April 20, 2008

This article is reprinted by permission from the South Texas Catholic

Roots of Holy Family in Taft are deep as those of diocese

By Geraldine McGloin
STC Correspondent

“Lord stay with us” was the prayer of Father Jiri Kucera as he celebrated Mass at the 50th anniversary celebration of Holy Family Parish of Taft, on April 6.

The Gospel reading of the day from Luke related the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus and their response after finally recognizing the Lord.

“The Lord has been with us for the past 50 years and we have become a small but important part of the diocese of Corpus Christi,” Father Kucera said. “We pray that He will remain always with us.” The priest also credited the former pastors and parishioners with establishing a firm foundation, which allowed for healthy growth. A moment of silent prayer gave the congregation an opportunity to pray for those men and women and give thanks for the gifts they left the parish.

“I know they are watching us from Heaven.” Fr. Jiri told the group.

After Mass a number of parishioners gave personal testimonies providing a glimpse of how the community at Holy Family has grown. Mrs. Genevieve Gabrysch, who has been a member of the parish since 1952 shared some interesting and humorous memories.

She arrived in town with her husband and two young sons, ages four and one year, fifty-six years ago.

“I was scared to death,” she said, referring to how she was promptly elected president of the altar society upon arrival.

The society met in the old rectory that would mean that she must conduct the meeting in the presence of Father William Kelly, a terrifying prospect but one, which she survived. She later became involved in many other aspects of parish life. She shared the chore of driving to Rockport to pick up the Schoenstatt sisters who taught the children catechism.

“When my son made his First Holy Communion there were about 12 children in the group,” she said. Today the religious education program serves 150 children, the First Holy Communion class numbers 26, and the Confirmation class 30. A director of religious education runs the program with approximately 12 lay teachers.

Another parishioner Mrs. Ken Mutchler began by stating that she had been volunteered to speak by her husband and that when the parish was formed in 1958 she was still a Lutheran, adding quickly that she converted to Catholism after her marriage.

She told several humorous stories and especially wished to remember Angela Mutchler who was an important part of the “foundation” of the parish “as much as the cement this building sits on,” she said. She shared the fact that Angela Mutchler had participated in almost all the work of the parish. An attendee at daily Mass, she trained altar boys, taught catechism, helped with fundraising and other matters that needed her attention.

Mrs. Mutchler said that when Fr. Kelly arrived in town as pastor, there was no rectory and not much else by way of accommodations. He went to Mrs. Mutchler and said, “Angela, I need a place to live.” She immediately put him up in what is now known as the “Mutchler rent house.”

He was apparently quite comfortable there until parishioners built the new rectory, which was actually built by the farmers and featured specific projects done by the women of the parish. Father Kucera laughingly noted that they “probably did the pink tile bathroom, which I think rather strange, for a man. But, it is fine.”

On a grander scale, the history of Holy Family is part of the early evangelization of the diocese under Bishop Paul Nussbaum that began in the first years of the 20th century.

Originally known, as Mesquital the town was “Just a small watering stop with holding pens for the extensive Colman-Fulton Pasture Company,” records Becoming the Body of Christ, a History of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

The Colman-Fulton Pasture Company had, however, lost most of its livestock during an 18-month drought between 1878-79, which crippled the agricultural economy of the entire region.

In 1909 the first dependable water supply on the Gulf Coast was discovered in Taft. Within a few weeks Coleman-Fulton started construction of an agricultural-industrial complex to process farm products. Funds were authorized to build a slaughter and packinghouse, a cold storage and ice factory, a light plant, a cottonseed oil mill, and cotton gins.

Later a feed mill, a cotton compress, and a creamery were added. These industries enabled the company almost to guarantee anyone who bought land over the next two decades a market for agricultural products and enabled Coleman-Fulton to realize higher profits from its farm and ranch land. Land sales were advertised widely. The activity brought in more people, trainloads of workers were brought in to clear the land and prepare it for farming; others came from north Texas and all over the US, lured by cheap land prices, to engage in farming both as tenants and landowners.

With a growing population the bishop faced a critical need to address the spiritual welfare of all his people. They had come with various needs and resources but with the ultimate purpose of settling the area and raising their families. Some were poor and uneducated, and others, though certainly not rich, had a little more.

Two parishes were formed. In 1914 a small Catholic chapel was erected. The chapel, named Holy Family, was built with a $500 gift from the Extension Society. The Extension Society played a large part in the development of the diocese by financing small parishes in rural areas. Bishop Nussbaum dedicated the chapel in 1915. It was a mission of Sinton.

By 1936 with the acquisition of land bought for the purpose, a new church was built for Holy Family. By 1957 it became an independent parish with a resident pastor, Fr. William Kelly. The smallest of the two parishes in Taft, it served a primarily Czech and German farming community. As the parish grew the church became too small and was replaced with the present structure in 1961 again under the leadership of Fr. Kelly.

The former pastors are Rev. W. Kelly 1958-1967, Rev. Louis Joseph 1967-1972, Rev. Joseph Berger 1972-1974, and Rev. C. J. Aubrey 1976-1986. Rev. E. H. Kircher 1986-1995, Rev. Pat Donohoe, 1995-1999, Rev. G. Kunnarth 2000-2006. Four of the pastors are deceased: Frs. Kelly, Joseph, Berger and Aubrey.

From a small rural parish Holy Family has evolved into a vibrant growing community of people of faith. Parish life includes all the sacramental, educational and social aspects of a well developed and managed parish. While everyone is most welcome at Holy Family, the Czech heritage of the original parishioners is evident today in some of the traditions at the parish, especially in the foods.

Kolaches, sausages and other delicious Czech foods were in abundance at the potluck lunch that followed the Mass. Kolache Bake Sales are still a popular fund-raiser.In the spring before the crops are planted, the sacks of seeds to be used are blessed after Mass. The parish has a Catholic Family Fraternal organization (K.J.Z.T) a traditionally Czech group dedicated to Catholic Family life, which meets regularly. Pastor, Fr. Jiri, a native of the Czech Republic, fondly refers to all women in the parish as the “Czech Ladies” regardless of their ethnicity. “I couldn’t run the parish without them,” he says. One suspects he is probably right.