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| A welcome banner marking the 100th Anniversary of the parish. |
The Diocese of Fort Worth encompasses 25,000 square miles and 28 counties. Part of the challenge of pastoral life here is working to create a sense of diocesan life and a spirituality of communion between the rural and urban areas of the diocese.
As an example of the size of the diocese, when one heads west, one can literally go about 125 miles and still be within the boundaries of the Diocese of Fort Worth. And when one travels that far, he/she would be closer to the cities of the Diocese of San Angelo, rather than Fort Worth. This area, geographically, is the beginning of West Texas, with rolling hills and mesas. The economy is sustained by oil, natural gas, ranches, and crops like pecans, peanuts, and cotton.
Serving the life of the diocese in a part of this area are the four parishes of Strawn (St. John), Ranger (St. Rita), Cisco (Holy Rosary), and Eastland (St. Francis Xavier). These four parishes, and the pastoral care of the Catholics in these counties, are overseen by the capable and caring leadership of Deacon Ruben Casteñeda. Deacon Ruben is assisted by Fr. Jonathon Wallis, who travels from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Fort Worth each weekend to celebrate Mass, hear Confessions, and assist with the sacramental ministry of the parishes. Fr. Wallis is now our Diocesan Director of Catechesis. He travels more than 200 miles each weekend in this capacity.
These parishes are very much alive, active, and have been established many years. In rural areas, the presence of the Catholic Church is ever more critical, in some ways, than in urban areas.
Rural parish life was celebrated in a special way on Saturday, September 1, when we celebrated the 100th anniversary of St. John’s Parish in Stawn. There was a capacity crowd of current and former priests and parishioners. Fr. Kyle Walterscheid joined the parish earlier in the day, and Fr. Jonathon Wallis, Fr. Jim Miller, Msgr. Joe Scantlin, Fr. John Sostrich, and I were present for the Saturday, 5:00 PM evening Mass, along with Deacon Ruben and his wife Jesse.
There has been much history written in the 100 years since St. John’s was established as part of the then huge Diocese of Dallas, but the life of the Body of Christ in this parish has lasted and endured and still continues! Ad multos annos glorisque annos to St. John’s and its parishioners!
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| The capacity crowd in attendance for the Mass. |
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| A photo of the original interior of the church. |
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| The scenery around Strawn, Texas. |