Painted Churches

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Production of the Painted Churches of Texas, Echoes of the Homeland is made possible by a grant from KGZT The Catholic Family Fraternal of Texas. Providing life insurance and promoting spiritual and material welfare for its member families. (gentle music) -

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All across this country, churches rise up from the landscape, announcing their presence with upright spires. They evoke gentler times and the comfort of honored traditions. Reminding us of both faith and family, all or them have stories to tell. (gentle music) Sometimes however, the simple exteriors of these churches can be deceiving.

Travel the forgotten back roads of central Texas, and you'll find churches with painted interiors of breathtaking beauty and exquisite detail. These hidden treasures stand as glorious celebrations of the creative spirit and our immigrant past. They are the Painted Churches of Texas. (gentle music) (gentle music) Central Texas is a land of varied landscapes, from the rich farmland along the coastal plain, to the rugged canyons of the hill country.

It is famous for its wildflowers and for its historic town squares. But it can be an unforgiving country, subject to hurricanes and drought, and heat waves that stretch on for months. (gentle music) For the Czech and German immigrants who settled this part of Texas over 100 years ago, none of that mattered. For them the land was a promise, it meant everything.

They were willing to endure the heartbreak of leaving their homelands and the hardships of life out on the wind swept prairies, for the chance to work a piece of land that they could call their own. There was a great abundance of relatively inexpensive farmland. And that's exactly what these people were looking for. They probably would not have thought about Texas in particular if there hadn't been this connection.

People were restless, after the revolutionary time of 1848, people felt let down. The political reforms had been repressed. More importantly, probably, the economic situation was bleak. Young people did not have a bright future to look to.

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So come to Texas they did. Dotting the countryside with farmhouses and small communities whose names hearkened back to the homeland, Fredericksburg, and Praha, Moravia, Dubina. After great hardship, the towns grew. And the people gave thanks by building churches that became the centerpieces of their communities and their lives.

(gentle music) Today, many of the prosperous little towns settled by the immigrants have nearly disappeared. But the churches remain. They stand as cultural and religious landmarks. Precious links to the past for generations of the faithful.

(speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) The Ascension of the Lord Catholic Church is one of the few physical reminders of the old Czech farming community of Moravia. It continues to serve as both a community centerpiece and a place of pilgrimage. (gentle music) Parishioner Thadious Polasek believes that the past and present are one in the beauty and traditions of the church. The immigrants, when they were coming, faced a very difficult time period.

It was not the land of milk and honey as they thought, so faith and spirituality I would say, was their anchor, that guided them through that. If it wasn't their anchor, we wouldn't have these magnificent pearls here, scattered throughout the state of Texas. And that they gave us, that is they gave to our parents and grandparents, this love of the church and God. It is in our hymns, it is in our prayers, so this church always reminds me of that.

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Magnificent pearls and national treasures. The Ascension of the Lord Church in Moravia and the other painted churches scattered across central Texas are unique not only for the stories that they tell, but also because of their physical beauty. (gentle music) The Painted Churches were listed on the National Register of Historic places in 1984. The churches had been studied by a group from University of Texas and we discovered that really while individual churches were important, when you looked at them as a whole, they were really of transcendent importance.

I was raised in Texas, but I never imagined anything like one of the churches individually. I'd seen a little bit of stenciling here, or other architectural details there, but finding these wonderful churches in very unlikely locations, sometimes very conventional even dour exteriors. And then incredible baroque interiors. It was a wonderful find and was just glad that other people would be able to enjoy them too.

(gentle music) Unable to afford the magnificent architecture of European churches, the immigrants turned instead to professional painters who would recreate the kinds of imagery and spaces that they remembered from the old country. Painters were gifted artisans, who often advertised their services in church journals. They traveled from church to church and sometimes worked from their own studios, much like the decorative artists of our time. They used stencils.

In fill painting. Feathering. And a variety of other painting techniques. They used their skills to create the illusion of stone work and classical architecture.

It was an illusion that lifted the spirits of the people, binding them together and reminding them of home. (gentle music) These churches are basically a reflection of the tradition that our ancestors came with. The tradition in the villages was to have a painted church or a highly decorated church because religion is extremely important to us as to our ancestors. And, they are a beautiful thing, the beauty of them inspire us from childhood til the grave.

And, we always have such a wonderful warm feeling when we come inside. Because the church is a home for us. (gentle music) (upbeat music) -

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Ammannsville, Texas is another of those farming communities that grew, flourished and then faded with time. The Czech immigrants who settled Ammannsville, were resilient folk, determined to honor their faith and leave an enduring legacy. St. John the Baptist Church is the third church to stand on this site.

The first was destroyed by a hurricane in 1909, just three years later its replacement burned to the ground. Still the people of Ammannsville persevered. Their sacrifice and hard work is today mirrored in the devotion of their descendants who still return to the church cemetery to tend to the graves of departed loved one and honor their dreams. (gentle music) In 1919, after the current church was completed, it was adorned with an elaborately painted interior of pastel coloration.

Many liken its color to a pink confection with swirling patterns and sweet details. (gentle music) The painting in St. John's is a visual celebration. Reinforcing its role as the center of a community of faith.

Every Father's Day weekend, the church holds a festival that begins with a Saturday night mass. Folks from all over Texas return to the church of their ancestors to honor the men who helped father this town. Hallelujah, hallelujah Hallelujah Glory to the Father The Sone and the Holy Spirit The Lord be with you And also with you Lift up your hearts We will sing out to the Lord Let us give thanks to the Lord our God Let us give -

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While the Father's Day mass honors those who blazed the trails, the picnic the following day clogs the roads. Thousands of hungry Czechs from all corners of the state descend on Ammannsville for a Father's Day feast with a polka beat. (upbeat music) (speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) Not far from Ammannsville lies Praha, named for Prague, the capital of the current Czech Republic. Today it to is a quiet little community, a world away from the cosmopolitan dreams of its founders.

They envisioned a shining new city and referred to the town as Mother Praha. (gentle music) They named it Praha because this place was dear to them. And it was dear because of what it meant to them. It was their way of life, the way they lived, for the first time they could express themselves in their art by the artwork that was done here.

It must have been very meaningful to them and the way they talk about Praha, that's the reason the called it (speaking in foreign language) Mother Praha, it was like a mother to them, this area. It was very dear to them. And it is to this day. So people have been coming back to Praha for now, for 145 years.

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Praha was once mother to hundreds of families. It's parish school was filled with the sons and daughters of newly arrived immigrants, eager to learn about their new homeland. Today the old school is only used for the occasional Sunday School lesson, though it remains a place filled with memories. You can almost hear the laughter of the children and the prayers of the sisters who shared a modest room beside the classrooms.

(children laughing) (gentle music) (children laughing) Praha's church, St. Mary's Church of the Assumption, is one of the grandest of the Painted Churches. And was opened with great fanfare. 12,000 people turned out for its dedication.

The town then had about 600 people, so they had 100 girls dressed in white with flowers in their hair and 100 young men on white horses to greet the priests and to bring them in. It was an incredible, and it was just the great church and it's so much older than the other churches that many of the priests left from Praha to go to other areas to serve. It was the largest Catholic church between San Antonio and Galveston. (gentle music) -

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As a reminder of their homeland, the parishioners had Prague's Great Cathedral painted behind the alter of the church. (gentle music) The use of painted flowers and foliage was meant to evoke Eden, a paradise they hoped to recreate in their adopted home. (gentle music) (upbeat music) (gentle music) Many people are drawn to Praha, Ben Propulka, a native whose family had moved away, retired here, and he's dedicated himself to the upkeep of the church. I think people are really searching for the good Lord, because why are there so many coming here.

You get the people from all over the world. From India, from China, from Japan, all over Europe, Ireland, England and so forth, and they all have the same idea or feeling, they're searching for God in one way or another, so why not present God from your church, the way I think He should be presented in the best limelight. So I like to greet the people and talk to them and see what they have to say. -

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Once a year Praha lives up to the dreams of its founders and becomes the capitol of Czech Texas. On the Feast of The Assumption, thousands of people come home to Mother Praha to celebrate their heritage and their faith. (upbeat music) If Praha is Mother to Czech Texas, Father John Bily is one of her favorite sons. Larger towns.

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10 members of his family have professed vows, entering either the priest hood or a religious order. His life bears witness to the binding of family, faith and fateful times at Praha. When the Second World War started, there was a mens choir of about 20 young men, and every one of them was drafted. And so, then it became a young ladies choir and I remember I was an altar boy, during that time and when the war ended there were a lot of weddings.

Because all the service men came back. In '98, in '99 there were a lot of 50th wedding anniversaries. So, lot of those people really kept their faith for those 50 years, they came back and had another celebration 50 years later. (gentle music) -

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Not all of Praha's sons returned from the war. Stone chapels on the church grounds stand as memorials for the nine young men who never came home. (gentle music) With its austere facade, and massive stone walls, St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Serbin, Texas, rises from the surrounding countryside as the very picture of rock solid stability.

(gentle music) Built in 1870, it was the home church to another group of central European immigrants. The Wends, a Slavic people that lived under German rule, the Wends came to Texas to escape religious persecution. (gentle music) There is a Serbin because of this church and this is, people take pride in that and the name the Serbin then comes from the community of the places where there Sorbs lived which was another name for the Wends who were the people who originally settled are area. They came here to, in the 1850s to establish a community where they could live close to each other, where they could worship God in freedom and where they could go about in building the kind of community and relationships that they always felt oppressed, in Germany where they lived before.

And so they wanted to have that place where they could speak their own tongue and they could worship God in their own language and according to their heart. And the church was always center to that. (gentle music) -

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St. Paul's church is unique. It has the tallest pulpit in Texas at 22 feet, a historic pipe organ and a raised gallery. When it was built, the men and women sat separately.

The men upstairs and the women and children down below. (gentle music) Its painted ornamentation including the feathered columns, was painted by the congregation itself. (gentle music) Despite the fact that the town of Serbin has all but disappeared, the church is still filled to the rafters every Sunday with lifelong members and a few adopted sons. 35 years ago I was fortunate enough to fall in love with a girl from here, and then I of course came to services with her here and fell in love with, not only the people but the place too.

I saw how devoted these people were to their church. They have a very strong, you almost think on Sunday mornings, they must pop out from behind every post oak and from under every rock because they fill this place up. And when you look around on the outside, you see just post oaks and rocks. But they fill the place up, they sing with every breath that's in them and you just can't help but walk in here and fall in love with not only the people but the place and just everything about it.

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The tiny Wesley Brethren Church is the oldest of the Painted Churches. Built in 1866 and painted by the congregation's minister in 1889, it speaks eloquently of the hardships endured by its creators, a small band of Czech immigrants. The matchbox like size, simple ornamentation and unique story make the Wesley Chapel a favorite of historians associated with the Painted Churches. (gentle music) I really think the reason this church is so special to me is both its simplicity and its uniqueness.

None of the other churches are like this one. I think you also get this feeling of the isolation and the loneliness of these early Moravians who settled here and to realize they came from great cities where there were libraries and cathedrals and coffee houses and lots of culture. And so I think you find here, not only a place that they worshiped, but this tiny place that tried to recreate something that reminded them of life back in Europe. (gentle music) -

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The painting in the chapel was meant to provide the illusion of depth and space. Shadowed columns painted on the walls, tried to simulate the effect of colonnades inside aisles and the geometric patterns on the ceiling harken back to the intricate mosaics and inlaid stonework on the great churches of Europe. (gentle music) Unfortunately the painting in the church was never finished. Reverend Laciak died in a hunting accident leaving only the outlines of uncompleted work.

(gentle music) (upbeat music) Far to the west in the center of the hill country lies Fredericksburg, one of the most historic communities in Texas. A center of German culture and traditions for 150 years, Fredericksburg and the surrounding countryside are filled with old limestone farmhouses, evidence of the sturdy pioneers who settled on the edge of the Indian frontier. (gentle music) Unlike the immigrants who farmed the coastal plain, many of Fredericksburg's earliest settlers were political refugees, sent off to Texas to rid the homeland of their radical democratic tendencies. It wasn't long after the troublemakers arrived however, that they were followed by waves of hard working craftsman and people seeking land.

Immigration never stopped. They kept writing letters over to their relatives, how wonderful Texas, how wonderful it was you could go to the Market Square and have court over a thief, or a crook. Or chase 'em out of town. And even the officials and they loved that.

That was called Market Square Democracy. (gentle music) -

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None of the remarkable buildings left behind by Fredericksburg's German ancestors, are more impressive than the two Catholic churches near the center of town. Old St. Mary's built in 1863 seems straight out of Bavaria. With its rounded spire.

Inside its restored interior radiates a peaceful simplicity. It is a cool meditative space that transports visitors to a spiritual realm. (upbeat music) Next door, new St. Mary's was built in 1906.

Its impressive size reflects the growing prosperity of the town, making it one of the largest of the Painted Churches. It is considered by many to be the finest gothic revival church in Texas with near perfect proportions and scale. (gentle music) Unlike most churches of the era it was also the work of a well known architect, Leo M.J. Dielmann.

The architects of the churches ran the gamut from unknown mater builders to the very well known San Antonio architect of his day who did a variety of churches. I'm speaking of Leo M.J. Dielmann who did scores of Catholic churches and schools, rectories, college campuses and generally had a wonderful practice in that the other churches tend to be more what we would call vernacular buildings, that is not really architect designed but rather put together locally. Maybe or maybe not from a set of finished plans but the remarkable thing about them, is that generally the same set of buildings, if they were all painted white you would think of them as nice old churches but nothing truly remarkable.

But, it is the exquisite paint in the building that makes them really a whole tier of significance up. -

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St. Mary's is graced by extraordinary design as well as beautiful painting. Fine stenciling and large murals adorn the church along with exceptional stained glass and one of the oldest pipe organs in Texas. (gentle organ music) (speaking in foreign language) -

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Shiner, a town of German and Czech heritage has long been famous in Texas for its brewery, not its churches. However, visitors have always been impressed by the magnificent St. Cyril and Methodius Church. (upbeat music) Built in 1919, the churches interior wasn't painted until 1945.

The latest of any of the original Paintet Churches. The chief artist was trained at the Royal Art Academy of Berlin and some speculate that his painting of Christ' agony in the Garden seems to be taking place in the Black Forest of Germany. (upbeat music) It is a truly impressive work filling the apse behind the altar of the church, a building of almost cathedral like scale. Bold painted patterns adorn the walls.

And exquisite stained glass illuminates the rich interior spaces. (bright music) (upbeat music) Not far from Shiner a handful of other Painted Churches are scattered across the countryside, in places called St. Mary's and Sweet Home. These churches continue to lift the spirits of the faithful.

They survive and flourish just like the Easter Lilies that grace their alters and bloom in the cemeteries every springtime. (gentle music) (upbeat music) The successful small towns of central Texas like Shiner and Fredericksburg grew in part because they were able to attract the railroads. Other promising little communities withered on the vine when the railroads passed them by. One of those is High Hill.

High Hill today is a peaceful little spot and back in the 19th century the areas German and Czech farmers wanted to keep it that way. They were afraid the railroads would upset their cattle. They told the railroads to go elsewhere. The nearby town of Schulenburg jumped at the chance of getting the railroad.

And slowly most of High Hill's businesses moved there. (gentle music) High Hill's founders had been expecting great things for the town and they built a church to match their dreams. The town may not have grown but the dream shines on. Built in 1906, Nativity of Mary, Blessed Virgin can be seen for miles away.

Its proud brick exterior seems built for the ages. People from Schulenburg and other parts of central Texas, still consider the High Hill church their own. Which is easy to understand once you walk through the doors. (gentle music) The painting here is nothing short of spectacular, breathtaking most folks say.

Nearly every style of decorative painting is evident and all are of the highest quality. It is truly the queen of the Painted Churches. (gentle music) I have never brought a group of people to the church at High Hill, that when they walk through the swinging doors, that they didn't go, ah! You know, they just gasp.

It's so amazing. The intricacy and the wealth of design and the richness of it. When I first started taking people there, there were only two houses and a closed store. And so this grand church was sitting there with very few people to see it.

At that time the congregation was probably, maybe 70 families and their median age was in the 70 or 80s and so it was incredible to believe that this beautiful church stood there. But again, it just takes your breath away when you walk in. (gentle music) -

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Professor of Interior Design, Buie Harwood has studied decorative painting throughout her career. She literally wrote the book on the Painted Churches. For her, High Hill and the other churches represent national treasures. The Painted Churches in central Texas are a unique rarity within several contexts, one, the state of Texas.

They're very unique, for a whole group of them to be in one central locale. That's one important factor. Regionally they're extremely distinctive because none of the other states really have decorative painting equal to this. And then when you go nationally, there were major churches that were being painted in a decorative manner during the late 19th century, mid-late 19th century and on through the early 20th century in places like Boston, New York, Chicago, St.

Louis and so forth. And the same kind of trend was evident in Europe. The styles of High Hill that were in, reflect cultural influences from the mother country. So that if you were to go to Ohm, Germany and look at the cathedral there and some of the other churches in that area, you would see similar decoration as what you see in the church here.

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High Hill amazes visitors and provides wonderful physical evidence of the links between the old world and new. It's history is a story that continues to be told. Well I can still remember when we went to this church with the buggy. And we to church every Sunday.

We came in together, the choir sang, and we all sang together and played together, the big kids outside, the older people inside the hall and it was just a get together. Everybody helped each other. Always good neighbors and of course you had the big parish and a big family. (gentle music) It is a place where you can go to pray to God and you know God is here, you just see God all around you.

You know that you're in God's house and He's gonna listen to you too. (gentle music) -

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Tucked away in one of the prettiest and quietest corners of central Texas St. Cyril and Methodius Church in Dubina is where the Painted Churches tradition was reborn. Dubina, which means oak grove in Czech was one of the first Czech settlements in the state. Grateful immigrants who were camping under majestic Texas live oaks gave the place its name.

By the 1970s Dubina had nearly turned into a ghost town. The church was in disrepair, its roof was leaking and its lovely stenciled walls had been covered up with white paint. Thanks to the memories of a young altar boy, who grew up to be county judge and the hard work of countless other parishioners, Dubina's glorious past was restored. When I was a little altar boy serving here, when the sun hit you just about right, you could see the stenciling there on top of the altar.

And one of my goals was to try to recreate it and again one of these days I had the opportunity to do it. I remember when we first started painting the angels, and this is the truth. I sat down and I knelt down and said a little prayer. And I said, listen this is in your hands, 'cause I don't know anything about art.

I mean I painted a little bit or whatever, I've never had any training and it's amazing and without sounding somewhat trite, I really think the hand of God was just guiding us in the right direction. And wanting this to be recreated. (gentle music) -

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Volunteers spent hours, painstakingly reproducing stencil patterns and free hand drawing of the chapel. Even the statues were restored. Artist Eduardo Esparza was hired for that job. You know at my house I have pictures of all my loved ones.

At your house you probably have the same. This is God's house, this is His loved ones. This young peasant girl at 14 1/2 years old, He chose to be the mother of His Son. The gentleman over here to the right Saint Joseph, was appointed to be the foster Father of Jesus.

They're all holy hosts. We come here, we don't worship the statues, we come here to feel peace and love and the understanding of what God's family's about. Just as you would when you gaze upon the picture of your loved one at home. (gentle music) -

Ed

This is home, I mean it's amazing at the same time. People move every second week it seems like, and we're losing our roots. But this is home. I went away for a while and I came home.

And when I come into this church, this is where I was baptized and you know if things go well, hopefully a long time from now, this is where I'll have my funeral mass. But, you know, I couldn't express it anymore than just saying you feel comfortable. You come to church and this is where my grandfather went to church and his father before him and my father. It really makes me feel just wonderful.

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Today Dubina and many of the other Painted Churches have become places of pilgrimage. People come from all over the world to wonder at their beauty. And just maybe hear the lingering echoes of a place called home. Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah (gentle music) (bell tolling) (electrical whirring) -

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Productions of The Painted Churches of Texas, Echoes of the Homeland has been made possible by a grant from KGZT the Catholic Family Fraternal of Texas, providing life insurance and promoting spiritual and material welfare for its member families.