A celebration of ceaseless blessings

Looking back with gratitude

As our parish looks back on the one hundred years of its existence, our hearts rise in gratitude to Almighty God for the countless blessings He sends our way. St. George Church in George West was blessed and consecrated for worship in 1918. It was a rather tiny church in the newly created township of George West. The church, however, has a rather long story to tell, about its coming into existence, which began way before the first brick was laid.

Irish immigrants were the first Catholics to settle in the area in the 1830’s, followed by Polish immigrants in the 1850’s. St. Joseph church was built in Gussettville for the worship of Irish Catholics and still exists today. Priests would travel to Gussettville to minister to the religious needs of the faithful and prominent among them was Father Harold Purcell.

A blessing in disguise

In 1914, a great visionary George Washington West succeeded in establishing a new town which included various facilities: a courthouse, a school, newly built bridges and roads. The newly established George West soon became a much sought-after place.

For many, the new settlement created a problem for those who moved there. It was difficult for the families to travel to Gussettville to attend Mass, so Father Purcell started organizing Mass in one of the two storied buildings in town. West took note of the problem and donated a plot of land to the Bishop of Corpus Christi and construction began immediately for a new church building, built by the efforts of the faithful and aided by a substantial donation from West himself.

In 1916, a hurricane destroyed the church which was still under construction, and a new church was built and consecrated in 1918. In order to honor West, the newly constructed church was named St. George. The Catholic community continued to grow and priests, who till then had been traveling from Sinton to offer Mass and help with other sacramental needs, began residing in George West in 1924.

A change of venue

By 1948, the congregation had grown further, especially with the addition of many Spanish speaking Americans and the need for a new and larger church became a necessity. The building of a new church and rectory was undertaken in 1949 and the newly completed church was consecrated during Christmas Mass in 1950. This is the church which is currently in use today, with only slight improvements inside.

Celebrating the many blessings

As our faith journey as a parish community goes beyond a century of blessings, we decided to celebrate this occasion with various programs. Celebrations were grouped into three categories, focusing on spiritual renewal, recalling of history and inspiring community building. The celebrations were kicked off with an inaugural Mass celebrated by Bishop Emeritus Edmond Carmody on Dec. 3, 2017. During Mass, the Centennial Candle was lit, which has continued to be lit during Sunday Masses until the end of the celebrations on Nov. 17. On the same day, the newly constructed St. George Charities building was dedicated and blessed by Bishop Emeritus Carmody.

Various spiritual renewal programs were organized during the year including: Renewal of Marriage Vows; a Pilgrimage to the Basilica of San Juan; a special Lenten Mission by Father Sam Medley, SOLT; A Holy Land Pilgrimage; another mission entitled, “Growing in love for the Eucharist,” by Will Merkel; a drama by Frank Runyeon, which focused on the Beatitudes; and a special children’s Mass was organized every second Sunday of the month, where children led every aspect of the Holy Mass.

Every month, special posters were created and displayed, depicting important events during the history of the church and the role various priests played in them. Special bulletin inserts told the untold stories of the past, from the perspective of various individuals. Two former pastors of St. George, Msgr. Michael Howell (1990-1994) and Father Joseph Olikkara, MST (2002-2008) were invited to the parish and honored. A special centennial book will be brought out at the end of the celebrations.

Two banners with the centennial logo and motto were displayed in the church all through the Centennial year. As part of centennial memorabilia, special plates and t-shirts were sold. A special altar cloth was created as a combined effort by the families of the parish and will be blessed and wrapped around the altar as a mark of gratitude to God.

A journey that continues to unfold

The closing of the Centennial Celebrations took place on Nov. 17. The day was marked by the unveiling of a historical marker near the church and Bishop Michael Mulvey celebrated Mass.

As we look back at one hundred years of blessings, we recall with gratitude all the men and women who toiled hard to make our parish community a reality; pastors who will always be remembered with deep gratitude; the blessings and guidance of past and present bishops can never be forgotten; and above all we stand humbly before God Almighty, for letting us journey with Jesus to that place of eternal joy and life, where we shall all gather together one day.

Let celebrations continue, for blessings never cease!