04/19/2025
Nothing is Bringing Down Holy Rosary’s Roof — Except Maybe the Music
By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
“Early in the afternoon, when the wind increased in velocity and the waters began to rise, the sisters opened the convent doors to panic-stricken refugees. Every man woman and child that was brought into the convent or swept in by the storm was given shelter and assistance. The sisters went through the large group of suffering, imparting words of comfort and asking them to trust in the goodness of God. The building twisted around, and all thought the end was near and began to prepare for death. Father Keller and Father Michael Heintzelmann, who were there that night of nights heard confessions and granted final absolution," wrote the Rev. Joseph Waters in a collection of commemorative documents titled "A Centennial History of Holy Rosary Parish."
Continuing his account of what happened at the Holy Rosary convent in Galveston the night of the 1900 storm, he wrote, "But the sturdy structure remined intact and did not suffer the fate of similar buildings which crumpled down upon their unfortunate inhabitants. At about eleven o’clock, with the waters rising to the second story, the wind changed and the dreadful battle against the elements was won for the occupants of Holy Rosary Convent. He recorded the words of the Rev. Keller: ''We are saved; the wind has gone north.'
Waters added that the proclamation by Keller was "like a heaven-sent benediction to those sorely tire people as they cried out with one voice, 'Thanks be to our dear Lord, we are saved,”
The convent, school and church named Holy Rosary survived the Great Storm. The church was badly damaged, and the rectory was tipped over and would have floated out into the bay had it not been held back by the church, Waters reported.
“Many homeless people both white and black remained at the convent for six weeks. Father Keller and the sisters made every effort to make them comfortable. When supplies at the convent ran out, food was provided by a welfare committee,” Father Waters wrote.
Repairs were made to the church and convent and Mass resumed in the building on 25th Street and Avenue I. At the time of the storm, the wooden church building was not even ten years old. Construction on the church began in 1891 and the building had been blessed on October 1, 1893.
It was in 1914 that the church and all the original buildings of the parish were moved to the church’s current location on Avenue N between 30th and 31st Streets. Galveston City Hall now stands where Holy Rosary Parish once stood.
Holy Rosary Parish continued to flourish in its new location, but the church building did get battered by several more Galveston storms, and by 1947, the pastor at the time, the Rev. Finnegan, recognized the building was in bad shape.
“The 60-year-old building could hardly take another hurricane,” Finnegan wrote.
He noted that the ravaging storms and the weathering of time had created the necessity of tie rods across the interior of the church to hold the church together.
He began planning for a new church, and the ground was broken for the construction of one by Bishop Christopher Byrne on October 17, 1949. The bishop set the date of dedication for April 16, 1950.
Unfortunately, he died two weeks before the date. However, the new church was dedicated as planned on April 16, 1950 by the new bishop, the Most Rev. Wendelin J. Nold.
Then came the building of a new convent, a new school, and finally, a new rectory. A fire broke out in the church in 1974, and the building was closed for a while. It was repaired and services resumed.
As times changed, the number of students enrolled at the school began to dwindle. On May 28, 1979, Holy Rosary School closed its doors. In 1981 the school was repurposed as the early childhood center, and the convent was converted to a woman’s crisis center.
Both the school and the convent are gone now, but the church still stands and inside the church are the people who make up the community of Holy Rosary Church.
Thomasine Allen is a longtime member of the community at Holy Rosary. Her parents were Baptist and valued a good education for their children, so they sent her to Holy Rosary School.
She recalls the dedication and commitment of the nuns from her school years.
“Oh, I loved the nuns," Allen said. "We had Holy Family Sisters, and they were very strict. To this day, I can remember Sister jewels who insisted we learn all the prepositions in our English book. And every afternoon we had to go to the board and diagram sentences. They instilled in you education and doing your very best.”
At age 10, Thomasine converted to Catholicism, and Holy Rosary has been part of her life ever since.
Dr. James and Chreyll Murray have been lifelong parishioners, and they enjoy the spirit of family and of worship at Holy Rosary.
While Beverly Olasimbo grew up in Holy Rosary, she moved to Houston and is just now returning to her childhood church as a lector. She reported she was a bit nervous on her first day of reading at her childhood church, though she had been a lector in a Houston parish for many years.
Leslie Borsellino wasn’t raised Catholic, but her husband was, and she came along with him to Mass at Holy Rosary for several decades.
“We just love it at Holy Rosary," she said. “It just seems like we are at home. It’s very friendly and very comfortable,”
Borsellino credits some of their love for Holy Rosary with the music provided by John Cooks. She converted to Catholicism three years ago.
Robbie and Matt Chiara have been attending Holy Rosary since Labor Day weekend of 2014. They were in Galveston on a Sunday helping friends and they wanted to go to an early Mass. They have been attending Holy Rosary ever since even though it means they drive a ways coming in from their home in Hitchcock.
“It was like a warm friendly feeling we experienced when we first walked up to Holy Rosary," Robbie Chiara said. "There were Larnell and Steve greeting people outside and John inside playing the piano. We love the style of worship. We feel uplifted and happier after we have been to church at Holy Rosary."
Matt coordinates the Eucharistic ministry for Holy Rosary.
Music that reaches the people has been a key part of Holy Rosary's history as documented by Father Waters.
“Music has always been a part of life at Holy Rosary. Holy Rosary band organized by Mr. Royal Payne in 1933 made a big splash on Galveston’s musical scene for a number of years," Waters wrote. "For some time previous, Mr. Payne had gathered around him and instructed a number of youths who were musically inclined. The band quickly achieved a fine reputation. Garbed in their neat blue and white uniforms, the members of the band made an impressive appearance as they gave concerts and took part in parades in Galveston and other cities in the area.”
In his account of the church history Father Waters also lists the many other musicians who graced the church community with their talents.
One parishioner remembers when the church had its own drill team that performed for public events outside of the church.
Friends of mine report they attend Holy Rosary because it reminds them of their childhoods in Louisiana. There's lots of spirit during the musical worship they shared with me.
Music of happiness and celebration began my connection to Holy Rosary church in December 2014 during my first Christmas in Galveston.
My daughter had come back from Mass at Holy Rosary singing a catchy tune in her sweet voice, and soon my other three children and I were singing along. I've since learned that the hymn was "Soon and Very Soon" and was composed by Andraé Crouch.
Yes, the music of Holy Rosary church sets a different tone than what you'll find in many Catholic churches, but the people who come together to worship make the church sing with their joy as they participate in the Mass.
This story is the third installment in a series about Holy Rosary Church in Galveston. There will be at least one more installment in the series.
Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from The Post Newspaper. Your Community News, Newspaper, P. O. Box 1686, Texas City, TX.
