Sign at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Ammannsville.

Photograph of a cloth sign that says "St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 1890 - 1990, Ammannsville, Texas"

The sign for Saints Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church in Dubina. This church was established in 1856.

Saints Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church in Dubina. This church was established in 1856.

Saints Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church in Dubina. The outdoor bathrooms feature signs in English and Czech

Detail of postcard of Saints Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church in Dubina. "Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church - Dubina, TX. Bluebonnets in the springtime at Dubina: the oldest Czech settlement in Texas. The church interior is decorated with frescoes adn stenciling in vivid colors common to the period and culture. A "Feast Day" is held every year on the first Sunday in July."

"Dubina, which derives its name from the Czech word for Oak Grove, was founded in 1856 by a group of Moravian immigrants, including the Marak Kahlich, Sramek, Peter, Holub, Muzny, and Haidusek families. By 1900 the farming community had erected a church building, mill, cotton gin, blacksmith shop, store, and post office. A 1909 storm and a 1912 fire caused extensive damage from which the town never recovered. As the first settlement in Texas to be founded entirely by Czech-Moravians, Dubina remains an important part of the state's regional and cultural history."

Huge trees in Dubina

Sign for St. Mary's Church of the Assumption in Praha.

St. Mary's Church of the Assumption in Praha, shrine for the Virgin Mary.

St. Mary's Church of the Assumption in Praha, the WW II memorial, in Czech.

St. Mary's Church of the Assumption in Praha, the WW II memorial chapel sign. "Second World War in remembrance of soldiers fallen in battle. Names: Pvt. Josef Lev, killed August 24, 1944; Pfc. Adolf Rab, killed December 27, 1944; Pfc. Robert Bohuslav, killed February 3, 1944. Donations for this chapel: Emil and Mary Lev, John and Agnes Rab, Josef V. and Anna Okruhlik, Rev. Alfons Raska, Pastor."

Monuments in front of St. Mary's Church of the Assumption in Praha, in Czech and English. Also a statue of Christ's crucifixion.

Monument in front of St. Mary's Church of the Assumption in Praha, "St. Mary's - Praha, celebrating 150 Yrs. To honor the first parishioners and the faithful people who have maintained the parish for 150 years. Dedicated August 15, 2005, Bishop David E. Fellhauer, diocese of Victoria, Fr. Edward C. Bartsch, Pastor. Bohu Diky.

Monument in front of St. Mary's Church of the Assumption in Praha, "Centennial Aug. 15, 1955. Erected in grateful memory of the first settlers of Praha. Postaveno na pamatku prvnich osadniku v Praze, Texas. Unveiled Aug, 15, 1955, by the most Rev. Robert E. Lucey, S.T.D., Archbishop of San Antonio, Texas. Rev. Julius A. Petru, Pastor

Monument in front of St. Mary's Church of the Assumption in Praha, "St. Mary's Church, Praha, Texas. Maticka Praha. In remembrance of the visit April 18, 1966 of his eminence Josef Cardinal Beran Archbishop of Prague (Praha), Czechoslovakia, who was witness to the faith in prisons for 18 years. Erected by the Pastor and parishioners as an expression of our prayers that a just peace and true concord may be realized among all nations. May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace."

St. Mary's Church of the Assumption in Praha, the confessional, "Confession, anyone? Please use this literature to prepare for a good confession."

St. Mary's Church of the Assumption in Praha.

St. Mary's Church of the Assumption in Praha.

The United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Swiss Alp was first formed as the Philadelphia Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1865.

Sign for the United Evangelical Lutheran Church, Swiss Alp, ELCA

Photograph of a historic plaque in Swiss Alp, Texas. It reads: "United Evangelical Lutheran Church (Philadelphia Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery). The Swiss Alp community was settled about 1865. Within a short time, the Philadelphia Evangelical Lutheran Church was established and began meeting on land given by John and Christina Knippa in 1867. The first recorded burial on this site is that of Emma Gertraut Ritter, who died in October 1867. She was soon followed by Anna Rudi, the wife of Pastor C. C. Rudi. Ten more church members were interred here before the site was formally established as a cemetery in February 1877. Other members of the Rudi family are interred here along with numerous church members. After several small area churches merged in 1967 the church name was changed to United Evangelical Lutheran Church and Cemetery. The historic graveyard contains both marked and unmarked burials. (1999)"

Historic plaque, "Philadelphia Evangelical Lutheran Church, the second oldest congregation in the Texas-Louisiana Synod, United Lutheran Church in America. The founding occurred on March 24, 1867, under leadership of the Rev. C.C. Rudi, who had just moved to the Swiss Alp area. A ten-acre church site was donated by John and Christina Knippa by deed of March 29, 1869. Cedar was donated by J.F. Melcher and the Knippas and original log church was built in 1869. In Feb. 1877 the cemetery was established and in Nov. 1877 an adjoining tract of 44.5 acres was added. The present church building was erected in 1889-90. (1974)"

United Evangelical Lutheran Church, detail of front door