Daily Dose of Texas History - May 4, 1847

Texas History Lessons

On May 4, 1847, Pope Pius IX established the Catholic Diocese of Galveston. From 1847 until 1874 the diocese covered all of Texas and parts of modern day Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming. The Diocese of San Antonio and the Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville were carved out of it 1874.

Jean Marie Odin was named the Diocese of Galveston’s first bishop and with twelve priests he served 20,000 Catholics that were spread out over about 360,000 square miles. The Diocese included ten already established churches and an Ursuline Sisters convent.

The diocese's first cathedral church is the beautiful St. Mary Cathedral Basilica in Galveston that Odin had overseen construction of.

Odin served as bishop until 1861, when he became the second archbishop of New Orleans.

In the mid-1900s the Diocese of Galveston became the Diocese of Galveston-Houston and in 2004 it became the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Today it includes 8,880 square miles of ten counties in the southeastern area of Texas: Galveston, Harris, Austin, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Grimes, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker and Waller.

The Texas History Lessons Theme song, Walking Through History, was written and recorded by Derrick McClendon. Listen to his new album, Interstate Daydreamer! Available everywhere you find good music. Thank you Derrick! Twitter: @dmclendonmusic

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