adoration chapel is under construction at Our Lady of Assumption. Parishioners are doing most of the work. Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

?The church is built of solid concrete and was constructed with 100 percent volunteer labor from within our community?from the engineers who designed it, to the workers who raised the concrete with cranes,? Father Wellar said proudly.

Father Wellar, a Pennsylvania native, first came to Corpus Christi as a Trinitarian assigned to Christ the King Church in Corpus Christi. Later, he spent a year at Holy Spirit Retreat House in Laredo and decided to become a diocesan priest, which led to his assignment at Our Lady of Assumption.

?Over the last 27 years, I have watched numerous industries come and go in the Ingleside area, including the Navy,? he said. ?But one thing has remained consistent; we have always been a diverse, tight-knit community and continue to be today.?

Abel Gutierrez, a parishioner at Our Lady of Assumption since 1997, became more active with the church thanks to his involvement with the Knights of Columbus. He is assisting with fundraising, the food pantry and the addition of a new 24-hour Perpetual Adoration Chapel currently under construction.

?Getting more involved at church has brought me closer to my faith in many ways and has introduced me to a lot of interesting people,? he said. ?I?m so thankful for the opportunity to give of my time and talent. God opened up my vision to all the needs at church I was perfect for assisting with. I would encourage others to open up their hearts in the same way.?

Abel Gutierrez, left, a parishioner at Our Lady of Assumption and pastor Father Thomas Wellar go over work that needs to be done for the new adoration chapel. Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

The Knights of Columbus are currently working on the addition of a small Adoration Chapel for the continuous exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. And once again, it is very much a community effort.

?An area church donated pews to us, which one of our parishioners refurbished for us. We are having the stained glass windows made locally and one of our parishioners is working on the air conditioning. But this time around, we had to use contractors in order to build the chapel according to city code,? Father Wellar said.

Gutierrez said unique fundraisers?like a pie sale?have been successful thanks to the entire community, including local industries in the area.

?Over 130 pies were sold and many of them to Kiewit [Offshore Services]. It was such a success, we will definitely have another pie sale for Thanksgiving,? he said. ?We also have held barbecues, bingo games and other fun events.?

Another unique fundraiser over the last several years has been a ?Mom Prom,? a ladies night out where women wear their old prom, bridesmaid or wedding gowns.

?Everything for the party is donated and we?ve raised a lot of money over the years,? said Janie Gonzalez, parishioner since 1976 and Vice-President of the Altar Society. ?We have a blast at the prom. We usually donate the money to several causes within the church, like for the food pantry or to assist cancer patients with their treatments.?

Father Wellar said that he is looking forward to seeing the community continue to grow and prosper for many years to come.

?We are a close-knit community who consider each other family. The people are the church. We live our lives in the community of faith.?

For more information about Our Lady of the Assumption Church, including Mass times and upcoming events, visit their Web site at www.oloaingleside.org.