Casa de Dios

Second Presbyterian Church

By Colleen Claybourn
1985

In 1912 a mission was established for Spanish-speaking residents. Maria de los Santos donated land and a house was purchased for $41. Others interested in seeing that a mission was established donated time and money. In 1914 it was reported that the mission was progressing well and several persons had been converted. In 1919 W. H. Clement, Sr., began attending services. The Sunday School was reorganized in 1920.

Rev. Walter S. Scott, superintendent of Presbyterian missions in Texas, was invited to help conduct special services. Mattie Clement taught Sunday School.

In 1920 the property, mission, and documents were transferred to the Presbytery of Mexico-Texas and became a Presbyterian mission.

The mission suffered from two hurricanes, and repairs were made by the First Presbyterian Church in Palacios. Presbytery of Mexico-Texas had no funds to pay the insurance or to make repairs on the property, so First Church was asked to take charge of the mission and documents were drawn transferring the mission to First Church. [Credit: Excerpt from USGenWebsites]

Casa de Dios

By Dr. Bonnie Marie Benson

 A good newspaper and Bible in every home, a good schoolhouse in every district, and a church in every neighborhood; all appreciated as they deserved, are the chief support of virtue, morality, civil liberty, and religion.          Benjamin Franklin

While the history of religion in Matagorda County dates back to the Republic of Texas, it was the coming of the railroads in the early 1900s that spurred the development of many new towns and communities along the Texas coast. Most of the churches in Palacios date back to the early 1900s.

Casa de Dios is but one example of how some churches and ministries were formed along the Texas coast in the late 1800 and early 1900s.

It began as a mission for Spanish speaking people founded by the First Methodist Church of Palacios in 1912. According to a report written by Rev. Campbell, the pastor of the First Methodist Church of Palacios “$41 was used to buy a house for the mission. Maria de los Santos kindly donated the land for said mission. At the same time many persons who were interesting in seeing a mission established contributed their time and money for this project.” By 1914 the mission was progressing well. [Credit: Excerpt from USGenWebsites]