St. Augustine Catholic Church
San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1716 Franciscan missionaries held the first Catholic services in this vicinity. For many years Catholics in San Augustine were without leadership until 1847 when the Diocese of Galveston recognized it as a mission and sent the Rev. L. C. M. Chambodut as pastor. In 1880 M. C. Tynan deeded the lot at this site for a church which was completed the next year. A new structure replaced that building in 1937 and was later called St. James. In 1975 the Diocese of Beaumont renamed the church St. Augustine. (1982)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Catholic worship in this vicinity reaches back to 1716, when Franciscan missionaries held the first services on the Spanish colonial frontier of East Texas. After long years without a resident priest, the Diocese of Galveston recognized San Augustine as a mission in 1847 and sent a pastor, and a church rose on this lot in 1881. Rebuilt in 1937 and later renamed, the parish carries a lineage stretching from the Spanish missions to the present.
Why it matters
The church connects modern Texas to the earliest Spanish colonial presence in the region, when Franciscan missions marked the northeastern edge of New Spain.
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Related people
- · L. C. M. Chambodut
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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