Family best describes Holy Family Parish in Taft

Father Dennis P. Zerr, administrator at Holy Family Parish in Taft, describes his church as a small town parish with all that involves. Everybody knows each other. It’s intimate. It’s family oriented.

“You’re sitting next to someone you know or who knows your father,” Father Zerr said.

It is not unusual, especially during Christmas and Easter, for extended families to take up several rows of pews. It is just the type of parish that suits Father Zerr who grew up in Hondo, a small farm and ranch community in the Archdiocese of San Antonio very much like Taft.

The Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company, one of the largest cattle ranches in Texas that spread into four counties, founded the town of Taft in 1909. The old watering place with shipping pens for cattle changed its name from Mesquital to Taft. There were some 150 Mexican families serving the ranch as grubbing crews that cleared the land. At that time “saddlebag” priests came around to celebrate Mass at private family homes.

By 1911, Taft Catholics could attend Mass at St. Gregory in nearby Gregory. By 1914 the Coleman-Fulton Pasture Company donated land to build a church to serve the families working for them in the Taft area. The Catholic Extension Society provided $500 for building the church and August Keliman went around the surrounding countryside raising $670 from Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

On November 1914, Bishop Paul Nussbaum, CP came from Corpus Christi and brought with him the Cathedral Choir to dedicate the new 300-seat chapel with a high Mass. In addition to pastor Father Michael Puig, Bishop Nussbaum brought with him a number of priests, including two Mexican Passionists who held mission before the dedication. After blessing the chapel, Bishop Nussbaum also spoke to those gathered in Spanish.

The next year, Bishop Nussbaum provided Father Puig—who served an extensive area—with help by relieving him of the Sinton and Taft chapels. Father Puig informed the bishop that Leandro Flores had the keys to the Taft church since he took care of the chapel.

Thirteen years later, Bishop Emmanuel Ledvina established a second church in Taft. Immaculate Conception became a parish in 1928. For many years, the same priest served as pastor at Immaculate Conception and Holy Family. Thirty years, after the founding of Immaculate Conception, Holy Family became an independent parish.

Father William Kelly was the first resident pastor for the new parish. He soon set out to build a new church. Five years later, on Feb. 5, 1961, Bishop Mariano Garriga came to dedicate the new sanctuary. Much like the 1914 dedication of the first chapel, the faithful had to put up with inclement weather as sleet and rain failed to mar the faithful’s excitement.

Much like parishioners in the early years who built the rectory across the street from the church, today’s parishioners at Holy Family take on much of what needs to get done. “Everything in church is made by parishioners,” Father Zerr said. “They are familiar with all the statutes and icons in the church. It’s their church.”

Father Zerr said the parish is not ordered so much on formal groups but rather on volunteers. It is volunteers who take care of the parish’s annual big fundraiser. The men cook the briskets, ladies prepare the side dishes and the youth coordinate the pick up of plates.

And volunteers are plentiful in the parish with 275 registered families with town folks and farm families. “It is growing, I baptized a lot of babies last year,” Father Zerr said.

Mark Montez, engages high school class in discussion at Holy Family religious education program. Alfredo E. Cardenas, South Texas Catholic

An encouraging group of volunteers help with the more than 100 young people in religious education classes. In addition to the many volunteers, Father Zerr has the help of Deacon William Boostrom.

“People come together and make things happen,” Father Zerr said.