Posts by Eric Hartmann

Mark White, who served as Texas Governor from 1983 to 1987, died August 5, 2017 at the age of 77.  In this photograph, taken while White was Governor, he is with George Solana, the Director of Education of the Texas Catholic Conference (today known as the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops).  Mr.  Solana is on the right of…

The Texas Catholic Historical Society has received three awards from the Catholic Press Association for the 2016 issue of Catholic Southwest: A Journal of History and Culture. Below are the awards the Society received with commentary by the Catholic Press Association. MAGAZINE/NEWSLETTER OF THE YEAR: Scholarly Magazine Second Place Catholic Southwest by Richard Fossey, Editor…

150 years ago, on April 21, 1867, Christopher E. Byrne was born in Missouri.  He served as the fourth bishop of Galveston from November 18, 1918 until his death on April 1, 1950.  For more information Bishop Byrne, see the Handbook of Texas online. The photograph of Bishop Byrne is from the Catholic Archives of…

March 4–On this day in 1987, the Journal of Texas Catholic History and Culture came into being when the president of the society, Patrick Foley, urged the membership to establish such a publication. Shortly after that, an editorial board was formed with Foley as editor of the new periodical. At its first official meeting, the…

February 25–On this day in 1800, Jean Marie Odin was born in Hauteville, France. While a student at a Sulpician seminary in Lyon, he volunteered to serve in the American Diocese of Louisiana and the Floridas. After arriving at New Orleans in 1822, Odin continued his religious education at a seminary in Missouri, where he…