St. Mary's Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
Caldwell, Burleson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A number of eastern European immigrants of the Catholic faith came to Burleson County in the late 1800s. Priests from nearby towns led worship services; the first recorded mass was in August 1893, with the Rev. Jacob Lauth presiding. In 1895, residents and trustees bought land and built a sanctuary dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes. Four years later, the church, which came to be called St. Mary's Our Lady of Lourdes, bought adjacent land for use as a cemetery. The congregation has grown over the years with new facilities and programs, and, since 1908, full-time priests. (2005)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Eastern European Catholic immigrants arriving in Burleson County in the late 1800s at first depended on visiting priests, with the earliest recorded Mass said in 1893. Two years later the settlers bought land and raised a sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, adding a cemetery in 1899 and gaining full-time priests by 1908. Known as St. Mary's Our Lady of Lourdes, the parish grew steadily alongside the community it served.
Why it matters
The church records the faith and perseverance of the eastern European immigrants who helped settle central Texas, planting a lasting Catholic parish on the frontier of their new home.
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Related people
- · Rev. Jacob Lauth
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery
Caldwell, TX
Catholic families in Caldwell first gathered for Mass in private homes in the early 1890s before building the church of St. Mary's Our Lady of Lourdes in 1895 and buying this adjoining land for a cemetery four years later. The first burial, in 1899, was that of Jacob Svejda. The graves here belong to church founders, local leaders, veterans, and families reflecting the area's strong Czech and Hispanic Catholic heritage.
Caldwell Masonic Cemetery
Caldwell, TX
With more than 2,700 burials, this cemetery mirrors the heritage of Caldwell and Burleson County. It began in 1890 when Warren Lodge No. 56 bought the land as a Masonic cemetery, though a few graves already dated back to 1860. Its tombstones reflect the strong Czech and German character of the area and mark veterans, officials, and ordinary residents; in 1950 the Masons conveyed it to a public cemetery association, and burials relocated from Krueger Cemetery joined it when Lake Somerville was created in 1964.
Josef Masik
Caldwell, TX
Josef Masik, born in Moravia in 1810, was certified to teach at just sixteen before emigrating to Texas in 1855 in search of freedom from oppression. After great hardship he resumed his profession in 1859, teaching as many as fifty pupils a year until his retirement in 1872. He is remembered as the first Czech teacher in Texas.
New Tabor Brethren Church
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Around 1870, Czech-Moravian immigrants seeking fertile land and the religious freedom denied them in Europe settled this part of Burleson County. Services first met in a family home until a pastor answered the call in 1877, and the congregation built its first sanctuary in 1893, taking the name New Tabor. Rebuilt after a 1915 tornado and again in 1953, the church hosted the state convention of Czech-Moravian churches and nurtured a web of societies for men, women, and youth.