St. Martin of Tours celebrates 100 years as faith community

Mutualistas donated their hall for use as a parish hall. Alfredo E. Cárdenas, South Texas Catholic

At a centennial celebration Mass held at St. Martin of Tours in Kingsville on Nov. 17, Bishop Michael Mulvey told parishioners that “people of faith, people of family” have been living at St. Martin’s for 100 years. He urged them to continue to focus on family and on the young.

It was, in fact, a little more than 100 years ago that a faith community began to come together in what became St. Martin of Tours. In 1911, shortly after establishing St. Gertrude’s, Bishop Peter Verdaguer had secured a $500 commitment from the Catholic Church Extension Society to build a chapel to be named St. Martin of Tours for the Mexican Catholics in town. Bishop Verdaguer died later that year, and Msgr. Claude Jaillet—in charge while a new bishop was named—directed Father Jose Solsona to began building a chapel.

Father Solsona was called away to Spain on a family emergency, so construction was delayed until his return in 1912. The new bishop, Bishop Paul Nussbaum, CP, came to Kingsville in December 1914 to visit the new chapel, which was under the care of Father Benito Gonzales, CP.

Early on, the St. Martin’s faced many challenges. It had to fend off incursions by Protestant proselytizers; it was given charge of building chapels in Rivera, Sarita, Bishop and Laureles; and its priest was being summoned back to Mexico. Father Ysidro Cavazos—who had taken over from Father Gonzales—like many other priests in Mexico had been given permission by his home diocese in Mexico to find work elsewhere until things calmed down with the ongoing revolution in their home country. In 1915, the Diocese of Tamaulipas was rebuilding and wanted Cavazos back.

Monthly Celebration Dates of St. Martin of Tours Nov. 17 - Bishop Michael Mulvey blessed CCD building and Parish hall blessing Dec. 12 - Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast. St. Martin, St. Joseph, Our Lady of Good Counsel and St. Gertrude. Procession starts at 5:30 p.m. at St. Gertrude and ends at St. Martin. Mass at 6:30 p.m. at St Martin with reception at Parish Hall. Jan. 11, 2014 - Religious Marriage Anniversary Celebration (1-25 years); 5:30 p.m. Mass followed by dinner and dance Feb. 22, 2014 - Religious Marriage Anniversary (26-50 years); 5:30 p.m. Mass followed by dinner and dance March 29, 2014 - Religious Marriage Anniversary (51+ years); 5:30 p.m. Mass followed by dinner and dance April 26, 2014 - Ministries Celebration; 5:30 p.m. Mass followed by reception May 11, 2014 - Mother’s Day Celebration June 14, 2014 - Marriage Sacrament; 3 p.m. followed by dinner and dance June 15, 2014 - Father’s Day celebration after noon Mass June 22, 2014 – Feast of Corpus Christi Procession July 5, 2014 - Civil servants, medical personnel and veterans celebration and Mass Aug. 30, 2014 - Youth Family Fun Day; 12-5 p.m. Aug. 31, 2014 - Educators reception following noon Mass Sept. 21, 2014 - Religious women 1:30-5 p.m. Oct. 4, 2014 – 100th Festival Day Nov. 9, 2014 – Priest and closing celebration and reception (details will be provided at a later date)

Bishop Nussbaum, however, directed Father Cavazos to stay put and indeed he never returned to Mexico, staying as pastor of St. Martin’s until his death in the mid-1930s. In 1916, Father Cavazos was busy building a new school at St. Martin’s. The Extension Society had secured $1,000 for the school. Among those working to build the school were José de la Paz, Juan Tunches, Dionicio Telles, José Lomas, Eduardo Ramírez, Ventura Almaraz, Andes Ramírez, Pedro Ramírez and José Almaguer.

Children at St. Martin take their offerings to Father Ordoñez at Centennial Mass, before the regular collection is taken up. It is a way to teach the children that they are part of the church and should contribute their part as well. Alfredo E. Cárdenas, South Texas Catholic

By 1917 the school was fully operational with an enrollment of 120 and the Sisters of the Institute of the Purity of the Immaculate Virgin Mary in charge. St. Martin’s was also in charge of missions in La Parra Ranch (Sacred Heart), Riviera (Our Lady of Guadalupe) and Sarita (Our Lady of Victory). Through the years St. Martin served as a catalyst for the establishment of other parishes in Kingsville and Kleberg County.

The parish was placed under the care of the Oblates in 1940, who soon moved to make improvements. In 1946, Father Tomas Fernandez, OMI directed efforts to build a new church, which remains in use today. Six years later, Father Fernandez and the parish built a new school.

Through the years, St. Martin continued to be an anchor of faith in Kingsville, but change—as is its custom—remained constant. In 1964, a fire destroyed the rectory, with only the sacramental records being salvaged. St. Martin School closed in 2000, after providing 84 years of service to the community. Three years later, the Oblates ended their care of the parish after nearly 75 years.

Still, parishioners at St. Martin continued to grow in faith and overcame all challenges. The rectory was rebuilt. On Sunday, Bishop Mulvey blessed the old parish hall, which was renovated and converted into a CCD Building to continue to teach the faith to the young. The new religious education building contains seven classrooms, a meeting room and an office, Father José Naul Ordoñez, parish administrator said.

Bishop Mulvey also blessed a new Parish Hall, which is actually the old Mutualistas Hall that has been renovated. The Mutualistas donated the facility to the parish and St. Martin’s is using both parish fundraisers and the Legacy of Faith~Future of Hope to fund renovations for both buildings.

“We opened our celebration today with the bishop’s visit, but we have big celebrations planned every month,” Father Ordoñez said. Among these events is a celebration recognizing the contributions made by the Oblates as well as another recognizing the longstanding service of the Missionary Daughters of the Most Pure Virgin Mary, MDPVM.

“I get life being with you,” Bishop Mulvey said to parishioners at the centennial Mass. He thanked priests, sisters and deacons for their service to the church.

“I have found faith alive here today, in this one hour,” the bishop said. “God is beautiful and harmonious. When you come together and you experience beauty and harmony, you experience God. Beauty in your reverence and harmony is the diversity of people. I didn’t see just elderly people, which is wonderful, but I saw young people, I saw middle-aged people, I saw families. That’s harmony, which music helped bring together as an expression of prayer.

“When it comes together on Sunday to celebrate beauty and harmony it’s a community of faith; and I found that here this morning at St. Martin’s.”

St. Martin’s children’s choir provided entertainment during luncheon at newly renovated parish hall. Alfredo E. Cárdenas, South Texas Catholic

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