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St. Mary’s Parish has humble beginnings. Mass was being held in homes around Umbarger in 1909. The Diocese of Dallas officially assigned our first parish priest to Umbarger in 1910. The church was located south of the railroad tracks. Bishop Joseph Lynch of Dallas decided the patron of the Church was to be the Holy Family of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. But the early parishioners called their Church “Marienkirch.” Bishop Gerken came to Amarillo in 1927. He changed the name of the church to the English translation of the German Marienkirch – St. Mary’s.
The present Church structure was built in 1929. The Church was dedicated on March 18, 1930 by Bishop Gerken. The Very Reverend John J. Dolje was pastor. He served in this capacity for 1916 to 1944. Two assistant pastors served with him at various times. They were Father Charles H. Jansen and Father Fred Hyland. A rectory was also built at the time of the Church construction.
The financial struggle to build the Church and the rectory was monumental. As the depression spread over the country, people were unable to meet their pledges to help pay for their new Church. Door to door contributions were solicited, annual picnics, and many social events were held to help retire the debt. Our present Fall Festival grew and mushroomed from the annual picnics held at that time.
Father Dolje sacrificed greatly to do his share by not accepting a salary for several years until the debt the debt on the Church and the rectory were paid. The final payment was made shortly before his death – his dream was realized.
The first marriage celebration the new Church was between Anton Grotegut and Frances Skypala on June 20, 1930. The first person baptized in the new Church was Mary Pauline Brorman, daughter of Henry and Anna Brorman. She was baptized on March 20, 1923. The sacrament of Confirmation was conferred for the first time in the new Church by Bishop R. A. Gerken on April 13, 1932.
The high altar, side altars and tabernacle were donated at the time the Church was built. The side altars have since been removed, and the tabernacle is used on Holy Thursday. The statues on the side altars were brought from the old Church. Stations of the Cross were purchased at that time. They were alabaster. A new pump organ was donated and the Stations of the Cross were purchased at that time.
Many uses were found for the full sized basement. Daily Mass were said in the east side of the basement to save heating cost. The west side was used for the Knights of Columbus functions, Altar Society meetings and the youth meetings of the Soladity of the children of Mary, and many social events.
Father John H Krukkert was pastor from 1944 to 1947, following the death of Father Dolje. Many changes were seen while Father Krukkert was pastor. The inside of the Church was beautifully hand painted by Italian prisoners of war, held in a camp at Hereford. Franco di Bello, Achille Cattanei, Dino Gambetti, Mario de Cristofara, Leonida Gorlato, Carlo Sanvito, Enrico Zorzi, Adriano Angerilli and Spinello Aretino were the artists. Other POWs came to help with the scaffolding, clean up, and paint preparation. John Coyle, a guard would drive them daily to Umbarger to work at the Church. As payment for their work, the Altar Society women and their daughters, would prepare the noon day meal in the rectory each day and serve the prisoners at a long wooden table Father Krukkert had set up in the basement of the Church.
Much of the artistry work was hand painting. The walls of the Sanctuary, spandrels up to the arch, on the underside of the arch, behind the statues of Jesus and Mary, the chair rail around the Church, across the front of the choir loft, in the choir loft and between the stained glass windows were decorated by the POWs. The oil painting, the last piece to be painted, of the Assumption, is placed above the back altar. In 1950, Father Marthaler had a drape made for this main work. The painting is displayed on special Marian feast days.
The painting on the west side of the Sanctuary portrays the Annunciation and on the east side symbolizes the Visitation. The halos of Mary, Elizabeth and Zacharias in the Visitation and the Angel in the Annunciation are of gold leaf and are cemented to the walls. In the background of both murals are scenes that the artists saw when they were standing outside of the Church facing north, taking a break and resting their eyes. In the Visitation a green pasture, two symmetrical stands of ripe grain and a cluster of farm buildings and trees – the Meinrad Hollenstein homestead. In the background of the annunciation stands another patch of grain and more pasture. A little to the side and slightly beneath the radiant dove that hovers over the meeting of Mary and the angel is the Otto Skarke homestead with its sheds and weeping willow trees.
Above the nave on the spandrels of the semi-arch is a picture of two young angels. Two local school girls, Theresa Westoff and Theresa Evers, were used as models after Cattanei suggested to the parents that they use the girls and the parents agreed. As Di Bello sat on the table in the basement, he had the girls sit on a bench with their heads turned towards each other and sketched their profiles.
There are twenty-seven symbolic paintings in the nave of the Church and are painted above the stained glass windows and along the front of the choir loft. There are two angels beside the stained glass window of the crucifixion in the choir loft. The angel on the east side holds a symbol of the face of Christ on Veronica’s veil. The angel on the west side holds a symbol of the inscription on the Cross – INRI – Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum. The Latin inscription translated into English means “Jesus of Nazareth – King of the Jews.”
The wood carving of the Last Supper that is on the front of the altar, as well as the other carved decorative trim in the Sanctuary were carved by Carlo Sanvito. He was provided with light colored wood for the carving by Parishioner, Meinrad Hollenstein. He had bought the wood from a firm in Amarillo that made counters of stores. Mr. Hollenstein also provided oak for other carvings. It came from one-by-six planks that he had bought to make a cow pen. Meinrad was very interested in the renovation of the Church and came daily to watch the progress.
The twelve stained glass windows were also installed by the Italian POWs. Many of the windows were donated by different Parishioners. The stained glass windows in the Sanctuary remind us of the Eucharist (on the west side) and Repentance (on the east side). These windows were donated by Pius and Magdalena Friemel. The windows in the nave of the Church portray eight of the mysteries of the rosary, on the east side four of the Joyful Mysteries and on the West side four of the Glorious Mysteries. The Annunciation was donated in memory of His Excellency Bishop Gerken . The Visitation was donated by Ben Koch & family. The Birth of Jesus was donated by Clem Friemel & family. The Presentation was donated by Albert Fischbacher & family. The Resurrection was donated in memory of Rev. John J. Dolje by the parishoners. The Ascension was donated by Rudolph Friemel & family. The Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles – Pentecost was donated by Mr & Mrs. J. G. Batenhorst. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was donated by Louis Wieck & family. In the choir loft, the window portrays the Crucifixion, with Mary on one side and John the Apostle on the other. Mary Magdalene and a Roman soldier can be seen at Jesus’ feet. This window was donated by Meinrad Hollenstien & family. The Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist is shown in the stained glass window in the Old Baptistery (the confessional).
During the interim of the painting, the POWs would occasionally walk over to the school to talk to the children about Italy. As the Christmas holidays approached, the children of the lower grades asked Di Bello to draw Santa Claus and his reindeer on the blackboard. He did so with colored chalks. The Umbarger children liked the drawings so much, that they decided to keep them up until after Christmas. They sent a letter to the Church for Di Bello on a piece of table paper, thanking him. Everyone said, “The Santa and the reindeer looked as if they were alive.” The letter said, “We shall always remember you and the Prisoners-of-War, Always your friends.” It was signed by twenty-three children bearing seventeen Umbarger surnames.
Father Krukkert dedicated the newly painted Church on the annual celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 1945.
A large bell pull, which was originally used in the courthouse in Canyon, Texas, was installed in the belfry of the Church. Until the bell was placed in the belfry, the faithful were called to worship by a bell suspended between two poles outside the Church.
Father Krukkert also renovated the heating system for safety reasons. The Church was heated with hot water through radiators. Father Krukkert had the system changed so heated air would be used instead.
Serving as pastor from 1948 to 1958 was Father Andrew Marthaler. More improvements were made under his guidance. New pews with more seating capacity were added. A new electric pipe organ was installed. The bell was removed from the belfry and the people were called to Mass with a beautiful chimes system. When the bell was removed, the belfry floor was found to be defective. During the repair of this fault, the ceiling and the roof of the Church were damaged by a fire while repairmen were using hot tar. The damage was slight and no extensive repair work was needed.
Changes in Church organizations were also made. The Christian Mothers were joined with the Altar Society. The sodality of the Children of Mary changed their name to the Catholic Youth Organization.
As the Parish grew, the need for a larger place for functions was recognized and a new Parish hall was built east of the Church in 1952. The first St. Mary’s Fall Festival was held that year to help pay the debt. Father Marthaler was reassigned to Rowena, Texas in 1958.
Msgr. Wilfred F. Bosen was pastor from 1958 to 1967. Under his direction the Church was air conditioned, lighting was improved. The four large statues were repainted. The Stations of the Cross were painted by hand in colors to coordinate with the paintings on the walls. The present altar was added to the sanctuary when the Priest began to celebrate the Mass facing the congregation. A building was built in 1962 east of the Parish Hall for CCD classes. The Parish Hall was remodeled and the kitchen was enlarged to keep pace with the growth of the Fall Festival. Msgr. Bosen was reassigned to St. Mary’s in Amarillo in 1967.
St. Mary’s Parish was then served by Msgr. Matthew F. Schafle from 1967 to 1976. Extensive renovation was done to the interior and exterior of the Church. The changes were partly due to the change in Liturgy. The communion rail was removed and the baptismal font was moved to the sanctuary. The side altars were removed and wrought iron shelves were made to hold the statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Carpet was laid in the body of the Church and a public address system was installed. Paving of the parking lot around the Church was begun. The outside entrance was remodeled during this time also. A covered portico was built, side rails were added to the steps and a handicap ramp was added to the east side. The heating and air conditioning were also updated. New CCD classrooms were provided by remodeling the basement of the Church. The Parish Council was instituted and the firs lectors and lay ministers were selected.
In 1968, the confraternity of Christian Doctrine was formally organized. There were seventeen lay instructors under the direction of a coordinator and Parish council representative. Weekly classes on Sunday were made available. The classes were kindergarten through adult. A baby-sitting service was made available. Prior to these classes, religious classes were taught under the supervision of the Sisters of Mercy.
After the death of Father Schafle, Father James Sonderman was assigned to St. Mary’s in 1976. At the time of Father Sonderman’s arrival, the altar was moved forward closer to the people. A larger podium on a raised platform was added. Additional paving was put around the Church and hall. Air conditioning was installed in the hall. Due to the rising expense of heating and cooling fuel, insulation was installed in the ceiling of the Church.
Father
Jim Hustler was pastor from 1989 – 1997. He covered the altar with Italian marble in memory of his mother. A new organ was purchased. In 1993, a reunion of the Italian POWs was held at the Hereford POW camp. The artists returned to Umbarger and presented the Church with a Plaque and a painting by Spinello Aretino.
Our Parish council was established in 1968 to assist the Pastor in the management of the Parish. The parish council consist of representatives for CCD, Youth, Liturgy, Parish Plant, and Parish Activities,. Parish council meetings are held monthly on the first Tuesday evening.
Presently the Parish consists of about two hundred Parishioners living in sixty-five residences. Several organizations meet the needs of the Parishioners. These include the Knights of Columbus, Christian Mothers, the Legion of Mary, and the Catholic Youth Organization. Social and spiritual activities are enjoyed by the community through the apostolate of these organizations.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church has been from the beginning a foundation that has maintained the closeness and unity of the community. The German Catholics that settled Umbarger brought their religion with them and made it the focal point of their lives. As Elva Fronabarger commented, “The Church, its Societies , and social life made life for the early settlers endurable.”