Near Floydada in Floyd County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Roots of the Catholic Faith in West Texas
Photographed By Bill Kirchner, June 7, 2017
1. Roots of the Catholic Faith in West Texas Marker
Inscription.
Roots of the Catholic Faith in West Texas. . Spaniards first introduced the Catholic faith into this region when conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado passed through in a 1540s expedition to conquer the fabled cities of gold. He and his men rested at a campsite in Blanco Canyon, southeast of present-day Floydada. The South Plains would come under the care of the Mexican Diocese of Linares. Once a United States territory, this area came under the jurisdiction of an American bishop who extended direct pastoral care., In 1890, the Catholic Church created the Dallas Diocese, which attended to this region. By the early 1900s, father David H. Dunn ministered to area Catholics, many of whom were immigrants responding to the availability of land in West Texas; other Catholics arrived from Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. By 1908, the first Catholic church in the future Diocese of Lubbock was built in Hermleigh. Soon, circuit-riding priests ministered in the area., In 1926, the Catholic Church established the Diocese of Amarillo and church growth continued in the following decades. The 1950s was the most productive decade of area church building, partially attributed to the Bracero program, in which hundreds of thousands of workers emigrated from Mexico into the U.S. each year. Church building continued at a high rate into the 1970s., In 1983, the Vatican established the Diocese of Lubbock, formed from 20 counties of the Diocese of Amarillo and five from the Diocese of San Angelo, which was created in 1961. Today, the Diocese of Lubbock continues to serve the spiritual needs of Catholics in the region.
Spaniards first introduced the Catholic faith into this region when conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado passed through in a 1540s expedition to conquer the fabled cities of gold. He and his men rested at a campsite in Blanco Canyon, southeast of present-day Floydada. The South Plains would come under the care of the Mexican Diocese of Linares. Once a United States territory, this area came under the jurisdiction of an American bishop who extended direct pastoral care.
In 1890, the Catholic Church created the Dallas Diocese, which attended to this region. By the early 1900s, father David H. Dunn ministered to area Catholics, many of whom were immigrants responding to the availability of land in West Texas; other Catholics arrived from Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. By 1908, the first Catholic church in the future Diocese of Lubbock was built in Hermleigh. Soon, circuit-riding priests ministered in the area.
In 1926, the Catholic Church established the Diocese of Amarillo and church growth continued in the following decades. The 1950s was the most productive decade of area church building, partially attributed to the Bracero program, in which hundreds of thousands of workers emigrated from Mexico into the U.S. each year. Church building continued at a high rate into the 1970s.
In 1983, the Vatican
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established the Diocese of Lubbock, formed from 20 counties of the Diocese of Amarillo and five from the Diocese of San Angelo, which was created in 1961. Today, the Diocese of Lubbock continues to serve the spiritual needs of Catholics in the region.
Erected 2008 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 14687.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Exploration. A significant historical year for this entry is 1890.
Location. 33° 53.527′ N, 101° 21.6′ W. Marker is near Floydada, Texas, in Floyd County. Marker is on U.S. 62, on the left when traveling south. Marker is in roadside park, 7 miles south of Floydada. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Floydada TX 79235, United States of America. Touch for directions.
2. Roots of the Catholic Faith in West Texas Marker on the left
Three historical markers in background are; Roots of the Catholic Faith in West Texas, Coronado in Blanco Canyon and The Battle of Blanco Canyon.
Photographed By Bill Kirchner, June 7, 2017
3. Roots of the Catholic Faith in West Texas Marker
View north in roadside park.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 28, 2017. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2017, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 394 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on June 28, 2017, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona.