St. Joseph - Crowell

About 30 miles southwest of Vernon is the Church of St. Joseph in Crowell, Texas, the County seat of Foard County. This mission parish has been attended by the parish priest of Holy Family Church in Vernon since 1928.

In 1910, Father Paul Mosler. OMI, pastor of Seymour, began to visit Crowell twice a month to offer Mass. The Catholic families at that time numbered only four: the O’Connell, the Schindler, the Pechacek and the Halencak families.

In 1915, the small congregation purchased a small frame building for $250, which was used for a church until 1940, under the pastorate of Fr. Szapka, began a fund raising campaign and a grant from the church. With the $800 netted from this campaign and the grant from the Extension Society of $2000, the land for the present church was purchased and construction was begin. The new church was completed and blessed by Bishop Augustine Danglemayer, Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas. On June 14 1043. In 1980, under the pastorate of Fr. John Michael Vega, the church was completely renovated, but, unfortunately, shortly afterwards, on April 21, 1980, the church caught fire and the roof and the interior suffered extensive damage.

With the settlement with the insurance company and the donation of $3000 from Msgr. Wiewell and the people of St. Patrick Cathedral in Fort Worth, the church was again renovated, and a small building was purchased for the use as a Parish Hall.

Due to severe economic conditions, many families have now moved out of Crowell. Since the number of families in the church is about 20, there were speculations that the parish will be closed down but with the help of the Fort Worth Diocese and under the leadership of the various priests who have been assigned her over the years the doors of the church are still open serving the spiritual and pastoral needs of God’s people.