| Marker Number |
4448 |
| Atlas Number |
5149004448 |
| Marker Title |
St. John The Baptist Catholic church |
| Index Entry |
Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church |
| Address |
|
| City |
Fayetteville |
| County |
Fayette |
| UTM Zone |
14 |
| UTM Easting |
724295 |
| UTM Northing |
3310745 |
| Subject Codes |
churches; Czech immigrants/immigration; Roman Catholic denomination; German immigrants/immigration |
| Marker Year |
1994 |
| Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
No |
| Marker Location |
corner of Church & Bell St., Fayetteville. |
| Private Property |
No |
| Marker Condition |
In Situ |
| Marker Size |
27" x 42" |
| Marker Text |
Many Czech and German immigrants settled in this area in the mid-1800s. After many years without the services of a Czech-speaking priest, the Czech community sent Konstantin Chovanec and John Vychopen to ask Galveston Bishop Claude-Marie Dubuis for help. Encouraged by Dubuis, the Czech community organized St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and erected a sanctuary in Fayetteville in 1870. The Rev. Joseph Chromcik arrived on Christmas day in 1872 to minister at St. John Baptist Church and became the first Czech-speaking priest in Texas. The church prospered and in 1875 the Chromcik School was opened. A mission church was established in nearby Warrenton in 1886. Chromcik extended his missionary work throughout the region and remained in Fayetteville until his death in 1910. A new sanctuary was erected in 1911 and a new 2-story school built in 1915 during the pastorate of the Rev. John Vanicek. A convent for the Sisters of Divine Providence was built in 1964. A new sanctuary was erected in 1969, and a parish hall, educational center, and other facilities were added over the years. St. John the Baptist Church is representative of the area's Czech heritage and continues a tradition of leadership in the region's Catholic community. |
