About eight years ago I came across an online article in the Houston Chronicle that talked about some beautiful churches near I-10 between San Antonio and Houston. Until a few months ago I never thought I’d visit them. These are known as the “Painted Churches of Texas.” These were built by German and Czech immigrants, trying to mimic the architecture from their home countries.
If you’re driving from Houston, I recommend this route (or the other way around if you’re driving from San Antonio): Start with St Cyril and Methodius Church in Dubina. This is the only Church in which you can only get in if you schedule a tour with the Schulenburg Chamber of Commerce. If you don’t, you’ll have to be lucky to get there when a tour group is visiting, or so I’ve read online. Otherwise, you can open the door and peek in through some bars to take pictures like this:
I was rather lucky to get there when there was a tour, but the lady that was giving a tour told me not to go inside. I told her that I’d come all the way from Odessa just to see these churches as she was about to take her group outside and close the gate. She gave me 30 seconds before she locked the gate and I took these pictures:
The second church is St. John the Baptist in Ammannsville:
The third church is Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in High Hill:
And the last one is St. Mary’s Church in Praha:
Right after I checked in to my hotel in San Antonio I thought about going to St. Francis in De Zavala Road, as I’ve been there before. But when I checked Google Maps I found a closer church: St. Mary of the Atonement, which was about to have mass in 15 minutes. I quickly drove there and found this hidden Jewel:
It might take weeks, months, or even years, but I’ll go back to Europe as soon as I can. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the places that remind me of it.
