Occasionally the whispers aren't quite so muted, sometime they scream out at you or play the Hallelujah Chorus as you travel around. The Painted Churches are no exception. Most notable of them are around Schulenburg, about half way between Houston and San Antonio. However, we did find a beautiful example in Serbin, close to Giddings. Teeming with history, it was formed when land was bought for the benefit of 500 Wend families in 1855 who had imigrated from Lutasia. The popular belief is the immigrants had come to America to persue religious freedom.
This church, although modest, is beautiful as it stands. Plain doors open into the sanctuary where you will see this:
Although I am not sure, many ceilings and porch overhangs were painted blue to fool the flies, wasps and other bugs...that may be why the ceiling is blue . After standing in awe, walking around a little you turn to leave and see the organ above you.
WOW...are you hearing the Hallelujah Chorus yet?
The sign in the window is a dedication of the window by the family of Edna Kasper.
On the Schulenburg or rather to High Hill where the residents claim they have the "queen of the painted chruches" - they could be right!
The interior
Beam detail
Ceiling is panted canvas
The choir loft
Looking around outside brought some Kodak moments too. Love the old weathered buildings and there were a couple to keep me happy, along with a couple of visitors.
And you know me.....I had to find one.
On down the road a piece is Dubina.
Wildflowers at the church
Around the corner from the churches is another beautiful little place Hoysten. Although not a painted church, it was still beautiful.
, 
This is the two sides of that window, amazing what a little bit of sunlight can do, huh?
Czech Catholic Union of Texas
On March 24, 1889, a group of Czech immigrants formed the Katolicka Jednota Texaska (KJT), or Czech Catholic Union of Texas. A fraternal benefit society, the KJT was chartered on July 4, 1889, with six lodges. People throughout Texas have been helped through programs such as life insurance, financial aid to members, churches, and educational scholarships. The organization has grown to over one hundred lodges.
Weimer Mercury - May 6, 1932
Another object of beauty is now seen on the grounds of the Hostyn Catholic church since the recent completion of the memorial chapel built by Mr. & Mrs. Francis C. Janda in honor of their parents, who pioneered in that section 75 years ago.
The structure was erected under supervision of an able architect from New Orleans. It is made largely of
a native stone known as "flower
stone", which was quarried on the F. J. Janacek estate. Above the altar and embedded in the wall are a number of pieces of petrified wood and strange stone formations. A place is also provided for a statue which is to be placed there later.
The structure as a whole presents a very neat appearance and is one which compares well with the already widely known and famous grotto built on an opposite corner of the church yard in 1925. Although considerably smaller, the chapel fits well into the picture of improvements to be seen there.
--LaGrange Record
Outside the church, the grotto is in the background.
One of the statues that are on display.
Two memorials are here, a father and his son are honored for their participation in the Civil War.
The father
and his son...read the words.
You have to wonder what impact that had on the family relationship. The story is that the son hauled a wagon load of cotton to the valley where friends talked him into joining the Union, meanwhile his father fought for the Confederacy. After the war the two men returned to the community and lived on the farm together.
The first settler in Ammannsville arrived on March 12, 1870.A Catholic church and school opened in 1890 with Father Jules Vrana as priest. The church was destroyed by a storm in 1909 and rebuilt and dedicated on November 24, 1910. Shortly thereafter it was destroyed by fire and again rebuilt.
PRAHA
Praha was originally known as Mulberry and then as Hottentot (apparently referring to a group of outlaws that hung out there). In 1858 the Bohemian settlers changed the name to Praha to honor the capital of their homeland, Prague.
In 1865 a small frame church was built and at midnight on Christmas Day, the first mass was held.
One sad note to Praha's history is it lost 9 young men, almost its entire youth, in World War II. There are 9 separate memorials to the boys at the church. There story can be read on the Huffington Post.
Until next time...
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