Texas Gulf Coast Catholic (Corpus Christi, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 13, Ed. 1 Friday, August 18, 1978 Page: 4 of 6
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Page4
TEXAS GULF COAST CATHOi.ir
Friday, August 18, 1978
(Photo by Doc McGregor)
Kenedy family part of city’s
Old home moved
to make room
for Cathedral
by COLLEEN McHUGH
In early summer, 1519, a
Spanish explorer, Alonzo
Alvarez de Pineda, charted
the Texas Gulf Coast in his
search for a passage through
the American continent to
India.
Historians believe he
sighted the bay of Corpus
Christi and observing Spanish
custom, named it for the feast
day marking discovery.
In late summer 1952,
Bishop M.S. Garriga renamed
the cathedral of his diocese
Corpus Christi at the sug-
gestion of Pope Pius XII to
honor that same feast.
The Kenedy family of South
Texas contributed greatly to
the history of the bay area and
to the Catholic Diocese of
Corpus Christi.
This article deals with the
contributions of Captain
Mifflin Kenedy, his son John
G. Kenedy and the home that
eventually made room for the
“Cathedral on the Bluff.’’
In the late 19th century, the
Mifflin Kenedy home located
at Lipan and Broadway across
the street from the present
site of the Cathedral was a
showplace of modern day
conveniences.
Captain Kenedy had given
the home and his wife all the
luxuries of the day — gas
lights, hot and cold running
water. The basement was
brick and stone, the exterior
treated in three shades of olive
green, in interior finished in
highly polished woods —
walnut oak, mahogany,
cherry, pine and cypress.
The stairway had polished
mesquite wood trim, and the
Nov. 8, 1890, Caller newspaper
description pointed out that
“this may be something new
in finishings, in making
practical use of mesquite.”
Unfortunately, Mrs. Kenedy
lived only three weeks in the
house before her death in 1885.
Next door, on the site of the
Cathedral, David Hirsch,
founder of Corpus Christi
National Bank, owned a home
which Kenedy bought for his
son John, who added a floor
and added “tall and handsome
columns in front of the deep
gallery.”
This home of the Kenedy
son, John G., began the
Cathedral complez. The home
and the Alhambra Baza No. 78
honored recently with the
dedication of a plaque
remembers the contribu-
tions of the Kenedy family.
The John G. Kenedy home
first came to Church use when
the hurricane of 1919
destroyed Spohn Hospital on
North Beach. The Sisters of
Charity of Incarnate Word
used it as a temporary
hospital.
After Spohn Hospital opened
on Third Street, the John
Kenedy home became
“Cathedral Hall” and was
used as a meeting place for
various Church activities. In
1924 the Academy for girls and
St. Patrick’s school for boys
were consolidated into one
large, four year high school
there.
When the drive for funds to
build a new and larger
cathedral began in 1938, the
John G. Kenedy family gave
their Bluff property to the
Church.
At this time the Mifflin
Kenedy home was dismantled
or moved to the Kenedy ranch
at Sarita. Mifflin Kenedy had
died unexpectedly in 1895
following a heart attack, and
his daughter, Sarah
Josephine, and her husband
Dr. Arthur Spohn had been
occupying the home until this
point._
The John Kenedy home,
since then known as the
“Kenedy Home” was moved
across the street in 1939 to
make way for construction of
the Cathedral.
At this location and subse-
quent to the disorganization of
the U.S.O., the Kenedy Home
was used as a Catholic Youth
Center until 1952, when the
building was declared unsafe
for use.
The stately columns that
once graced the ‘‘deep
gallery” of the home, as well
as some of the lumber from
the interior, were used in the
building of Our Lady of the
Pillar Church in the Molina
addition of Corpus Christi.
As part of the Kenedy
Home, the iron work used in
its decor, adorns the
Alhambran plaque at the
corner of Lipan and Broadway
streets recalling a generous
family and the history of the
Cathedral.
Editor’s note: Sister Gene-
vieve Palmer, historian and
diocesan archivist, has been
untiring in her assistance in
researching information for
this newspaper and for count-
less other diocesan organiza-
tions. We wish to thank her
and her forerunner in dioce-
san research, Sister Mary
Xavier, I.W.B.S.
history
Old John G. Kenedy home asitwa u.i>. joved in 1939.
Sky Ranch
Teenage boys set
on right trail
RAPID CITY, S.D. (NC) —
Sky Ranch, a rehabilitation
center for teen-age boys in
Northwest South Dakota, has
a new $475,000 dormitory,
recently dedicated by Bishop
Harold J. Dimmerling of
Rapid City.
Sky Ranch was the idea of
the late Father Don Murray,
the “Flying Padre.’’ The
ranch almost failed when in
1960 he and six young wards
were about to be evicted from
their small piece of borrowed
land. Its flight came to the
attention of the United Slates
Liquor Industry, which
adopted it by setting up the
Sky Ranch Foundation to
provide financial help.
The National Licensed
Beverage Association, an
organization of tavern owners,
contributed $300,000 for the
new dormitory and actor
Chuck Conners, a member of
the Sky Ranch Foundation
Board of Directors, presided
over the dedication cere-
monies.
The addition to the new
dormitory increases the
ranch’s capacity to 80 boys,
making room for those now on
waiting lists where they have
been placed by courts and
other juvenile agencies.
Sky Ranch now consists of
3,000 acres, 120 head of cattle
and 30 horses. It is no dude
ranch. The boys work the
cattle, grow their own
vegetables, learn vocational
trades and go to school
through the 12th grade.
For those who live by the
Sky Ranch code, there are
rewards. When a boy reaches
the rank of Blue Angel he is
allowed to have a horse, learn
to fish, take driving lessons
and stay up past curfew on
weekends.
Most popular is what is
called “aviation therapy” —
drive
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The privilege of learning to
fly.
Father Dale Kutil, who
succeeded Father Murray
after his death in an airplane
crash in 1975, said, “Working
with animals helps the boys to
learir? to care for themselves
and .other people. Those who
earn the opportunity to fly
gain improved self-respect
and confidence. All of these
are important factors in over-
coming the bitter memories of
abuse, neglect and bad
environment that helped lead
these boys into trouble.”
So over 800 boys have
passed through Sky Ranch; 90
percent of them have been
successfully rehabilitated.
Sky Ranch rehabilitates
boys of all races and creeds,
from all over the United
States, by giving them what
Father Murray called
“Love”, discipline and
security, all in the proper
measures.
Pedaling Priest
Father Jerome Schaad, provincial treasurer for the Sacred
Heart Fathers and Brothers in Hales Corners, Wis., heads for
home after his annual bike hike to visit his parents in
Wellston, Ohio. Father Schaad he has made the 530-mile
journey for the last three summers mainly "for exercise.”
(NC Photo)
HELPINGTHE NEEDY
A Tortilla For Two
Courtesy of Maryknoll Missionaries
Food tastes good, espe- live on tortillas alone.
daily when it is shared.
These two Indian children
live in the Western High-
lands of Guatemala. The
corn meal tortilla they are
sharing is a staple of their
diet. Tortillas taste good but
man, and particularly chil-
dren, should not have to
The Indians of Guatemala
have a limited diet and it is
low in proteins. This is one
factor that explains why
they are usually very small
and seem to age premature-
ly. As one Guatemalan
nurse said: “They all look
like children from a dis-
tance; up close, they all
look like old men, even the
women.”
To fight widespread mal-
nutrition among the very
young, Catholic Relief Ser-
vices works through a chain
of health and school centers
in the Western Highlands.
The agency is the American
Catholics’ response to the
needs of their fellow man
living in poverty and suffer-
ing overseas.
More than 86,000 pre-
school children and their
mothers are enrolled in the
CRS nutrition education
program in Guatemala.
Young children receive high
protein supplemental food
to balance their diet and
assure them of a better
chance to grow up healthy
and strong. Their mothers
are taught nutrition facts
and basic hygiene to help
them prepare better meals
with local food.
Catholic Relief Services is
at work in 85 countries
around the world.
Hispanic ministry formation gets
favorable review in San Antonio
by Father Victory Goertz
SAN ANTONIO — A joint
program of priestly formation
for Hispanic ministry
received a favorable review
from more than 40 persons
here for an evaluation meet-
ing July 26-29.
The group included bishops,
seminary rectors, diocesan
directors of vocations and
seminarians in the program,
as well as others.
The evaluation was held at
the Mexican-American
Cultural Center which jointly
sponsors and conducts the
program of formation with St.
Meinrad’s Seminary.
Father Virgil Elizondo,
president of MACC, and
Father Dan Buechlein, O.S.B.,
rector of St. Meinrad’s,
presented a detailed review of
the program with members of
their staffs.
An overview of the Hispanic
situation in the United States
was also outlined for the parti-
cipants
Archbishop Roberto
Sanchez, one of the partici-
pants, stated at the closing
session, “I'm more hopeful
now than I was four years
ago.”
He spoke earlier in the
meeting in terms of “aware-
ness” and “response”. He
said that “we need to become
aware of how to present Christ
in our own traditions and
customs.” Insisting on the
recognition of cultural
realities, the archbishop said,
“We have to make Christ
present to others as they are
present to themselves.”
Bishop John Marshall,
NCCB chairman of the
priestly formation committee
and Father Dan Pakenham,
the executive director, parti-
cipated in the evaluation as
did Bishop Edward O’Rourke
of Peoria, Illinois. Bishops
Patricio Flores and
Raymundo Pena also
attended.
The MACC — St. Meinrad’s
program for Hispanic
ministry attempts to develop
and deepen an appreciation
for the Hispanic identity and
cultural diversity. There is an
intense course in language, a
study of the cultural charac-
teristics and customs, as well
as experiences of these in
actual ministry.
The seminarians spend
seven months in the program.
Six of those at MACC, one
month in Mexico.
Initial planning for the
MACC — St. Meinrad’s co-
oprative effort was in January
1976. The first students came
to MACC from St. Meinrad’s
in January 1977.
Fourteen seminarians have
gone through the program in
its two years. These came
from several dioceses. Six
more dioceses will have men
in the program during *78-79
session.
St. Meinrads’ and the
Mexican-American Cultural
Center staff work closely in
planning and in conducting the
program.
Father Buechlein noted
about the students from St.
Meinrad’s who participated
these two years, "All eight
showed observable-"signs of
greater self-confidence in
ministry. I think the self-
confidence grew because they
survived a difficult experi-
ence.
“As far as their ministry is
concerned, I see the reality
factor up and the romantic
factor down.”
Father Elizondo observed,
“There is still a strong feeling
among some Hispanics that
there is need for a special
Hispanic seminary”, but he
believes that the MACC — St.
Meinrad’s experience is a
viable alternative.
At the opening session of the
evaluation meeting Moises
Sandoval, well known writer,
said, “We’ve come through a
period when we almost lost
our history. In recent times
there has been a real
discovery.”
In his “analytical overview
of the Hispanic, socio-human
situation in the U.S.”
Sandoval raised the question,
“How can the Hispanic be
integrated economically,
socially and politically, but
not culturally?
“We cannot assimilate. We
have had a different history.
We are a different people. The
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difference is rooted in
history.”
Sandoval and Elizondo alike
referred to several currents of
opinion among Hispanics.
There are those who would
integrate without losing their
culture; others speak of
separate Hispanic societies.
Some speak of greater ties
with Mexico.
“If in all this the nation has
a challenge, the Church’^
challenge is greater,’*
Sandoval said.
Father Ricardo Ramirez,
the executive director of the
Mexican-American Cultural
Center, asked, “What has
been relationship between the
people and the priest?” Ho
noted the contradictory
attitudes of reverence and
anti-clericalism.
Quickly tracing history Fr.
Ramirez defined clericalism
as the “abuse of power and
privilege.”
"You have anti-clericalism,
when you have clericalism,”
he said.
MACC’s executive director,
referring to the people’s
hopes, said that they want a
priest "who will allow natural
leaders to evolve, “a priest
who is a ‘prophet’, “who can
interpret the word of God in
the light of the realities of
today.”
The priest must be, he said,
“simpatico”, “con carino”,
‘open to popular piety and
generally aware of the social,
educational and political
environment.
“Underpining all these must
be a general thrust towards
reconciliation,” he added.
Father Rutilio de Riego of
New York, said that in the
“Northeast most of those who
work with Hispanics, admit
that they have little contact
with the young.
“Integral evangelization is
needed — the ‘good news’ that
speak to the social aspect as
well as present the explicit
message of Jesus.”
In discussion about the
MACC - St. Meinrad’s
program Father Buechlein
responded to a question,
“There is a lot of formation,
input in the MACC experience
There is a lot of group proc^.
What is lacking to* some
extent, is the individual
direction.”
Father Elizondo believes
that the most positive aspect
of the program is that it is “an
experience of a very vital
ecclesial community.”
“We see the seven months
program,” he said, “as a very
serious initiation into Hispanic
ministry.”
He observed, “At times we
lack sufficient personnel,”
and “finances are a continu-
ing burden. We are very
happy with the program, we
recognize our limitations.”
Seminary rectors and
personnel from Texas,
California, Colorado, Ohio,
and Florida reported on the
growing emphasis on the
training for Hispanic
ministry.
This group included Fathers
Michael Sheehan, Pat Guidon,
OMI; Alex Nagy, OMI; James
Vanderholt, Ron Anderson,
Gary Riebe Estrella, SVD;
John Grindel, CM; Prudencio
Rodriguez, Pablo Sicilia,
Mario Vizcanino, and Msgr.
John Nevins.
Archbishop Sanchez
observed at the end of these
reports and at the final session
of the evaluation, “I think
some very beautiful things
have surfaced here.” He noted
the need for more resources
for training.
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Freeman, Robert E. Texas Gulf Coast Catholic (Corpus Christi, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 13, Ed. 1 Friday, August 18, 1978, newspaper, August 18, 1978; Corpus Christi, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth840274/m1/4/: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .