The Bishops of Corpus Christi

Growth of the congregation and fire damage to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, only two months after Bishop Garriga’s reception into the Diocese, necessitated the construction of a new cathedral. John Kenedy, son of Captain Mifflin Kenedy, donated land for the site of the new church. Pope Pius XII made it known to Bishop Ledvina that he preferred the name “Corpus Christi” for the new church, so the name “St. Patrick’s” was changed at the time of the dedication of the new
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The cornerstone was laid on March 1, 1940, and the Cathedral was dedicated on July 17 of the same year. Designed by architect Charles Monot, the Cathedral was done in a Spanish Colonial Revival style. Monot considered it to be his finest work. Later, he replicated the plan in a church in Oklahoma City, fittingly named Corpus Christi Church.

The building of the new Cathedral was financed with many gifts. There were large gifts made by the wealthy. Thousands of small gifts came in from school children, working people, and housewives. Catholics from the surrounding area churches donated to the project. Additional gifts came in the form of cash donations made to purchase the fine art pieces we see today: The Stations of the Cross, altars, marble baptistery, tabernacles, statues, and stained glass windows

Because of failing health, Msgr. Lannon requested a leave of absence in 1947, and Msgr. John F. Basso, who served as secretary to Bishop Ledvina, ministered as pastor of the Cathedral from 1948 to 1953. Upon the retirement of Bishop Ledvina in 1949, Bishop Garriga assumed full episcopal responsibilities in elaborate ceremonies in the Cathedral. It was not until September 19, 1952, after the church building was paid for and the new stained glass windows and art work were installed, that Bishop Garriga presided over services for the consecration of Corpus Christi Cathedral. In the same year the City of Corpus Christi celebrated the centennial of its incorporation.

Because a cathedral parish has as its church the spiritual center for many others, parishioners are called to additional duties during diocesan events. Cathedral parishioners enthusiastically participated in this event, as they had done in the preceding years at diocesan functions. Graciously they welcomed others to the new Cathedral, which was to serve as the diocesan home for Catholics of a large area of South Texas. Adults sang in the choir and ushered, and youngsters served as altar boys. Behind the scenes, ladies of the Altar Society and Catholic Daughters tended to their duties, and men from the Knights of Columbus worked to do their part.

Shortly after the consecration of the Cathedral and the city’s centennial celebration event, Msgr. Albert H. Schmitt took up the duties of pastor of the Cathedral in 1953 as the parish that originally had been St Patrick’s parish celebrated the centennial of its establishment in 1853 and a “century of sacrifice.”

As a part of the centennial celebration, Sr. Mary Xavier Holworthy, I. W. B. S., published her history of Cathedral Parish: A Century of Sacrifice – A History of Cathedral Parish 1853-1953. This work, which began as her master’s thesis at St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, in 1939, has become the foundation for much of the published material on the Diocese and the Cathedral, in particular. While working on her thesis she said, “I became so fascinated with the life and work of the early missionaries in Southwest Texas that I resolved to continue.” That she did. Sr. Xavier spent countless hours pouring over archival records in various places and interviewing many parishioners in the course of adapting her thesis into a short book. Her second book, Diamonds for the King (1945), is the story of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in Texas, 1852-1945. In 1948 she produced Father Jaillet: Saddlebag Priest of the Nueces. It was used in a recent editorial in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times to reflect on challenges facing the city of Corpus Christi today. In 1996, at the request of the San Diego, Texas, Historical Society, the book was reprinted and is currently recommended reading for seminarians in the Diocese of Corpus Christi. A convert, Sr. Xavier was born Mercedes Claire Holworthy in 1890 in Denver, the daughter of a well known and highly respected Episcopalian minister, Rev. Alfred J. Holworthy. After arriving in Corpus Christi, he enrolled her at Incarnate Word Academy in order to secure the best education possible for his daughter. Though quite rebellious at first, she was eventually won over by the Sisters. As a youngster of 12, Mercedes decided to become a Catholic, but her Oxford-educated father would not hear of such a thing. Determined to become Catholic, she studied her catechism for over a year and was secretly baptized by Fr. Jaillet in 1903. She reported in a biographical sketch that when her parents were finally told of her conversion, her mother said, “There is no use crying over spilt milk; if you are going to be a Catholic, for God's sake be a good one; a good Catholic is a saint, but a bad Catholic is the devil himself."
Mercedes was received into the convent of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in 1909 and made her final vows in 1910. Her early years were devoted to teaching music and the elementary grades. After receiving her M. A. in history, she began a long teaching career in which she taught religion, history and what was then called secretarial training - typing and office procedures - to hundreds of Corpus Christi students. She also served as diocesan archivist, being the first person to hold the position.

Death claimed Bishop Garriga in February of 1965, and he was entombed in the crypt chapel of the Cathedral where the remains of his predecessor already rested in peace. With his passing, the southern four counties of the Diocese of Corpus Christi were split off to form the new Diocese of Brownsville; and the former auxiliary bishop of Corpus Christi, Adolph Marx, was appointed the first bishop of the new diocese.

On September 1, 1965, Corpus Christi Cathedral and the larger community greeted the new bishop of the Diocese, Most Reverend Thomas J. Drury. As the reforms of the Second Vatican Council were promulgated, Bishop Drury began renovation projects on the Cathedral in order to comply with the new liturgy. During the administration of Bishop Drury, parishioner Hannah Haegelin was asked to help compile and display the rich history of the Cathedral and its parish. The purpose was to help educate the parish and diocesan community concerning its heritage. She and Sr. Genevieve Palmer, diocesan archivist, began to compile and organize the historical record of the church using much of Sr. Xavier’s writings and adding relevant material to update the story. From this, Hannah developed a presentation for visitors touring the Cathedral. For the next 29 years, this dedicated volunteer showed hundreds, if not thousands, of people through the church, explaining the various elements as they walked through. For a number of years she also maintained a museum in an upstairs room above the sanctuary. Many people, including children, were able to see and hear explanations of various liturgical objects, thereby increasing their understanding of the significance of each piece. The many children of the diocese who toured the Cathedral affectionately knew her as “Miss Hannah.” The hundreds of thank you letters she received from them were among her favorite possessions. Her generous gift of time, energy and knowledge were sorely missed when she died unexpectedly in 2001.

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