Tour the Painted Churches of Texas
Between Houston and San Antonio along Interstate 10 in the area of Schulenburg you will find the Texas painted churches. These are churches that were built by early settlers nearly a century ago. They were modeled after churches of their home country such as Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic) or Germany. A Driving tour of these works of art is an enjoyable day you won’t forget.
Most people have to do their getaways on weekends and this is perfect. From My experience, most of the painted churches are open on Saturdays. Unfortunately some of them have to be locked in order to prevent vandalism and theft.
The Ascension Catholic church is where I will begin. This is my favorite since it holds so many childhood memories. This was my mother’s home parish and my grandparent’s parish. We would go there every Christmas and Easter as well as any Sunday we were visiting. As a child, I would get lost in the paintings above and around the alter. They also had this antique Reed organ that sounded heavenly. Moravia can be found by taking FM 957 southwest out of Schulenburg.
About 2 miles south of Moravia take FM 532 to fm 1295. This will take you to Praha, the home of St Mary’s parish. This one of the most elaborate of the Texas painted churches. The town of Praha is somewhat of a ghost town, but the church is definitely worth the visit. The ceilings of the church are painted and there is a lot of ornate wood work. I have been there several times on a Saturday, and it was always open, but a good time to visit is August 15. This is the Feast of the Assumption and they have a church bazaar of sorts. The food and fun are great and it gives an opportunity to visit the church. The ceilings are painted and there is a lot of ornate wood work.
While in the area, be sure to visit another of the prominent painted churches in the community of High Hill just north west of Schulenburg on FM 2672. This church is absolutely beautiful. I have had problems finding it open, but usually late Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning have been good times. One can always attend mass at any of these churches for the full experience.
Between Schulenburg and Weimer on the north side of interstate 10, you will find two other painted churches. These are St Cyril and Methodius in Dubina and St John the Baptist in Ammansville. Both make a worthy side trip
There are several others in the area such as Shiner and Serbin. You might even find some that are not publicized anywhere. That would be a good area to get lost and just see what you can find in these small towns.
In order to get more information contact the Schulenburg Chamber of Commerce and some of the local restaurants. They can be a wealth of information as most of the people working in these restaurants are parishioners of some fine old churches.
Have fun
Frank
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[...] Frank Poessel is a Software Consultant traveling on business more than 40 weeks a year. Kim is a Registered labor and Delivery Nurse in a major Houston Hospital. Their interests are Fishing, Travel and Antiquing. Together they travel on many weekend getaways each year as well as about 4 weeks of major travel each year. Their Travels range from short scenic drives to extended overseas trips. Their website http://arewelostyet.com offers Airline information, Hotel information and other travel tips to make you travel planning easier. Frank is also a pilot and he has checklist for almost everything he does. Be sure and visit the check list section of their website before leaving on vacation or on a short getaway. Men there is also a special section of things guys like to do and things you can do that will earn you points with your wife/girlfriend that will also be enjoyable for you. You can also see more information on the Painted Churches of Texas at http://arewelostyet.com/tour-the-painted-churches-of-texas/ [...]