History
From the twilight of the past, there was this local Louisiana saying, "Goodbye God, I'm going to Texas." Realistically, the saying should have been, "Hello Texas, I'm bringing Catholicism." Black Catholicism in the Gulf Coast Area of Texas, without a doubt, is indebted to the old country. Southwestern Louisiana. To nourish the flame of the faith, some of these new inhabitants settled in the Acres Homes Area and participated in Mass at St. Anne de Beaupre, the nearest Catholic Church.
As the community of Acres Homes began to take shape in the early 40's, two good men had the foresight to know the development of the community needed to include the growth of the Catholic Church. It was during that time that Father O'Reilly and Bishop Nold decided to purchase the property on the corner of West Montgomery Road and South Victory Street. As many Catholic began to move in to the community, they were required to travel to At. Anne de Beaupre Parish of Mass. As the number of Catholic families began to grow in the community, father John Conlon, then pastor of St. Anne de Beaupre, had the following message for his parishioners: "We must pledge our prayers, money and time to build God house in Acres Homes so that other my worship."
Father issued the call for commitment to building God a new house. Immediately, families and individuals committed themselves to this goal. Dinners, teas, raffles, contests, dances, bake sales and an endless list of projects begun to raise funds for the new church. On June 21, 1959, after much perseverance, dedication and service, Father Conlon had a ground breaking ceremony for the new church. Yes, the property that Father O'Reilly once described as "not looking like much" would soon begin to take shape. The first Mass was celebrated on May 8, 1960. What took place at that first Mass was described as a magnificent expression of love for Christ as 600 people received Holy Communion, including 75 children, for the first time. Truly our church was on its way.
September 11, 1960, Father William Hogan was assigned as assistant pastor to St. Anne de Beaupre. At this first Mass at St. Monica Parish he stated, "I am sent here to help you." Father Hogan had deep concern for all the members of the parish. He addressed the need for religious education for our children and began classes in the rear of the church. On his visit with the shut-ins, he left his taped recorded sermon for them to hear, giving them not only instructions but also brightening their day with a feeling of a closer unity with their parish.
September 10, 1964, Bishop Morkovsky announced that St. Monica was no longer a mission but a separate parish, and that Father William Hogan was the pastor. Imagine the pride and excitement of the parishioners as Father Hogan and his faithful companion, 'Tiny,' set up residence in the rear of the church. Upon his assignment, he immediately began discussion of the need for a building to hold religious classes for our children and social functions for our parish.
A new hall and CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) center was dedicated on May 4, 1966. Yes, the little parish of St. Monica with 1,000 Catholics ha come a long way.
Father John C. Crotty arrived at St. Monica on September 25, 1970. He immediately began plans to visit every home in his parish and wanted to know the members of his family by name. It was not long before he did.
Father began the lesson about how people can work together. Tuesdays in the parish would never be the same. Every high school freshman to every great grandfather was invited to the church for a workday. His motto was “I do not work alone.” Projects included painting and keeping the grounds well groomed. Two months after he arrived, he purchased an old brick veneer house for one dollar. Attired in blue jeans, a short sleeved pullover shirt, a baseball cap and brogans, he and his faithful flock, carefully dismantled the house and hauled the bricks and lumber to the parish. Each piece of oak flooring had to be taken up carefully and every joist was saved for later use. The pick-up truck, borrowed from a parishioner, made many trips. “I remember it so well,” recalled Father Crotty, “I drove the truck downtown, but was too scared to drive it back.” More than 12,000 bricks were cleaned by the parishioners. Some of the white bricks dated back to 1924.
Open house for the new rectory, which had been built at a fraction of the cost of its value, was held on February 10, 1974. After all of the waiting and working, he moved in, but did not plan to be idle. Already he had another project planned which included renovating the church. Additional space was obtained from the old residence in the rear of the church. New pews and carpet were installed; the sanctuary was changed, and carillon bells were installed for all to enjoy.
It was also during that time that the church became a resource for the community and allowed Senior Citizens the use of our center for their weekly social activities. Although he was always involved in a lot of work at St. Monica, he always found the time for social activities with his parish family.
Everyone will remember Father Crotty was famous for very unusual sayings; many of them he had placed on banners which he hung in the rectory and the church. One such saying that he uttered often was “Owe no one nothing, except to love one another.” As he departed for his new assignment with his faithful companion, Dr. K., St. Monica could proudly say, “We owed no one nothing, except to love one another.”
In October 1978, Father Eugene Farell arrived at St. Monica to serve as our new pastor. This gifted man immediately began to touch the hearts of all parishioners. It was during this time that our parish paused from the busy pace of getting things done, to experience the grassroots of our faith. After prayerful thought and careful preparation, our parish began participation in the GIFT (Growing In Faith Together) Program. Small groups formed and shared the gospel in their homes and hearts, as together we grew closer as a family. As much as Father’s presence was needed at St. Monica, God’s plan called him home April 8, 1980. His presence remains with us today.
During the bazaar weekend in September 1981, Father Henry Harper, our new pastor, arrived with his faithful companion, Muffin. As Father met the members of his parish family, he commented on the spirit of the people to get things done and a new dimension of sharing began during this period of change. He emphasized the importance of being involved in organized activities and meetings to share ideas and time together. As Father Harper amazingly spread his time between numerous meetings and social events, he always made himself available to respond to the concerns of the parishioners. He initiated a summer youth program with religious and physical activities. His concern for the elders of our parish resulted in the Love Sharer’s Program in which numerous younger adults adopted an older adult to form a partnership and keep check on the well being of the older person. Periodically special events and activities were carried out to widen the social horizon of the elderly as well. He was also instrumental in our church becoming affiliated with TMO, The Metropolitan Organization. It was through this organization that some parishioners became interested and actively involved in community, civic and political issues that affect their lives to this day.
Being first is nothing new to the parish family of St. Monica. Therefore when we were presented the opportunity to be part of history, after prayerful consideration, our parish council, through Father, readily responded by opening our hearts and the doors of the church to the Vietnamese in our community. They were in need of a place to hold morning Mass, and on the First Sunday of Lent, February 28, 1982, the first Vietnamese Mass celebrated at St. Monica.
In 1985, in reply to our parish’s desire to reaffirm our commitment to faith, we formulated our first parish mission statement. We pledged ourselves to work constantly to deepen the quality of our prayers and worship, to grow closer to God and to each other, and to find ways of sharing our own gifts with the church and the world in which we live. It was a true declaration of our church mission.
During Father Harper's tenure, we experienced the opportunity to be a part of the formation of four young seminarians. They were Brother Maurice Shephard, Brother John Opoku Agyemang, Brother Walter Bonam and Brother Paul Richards. It was during this period that St. Monica was briefly assigned an associate pastor, Father Lowell Case.
In October 1988, Father Joseph Tyson was assigned as pastor of St. Monica Parish. He soon realized the need to renovate various portions of the center. The kitchen was completely gutted and new tiles were installed on the floor and walls. A large work island counter was built and an up to code vent-a-hood was installed, making food preparation more convenient. The floor in the main auditorium was replaced with new tiles, and all classrooms received a fresh coat of paint. The restrooms were renovated as well.
Father Tyson was noted for his travels and always kept us well informed of his adventures and experiences with his family and friends. He decided that the parishioner’s of St. Monica could also benefit from a change of scenery and should accompany him to Florida in 1991. A bus load enjoyed the space center, the amusement centers in Orlando and the scenery along the route.
Another bus load of St. Monica’s parishioners, accompanied by Father Tyson, traveled to Washington, D.C. for the unforgettable celebration of the Josephite Fathers 100th Anniversary. In July 1995, parishioners were led on a pilgrimage to Paris, Lourdes and Lisieux, France. They attended Mass at Notre Dame and the Carmelite Convent and visited numerous points of interest. It was an educational and a prayerful time. This was truly a trip of a lifetime.
In 1994, Father Tyson formed a Building Committee of men and women of the parish to begin formulating plans for a new church. Meetings were held, visits were made to area catholic churches to observe their facilities and architects were interviewed, but Father was reassigned before specific plans for the new church were completed or executed.
In 1996, St. Monica’s parish family faced another change. The Josephite Fathers, who had served the parish since 1960, informed us that because of a shortage of vocations, they would be unable to continue their service with us. The order of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity agreed to serve us and Father Alphonsus Bakyil was appointed as our new pastor. The Society of our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity is a missionary religious order comprised of Priests, Sisters, and Laity. “The Society of Our Lady”, or S.O.L.T., as it is most commonly known, has missions all over the world. “Our Lady’s Society” serves in Countries like, the Philippines, Belize, Haiti, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, England, Macau,China, Rome,Italy, Mexico, and various missions throughout the United States.
After spending some time in becoming acquainted with the various aspects of our parish family, Father Alphonsus established a committee of men to continue the task of planning the new church. The parking lot was resurfaced, and construction of the new church began in 1998 after many delays. On September 18, 1999 a completely new church building with seating to accommodate 600 was dedicated by Bishop Fiorenza. Our long awaited anticipation for a new church became a reality. It was a blessed, joyous and happy occasion for our parish family.
In the months following, numerous changes and additions were made including the installation of the stained glass windows, a new entrance sign, and a visual monitoring system in the church office.
As a parish family, we are deeply rooted in the spirit of our Catholic faith. We are forever mindful of our call to be committed to prayer, dedicated to our church and ready to offer our service to God.