The Painted Churches of Texas

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A road trip to Schulenburg, Texas is well worth your time! For over one hundred years, the Painted Churches of Texas have blessed visitors with their stunning colors and beauty, old world architecture and they offer a peaceful abode for prayer and contemplation.

The town of Schulenburg is found on the eastern border of Texas Hill Country: east of Austin area and west of Houston, and it is the central region for this road trip. This area can boast of at least 7 of the 20 Painted churches of Texas, with another 2 or 3 a bit further away but worth the detour.

They are all easy driving distances from one to the other and can easily be seen in a day if you start in the morning. But there is SO much else to do and see in this quaint part of Texas, that you may want to split it up into 2 days.

The 7 churches in this area to visit are:

1. Saint Cyril and Methodius Church in Dubina, TX
2. Saint John the Baptist in Ammansville, TX
3. Saint Mary’s Church in High Hill, TX
4. The Assumption of Mary Church in Praha, TX
5. The Ascension of Our Lord Church in Moravia, TX
6. Saint Mary’s in Hallettsville, TX
7. Saints Cyril and Methodius in Shiner, TX

These 2 churches are a bit further but worth the drive:

1. Church of the Guardian Angel in Wallis, TX in the direction of Houston
2. The Nativity of Mary in Plantersville, TX by driving North, through Round Top and Brenham: Full of quaint and quirky distractions you may want to leave another day for!

Further out towards the west of the state, you will find many of the other painted beauties nearer to San Antonio. But for now, let’s visit these around Schulensburg and in doing so I’ll share some of the history I found out about them along the way!

All these painted Churches were originally built and lovingly decorated by immigrants from Europe: an amazing tribute to their talent and also their faith. Today’s parishioners are very proud of their heritage and many have worked in the painstaking process to restore them.

The port of Galveston was known as the Ellis Island of the South because of the influx of European immigrants who came by ship to this area. German, Czech, Polish and Ukrainian settlers all headed into the rolling hill country of Texas in the late 1800s and continued through the first half of the 1900s. This was no easy feat at the time, and could take them several months to move from Galveston up to the interior settlements. These buildings helped them keep alive their culture and their memories of their towns back home. In fact, many of the towns in this area you will notice come from names of European towns and areas: Praha (Prague), Fredericksburg, Schulenburg, Panna Maria, Moravia…

The first two on the list are within minutes of each other. Walking up to the outside of these churches, you have no idea of the surprise and awe that awaits you the minute you open the door! The exteriors are small, unassuming wooden structures. But the height and columns of the interior and the stunning colors give you the impression of being in a much bigger European counterpart.

Believe it or not, Saints Cyril and Methodius have TWO churches named after them in this cluster of churches! These Catholic Saints were brothers born in Thessalonica who later became apostles to the Slavs, sent as missionaries to the area which is the modern day Czech Republic. This is the smaller Saint Cyril and Methodius church, a wooden one built in 1876 by the Czech community in Dubina (means oak grove in Czech) and rebuilt after 1912 when the first was destroyed by a hurricane.

Saint John the Baptist, up the road from it, is even smaller on the outside but Oohhh what a beauty! It is named the Pink Church. It is one of the only painted church that is not an active parish, so it is only open certain days and times. You can check with the Chamber of Commerce in Schulenburg for opening hours and days. If you want a map or even a tour of these churches, they also provide this!

I am too spontaneous to wait the 2 weeks they want to book a tour, so we went on our own. Although we went on Sunday, I wouldn’t suggest that unless you, too, are a Catholic and want to participate in mass and other Sunday events that take place. Visitors are asked to come on other days, and Saint John the Baptist is not open on Sunday. (I was sad to miss it! So we are already planning another road trip, but more on that later!)

From the parking lot of St Cyril and Methodius is a large, funny sign that reads: “Weak Bridge ahead! No Turn around” Unless you’re driving a HUGE dooley truck like we are, I’d suggest you GO that way! Really, go ahead! You’ll be crossing a trussle bridge constructed in 1885 and named the Piano Bridge: after the twanging sound it makes when you are crossing it. In addition to being one of the last and oldest bridges of its kind, it’s also a short cut to #3! Saint Mary’s: The Queen of the Painted Churches.

This brick beauty replaced the church that was originally built here in 1869. The one that is standing before us today was built in 1906 and is on the National Registry of Historical Places. This one honors the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and is absolutely stunning.

From there, it’s an easy drive to Praha, TX for #4! Knowing where these settlers came from in Prague, Texas doesn’t come anywhere close to that impressive city, brimming over with magnificent architecture, statues, churches, art, culture from thousands of years of history… but I am sure this church was a small consolation for them when they missed their homeland, and their beloved city of Prague.

Beautiful in all it’s details! Outside, on each side of the church is a small shrine erected for the NINE young men lost in World War 2 from this small town of Praha. In percentage, they have suffered a higher loss than any other town in the US. Each shrine holds the pictures of 3 of the 9 young men and where they died. Please take a moment to go in and honor their memories for their sacrifices for not only their European homeland, but for their adopted homeland as well.

The next 3 churches listed are all reached by driving south to Moravia, Hallettsville and Shiner. We personally have not seen them yet! I know, I know, I SAY you can easily drive from one to the next in one day, but truth be told, there is a lot to do in this quaint area of Texas! Such as driving NORTH instead of south through Round Top and Brenham to Plantersville…. OR driving WEST to Wallis, Texas!….

So… I have already planned a stay right in Schulenburg to finish visiting these churches in more detail, and also… well, why not take advantage of the giant waterpark in Schulenburg called Splashway Waterpark!? LOL.

We happen to travel fulltime in a fifth wheel travel trailer, so it helps that there’s a campground attached to the water park!

Now let’s talk about the reason we didn’t finish our sight seeing in a day….! What happened?!… Quaint, and quirky western towns happened, that’s what!

The town of Round Top: you could spend ALL day there going from one artsy antique shop to another, only interrupted by visits to fun cafe’s and restaurants. Seriously, do you want to pick up some Texas Treasure while you’re here? Cowhide, the longhorns for your truck, maybe some original lawn art? Along with the antiques, I’ve never seen a bigger collection of zany Texas Must-haves!

The town of Brenham: home of Bluebell Ice Cream, and well… where a fabulous factory tour is in order, as well as a stroll around this cute, western town filled with good smelling coffee, artsy boutiques and building-size murals around every corner. (Plus you can walk off the calories from the Scoop Shop after the tour!) Also here: GREAT food, and a beautiful bed and breakfast in one of the downtown historical buildings, The Ant Street Inn, a couple breweries and even a theater!

Just a little further up that northerly direction gets you to Plantersville and another Painted Church: The Nativity of Mary. As this is the Lenten Season and the beginning of Holy Week on Palm sunday, you can see that all the statues have been veiled until Easter, which just shows us that most of these Painted Churches are active parishes.

And although it isn’t technically a painted church, just a few miles away is the rustic Saint Joseph Church in Stoneham which was built as a mission church for the Polish community in 1909.

But if instead you are leaving in the direction of Houston, you can pass by the Church of the Guardian Angel in Wallis, TX, a bit off interstate 10. It’s a gorgeous building originally built in 1899 and replaced after a cyclone in 1904.

I am looking forward to visiting more of these beautiful testimonies that these very vibrant immigrants have left us in the heart of Texas!

Near San Antonio we can find another cluster of them, although much more spread out. I’ll talk about these soon in another post! As well as the 5 missions and 2 cathedrals we will be visiting in San Antonio. Stay tuned!…. as we wander about Texas for the next few months…