Fayette Co., TX - Church: St. Mary's Parish, High Hill, TX
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Don R. Brownlee <dbrownlee@csun.edu>

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History of St. Mary's Parish, High Hill, Texas

On September 12 in the year 1860, families named Wick, Heinrich, Bednarz,
Billimek, Shilhab, Adamek, Hollas and Besetzny, left their native Austria to
seek freedom across the ocean. They left the port of Bremen in September 1860,
and arrived in Galveston, on November 18, 1860. From Galveston they came by
ox-wagon to the Navidad River and were welcomed by one of their own country-
men, named Joseph Kahlich, in the district now known as Dubina. After a few
days they continued their journey to Blumen Hill, now known as High Hill,
where they settled.

The first priest to come to High Hill was Father Gury from Frelsburg, who said
Mass in private homes in 1861. Later on Polish priests came from Mulberry
(Praha) to administer to the people's needs. The first resident priest was
Father Friedochowsky who came her in 1870 and built a small frame church for
the thirty-six Catholic families then in the district. On the Feast of the
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin that same year the Church was blessed. The
Church was built on a tract of nine acres of land donated to the parish by the
Hillje family. In 1875 Father Pfefferkorn built a small frame rectory and a
second Church. The original Church now served as a school. The first teachers
to come were Sisters of Divine Providence, Sisters Rosa and Angela, in 1880.
In that same year Father Kossbiel built St. Joseph's School near Schulenburg.
This school gave way later on to one built in Middle Creek, where the Sisters
of Divine Providence taught. In 1888 Father Schmeltzer from High Hill built a
Church in St. John. Father John Kirch came to High Hill in 1889 and in that
same year built St. Rose's Church in Schulenburg and became the first resident
pastor there. Father Brucklin succeeded Father Kirch and remained until 1898.

Father Gerlach came from Meyersville to be pastor of High Hill in 1899. He has
been pastor at High Hill from that date until the present time, except for the
period from 1913 to 1925 when he was pastor of Fredericksburg. Father Gerlach
built the parish hall in 1900 and the parish church (of Brick) in 1906 and the
second rectory in 1926. (Father Schweller built the school in 1923). Many
other improvements have been made in the parish in recent times. A new pipe
organ was purchased in 1933. Butane gas was introduced in 1946. A war memorial
has been erected and new cement walks have been put in the cemetery.

Of the many Societies now flourishing in the parish, St. Joseph's is the
oldest. It was founded in 1879, followed closely by St. Ann's Society which
was introduced in 1880. St. Aloysius Society was founded in 1900, and St.
Agnes Society in 1902.

The following is a complete list of all the priests who have served in St.
Mary's Parish, High Hill: Fr. Gury, Fr. Krauss, Fr. Barbarini, Fr. Rogasinsky,
Fr. Bichowsky, Fr. Ossochowsky, Fr. Friedochowsky, Fr. Pfefferkorn, Fr.
Kossbiel, Fr. Schmeltzer, Fr. Kirch, Fr. Brucklin, Fr. Schweller, and
Monsignor Gerlach.

[from Robert E. Lucey, Archdiocese of San Antonio 1874-1949, published
1949, page 211]
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