In my last post, I introduced you to the Painted Churches of Schulenburg, Texas, specifically St. Mary's Catholic Church in Praha. For Part 2 in the series, we're moving on to the community of Dubina.
Settled in 1856 by several Czech-Moravian families, Dubina took its present name from the oak groves found there, the Czech word for "oak tree" being "dub." Initially, Catholic masses were offered in a log cabin, until the first church was built in 1877. That structure was destroyed by a hurricane in July, 1909.
The present Church, Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church, was built in 1912. The church underwent modernization in 1952, and the original decorative frescoes and stenciling were whitewashed over. This top paint was removed in the 1980's, and parishioners stenciled around the designs and commissioned a professional to paint blue and beige backgrounds and preserve the original art.
Note that the wooden columns are painted to look like marble. That's another characteristic of the Painted Churches.
Stations of the Cross IV, V and VI
Besides the breathtaking painting, this church boasts some beautiful, detailed carvings depicting the Stations of the Cross. There are fourteen stations, each depicting one of the events of Jesus Christ's crucifixion and death. In the image above, we see, right to left, Station IV - Jesus meets His Mother, Station V - Simon of Cyrene is enlisted to help our Lord carry His cross, and Station VI - Veronica wipes blood and sweat from our Lord's face, leaving His image on her towel.
Above: Image of The Infant Jesus of Prague
I hope that you enjoyed this second installation in my series about Schulenburg's Painted Churches. Hopefully in the near future, I'll share history and images of the other two open churches. Until then, pray, and go to church!
*Note: Post edited 12/23/2023. First image was of another church (Ammannsville)