St. Mary, Immaculate Conception Catholic parish in Brenham, Texas was founded in 1870 and was the spiritual home of many of the early Polish immigrants in Washington County. The large brick church that is in use today was built in 1936. When I visited the church on March 10, 2011, the entire church was covered by sections of scaffolding supporting a plywood floor just below the arched ceiling of the sanctuary and the assembly area.
The ceiling is being scraped and painted and Robert Hill and Andrew Hattermann, artists from Murals by Jericho in Peoria, IL are hard at work restoring the area above the altar. The entire domed area above the altar has been gilded with gold leaf and they are now hand painting the decorative accents. When they finish the painting, the artists plan to return to Illinois and paint a large mural on canvas. The mural will hang on the arched wall at the entrance to the sanctuary. Below are a few photos of the restoration and there is a slideshow of more photos on page 2.
James Smock has always held an interest in his Polish ancestors and heritage. He is a native Houstonian with Polish roots in Bremond, Marlin and New Waverly, Texas.