Our Lady Of Guadalupe: Keeping History Intact

Article featured in The Monitor newspaper on February 11, 2013 regarding Mata-Garcia Architects renovation of Our Lady Of Guadalupe Catholic Church project. Photos and renderings by MGa.

MISSION – Drivers heading down Mission’s main drag in the last few weeks may have missed a familiar landmark looming above.

Workers took down the dome that adorns the top of one the area’s oldest churches near Conway Avenue as a part of the more than $2.5 million project to repair and expand the 86-year-old Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Crews removed the three ton dome with a large crane as students from the church’s Catholic school watched in awe about two weeks ago, said Father Roy Snipes, the pastor of the congregation.

The old wooden dome had termites, dry rot and other structural issues that could have caused it to collapse during strong winds, Snipes said. Without a reason to examine it, church leaders had no idea the dome was in such bad shape.

“It’s a real blessing (we decided to expand),” Snipes said. “There were a lot of things in the church that needed repair we didn't know about.”

The decision to expand came about after the ornate brick church with many stained glass windows could not support the growing population. The parish currently hosts eight weekend masses with between 500 to 600 people attending each one.

“We have a lot of new parishioners, from the old timers to the new ones,” said church member Arturo Guerra, who was baptized in the church when it first opened and has been a faithful member since. “At one time I used to know everybody, now I don’t know most of them. They’re all new.”

With the expansion the church will be about double the size and able to accommodate up to 1,000 people while keeping many of the same features.

The first Our Lady of Guadalupe was built in 1899 as a daughter church to the La Lomita mission, Snipes said. The wooden Our Lady of Guadalupe burnt down and the brick one was built. The famous black and white Calvary of Christ picture featuring priests belonging to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate on horseback was taken in 1911 on the Our Lady of Guadalupe lot.

“It’s just been a different process to try to marry a new building to a historic building,” said George Noser, the owner of Noser Construction, which is completing the project.

The process involved researching to find the exact same tile to be laid on the new floors, finding very similar brick, expanding the altar and adding stained glass windows that depict the beginnings of the Catholic Church in Texas. It also means replacing the wooden dome with one made of durable fiberglass. The church will have new restrooms, replacing the one toilet that was only added about 20 years ago.

Snipes said the architect visited Austin to get recommendations from the Texas Historical Commission on how to add on to the church and keep its historical integrity intact.

In the end, the small details that keep the church the same and the big repairs have added up. Initially the congregation planned to spend about $2 million, which is what had been saved up, but then they had to borrow additional money from the Diocese of Brownsville.

“I think everyone is going to be real happy and we’re going to be real broke,” said Snipes as he toured the construction site with Noser and two of his many rescued dogs.

The goal is to be finished by Mother’s Day, about a year after the project began, but Snipes said he would be happy with Father’s Day or even later in the summer as well. He noted that some brides are eager for the project to finish so they can have weddings in the church.

Our Lady of Guadalupe has seen “hundreds and thousands of baptisms and weddings” and Snipes wants to keep those traditions alive for many years to come.  

“The ideal is when you drive up and walk in you will see what you always saw, it will just be roomier,” Snipes said.

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Gail Burkhardt covers Mission, western Hidalgo County, Starr County and general assignments for The Monitor .