84R23342 JGH-D
By: Kacal H.R. No. 2393
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, St. Mary's Catholic School in West is celebrating
its 115th academic year in 2015, and this is a fitting opportunity
to commemorate this venerable institution's contributions to the
community; and
WHEREAS, St. Mary's Church of the Assumption was organized in
West in 1892; members of the congregation wanted to provide a
Catholic education for their children, so Father F. G. Sebik
arranged with Reverend Mother Florence of the Sisters of Divine
Providence in Castroville to have several nuns come to West and open
a school; and
WHEREAS, In October 1899, Sister Mary M. Pelagia and three
other nuns began teaching children of the parish in a small building
that included three classrooms as well as living quarters for the
sisters; many of the students lived too far away to walk to school
every day, so St. Mary's began to accept boarding students, and
enrollment grew so quickly that by 1909, the school was forced to
turn boarders away; and
WHEREAS, A brick schoolhouse, with six classrooms and an
auditorium, was constructed in 1917, and by 1928, seven nuns were
teaching at St. Mary's; over the years, the facility continued to
grow and develop as the enrollment and the staff increased, and new
extracurricular programs provided increasingly diverse activities
for the students; the school was accredited by the Texas Catholic
Conference in 1967; and
WHEREAS, Although the last Sister of Divine Providence left
the school in 1984, St. Mary's Catholic School remains a vital part
of the community; today, it serves more than 140 students from
prekindergarten through the eighth grade, helping them to reach
their highest potential spiritually, academically, physically, and
socially; and
WHEREAS, The ongoing commitment and mutual support of the
school's teachers, parents, and students ensure that the historic
tradition of Catholic education continues to thrive in West; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 115th academic year of
St. Mary's Catholic School and extend to the school's staff and
students sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for St. Mary's Catholic School as an expression of high
regard by the Texas House of Representatives.