Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

In 1872 the Rev. Jean Baptiste Teitien was appointed as an assistant pastor at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Victoria. There he realized the need for a separate parish to serve the area's German-speaking community. He received permission to begin a new church from the Rt. Rev. Anthony Dominic Pellicer, first Bishop of the Diocese of San Antonio, and traveled to his native Germany to collect funds for the construction of a church building. He returned to Victoria with enough money to begin construction, and in 1875 he led the first worship services in the completed building for Our Lady of Lourdes parish. After serving as pastor for sixteen years, Teitien resigned to return to Germany, where he died in 1923. Another minister who served Our Lady of Lourdes was the Rev. F.X. Heck (b. 1864), who succeeded Teitien and left in 1905 to become pastor of St. Mary's Church in Victoria. The original church building was destroyed by fire during the pastorate of the Rev. Lawrence Etschenberg (1870-1946) and was replaced with the current structure in 1924. The history of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is an important reminder of the cultural heritage of Victoria County. (1984)

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is a historical marker in Victoria, Victoria County, dedicated in 1984. It is one of 99 historical markers documented in Victoria County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 240 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 28.7992, -97.0040 near Victoria. The nearest cataloged historic site is Federal Building (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Jecker, J. T., House, Weber--Schuchert House, and Hauschild Opera House.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5469006557. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.