By Myra Lee Adams Goff

Prince Carl, on behalf of the Adelsverein, was given the responsibility of establishing two churches in the new settlement of New Braunfels, one Protestant and one Catholic. They were to be established at the same time, but that didn’t happen. Prince Carl engaged Rev. Louis Ervendberg as the Protestant pastor on the coast even before the group moved inland, but could not find a Catholic priest. Meanwhile to satisfy the religious needs of the early settlers, the Protestants and Catholics met together under the leadership of Rev. Ervendberg.

Finding a Catholic priest was difficult. When the prince arrived in the United States in 1844, he visited the archdiocese of Boston and Baltimore, the only organization in America at that time, looking for a priest. When he arrived in Galveston he became acquainted with Catholic Bishop Odin, the Catholic Prelate of Texas, who told him that there were no priests available for the settlement .The two traveled extensively together and became good friends. According to Ferdinand Roemer, “Odin travels continually about the country, visiting the Catholics living scattered in the various parts of the country. Fearlessly and tirelessly he traverses the lonesome prairies on horseback”…

The eventual location of the Catholic Church on Castell and Bridge Sts. has deep historic roots in New Braunfels. From a translation of Prince Carl’s report to the Adelsverein on the 27th of March, 1845, he says this: “Thirty-one wagons have arrived, and I am expecting the last half of the immigrants within a few days. I had an encampment erected on a bluff overlooking Comal Creek. For its protection I think it urgent that three sides be enclosed by palisades, whereas the fourth side is amply protected against attack by the high steep bluff of Comal Creek.”

Nicholas Zink, an educated engineer and surveyor, was given the job of laying out the streets and lots of New Braunfels. He helped set up this first camp of the immigrants. It became known as the Zinkenburg. “Burg” in English means “castle, fortress, stronghold” just like in Sophienburg the “burg” means castle.

After the settlers moved out to their own lots, the Zinkenburg became the site of the first Catholic Church. In 1847, the congregation built a temporary hut of wood and it served for two years as the first church building. This little building was on the site of the present parking lot abutting Bridge Street. It became a Catholic school when a permanent church building was constructed.

After two years, in 1849, Bishop Odin arranged for the first permanent church building. He stated that it was his intention to build the church with his own funds and he asked the Adelsverein to give him the necessary ground for the erection of a building in the city. There were only two other Catholic churches in Texas at this time, Galveston and San Antonio.

This church known as the Walnut Church was closer to the back of the property above the Comal Creek. The building was built by Heinrich Meine and built of black walnut, a hard wood that was known to be prevalent on the Guadalupe River. The building was 35 feet by 25 feet. Newly arrived, Father Gottfried Wenzel, was assigned to New Braunfels. Church archivist Everett Fey states that the Walnut Church served the congregation from 1849 through the Civil War. At that time the church was called St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles. Now the congregation had outgrown the Walnut Church.

Once again, Bishop Odin, seeing a need for expansion, dedicated the cornerstone in 1871 for a new stone church. According to Fey, the stone used to build this church was purchased from the County from the newly torn down Jail.

Now here’s an interesting story. What happened to the Walnut Church? In order to allow services of Mass, Baptism, Confirmation, Weddings and Burials to continue uninterrupted, the stone church was built around and over the Walnut Church. There was room enough inside for the smaller church to be free standing.

When the stone church was complete in 1874, there was no longer need for the Walnut Church. A notice in the Neu Braunfelser Zeitung announced that wood from the Walnut Church would be auctioned off in the church parking lot. The church would literally be pulled out the front door one log at a time. At this point, the church changed its name to the present one, Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church.

The space left by the removal of the Walnut Church greatly increased the size of the church and over the next three decades new altars and stained glass windows, now numbering 22, were added. In 1963 the size of the church was doubled. The final addition took place in 2000.

Many long-time members of Sts. Peter and Paul can claim family relationships going back generations. Everett Fey, who has worked on the church’s extensive archives for years, can stand where the Walnut Church once stood and think back to his g-g grandparents, Stephan and Margarethe Klein who worshipped there. A few steps further into the church, his grandfather, Theodore Wenzel, was the Sacristan in the first stone church. He moves up closer to the altar where his brother, Fredric Fey, was ordained a Deacon, and then finally to the most recent altar where his daughter, Janice, recently married.

A church rededication took place five years ago in 2009 on the site of where the Walnut Church once stood.

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I’m writing about iconology, the study of icons. The word “icon” has been stretched thin over the years. Originally it referred to “a painting of religious personages on a wooden panel in the Eastern Church”. In advertising, we have icons for almost everything. Christmas icons are the symbols that make us think of Christmas.

Go all the way back to the 1844 emigrant landing on the coast at Indianola. Soon after, at Christmas time, a coastal oak tree was procured and covered with candles. The lighted tree as an important icon lives on. Protestant Reformer Martin Luther is given credit for the lighted tree when he noticed the brilliance of the stars peeking through the snow-covered trees. He rushed home to put candles on his fir tree.

The Puritans were against decorations, including trees, but when German and Irish emigrants arrived in America, the Puritan legacy was stamped out by long-standing ethnic traditions. Meanwhile in the Texas Hill Country, the only tree that came close to resembling the fir tree was the “don’t touch me, I have stickers” juniper. Christmas trees changed from juniper, to imported fir trees, to artificial trees.

Candles were the only tree lights until electricity was invented around the turn of the 20th century. Those early electric lights were problematic; if one globe went out, the whole string went out. Much time was spent looking for that one burned-out globe. With time, that problem was solved and now we have LED lights.

Decorations, too, have changed over the years. The Sophienburg has some glass globes brought from Germany. Fast forward to the 1920s, before children chewed on trees, some very dangerous decorations appeared on the scene. For example, there was spun glass called angel hair, tinsel icicles made of lead, and globes made of mercury glass.

In America the most iconic symbol of children’s Christmas is Santa Claus. Long before the big guy dressed in red and was made famous by an illustration by Haddon Sundblom for Coca Cola, a similar character appeared in Europe. He was Saint Nicholas and his story was brought by the settlers from Germany. The more judgmental Nicholas filled stockings hung somewhere in the house on Dec. 5th with candy and fruit for good children and a switch or a potato or a piece of coal for a “bad” child. But “bad or good” there was hope for all children because there was still two weeks to straighten up before Santa Claus came.

Locally, Bill Vollmar was given much credit for bringing Santa Claus to New Braunfels. Vollmar owned a local 5 and 10 cent store. The picture shows Santa arriving on a train. Hearsay says he also arrived in an airplane and, of course, the vehicle of choice was not a reindeer, but a fire truck.

Gift giving has always been a big part of the holidays. Here’s a short list of advertised gifts: a Kodak camera at Voelkers Drug Store (1898); Tigress, Woodhue, and Tabu perfumes plus Tangee lipstick (1940s); hand carved dolls and marbles (ancient cultures).

Stores had toys for sale, but the first toy store was Tante Amelia’s Christmas Store next to Henne Hardware. Tante was a sister to the Hennes and the toy store was only open for two weeks. When it wasn’t a toy store, it held kitchen supplies.

Church activities dominated the Christmas season. The Germans celebrated Christmas Eve with a light supper and then gift opening. In the old days the tree was closed off to children until the gift opening ceremony. This was the first time that children saw the tree and gifts. A midnight candlelight church service followed.

In the Catholic Hispanic community, Dec. 24th was a time for friends and neighbors gathering together at one home. They would have a rosary by the nativity scene at the home and place the baby Jesus in the empty crib to remain there until Feb. 2nd. Another tradition was Las Posadas (the Inns), an old ceremony commemorating the journey of Mary and Joseph as they sought lodging preparing for the birth of Jesus.

As more and more Americans moved to New Braunfels, traditions gradually blended together. New Braunfelsers have their own icons of German, Hispanic, and American origin. Tamales, chili, poinsettias, sausage, cookies, pralines, divinity, toffee, piñatas, bells, all blend together, so–

Fröliche Weihnachten, Feliz Navidad, and a New Braunfels Merry Christmas to all!

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By Tara V. Kohlenberg —

You might think it too early to speak of Christmas, but Halloween is over, Main Plaza is decked out in lights and we are now enjoying Wurstfest, the Ten-Day Salute to Sausage! Can Christmas be far behind? I think not. So, in keeping with the Sophienburg Museum & Archives’ mission to share our history, here is a look at some of the most popular German Christmas traditions and how they have carried over to current day New Braunfels.

Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ. The four weeks leading up to Christmas is called Advent, which serves as a time of anticipation and preparation for the birth and coming of Christ. In Germany you will often see Advent wreaths (Adventskranz). The tradition of Advent wreaths was begun by German Lutherans in the 16th century. The wreath is made of four candles set down in a base of pine branches, dried flowers and Christmas ornaments. Here in New Braunfels, Advent has traditionally been celebrated by Lutheran, Catholic and Protestant denominations, but is being seen more in other denominations now as well. Each Sunday in Advent, which begins November 27 this year, a candle will be lit on the wreath, lighting one candle every Sunday until all are lit. Sometimes, a fifth candle will be lit on Christmas Eve.

The Advent calendar (Adventskalendar) is the countdown to Christmas for German children. Every day for the four weeks before Christmas, a window in the advent calendar is opened to reveal a poem, candy or a small gift. Advent calendars flood shops across Germany during this season. Here is New Braunfels, Advent calendars can be found at Sophie’s Shop at New Braunfels’ Weihnachtsmarkt.

St Nikolaus Day (Sankt Nikolaus Tag), also called the Feast of Saint Nikolaus, observed on 6 December, is the feast day of Saint Nicholas of Myra. It is a favorite holiday with German children. St. Nikolaus is not the jolly, old, bearded Santa that we know. He is a little gruffer, taking more interest in the children behaving and learning their prayers. On the night of December 5, children clean and polish their boots and leave them outside the door before going to sleep. Next morning, they find their shoes filled with nuts, candy, and small gifts from St Nikolaus. Here is New Braunfels, children hang stockings. St. Nikolaus visits the Sophienburg Museum on December 5, to find out if the children have been good. Call the Sophienburg to RSVP for your family now.

Some of the most wonderful things associated with Christmas in Germany are the Christmas markets. (Weihnachtsmarkt). The origins of outdoor Christmas markets can be traced back to the German-speaking part of Europe in the Middle Ages. The opening of most European Christmas markets coincides with the beginning of the celebration of Advent in late November or early December. A few thousand Christmas markets are held all over Germany each year. The sights, sounds and smells are unforgettable.

Stollen, Lebkuchen and Glühwein, the foods & drink that soothe the longing for German Christmas treats, can be found at the markets. Stollen is a traditional German Christmas pastry. More like a bread, it is made with dried fruits, nuts, and spices and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Lebkuchen, another special German Christmas treat, resembles gingerbread. It is made with honey, spices and nuts. The Christmas season is not complete without a steaming cup of Glühwein, a necessity for warding off the winter cold chill. In New Braunfels, Stollen and gingerbread are sold at the markets more than Lebkuchen. Likewise, Glühwein is not served as often as Wassail.

Here in Texas, our Christmas is rarely cold. Or snowy. And it has been known to rain. In fact, we can wear short sleeves and flip flops well into December, but that doesn’t stop us from having a Weihnachtsmarkt. In New Braunfels, our Weihnachtsmarkt was born of the need for a major fundraiser to benefit the Sophienburg Museum and Archives and the idea of sharing the history of the German village Christmas markets here in New Braunfels

The first New Braunfels’ Weihnachtsmarkt opened in December 1989. While desiring the market to resemble those in Germany, directors knew it was wise to stay within the realm of New Braunfels, Texas. Our market is similar in that visitors can do all their Christmas shopping in one location, choosing from a variety of artisans and vendors selling European and American Christmas ornaments and decorations, food, clothing, toys, antiques, jewelry, and more. The biggest difference is that our Weihnachtsmarkt is always held indoors in deference to security needs and possible winter storms with high winds. The bulk of the workload is carried by hundreds of dedicated volunteers. Even though it is a busy time of the year, people willingly volunteer because the event benefits the Sophienburg Museum and Archives.

This year’s Weihnachtsmarkt takes place Friday, November 18 through Sunday, November 20 at the New Braunfels Convention and Civic Center. It really has become much more than a fundraiser. Following on the heels of Wurstfest, the event kicks off holiday shopping in New Braunfels. The glittering Star Party Gala on Thursday night offers VIP Early Weihnachtsmarkt Shopping while enjoying an evening of cocktails, delicious hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and entertainment. The first holiday party of the season, this is a night that you do not want to miss. On Saturday, children can enjoy a morning full of fun and festivities with Santa himself! Breakfast with Santa offers a classic Christmas experience, featuring a delicious breakfast, arts and crafts, and photos with Santa. He is also available for photos during Market hours on Saturday and Sunday. We hold tightly to our German traditions here in New Braunfels. Come experience Weihnachtsmarkt to see why. www.newbraunfelsweihnachtsmarkt.com

Sources: Sophienburg Museum and Archives

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By Keva Hoffmann Boardman —

“And so,” Michael Freiherr von der Tann continued, “we are so pleased to have these documents returned to our family. They will join the rest of the Tann Archive in the Hesse State Archives in Marburg.” With a hand-off of an acid-free box containing four vellum documents, this chapter of Susanna von der Tann nee Waiblingen’s story ends.

But wait! Isn’t there anything more? Indeed there is. Every chance I got I asked questions and listened to Michael’s stories about his family, which are now a part of the Sophienburg’s story and family, too.

For example, Michael spoke of Susanna’s father-in-law, Eberhard the Elder. He played a role in the Protestant Reformation. He was Catholic like everyone else until he met Martin Luther. He even hid Luther when the Church was looking for him. Eberhard the Elder then built the first Protestant church in Tann (remember Susanna’s wedding?) and the village converted from Catholic to Protestant. “Not so today,” says Michael, “we now have Catholic, Jew, Muslim and other churches.”

Eberhard the Elder controlled land all over Bavaria (some of which became Hesse) and the Rhine provinces. The village of Tann grew up around the ancestral home. The forests surrounding it belonged to the Church in Fulda, but were on a kind of “medieval loan” to the von der Tanns for care and use. It wasn’t until after the Napoleonic wars, that “The Tann”, the village and 2000+ acres, became the property of the von der Tann family. The governance of the city was by the von der Tanns until the 20th century when it became a city government with elected officials.

Michael von der Tann is an unassuming thoughtful man, with a deep sense of duty and responsibility to his family and the area of Tann. That sense of duty and responsibility was a character trait he inherited from another of his ancestors. He spoke a bit about Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen. Ludwig was born in 1815 and received that name from his sponsor, King Ludwig I, the second king of Bavaria; Ludwig’s second name “Arthur” came from Arthur Wellesly, the 1st Duke of Wellington. Talk about connections…Ludwig was destined for greatness.

Ludwig became a soldier and a highly decorated war hero during the various wars and campaigns of the 19th century. He was a close personal friend of King Maximillian II of Bavaria. He served in King Max’s army during the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian Wars leading troops to numerous victories and attaining the post of Commander-in-Chief of the 1st Bavarian Corps. In 1849, a gunboat was christened Von der Tann. A WWI German battle cruiser, the first large German warship to use steam turbines, was named SMS Von der Tann. Kaiser Wilhelm I renamed Fort No. 8 “Fort Tann” in 1871, and streets in the cities of Munich, Erlangen, Dortmund, Wuppertal, Hamburg, Nuremberg, Neustadt and Regensburg bear the name Von der Tann and show the esteem Germany had for this man.

I told you this was an important family.

As a few of us sat enjoying Shiner beer at the Gristmill in Gruene, Freiherr von der Tann said that after World War II, ”which we started,” that the Iron Curtain then became the eastern border of the Tann. There was no war damage to the town. “Thankfully, the Americans got there first.” The town spread westward from that border. The Russian threat of the Ukraine truly resonates with his family and village. Like most Europeans, Michael is keenly interested in world news and asked many questions about American feelings on global subjects.

Since he took over the reins of running the family estate, Michael has been active in promoting the sustainability of Germany’s forests. He is president of the Hessian Forest Owners’ Association which advocates policies to protect them from government control and laws. This volunteer position has taken him to many places around the world. He attends countless gatherings in small villages and listens to forest farmers’ concerns. He advises mayors of city-owned forests on upcoming laws, issues and solutions. He regularly lobbies members of the Hessian state parliament and government to make them aware of the association’s concerns. Michael speaks with a quiet but very real passion about forests. And he loved our cedar and oak trees…his forests are fir and beech.

The von der Tanns still serve in city council positions and are involved in Tann politics. After all, the town of Tann sits at the feet of their ancestral home. With a bit of dry humor, Michael described this home — which is roughly rectangular with a central courtyard. “It is actually three castles. There is the Blue Castle which is really white with blue around the windows and there is the Red Castle which is also really white with red around the windows. My family, the von der Tann-Rathsamhausens, live in the Yellow Castle which is actually all yellow.” The three conjoined castles have housed the different lines or branches of the original Tann family. Michael has spent many years constantly updating and restoring the over 500-year-old structures.

The “official hand-off” of Susanna’s documents occurred this past Tuesday, April 19th. In attendance were Mayor Brockman, members of both Rotary Clubs (Michael is a long-time member of his local club), Chamber representatives and Sophienburg board members and staff. The donor of the documents to the Sophienburg was also there. Ken Brandt and his wife were thrilled to join the festivities and truly happy that the vellum documents were going home; after all, Ken’s father had been the one to save Susanna’s history!

I need to mention that Michael Freiherr von der Tann was intrigued by the country music emanating from Gruene Hall so we took him inside to listen and watch the dancing. A couple of young girls in cutoff jeans and cowboy boots were two-stepping along adding a few swing turns in for good measure.

“Can you do this thing?” I nodded yes and said, “Since I was a toddler!” Michael just grinned.

I am fairly certain Michael Freiherr von der Tann will be coming back to visit us, this time with his wife. You can take her documents out of Texas, but Susanna will remain a Texas woman.

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Imagine that you are on the Texas Coast where you have just arrived on one of the Adelsverein ships. You left Germany three months ago. You are far away from the Heimatland (homeland) for the first time ever and it is Christmas time. Your whole life you have loved the traditions that you grew up with – the music and the decorated tree that celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. On Hermann Seele’s arrival in Galveston, he wrote in this diary: “Memories, sweeten for me, lonely as I am in a foreign country, the hours with the balsam of a wonderful past.”

The year is 1844. The Republic of Texas is in the last stage of being an independent nation. Texas would soon become a state of the United States. The land was beautiful but rugged.

These immigrants would bring their culture and joyous traditions with them from Germany. The Adelsverein promised them land, supplies to help them get established and the provision of churches and schools. The immigrants brought with them the love of music, food and dance, strong family values, and the German traits of self-discipline and most of all, tenacity. These last two were important qualities because the whole venture was fraught with obstacles, but they persevered. In five years, New Braunfels was the fourth largest city in Texas.

Prince Carl hired Louis Ervendberg to establish a church in the new settlement of New Braunfels. Ervendberg met the first group of immigrants on the coast and conducted the first church service there on December 23, 1844. Prince Carl cut down a small oak tree for a Tannenbaum and decorated it with candles and candy for the children. This service on the coast is considered the first church service of the German Protestant Church. Prince Carl made this comment about the service: “The people, deeply touched, shed ardent tears of compassion and on Christmas, Holy Communion service would be conducted.”

German historian, Joachim Klenner, has done extensive research on Ervendberg and says this about the man:

He graduated August 26, 1833 from the University of Griefswald, taught school for four years, and then requested consent to immigrate to North America in1837. He gave as his reason for immigrating that a rich family from Hannover wanted him to come to North America to teach their children for five years. He was granted a permit with the stipulation that he could not come back to Prussia if he ever returned to Germany (no reason is given for that). He emigrated as Louis Ervendberg although his family name was Cachand. You have to wonder why he changed his last name.

Ervendberg settled in Illinois where there were others from Hannover, Germany. There was no pastor in the area so he organized a congregation. In 1838, he married Marie Luise Sophie Dorothea Műnch. They left Illinois in 1839 to come to Texas. After arrival in Galveston, they moved to the small settlement of Blumenthal in Colorado County. It was in Blumenthal that he was later approached by Prince Carl to handle the religious services for all the settlers, Protestant and Catholic. He accepted the invitation.

Ervendberg met with this first group of immigrants on the coast and accompanied them as they crossed the Guadalupe on March 21, 1845. This date is considered the founding date of New Braunfels as well as the German Protestant Church. He lost no time in organizing his German Protestant Church in New Braunfels. Prince Carl gave remembrance gifts to the congregation: a chalice, the twin of which is located in Germany, and two bells that are currently installed on the front lawn of the First Protestant Church.

In the settlement of New Braunfels, the first services were held outside at the foot of Sophienburg Hill until a log church could be built. Hermann Seele taught school in the same spot. Seele was chosen secretary of the church, a position that he held for 56 years.

Constant rain kept the Guadalupe River in a constant state of flooding that brought disease. The steady arrival of immigrants on the coast under these conditions played out a tragic drama of horrors. After Texas became a state, a war broke out between the United States and Mexico and the promised immigrant wagons were sold to the United States Army. There was no housing, no food, and no way to get from the coast to the settlement. In desperation, many immigrants tried to walk the 150 miles to New Braunfels. Hundreds died along the way and many arrived in the settlement sick, only to spread the sickness. A make-shift hospital was set up and Pastor Ervendberg recorded 348 deaths in one year. Sixty orphaned children were left and all but 19 were taken in by family or friends. The remaining 19 were taken in by the Ervendbergs. The Adelsverein gave Ervendberg land on the Guadalupe where he and Luise eventually set up what is believed to be the first orphanage in Texas.

For numerous reasons, Ervendberg’s career as pastor fell apart, as did his marriage to Luise. They decided to return to Illinois. She left with their three daughters, and he was to follow shortly with their two sons. Waiting for him in Illinois, Luise learned that her husband had intentionally met with one of the orphans and left for Mexico. She returned to Texas and he was gone. She never saw her sons again and she was granted a divorce in 1859.

Although the orphanage story is sad, the Ervendbergs provided a home where memories were made as well as old traditions kept and new ones formed for all who lived there. Many of the orphans and Ervendberg children grew up, married and had happy endings to their stories. Generations later, descendants of the orphans and the Ervendbergs gather at the old orphanage to celebrate the Ervendbergs and their ancestor’s survival in Comal County.

The German Protestant Church also survived and a stone church was built in 1875, with the tower added to the front of the building in 1889. This building still stands today.

In 1894, three new bells were installed in the tower (not the two small bells that you see now on the front lawn). Each bell has a significant name – Germania signifies the German heritage, Columbia signifies the immigrant loyalty to their new country and Concordia expresses the hope for harmony between the old and the new, not only generations, but ideas and traditions. The largest of the bells, Concordia, almost six feet in diameter and four feet high, has a deep mellow voice and forms the bass for the harmony of their blending. Columbia is forty-four inches in diameter and forty inches high. Germania is the smallest, three feet in diameter and thirty inches tall. Hers is the high tenor. These bells represent the struggles that the church and community have endured in its long history.

Henry Longfellow’s poem, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” tells it all:

(Verse 1)

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

(Verse 4)

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.

(Verse 5)

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

At least eight generations have been born in this new land of Texas with new memories made and old traditions harmonized with new. I heard the bells on Christmas Day.

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Our Lady of Perpetual Help congregation is celebrating its 90^th year of existence. It is a good example of a group of people who held on to their beliefs and held on to their culture and traditions. Sts. Peter and Paul Church, the oldest Catholic Church in New Braunfels, sent a request to the Motherhouse of the Holy Family in Holland asking for priests to work among the Spanish-speaking people in New Braunfels. In 1926, the church became a reality and still serves the community at 138 W. Austin Street

The idea of serving the needs of the Spanish-speaking people in the area began much earlier at Las Calera or The Lime at Dittlinger, four miles west of New Braunfels. In 1907, Hippolyt Dittlinger founded the Dittlinger Lime Company four miles west of New Braunfels. It is said that Mr. Dittlinger recruited workers from Mexico. Immigrant workers brought their families and immediately a settlement began close to The Lime.

Mr. Dittlinger provided housing and a school for the children in the vicinity. He also built a house for the Sisters of Divine Providence who had come to teach the children in that school. In 1926 space was provided in the school for a chapel. Worship services were held in a room partitioned off in the building, the same year that the Sister’s House was built. The Lime was sold in 1934 to the United States Gypsum Company, but the school continued until 1936 when it became a public school of the New Braunfels Independent School District.

The year 1926 was a very important year for the congregation of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and that is the reason for the celebration. It was this same year that the late Henry Moeller bequeathed a house on Austin St. in Comaltown to Archbishop J.J. Droassarts for the purpose of establishing a church for Spanish-speaking people. Emily Moeller also gave property on Austin St. adjoining the house.

The Archbishop appealed to the Holy Family Fathers in the Netherlands for missionaries to help organize a church. Four missionaries accepted the call in March of 1926.

Reverend Anthony Elsing, M.S.F. headed the group. Since there was no church building, the house given by Henry Moeller at 158 W. Austin St. was used as a temporary chapel and a rectory. A small church was built and Our Lady of Perpetual Help became the official name on December 5, 1926 with 40 families in the parish. Two years later a fire partially destroyed the interior of the chapel. The church was rebuilt and enlarged to accommodate a larger congregation, which had grown to 509 parishioners, plus living quarters for the sisters. A home next to the one given by Mr. Moeller was purchased and used as a new rectory with the old house being remodeled into a school. In 1931 a parish hall was built on the back of the property. Also in that year the parish purchased land for its own cemetery on Peace Avenue, taking the place of the Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery and the Hidalgo Cemetery for its parishioners.

In 1948, it became necessary to enlarge the school so a larger more modern structure was built. In the 1960s the parochial school was closed and most children entered the public schools. Nuns from Indiana took over the Catholic religious instruction of the children going to public school. This lead to a strong program for youth that is still active as the Catholic Youth Organization.

A beautiful structure was built in 1969 on the corner of Austin and Union Sts. In the 1980s a new Parish Hall, CCD Center and bazaar booths were constructed on the premises.

Many Spanish-speaking people lived on the western edge of New Braunfels due to the influx of industry in that area. Growth was inevitable and so became the necessity for a church in the area. Out at Dittlinger, the Sister’s House that had remained on the property of Servtex Material, was purchased by Mrs. Amalie Dittlinger Mengden of Houston in 1944. She was the daughter of Hippolyt Dittlinger and she donated the building to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in New Braunfels. The building was dismantled and the materials from this house became the beginning of the Holy Family Church which is now at 245 S. Hidalgo Ave. This church, as well as another church in Hunter, St. Johns Church, were both mission churches of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

The church is very active socially, bringing people together. Some of the original organizations live on and some were abandoned. These activities exemplify the strong love of family and friends that the Mexican culture is known for.

The love of music has always been important in the Catholic Church. Going back to early Europe, all denominations honored the great classics like Hendel’s Messiah or the Vivalde Requiem. Different denominations adopt their church music to their beliefs and culture. An example of that took place in 1978 when the Lady of Perpetual Help formed the Mariache Choir and then later the First Conjunto Choir when the Latin Mass was eliminated.

The Bazaars or Jamaicas is a time for fellowship when parishioners pool their talents for the betterment of church funds. A dance with a D.J. raises a large part of funds for improvements on the campus. The dance takes place inside the hall and the Bazaar is not outside as it used to be.

Another important occasion is Las Mananitas which is a tribute to Our Lady of Guadalupe and her apparition to Juan Diego on the morning December 12^th. The grotto called El Cerrito (the mountain) which was constructed on the grounds in 1940 is the site for the celebration of Las Mananitas. After singing Las Mananitas, the celebration is concluded with Mass. This practice has been conducted in many, many Catholic churches. Although this ceremony is no longer at church, many parishioners carry it out as a tradition in their family.

Las Posadas is the reenactment of Joseph’s and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem for the birth of Christ. This is concluded at midnight on December 24^th. It is a tradition of “blessing of the home.”

In the early years, going back to Father Elsing’s time in New Braunfels, a tradition carried on for many years was Las Tamaladas. This tradition was made famous by the Guadalupanas preparing tamales from hand ground corn meal. Father Elsing would collect the corn from the farmers and the Guadalupanas would grind the corn into cornmeal and make tamales. From their sale of tamales, funds would be used to benefit children.

On the anniversary of its 90^th year, Our Lady of Perpetual Help finds itself a congregation of diverse backgrounds. An early 7:30am Mass is still conducted for the Spanish-speaking parishioner but the two other morning services are in English. Winter Texans from all over have found the church to be a welcome home.

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