Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church
Cestohowa, Karnes County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The second Polish colony in Karnes County, the village in this area grew out of a small settlement known as St. Joe and was formally established in 1873. At times the priest at Panna Maria would conduct services at St. Joseph School in what would become Czestochowa. The "Mother Colony" church at Panna Maria was destroyed by lightning in 1877; Czestochowa settlers decided to build their own church. This was the subject of much controversy among the Polish pioneers of Karnes County. Anton Jarzombek (1836-1922) and Frank Mutz (1814-1891) each donated land for the church. Area residents contributed their labor to build the eighty-five by forty foot church with Gervase Gabrysch (1830-1904) as contractor. Bishop Anthony D. Pellicer blessed the church on February 10, 1878. Father W. Pelczar was assigned as the first pastor that September. As a sign of their reconciliation, the parishioners from the newly rebuilt Panna Maria church presented the new parish a large painting of the Virgin Mary of Czestochowa, the Patroness of Poland. The two congregations often shared leadership in the ensuing years. The Cestohowa church (adopting the Americanized spelling of the community) thrived into the 20th century. In the 1930s the church underwent intensive additions and remodeling. Though the original walls remained, the roof was completely removed and the ceiling raised. The north and south wings were added and the steeple was increased in height. In 1998, the church celebrated its 125th anniversary. At that time, the parish consisted of 380 members. The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church continues in the traditions of its founders. (2000)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This parish grew out of one of the oldest Polish colonies in America, planted in Karnes County by immigrants who had followed the pioneers of nearby Panna Maria. After lightning destroyed the "Mother Colony" church in 1877, the Czestochowa settlers built their own sanctuary—a decision that stirred real controversy among the tight-knit Polish community before ending in reconciliation, sealed by a gift of a painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Poland's patroness. Blessed in 1878 and enlarged in the 1930s, the church anchored a community that Americanized even its spelling, from Czestochowa to Cestohowa.
Why it matters
It marks one of the earliest and most enduring Polish settlements in the United States, a reminder that the American immigrant story includes deep 19th-century roots in rural Texas as well as the big industrial cities.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Cemetery
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