Painted Churches of Texas - Praha

St. Mary's Catholic Church

The Czech community of Praha dates from 1855 and was named for Prague (the Czech spelling of Prague is Praha).  The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Praha sits atop a hill surrounded by old oak trees and is known for its spectacular painted ceiling.  It is well known on the Painted Churches of Texas tour.

The front façade of the church is white stone and a painted bust of Jesus sits in a niche above the front door.  Legend has it that a keg of beer was offered to the person who could put the cross on the top of the steeple which stood at 130 feet.  A local man took the challenge, and once he had finished the task, did a handstand on top of the cross!

Often called St. Mary’s and built in 1895, the beautiful painted vaulted ceiling was the work of Swiss-born Gottfried Flury from the nearby town of Moulton and has never been retouched.  It is full of trompe l’oeil, tricking the eye to see what appears to be an open air cathedral with elaborately carved stone decoration and faux arches.

Decorative Ceiling

The murals on the tongue and groove ceiling depict golden angels over a pastoral setting and wooden pillars represent Gothic columns.  The murals are painted in art nouveau style popular in the 1890s with vines and ferns.

Pastel Stained Glass Windows

Father Netardus, born in Moravia, became pastor of the church in 1901 and painted several of the scenes himself.  Local artist Gene Mikulik was responsible for the painting restoration of much of the statuary.

The simple pastel stained glass windows feature Catholic emblems and the front gilded white altar with its colorful statuary is flanked by two small white gilded altars, one featuring a pieta of the dying Christ held by his mother.

Gilded Side Altar with Pieta

The adjacent cemetery is the site of the annual Veteran’s Day memorial service.  It contains nine graves that honor Praha youth who fell in World War II, a heavy toll for one sparsely populated rural Texas community.

Painted Churches of Texas - High Hill

St. Mary's Catholic Church

The High Hill area was first settled in the mid 1800s by German and Austrian immigrants seeking religious freedom and opportunity in the New World.  The town was once a thriving community as a stagecoach stop, but the coming of the railroad in 1874 put an end to that. 

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, also known as St. Mary’s, was built in 1906 and painted six years later.  It is also known as the “Queen of the Painted Churches”.

Painted Wooden Columns

The current red brick building is the third church built in this location.  Constructed in Gothic style, it was designed by Texas architect Leo Dielmann and is one of the prettiest of the stops on the Painted Churches of Texas tour.

The decorative painting of High Hill was done by Ferdinand Stockert and Hermann Kern who first painted the images on canvas and then glued them to the wood walls.

The church is noted for its elaborate wooden columns painted to resemble marble, stained glass windows, and religious statuary. 

Decorative Ceiling

Original Stained Glass
Windows from 1899

Freehand and infill painting on the ceilings and walls illustrate Gothic rib vaulting and German ornamental foliage. Lead colors are greens, pale blue, dull red, and gold on a cream wood plank surface.

The original 18 stained glass windows from the second church were placed into the present church and five new windows were placed in the sanctuary. Later two more were added on either side of the tower.

Three bells from the second church were placed in the belfry of the current church and remain operational today.

Gary with the Bell Ropes in the Church Foyer

The church also had a history of European-style seating arrangement with women on the left and men on the right.

Note: When you travel between the High Hill and Dubina churches you will use a back road that will cross the Piano Bridge over the East Navidad River.  It received its name from the musical notes it once sounded when crossed by wagon or auto. 

Built in 1885, it still allows for auto traffic, but be careful as it is only one lane.  Watch for cars entering from the other side.

Painted Churches of Texas - Dubina

Saints Cyril and Methodias Church

Dubina was the first Czech community in Texas and its name is derived from a term for “oak grove.”  The original church was built in 1877 and was destroyed in the 1909 hurricane.  The old iron cross forged by freed slave and blacksmith Tom Lee was salvaged from the ruins and sits atop the new church steeple.

The present Saints Cyril and Methodias Catholic Church, one of many on the Painted Churches ofTexas tour, was completed in 1911 and painted with frescoes and the entire church was stenciled.  This wood frame church, like many others in the area, was designed by Leo Diehlmann in the Carpenter Gothic style.

Restored Interior of Dubina Church

It now features some beautiful murals that were uncovered by a local parishioner in 1981 after being covered over in 1952 during a whitewashing remodeling phase.  The murals were recreated by the parishioners themselves to depict winged angels and elaborate stencil patterns of flowers and vines trace the arches.

Detailed Stenciling

The spectacular ceiling is a bright blue sky with glistening silver stars.  Colorful angels adorn the arches and wooden columns are painted to resemble marble.  No records survive to identify the original artist.

The church is decorated with many religious statues brought over from Europe in 1910, as were the elaborately carved stations of the cross with the text in Czech.

The church at Dubina was the only church not completely open to the public.  Due to vandalism, visitors must view the interior through a locked inside iron gate.

Painted Churches of Texas - Ammannsville

St. John the Baptist Church

One of the beautiful country churches on the Painted Churches of Texas tour is in Ammannsville, settled by both German and Czech immigrants in the 1870s.  St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is called the “pink church” because the entire interior is painted a soft pastel pink.

Front Altar

The first church, built in 1890, was destroyed by an inland hurricane in 1909.  The second church built in 1910 was destroyed by fire in 1917, but six statues and a crucifix were saved from the fire.  This second church was very ornate inside and out, built in a highly Victorian style.

The present church, built in 1919, is the third in this location and was built in a much simpler design on the outside.  However when you enter, your eyes feast on a richly decorated white altar set against a rose colored background. 

The "Pink Church" at Ammannsville 

Stained Glass Window

The ceilings are a relatively simple stencil pattern with more ornate decoration on the walls. Legend says that an unknown itinerant artist painted the walls of the church, however research has shown that decorative painter Fred Donnecker is responsible for the artistry back in 1919.

It also features stained glass windows and faux marble columns painted to resemble the real thing. 

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.

Painted Churches of Texas - Serbin

When German and Czech immigrants came to Texas in the early 18^th century, one of the areas they settled in was south central Texas.  As a reminder of their homeland, they built small country churches with rich decorations that reminded them of their homeland.

St. Paul Lutheran Church - Serbin

One of these Painted Churches of Texas is located in the tiny town of Serbin, Texas, a German settled community.  The present historic St. Paul Lutheran Church was built between 1867 and 1871 by a group of Lutheran Wends who immigrated to Texas to escape economic and religious oppression.  The group of worshipers was led by Pastor Johann Kilian, and his cabin is still located adjacent to the church. 

Church Pulpit above the Altar

Unassuming on the outside, visitors are surprised when they walk in the front door.  The 30-inch sandstone walls rise to a height of 24 feet and the unique interior includes a balcony that extends all around the church where at one time men sat on “home-made” pews while women and children sat below in the factory-built pews on the main floor.  The pulpit is located above the altar at balcony level making it the tallest pulpit in Texas.

Front altar

The chandeliers are the original kerosene lamps adapted to electricity.  The pews and the ornate baptismal font are also original.  The feather painting on the wooden pillars supporting the balcony gives the illusion of marble columns.  The 1904 pipe organ still has the original hand-pump blower. 

Original Pipe Organ 

We were told on our visit that the ceiling was painted blue because in the early days when the windows were open for ventilation that it kept bugs and birds away.  They thought it was the sky!

Two Bible verses are prominently displayed in German.  On the balcony below the organ are the words of Psalm 21:14 and in the front of the church are the words of Exodus 20:24.

Johan Kilian's Cabin

This site is an awesome 360-degree view of the entire church!  The church’s blog shows many photos of its restoration progress.  This site gives you more information on the various decorating techniques used in all the churches.

Wendish Decorated Easter Eggs

Located near the church is the Wendish Heritage Museum, a collection of memorabilia celebrating life of these ethnically unique people.  Check out the Wendish tradition of decorated Easter Eggs.  It is truly fascinating.