Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church
Port Lavaca, Calhoun County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church The Rev. Augustine Gardet offered the first mass for Roman Catholics in Port Lavaca in 1857 at the R. D. Blossom home. The first church building, constructed in 1865 and destroyed in an 1886 storm, was rebuilt in 1894 and dedicated as Our Lady of the Gulf. The congregation received its first resident pastor, the Rev. Francis Pallanche, in 1913. A surge in the community's population after World War II led to the construction of a new church building in 1953. For 86 years, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate administered the parish. Over its history, Our Lady of the Gulf has been located within the Galveston, San Antonio and Victoria dioceses. (2002)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Roman Catholic worship in Port Lavaca began in 1857 with a mass offered in a private home, followed by a church built in 1865, destroyed by an 1886 storm, and rebuilt in 1894 as Our Lady of the Gulf. A resident pastor arrived in 1913, and a postwar population surge brought a new church in 1953. For 86 years the Oblates of Mary Immaculate served the parish, which passed through the Galveston, San Antonio, and Victoria dioceses.
Why it matters
The parish charts the endurance of Catholic community life on the Texas Gulf Coast through storms, growth, and shifting dioceses over nearly a century.
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Related people
- · Augustine Gardet
- · Francis Pallanche
Themes & tags
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