Church of the Ascension
Montell TX

Located on Texas State Highway 55 thirty miles northwest of Uvalde, the Montell Episcopal Church of the Ascension is a very historic Texas frontier church which still services the local farmers and ranchers in the area.

Today's congregation continues to worship in their historic home whose roots stretch back to the early Spanish missions of the 1760s. Our doors are always open to visitors, new members, and hill country passers-by. Please feel free to stop in and worship the Lord with us.

 

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https://www.episcopalassetmap.org/dioceses/diocese-west-texas/list/church-ascension  

 

 

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Early European History of the Church

The small town of Montell was once the site of the Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria del Cañón Spanish Mission located where the Nueces River meets Montell Creek. Under the Spanish authorities in Mexico City, their charter was the conversion and pacification of the Lipan Apache bands. This endeavor only lasted from 1762-1767 due to the faltering colonial commitment of the Spanish and the constant attacks by successive bands of Comanche Indians. Montell’s Namesake

The namesake of the town, Charles S. DeMontel (1812-1882), was a well educated immigrant from Prussia who was a colonizer, lawyer, engineer, soldier, and public servant. He was instrumental in the founding of D’Hanis, Bandera and Castroville and led a company of Texas Rangers. He had an illustrious military career in the Texas Revolution, the Mexican War, and the American Civil War where he served in numerous capacities for the Confederate States of America. He was sent to map the Nueces Canyon and established a campsite on the future site of the town; the name Montell remained. For the most part, the area was in the hands of local tribes of Indians and European settlers were far and few between until the mid 1800s. Founding of the Town of Montell

A subsequent former Confederate, General John Baylor (1822-1894) received a land grant from Texas following the Civil War, which encompassed the future town of Montell and surrounding areas. General Baylor was interested in more than just mining, farming, and ranching. He set out to establish a Christian based community on the Texas frontier. He solicited fellow Confederate soldiers from his Army staff as well as numerous families from the Ulster region of Northern Ireland. These settlers began arriving and the town of Montell was born. General Baylor is buried in the Montell cemetery along with many other of these early pioneers.

Establishment of the Church of the Ascension

By the late 1870s, the community was well established and the need for a church was readily apparent. Mrs. Mary Louise Follette of Laguna published a poem about the presence of God on the western frontier in the Uvalde Hesperian newspaper. The Episcopal Bishop in San Antonio, Rt. Rev Robert W.B. Elliot, noticed the poem and decided to visit the Montell community via stagecoach. Rev Elliot held the first organized Episcopal service in the autumn of 1880 in the home of George Rogers Clarke where he baptized four children and several adults. In 1883, the Episcopal Church deployed permanent clergy. Rev Richard Galbraith arrived from Ireland with his family and set out to establish a permanent site and building for what would later be named the Church of the Ascension. The cash strapped General Baylor donated the land upon which to build the church and Rev Galbraith, along with his fifty-two communicants set out to raise the $1,000 required for the structure. When they were only able to raise $525, General Baylor’s niece, Miss Francis Courtenay Baylor, who was an affluent author, solicited the funds from her contacts in both Europe and the East Coast of the United States.

Among the contributors were General Grenville Mellon Dodge, who built the Union Pacific Railroad and John Jacob Astor IV who was one of the richest men in the world and would later die on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. Among the contributions was the spectacular stained glass window depicting Christ and the Disciples at the moment of Ascension. This window was made by R. Geissler of Littleneck, New York and was shipped to Montell by the rector of the Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia. Life Magazine later proclaimed this majestic window as the most beautiful church window “West of the Mississippi River” and it still graces the Chancel wall behind the alter to this day. The first service at the new church was held on Christmas day in 1890 by Rev Galbraith. The church was consecrated by the Right Reverand J.S. Johnston, Bishop of West Texas in 1891.

The church still stands today, much as it looked in 1890. It has been designated as a Texas Landmark since 1966 and still services the local ranching and farming communities.

 

Question: Where is Church of the Ascension located?
Answer: Church of the Ascension is located at 27851 Hwy 55 N, Montell, Texas.

Question: What time is service at Church of the Ascension?
Answer: 1-3-5 Sundays of Each Month: 12:00 Morning Prayer 2-4 Sundays of Each Month: 12:00 Eucharist with Rev Casey Birkhouse

Question: What is Church of the Ascension's Facebook page?
Answer: https://www.facebook.com/p/Episcopal-Church-of-the-Ascension-Montell-Texas-100069152629243/

Question: What is Church of the Ascension's website?
Answer: https://www.episcopalassetmap.org/dioceses/diocese-west-texas/list/church-ascension

Question: What denominaiton is Church of the Ascension?
Answer: Church of the Ascension belongs to Episcopal Church denomination.