1943 – THE BEGINNING OF A PARISH – 1947

 PETE & ANNA MAY CARLSON REMEMBER
We arrived in Texas in May 1943.  Lake Jackson was already a good size town.  Nothing had been done about finding out how many Catholics were living here.  Shortly after we arrived, Father Coffey called a meeting of the Catholics living in Lake Jackson and Clute.  We met at the home of RUSS & ANN SHAW who lived in a duplex across from the Lake Jackson Community Building.  It was a Sunday afternoon and hot!  There was not enough room in the house.  So some of the people sat along the side of the porch and the rest stood out in the yard.  Father Coffey talked awhile but decided we needed a larger place to meet, so the next time we met at our house.  Because attendance kept increasing, we began meeting at the Lake Jackson Community Building.  In the meantime, ANN SHAW and I went down to the Dow Office in Lake Jackson and they let us go through their records and copy the names and addresses of all the Catholics.  Fr. Coffey decided we had enough children to make their First Communion and asked me to help him with the class.  I started a religion class and we met on the steps of the Community Building on Saturday mornings.  It was hard for some to come every week because their parents had to go to Houston for clothes and supplies that were not available here, so I changed the class to a weekday afternoon in my home.  During the time, ANN and I got some Catholic women together for a card party.  Each woman was responsible for one table which brought more of us together.  It was a great success!  We started cake sales and each time we met more Catholic families.  All went well until Father Prendergast arrived and his first question was “What makes you think you’re going to get a Church?”  Our answer was “We know we will!”  He said Freeport had to have a Church first and we would be expected to help pay for it.  So we helped them with their fund raising and cake sales.  After some time, PETE asked Fr. Prendergast if he would set aside some for the money the Lake Jackson parishioners donated for a church in Lake Jackson.  Fr. Prendergast went to Bishop Byrne with that request.  The Bishop said that St. Mary’s was too deep in debt and we would have to continue helping them.  Later when approval was given to build church, Fr. Prendergast recommended our church be named “St. Michael the Archangel”, because we fought so hard to get it.
ANNA MAY CARLSON

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1947 - SEARCH FOR LAND – 1954

I remember when ANNA MAY and I came to Lake Jackson in May 1943. We had to go to St. Mary's Church in Freeport to attend Mass. One night back in 1947 while I was taking instruction from Fr. Prendergast to find out if I wanted to become a member of the Catholic Church, he asked me to stay a few minutes. He told me that Bishop Byrne wanted him to obtain some property in Lake Jackson for a church and asked me if I would help him find a suitable location. I told him that I would see what I could do to help him. The following day when I re­turned home from work, my good friend, JACK REID was standing in my yard waiting for me. He had heard of my assignment and volunteered to help. BILL HUSCH and HENRY HEGER were next to volunteer and the search began.

We started with the major property owner in the community, Dow Chemical Company. After locating the land on paper, the building committee would hack through the underbrush, slap mosquitoes and check drainage.

Simultaneously, a Fund Raising Drive was being conducted. The drive had a two-fold purpose: to finance the land purchase, and to locate all the Catholics in a house-by house search through the Lake Jackson-Clute area. Thirty-nine families were located and contributed to this fund. We kept Fr. Prendergast well-informed of our progress.

Enough money was raised, through perseverance and the Grace of the Lord, to pay Dow cash for three lots on Azalea Street, extending to Elm. The three lots cost $2625. Dow's policy at that time was to refund half the purchase price of land on all church sales, so we received a refund check. About this time, a bankrupt construction company added to our good fortune by offering us an adjacent lot on Azalea for $450. For a total of $1762.50, the Lake Jackson Catholics had obtained a site for a new parish.

We were mighty proud of that land, and we soon had some "land clearing bees" and had it looking real nice; but the chiggers, poison ivy, and snakes put up quite a resistance. They didn't seem to realize that they were creating a stumbling block to Christianity! We persevered and won that round! EDDIE GROTH will never forget the land clearing work we did. IVO SCHOPPE had a bout with poison ivy during this time. BOB MUZNY volunteered to drive a dozer from my place on the lake to the lots on Azalea Street, three miles away. He spent the whole day on the dozer. Our team accomplished a lot that day.

At this point, Fr. Prendergast was having Saturday morning Masses in the Community Building. BILL HUSCH constructed an altar with folding legs that I stored in our ga­rage and would set up each Satur­day morning. But this Mass did not replace the need to attend Mass on Sunday.

In 1954, the Most Reverend Wendelin Nold, who succeeded Bishop Byrne as head of the Galveston Diocese, came to look at the site. Expressing his concern for the size of the plot and the possible traffic problems, he advised Fr. Prendergast to sell the property on Azalea and obtain between 5 and 10 acres of land. I was asked to see what I could do to comply with Bishop Nold's request. The first thing I did was get help finding more property. I asked JACK REID, DR. FRED TURNER, and HARRY GRAHAM to advise me on the decisions that would soon have to be made. The Building Committee was re-commissioned and the search was on again.

We considered the area where Apple Tree Grocery Store now stands until we found out that a new Highway 288 would eventually go through there. Dave Landsborough helped us make a deal with Dow to obtain the land our parish now stands on. Dow offered the 9.03 acres on Oak Drive for $2500. The lots on Azalea were valued at $3500, plus $450 for clearing, bringing the value of the original site to $3950. In the trade of land, Dow subtracted the $2500 for the Oak Drive site from the $3950-valuation of the Azalea site, and gave us a clear deed to the 9 acres of land and a check for $1450. The difference between the two sums was $312; the cost of the 9 acres of land where St. Michael's now sits!

Following the purchase of this property, we had several more Saturday ground-clearing sessions. One unusual incident comes to mind. A wildcat ran out when the bulldozer first appeared on the lot.

Our first church was described by Fr. Prendergast as a temporary building. A contractor agreed to build it for $75,000. JACK REID su­pervised the building of our first church and did a fine job.

What has been accomplished since our present church was built is pretty obvious to our present parishioners. We can thank God, our people, our many friends, and the Dow Chemical Company for their generosity and help. We have witnessed a miracle. PRAISE THE LORD!

C. D. (PETE) CARLSON

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MISSION OF ST. MARY’S     1955-1965

Still a mission of St. Mary’s, the faithful planned for the day when a parish church would occupy the 9:03 acres.  In 1955 a conservative estimate of the Catholic families in the Lake Jackson area was 255, and all were anxious to end the need to drive to St. Mary’s in Freeport.  The 9 mile trip to Mass and religion classes was made on Highway 288 (now 227) which the Texas Highway Department had classified as the most traveled road in the state!  At the suggestion of Bishop Nold, a sinking fund was established against the day when a church could be built and a priest available to service the new parish.  The families sponsored card parties and once a month filled “pink envelopes” for the collection basket until St. Michael’s Mission had a church in which to celebrate the Mass.

FINALLY A CHURCH BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1958!

The Pastor of St. Mary’s appointed Fr. Francis Weardon, a full-time administrator to the Mission.  He became the spiritual leader of 300 families who attended Mass in our Mission Church.

The son of Pete & Anna May Carlson, Father Robert Carlson, was ordained at Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral and celebrated his first Mass here in the original church in May 1963.  Fr. Bill Robertson gave the homily at Fr. Carlson’s first Mass.

The members of the parish had for so long been involved and active in the establishment of the Catholic community here that the need for meeting space became immediately evident.  Parish organizations grew and multiplied with each new arrival in the area.  By 1965, the church served some 350 families in the Lake Jackson and Clute area.

On February 1, 1965, Bishop John Morkovsky blessed the new parish meeting hall behind the church.  Constructed of brick veneer, it contained a kitchen, offices, and a meeting area with a seating capacity 125.

 

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MARCH 1, 1966 - WE BECOME A PARISH

Our dream was realized when Bishop John Morkovsky issued the following:
 

DECREE OF ERECTION

Whereas, by personal survey it becomes apparent that the growth and development in the Lake Jackson area makes it advisable to provide more adequately for the spiritual welfare of the people resident therein by the erection of a separate parish.  We, therefore, having consulted with those who are to be consulted win such matters, do by virtue of these letters, to take full canonical effect on the first day of March in this Year of our Lord, canonically constitute and erect as a removable parish that territory lying within the following boundaries:
 

And We dedicate the same parish the St. Michael, the Archangel.

In virtue whereof We have hereunto set our hand and seal, at Houston, on this the twenty-fifth day of February in the Year of Our Lord One-Thousandd-Nine-Hundred-and-Sixty-Six.

+JOHN L. MORKOVSKY
Coadjutor, Apostolic Administrator
Diocese of Galveston-Houston

De mandato Exc. Mi ac Rev. mi Ordinarii
Vincent M. Harris, Chancellor


Father Ronald Titus was appointed the first resident pastor.  St. Jerome’s in Clute became a mission of St. Michael the Archangel Parish.  A house was purchased on Mimosa Street and was converted into the pastor’s residence and church office.

 

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BETTY DECAS REMEMBERS

I became a part-time employee of St. Michael's parish in 1966.  I did all the clerical duties between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  The rectory on Mimosa was a great place to work.  Jeanette Matzke came in to do all the bookkeeping, Alice Hybner kept the parish membership files, and Justine Keprta did the files for St. Jerome's.

Wilma Fontenot was the housekeeper and cook.  She was the best Cajun cook in Lake Jackson and Fr. Titus showed signs of her good cooking by expanding his waist size 2 inches.

I remember going to the Chancery in Houston and visiting with the Chancellor abou thte duties of a church secretary.  He said I would have to submit a financial report to the Chancery which included the Cathedraticum Tax.  I was speechless!  I told him (and Fr. Titus) that I was a people person - not a number person.

While setting up our office, we had to purchase desks, files, etc.  This included a duplicator to print our weekly church bulletin.  We bought the "top of the line" stencil/duplicator machine fro Walzel's in El Campo.  Believe it or not, this was one of the toughest parts of my job.  Anyone who knows about stencil machines will support me.  I always wore old clothes on Fridays because it was always a sure thing that ink would be splattered all over me while printing the Sunday Bulletin.  (This machine was retired in 1988 after 22 years of faithful splattering.)

Florence Perk was in charge of Religious Education at this time.  Florence attended numerous meetings, seminars, and classes.  There was always a wrap-up of her meeting when she got back, usually at the rectory office.

Another thing I learned was how to handle beggars.  As the chancery people pointed out, church rectories were good targets for people looking for money of food.  I really had some difficulty with this.  I rarely answered the door, leaving that to Fr. Titus or the housekeeper.  One story I remember and have re-told frequently since Fr. Leo has come to St. Michael's is the one:
One day both the housekeeper and Fr. Titus were gone and the doorbell rang.  I opened the door to find a very scroungy-looking fellow.  He had on a small hat with the brim turned down and a knit shirt that was very "holey".  He asked if Fr. Titus was there.  I said, "No, but if you would pull weeds out of the flower bed on the west side of the house then come back, I'll give you a few dollars."  I shut the door and went back to work.  The next morning Florence Perk came over, giggling.  She said she had a visitor the day before who talked about "that strange woman working in the parish office".  After a few minutes of listening to Florence talk about the "priest" (Fr. Leo) who came by to see her, I began to put the event together, with lots of embarrassment.  I was teased a lot after that.  Florence said she would make a sign for the rectory that stated only those with proper I.D.'s would receive a hand-out.  I seldom answered the door after that!

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