Although it may look like your average turn of the century church from the outside, when you step inside the Guardian Angel Catholic Church in Wallis Texas you can see why each year in October the Parishioners of the church celebrate it with the annual church bazaar.   The bazaar has something for everyone.  Barbecue, games, raffle, and auctions all set to the tune of live bands set the mood for fun.

The pavilion was filled with kids and adults playing games ranging from the win a plant game to the ring toss there was something for everyone.  Festival chairs, David and Erin Kulhanek, explained just how they begin to get ready for the bazaar. David has been working at the bazaar for the last thirty-five years.  He and his wife Erin met eleven years ago while working on the planning committee together.

“We start planning in June,” said Erin, “we meet once a month for the first few months then as the bazaar gets closer we meet once a week.”

The raffle that is held along with the bazaar is a big deal as well.  “This year we had some really great prizes.  The parishioners all donated for the raffle.  This year the raffle had $32,000 in prizes,” said David.

Austin County Buy And Sell Facebook Business Directory SEOParishioners of the Guardian Angel Catholic Church all worked together starting the Friday before the bazaar.  Then beginning just after church people were able to come enjoy a fine meal of barbecue sausage, beef, and chicken along with the bazaars famous dressing, potatoes and green beans.  Then for the remainder of the day bazaar goers were able to play games and enjoy the fellowship of small town America.

The bazaar is all done for one reason that is to help support one of America’s hidden treasures.  The Guardian Angel Catholic Church is listed on the national Registery of Historic Places, with a historical marker dedicated in 1996.

The church standing today is the third built by its parishioners.  The congregation first organized in 1892, holding services in the Krasna School building, a 42 by 80 foot structure located on four acres donated by a parishioner.  The first sanctuary building was erected closer to the Wallis railway in 1899.  During the 1900 storm a tornado destroyed the church.

With $1,000 still owed on the structure, and their renowned trust in the Lord, construction was again started on a second sanctuary which was completed in 1904.  By 1912, with the parish grew to some 75 families, plans for the present church were begun.

One of the last Painted Churches built in Texas, construction started on June 3, 1913 with the blessing of the cornerstone, and was completed two years later on October 21, 1915.  It is believed to be one of the oldest and largest solid wood structures of its type in Texas.  Despite hard times of illnesses, crop failures, tornadoes, heavy rains and storms, some $10,000 was raised towards a building project by its 75 family congregation.  This church, in Gothic Style, was designed by architect Leo Dielman of San Antonio and was built by Jan Bujnoch of Wallis with the help of parishioners who volunteered their carpenter skills.  The interior is newly painted artistically while keeping the ornate altars as close as possible to the original design, white with gold etchings.  The leaded, stained glass windows were created in Italy.  There are three brass bells in the tower which are gracefully named.  The land, stained glass windows, altars, bells, and statues were all donated by the parishioners in memory of their loved ones.