Painted Churches of Texas - Hostyn

The Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church located at Hostyn is not on old church, and not actually considered one of the Painted Churches of Texas, but interesting nonetheless. And it was next on our Painted Churches tour.

Station of the Cross #VI

Outside all around the building are stone monuments of the stations of the cross, a grotto and fountain, and the picturesque cemetery that overlooks a valley.  Although we did not go into this modern church built in 1966, I am told that it has some beautiful stained glass windows, one of the Virgin Mary throwing arrows of lightning down on the native Indians attacking the settlement.

It is the fifth church built in Hostyn, with a replica of the first log cabin located in the back corner, now a memorial chapel.  The church bells in the bell tower are from the third church.

Once named Bluff, the tiny community overlooks the Colorado River and was settled by Germans in the 1830s and joined by Czech settlers 20 years later.  The name was later changed to Hostyn after a Moravian city.

Hostyn's Grotto

The Hostyn Grotto is a replica of France’s Grotto of Lourdes and was constructed in 1925 as thanks for the end of the 1924-25 drought.  Built with old stones salvaged from a rock wall and petrified wood and rocks found along the Colorado River, the grotto tells the story of the shepherdess, the latest canonized virgin of the Roman Catholic Church.  It is often the setting for weddings.

Confederate Soldier Joseph Lidiak (father

Union Soldier John Lidiak (son)

The cemetery contains many Czech tombstones but of note is the father and son who are buried side by side – but fought on opposite sides during the Civil War.  Monuments to them can be found at the back of the church.

It was at Hostyn in 1889 that the first KJT (Katolicka Jednota Texaska), or Catholic Czech Union, was formed to provide life insurance and financial aid to Texas Catholics.