Saint Michael's Catholic Church
Burlington, Milam County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Irish Catholic settlers first came to this area in 1875. The community, first called Irish Settlement, was served by visiting priests beginning in 1879. Eight families joined together in 1885 to build a church, which they dedicated to St. Michael. The predominantly Irish membership was eventually joined by a number of German-American Catholics. A parochial school opened in 1891 and was operated by nuns of various orders until it closed in 1956. St. Michael's Cemetery (.7 mi. E) contains burials dating to 1878 and is maintained by the church.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Irish Catholic families settling this Milam County prairie in 1875 first called their community the Irish Settlement, worshipping under visiting priests until eight families banded together in 1885 to raise a church dedicated to St. Michael. German-American Catholics soon joined the largely Irish congregation, and a parochial school run by teaching nuns opened in 1891. The nearby cemetery holds graves reaching back to 1878.
Why it matters
The parish preserves the story of European immigrant Catholics who carried their faith and schools onto the Texas frontier, blending Irish and German traditions in a new land.
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