About our Parish
In the year 1924 the Franciscan Missionaries of the Third Order Regular (T.O.R), came to Texas and established the first mission in Waco, which was to minister to the spiritual needs of the Mexican population of this area. The fathers Miguel Vidal, T.O.R, Gabriel Tous, T.O.R, with the brothers Bartolomé Torrens and Francisco Darder and Jose Conway founded the Mission. The following year, on February 12, the first wooden church was blessed by the Bishop of Galveston, Fr. Cristóbal L. Byrne. A strong fire burned that first church in the year 1928. The Hall of the School, constructed in the fathers and the parishioners had the same ideal: to construct a more efficient and comfortable church.
To be able to construct a church of such colossal proportions a campaign was started between the Catholics of the Dioceses of Galveston and others of the state of Texas. The principal supporter of this campaign, backed up by the bishop, was Fr. Gabriel Tous, T.O.R., a young and enterprising priest that worked together with Fr. Pablo Puigserver, pastor since 1926. With great joy by all, on March 15, 1931 with solemnity the corner stone of our church was placed and blessed by the Vicar General of the Diocese. It was finish in November. In later years the walls were decorated with paintings, almost life size, representing the Stations of the Cross, the glorification of St. Francis and scenes of the arrival, predication and martyrdom of the first Franciscan Missionaries in Texas. The painting are the work of a painter of Mallorca, Spain and good friend of the Franciscan Fathers, the master Pedro Juan Barcelo. The architect was Mr. Roy E. Lane, and is good to point out that he recognized publicly the help of Fr. Pablo Puigserver and Fr. Gabriel Tous. Father Juan Domenge ordered the paintings. April 2, 1933 was the consecration of the altar of the church.