CHRIST THE KING CHURCH AND PARISH HISTORY

Click HERE to read the actual article that appeared in the Bell County Democrat, now Belton Journal, which appeard on November 6th 1969.

Written by a previous Pastor, Rev. Rocky I Vaz, S.J. and taken from a pictorial directory after the earlier church was constructed. In addition, Fr. Rocky, was chiefly responsible for the construction of the new church. ...

"Twenty-five years is a short time in the life of a Parish, but an important milestone for the Parishioners. It becomes still more important for the older parishioners, who had tried to begin a Mission or Parish here in Belton long before 1969 (the first Mass in Belton was actually celebrated before 1876!)

We have had great Pastors - Rev. Frederick Schmidt; Rev. Oliver Johnson; Rev. Victor Goertz; Rev. Vaughn Meiller; Rev Donald Chatham, Rev. Msgr. Marion Atomanczyk; Rev. Charles Davis and Rev. John Boiko - who have made Christ the King what it is today. I am fortunate to be part of the history of this Parish at this auspicious time of the Silver Jubilee, when we are planning to make this Parish a better place for our children. We are planning on bigger Religious Education classrooms (to replace those built in 1974)and a bigger Church (to replace the 300 seating Church built in 1970 when there were a little over 100 families with one Mass on Sundays with a 600 seating Church now when we have about 500 families and three Masses on the weekends).

This pictorial directory will bring back memories of so many families that make this Pansh and Parish Organizations and Parish activities possible. It is these parishioners that have made Christ the King what it is today. May the efforts of the Parishioners celebrating Silver Jubilee today (in 1994), prepare fond memories for the Golden Jubilee (in 2019) for our children of tomorrow.

Rev. Rocky I Vaz, S.J"

Land records show that the Catholic Community in Belton purchased a piece of land on March 23,1876 at the corner of 6th and N. East (now part of H.E.B. parking) and a small frame building was constructed in 1898 as a mission church on it. This mission church remained there till about 1922, when it was torn down and the property sold to Tyler School. With the money from the above sale, five acres of land was purchased in North Belton - the site of the present Church. Since the land for the mission church was purchased in 1876, Masses must have been celebrated before that!

Belton Catholics were first officially organized in 1946 by Rev. F. D. Urbanovsky, a Catholic priest from Houston. Driving a bread truck into town, "Father Frank" would pitch a tent off the back of the truck, thus creating shelter for church services. Father Frank called his converted truck the "Chapel on Wheels" or Espirito Santo ("Holy Spirit"). Father Frank visited the Belton area once a year from 1946 to 1948, but a permanent assignment in Houston kept him from returning in following years. Outside of Father Frank's visits, the only option for Belton Catholics to receive spiritual instruction or the sacraments was to either travel to St. Mary's Church in Temple, or to Holy Trinity Church in Corn Hill (Jarrell). However, after several years of struggle to find motivated leadership, sufficient funding, and the right piece of land, ground was broken in 1969 for Christ the King Catholic Church. In the intervening years, from about 1951 to 1967, Rev. Regal and Rev. Antonio Teressa came from Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Msgr. Arthur Michalka from St. Mary's, till Rev. Frederick Schmidt, C.S.C came to fulfill the dreams of the Catholics of Belton. Rev. Schmidt came from Georgetown and held a number of meetings and began offering Mass for the Belton Catholics first under a tent and then at the American Legion Hall (later Leon Heights School).

Here are some names of the original Catholics in Belton that we all owe our gratitude to for their perseverence in bringing the Parish to Belton: Pedro Jiménez, Jr, John Gómez, Delfino Guajardo, Antonion Guajardo, Nievas Guajardo, Valentina Guajardo, Rosie Vargas, Linda Treviño Swanson, Abigail Jiménez, Linda Luna, Ramon Vargas, Leon Vargas, “Chon” Luna, Fernando Luna, Augustine Luna, Ben Luna, Basilio Araguin, Rosalinda Luna, Tonya Guajardo, Alvina Guajardo, Consuelo Luna, Jose Araguin López, Jesse López, “Concha” Nieto, Mary Jimenez Treviño, Eva Trevino, Tevucia Jiméenez, Helen Treviño, Gabriel Treviño, Eusebio Treviño, Joe Gómez, Santos Vargas, Margaret Gómez, Margaret Nieto, Lusiano Nieto, Pauline Jiménez, RamónaVargas, Dominique Jiménez, Helen Jiménez, Josephine “Josie” Vargas, Lilly Vargas, Pedro Jiménez, Sr.

In November 1969 ground was broken by Bishop Harris for a building (the present Church) that would serve as a Church (for worship) as well as a Religious Education center. Its purpose went further, as it also provided a bedroom (present Cry Room) and a kitchen (present Church space on the right of the handicapped entrance) for the resident priest The cost was about $82,000.00. Rev. Schmidt and Rev. Rosendo Rafael rotated Sundays while the structure was completed. This building was dedicated to Christ the King in June 1970.

Rev Frederick Schmidt left for Mexico for missionary work in 1972 and Rev. Luis Dussan was a temporary replacement till he was recalled to Central America, when it was placed under the supervision of Rev. John Driscoll and Rev. Oliver Johnson from St. Luke's Parish in Temple.

Rev Oliver Johnson was appointed administrator of Christ the King Mission in the summer of 1972 and appointed the first Pastor when it was made a Parish in February 1973. He first lived in a trailer (where the present Rectory now stands), then purchased a house on 15th Avenue which was used as a Rectory till the present Rectory was built.

Under the able administration of Rev Oliver Johnson, the Parish grew and on a Sunday in April 1974 ground was broken for a separate Parish Hall. This 4800 square feet Parish Hall, containing five classrooms, a kitchen and a large room for Parish activities was built at a cost of about $ 51,000.00 and dedicated on July 14, 1974, leaving the original building structure strictly for worship. Before Rev. Oliver Johnson was transferred, he also renovated the Church.

These two structures (the Church and the Hall) have basically remained the same for the past 20 years. Different Pastors succeeding Rev. Oliver Johnson have left their mark in the Church and in the Hall with minor adjustments and modifications according to the needs of the Parish.

Rev Victor Goertz was appointed Pastor when Rev. Oliver Johnson was transferred in 1979 to the new Parish of St. Catherine of Sienna in Austin. Rev. Victor Goertz did not remain long as he fell ill, and his cousin. Rev. Bernard Goertz came as a substitute for a short time.

Rev Vaughn Meiller was appointed Pastor in 1981 and tried to bring some stability to the Parish in the three years that he was here.

Rev. Donald Chatham followed Rev. Vaughn Meiller in 1983 and with his musical talent tried to solemnize the liturgy. With his support the hall was used for dances for the teen-agers. It was during Rev. Chatham's stay that the front lot (where we are now going to build the new Church) was bought.

Rev Msgr. Marion Atomanczyk was appointed Pastor in 1985, and being a good administrator tried to organize the Parish activities. It was Msgr. Atomancyzk that encouraged Oscar Valeriano to become a Deacon (although it was Rev. Charles Davis that sent him, and was finally ordained during the time of Rev. John Boiko).

Rev, Charles Davis was Pastor from 1987 to 1989, during which time the present Rectory was built, the stained glass windows erected in the Church and the roof of the Church redone. Rev. Davis moved to the new Rectory when it was completed in March 1988.

Rev. John Boiko was appointed Pastor in 1989 when Fr. Charles Davis was transferred to St. Mary's in Temple and remained here till December 1991. Oscar Valeriano was ordained a Deacon for Christ the King Parish on June 9, 1991. In January 1992, Rev. Hilano Guajardo came to this Parish for nearly three months, before Rev. Rocky I. Vaz began coming for the weekends from Austin from March 1992.

Rev Rocky I, Vaz, S.J., was appointed Pastor on May 10, 1992 and served until 1998. He was the Pastor as Christ the King celebrated its Silver Jubilee (1969-1994). During that Jubilee Year (1994) the new Parish and Sanctuary Sign at the corner of Main and 24th was erected, the Religious Education Building and the renovation of the Hall was completed. Father Rocky was the instrument behind the building of the Present Religious Education Building and the New Sanctuary on the Feast of Christ the King, November 20, 1994. The final construction of the New Sanctuary was completed and dedicated by Bishop John McCarthy, Bishop of Austin, in July 1998 and shortly thereafter, Fr. Rocky left the Austin Diocese to return back to his native country and Calcutta to work with the poor! One thing that did not go with the new Sanctuary was the Confessional Room which remained in the older Sanctuary.

Rev. Harry Dean was appointed Pastor in 1998 and served until 2000. Just prior to Father Harry's departure, the Knights of Columbus performed the refurbisment of the early sanctuary and turned it onto a Day Chapel, the Pastor's office and several other rooms, and a large conference room.