 |
| San Roque Catholic Church (Abandoned historic church) La Grulla Tx. Photo is a personal photo of Moises Garza taken in 2003. |
According to Raul Longoria the San Roque Catholic Church was built in 1891 by Juan and Yrinea Longoria in memory of their son Eugenio who was killed in 1870. Longoria mentions that Eugeino never came back after leaving to go visit some friends and relatives in a nearby Las Cuevas (present day Cuevitas). He was found weeks later near Penitas Texas (about 10 mile further than Cuevitas) with his horse having three bullet holes, but his cause of death was never determined.
This is the same church which can be assumed with certainty that my wife’s great-grandfather Francisco Perez Lozano and family attended to. The certainty comes from the fact that they were Catholic and that this was the only church near where they resided.San Roque Church Video by Jimmy Martinez
Sources:
http://raullongoria.net/grulla.htm
http://youtu.be/gD1l2_xvqMM
Updated:
This post was last updated on 11-19-2011, added the video by Jimmy Martinez.
I’m so excited to know about this little church on the Oblate Trail. I wonder if Father Keralum designed the church for the Longoria family. It looks so much like the Gothic Revival style of so many of Keralum’s tiny churches.
myramcilvain@austin.rr.com
It would be nice to find out so that we could give him proper credit. This church and the now abandoned longoria homes seem to have the same type of brick which probably was from Camargo, Mexico.
Check out my blog “Oblate Father of the Rio Grande” at http://tinyurl.com/869nejn
i helped remodel the church in the mid 90s along with several others, it sits south across the street from my grandparents home Enrique & Bertha Cantu. it is trully a piece of history, it used to have a giant catus growing on the north east vally of the roof, Jimmy should remember it… thanks for the memory lane buddy
Thanks for your comment, I do remember the cactus also. I just hope this church lasts longer for future generations to admire it and wonder.
Hello!…my name is javier galvan longoria…i live in brownsville ,tx…..my mom is josefina longoria….desendant of the longorias from “la grulla, tx.”….i would love to visit that place very soon!!!…
Nice to meet you Javier, to keep up to date with La Grulla check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LaGrullaTexas