Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church

Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church. . , The Czechs/Moravians who settled here in the early 1880s initially worshiped in each others' homes or traveled 12 miles to Taylor, site of the nearest Catholic church. As their informal congregation grew so did the community of Granger. In 1891 they erected a wood frame sanctuary here on land donated by Austinite W. H. Walton, and named their church after the Czech patron saints, Cyril and Methodius., During the Rev. Frantisek Machan's brief tenure as pastor the church formed several fraternal organizations and established a school. His successor, the Rev. Frantisek Pridal, helped the congregation build a new school building/parish hall in 1912 and replace the original church building with a brick structure in 1916. Following the death of the beloved Father Pridal in 1927, the Rev. John Vanicek became pastor. He helped many young parishioners enter the priesthood and sisterhood, and guided several parishioners into leadership roles in statewide Catholic fraternal organizations., In 1948 this church became a part of the newlyformed Austin Diocese. A 2-story brick school building was added in 1947, a recreation center in 1959, and a brick convent in 1960. The church continues to play an integral role in church and community affairs.