St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
San Juan, Hidalgo County, Texas
Marker Inscription
IN 1925, REVEREND ALPHONSE JALBERT, OMI, BUILT A CHAPEL FOR THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY OF SAN JUAN. THE FIRST PASTOR, FATHER JOSE AZPIAZU, INSTALLED A STATUE OF THE VIRGEN DE SAN JUAN DE LOS LAGOS IN 1948, AND THE MISSION WAS DESIGNATED A PARISH IN 1949. A NEW CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 1954. DURING THE NEXT TEN YEARS, FACILITIES FOR PILGRIMS WERE ADDED. IN 1970, A TRAGIC PLANE CRASH AND FIRE DESTROYED THE CHURCH/SHRINE BUT THE STATUE AND BELL TOWER SURVIVED. IN 1972, THE SHRINE WAS SEPARATED FROM THE PARISH. THE SHRINE/BASILICA OF OUR LADY OF SAN JUAN DEL VALLE WAS DEDICATED IN 1980 AND BECAME THE NEW HOME OF THE STATUE. IN 1975, A NEW ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH CHURCH WAS BUILT BESIDE THE BELL TOWER. (2012)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
A chapel built in 1925 for San Juan's Hispanic community grew into a parish in 1949 after its first pastor installed a statue of the Virgen de San Juan de los Lagos, drawing pilgrims to the site. A tragic 1970 plane crash and fire destroyed the church-shrine, though the statue and bell tower survived; a new shrine-basilica was dedicated in 1980 and a rebuilt parish church rose beside the bell tower in 1975. The site became one of South Texas's most important centers of Catholic devotion.
Why it matters
The shrine reflects the deep Marian devotion of Mexican-American Catholics and the way a pilgrimage site can survive disaster to remain a spiritual anchor for a region.
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Related people
- · Alphonse Jalbert
- · José Azpiazu
Related events
- · 1970 shrine plane crash and fire
Themes & tags
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