 Denison, Texas  early 1890s  Sherman Democrat July 4, 1976 Section D, pg.6 The first Catholic Mass was offered on May 4, 1873 at Stegmiller Hall on Main Street by Father Joseph Martieniere. Mass was held there until a small frame church was erected in July 1873, on the southeast corner of what became the St. Xavier Academy campus. A second church was erected in 1877 at the present site of the rectory. Several missionaries filled the pastorate until 1889 when Father T.K. Crowley assumed pastorship, remaining until his sudden death in the sacristy in 1906 as he vested for Christmas Dawn Mass. On October 30, 1911, a disastrous fire swept the church at midnight, resulting in the loss of one life, that of young Tom Corcoran, an altar boy, and the destruction of the edifice and contents. The church was rebuilt. St. Xavier Academy was established in 1876 as a boarding and day school for girls and was dismantled in 1971 for erection of a modern confraternity center. Denison Herald Wednesday July 27, 1938 CATHOLIC CHURCH FOUNDED HERE IN CITY'S FIRST YEAR While Texas was still a sparsely settled prairie and Denison was in her swaddling clothes, St. Patrick's Catholic Church was established in 1872 by Bishop C. M. LeBois of the Galveston Diocese with Father Martievere, a missionary, as the first pastor. In the spring of 1873, the first church building was erected and in 1877, the second edifice was constructed under the pastorate of Rev. Francis Derue. Early successors of Father Martieniere were Fathers Thion V. Quinon, A. M. Truchard Guyot and Francis Derue. Later pastors were Fathers Buford Logon, Joseph Blum, Thomas K. Crowley, F. P. Maginn, Haas, Donahue and the incumbent, B. J. Deecey. The first burial was recorded in 1873 when John Percy, born in 1843, was interred in Oakwood Cemetery. The second was that of T. D. Moriarty, 23, a Federal veteran of the Civil War. The first recorded baptism occurred on January 25, 1874 when Charles Eliza Brady was baptized by Rev. C.M. Thion. The first recorded marriage was on January 4, 1874 when Peter Fay and Theresa Wilson of Sherman were united by Father Thion. The second marriage was that of Tom F. Foley and Mary Tracy, July 18, 1874, with Father Quitman officiating. Cemetery Opened Calvary Cemetery, two miles north of Denison, was established in 1894. The plot contains 40 acres and the first records on . . . are July 1893, Bernard Finn and January 14, 1894, Cornelius Corcoran. In 1893 Rev. Timothy K. Crowley became pastor and served until his death on Christmas Day 1906. A church was completed in 1894 at the cost of about $125,000. Its size was 60 by 142 and 140 feet high of Gothic stone and brick and tile roof. The structure was destroyed by fire in 1911 and rebuilt according to original plans in 1918. There are no debts against the parish. 
Promoters
of the city gave free to each church applying for a location.
Originally the northwest corner of Sears and Rusk was assigned to the
Presbyterians who relinquished the plot to the Catholics to accept
their present property at Gandy and Burnett. The Catholics received the
lot where Saint Xavier Academy now is located.
Reference is made to the Issue of The Denison Herald of December 8, 1898, carrying a story of the dedication of the new church which was to take place December 11, 1898. The dedicatory service was conducted by the Dallas Diocese. The Herald, according to George Huey, who complied data for this history, at that time was Volume 10 and gave a complete account of the growth and accomplishments of the Catholic congregation here. Special credit for services toward the new building was given in the article to J. D. Quinn, Col. J. B. McDougall, Timothy J. Murphy and Tom Fox. TRAVELED MANY MILES During the years of 1874 and 1875, Fathers Thion, Guyot, Deisen and Quinon were reporting baptisms at Fort Griffin and Fort Richardson in Texas, and at points in the Indian Territory where they drove wagons or rode on horseback, often being away from Denison a month or more at a time. They covered distances of over 150 miles from Denison. The St. Patrick's Altar Society was established over 50 years ago. Mrs. M. J. Sweeney, 119 West Gandy, is the oldest living member. Mrs. John Corcoran, 312 West Sears, is the second oldest member. Both have served several years as president. Mrs. E. L. O'Connell, 600 West Sears St., is the incumbent. Rev. Deeney, present pastor, was born in Lycurgus, Iowa, October 17, 1876. He attended Dubuque College, Columbia University and Kendrick Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri. He was ordained to the priesthood at Kendrick by Archbishop Kain, June 4, 1902. He served the churches in Paris, Texarkana, Waxahachie, Celburne, Irish Ridge, Mineral Wells and Gainesville before coming to Denison in the fall of 1912.  St. Patrick's Catholic Church History Churches Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of
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