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1846 to 1937: Santa Rosa de Lima & St. Helen's Linked Pasts
As early as 1846, the village of Andice was named in honor of its first resident, John Berry.
In 1862 the first Catholics came to live in Central TX in the Bastrop area.
In 1874 the Holy Cross missionaries founded St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX.
In the early 1890's, Reverend William Isaac Newton and his wife came to Graysonville. When their son, Audice, was born on January 5, 1899, Reverend Newton applied for a Post Office and requested it be named in honor of his son, Audice. Postal officials misread the name, however, and in 1899 approved the name of Andice.
In 1904, a Spanish-speaking priest from Ireland came to Austin. Reverend Patrick J. O’Reilly, C.S.C., was the first priest to visit Georgetown families in the Mexican colony. He celebrated Mass in a tent, and established mission stations on ranches in the outlying districts of Andice, Bertram, and Liberty Hill.
In 1929 land for San Jose Cemetery was purchased for $40.
On May 3, 1931, Bishop Christopher E. Byrne, C.S.C., Diocese of Galveston, blessed the first Catholic Church in Georgetown - St. Helen’s Mexican Missions Church.
In July, 1935, Father Thomas Culhane, C.S.C., came to Austin. Aside from a full-time teaching schedule at St. Edward’s, Fr. Culhane assumed responsibility for the mission churches in Andice, Bertram, and Georgetown. Santa Rosa’s parishioners had access to the only vacant building on Sunday morning--an abandoned movie theater. Mass was celebrated on the stage. To hear Confessions, one side of the ticket office was boarded up so that passersby couldn’t see the penitent inside.
In 1937 when the owner razed the abandoned building unexpectedly, Fr. Culhane led everyone to the San José Cemetery where Father O’Reilly had built a covered altar. Mass was moved to the residence of Juan Zavala during the winter. -
1937 to 1980: The Andice Congregation gets a Name and a Home
Santa Rosa parishioners purchased land for their church in 1937 from Charley Stapp for $50. When asked for support, The Catholic Church Extension Society donated $1,000 provided the church is named after Santa Rosa de Lima.
The Congregation of Holy Cross (founders of Notre Dame, St. Edward’s Universities) sent Brother Jerome Steffes, C.S.C., to build our church. The actual construction of the first church cost a little more than $2,000.00.
The church was dedicated on November 7, 1937 by Bishop Christopher Byrne.
In 1938, Santa Rosa became St. Helen’s first Mission Church, and for the next 57 years, priests from St. Helen’s celebrated Mass in both Georgetown and Andice.
For many years Mass would be celebrated only on alternate Sundays. Santa Rosa would not celebrate its first Confirmation until 1976. The first Confirmation class was confirmed by Fr. Palermo of St. Helen's and Bishop Vincent Harris. -
1980 to 1993: From the First Resident Priest to a New building
Fr. John Herledan came to St. Helen’s in 1980 to assist Fr. John Frizelle and in 1981 Fr. John Herledan became the first resident priest for Santa Rosa de Lima.
Despite a dwindling community of only sixty people, Father John Herledan chose to reside in Andice full time in 1984. The parishioners purchased a used mobile home, and set it up behind the church parking lot.
By 1988, parishioners saw the need for a multi-purpose structure to hold everything from religious education classes to meetings and receptions. The Diocese of Austin approved a $30,000 loan and through a series of garage, bake, and tamale sales the parishioners raised $7,500; which qualified them to receive two $5,000 grants. Construction began on August 6, 1988 on a 2,880-sq. ft. structure.
The structure was completed on November 28, 1991 and named Herledan Hall. By this time, Msgr. Louis Wozniak, Pastor of St. Helen’s, served Santa Rosa and alternated his weekends with Fr. Greg McLaughlin, the Parochial Vicar.
In the fall of 1991 the first Parish Festival was held in Heridan Hall. -
1993 to 2006: The Arrival of Fr. Walter Carr and The Growth of the Campus
Barely a month after his ordination to the priesthood, Reverend Walter F. Carr was assigned to assist at St. Helen’s and was then appointed Pastor of Santa Rosa in January of 1993. At that time, Williamson County was experiencing a robust real estate market and was anticipating the 1995 grand opening of Sun City.
By 1997, there were so many new parishioners that Father Carr burned the $35,000 “note” for Herledan Hall and declared us “debt free.” It was under his guidance and leadership that the parish began to grow dramatically, thus forging the need for larger facilities.
By 1998 Santa Rosa de Lima was no longer a Mission Church of St. Helen's.
By February of 1999, with “standing room” only at Sunday Mass, Easter Sunday Mass was celebrated in Herledan Hall. And it was then in 1999 that five acres were purchased less than a quarter of a mile away. (Across FM 970 and west of the original church).
Construction of the new church began in April of 1999. After 9 months of construction the church was completed in January of 2000. The first Mass was held on February 5, 2000. And was dedicated by Bishop John McCarthy on March 5, 2000.
During the construction of the church another 3.2 acres of property were acquired immediately adjacent and to the west of the original 5-acre parcel bringing the total land size to 8.2 acres. In October of 2000 the parking lot was expanded to accommodate the new influx of parishioners. The Rectory/Parish office was constructed to the east of the church and dedicated on June 9 & 10, 2001.
On May 28, 2002 at storm hit Andice and northwest Georgetown hard. This storm damaged the rectory but left the sanctuary unscathed. A section of the roof was found in a field about a mile south of the rectory.
With the number of parishioners growing so too did the number of children needing catechism. The Religious Education building was then built in 2004.
With all the growth, the parish saw the need for a larger activity center to better serve the needs of the parish. And, in 2006 construction began on a new parish activity center. Construction was completed in August of 2007. The cost to the parish $761,352.49. This building was then named Reverend Walter Carr Activity Center (Carr Hall for short). -
2006 to 2017: Continued Growth Under Fr. Ibeh and Fr. Larry
Rev. Fr. Eliseus O. Ibeh, MSP, a member of the Missionary Society of St. Paul took over as Administrator of the parish on July 3, 2006 after Fr. Carr suffered unexpected health issues. And on November 8, 2006 he was appointed Pastor of Santa Rosa de Lima.
In the Spring of 2011 tragedy struck and the Religious Education building burned. The building would need to be rebuilt from the ground up. Construction began in 2012 to reconstruct the RE building on the original foundation.
On July 2, 2012 Fr. Larry Stehling was appointed Pastor of the parish, taking over for Fr. Ibeh who was reassigned to a parish in Louisiana. Fr. Larry came to us from St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Austin, Texas.
Construction of the current Religious Education building was complete not complete until 2013. It was during this time that an additional 4.61 acres were purchased to the immediate west of the existing property bring the total land size to slightly less than 13 acres. But with this purchase Santa Rosa would be saying goodbye to the parcel of land that held the original church and Herleden hall.
So, on January 22, 2014 the then named Santa Rosa Chapel was decommissioned at a 6 PM Mass attended by many of the parishioners who attended Mass there for years. The Mass was presided by Msgr. Wozniak, Fr. Carr, and Fr. Larry. This action consolidated all of the almost 13 acres of the parish property to one site.
Due to increasing growth, yet again, a study was ordered to see how the parish could best utilize all the land for the future. And it was in 2014 that a Programming and Site Master Planning studies were conducted. While in the middle of these studies the opportunity to purchase all or a portion of approximately 26 acres that bordered the existing property to the south and west arose. With encouragement from the Diocese; Santa Rosa purchased the approximately 26 acres in December of 2014 bringing the amount of land to approximately 40 acres.
The study revealed that Phase One of the Master Plan would renew the plants infrastructure by improving parking and drainage, as well as expand the sanctuary to add 200 new seats to accommodate growth. Construction of Phase One began in the Fall of 2015. It was during the construction period that a fourth Mass was added to the weekend schedule and the 4PM Mass was born.
Expansion of the church and the addition of 200 new seats would be completed by mid-March of 2016 just in time for Easter. During this time we broke ground on our Outdoor Stations of the Cross and began building a playground next to the Religious Education Building next to the church. Phase One of the Master Plan reached completion in the summer of 2016.
By 2017 the outdoor stations and the Oak grove of St. Francis were complete thanks to the help from our Ladies Group, Knights of Columbus and various donors. -
2017 to the Present: More Growth, Covid and a Resurgence of Our Hispanic Community
In December of 2019 the sound system in the church was upgraded.
In 2020 the Holy Family Memorial Garden was completed. This has become a place of remembrance and a gathering place. On special occasions, donuts and coffee are served after Sunday morning Masses.
In the spring of 2020 the parish dealt with the Covid crisis included a suspension of Mass in the sanctuary. The first Mass held in the church once stay at home restrictions were relaxed was on xxxx.
Starting in 2021 new technology was added to the church with TV displays to promote parish events added by the church doors. In the fall of 2022 projectors were added to the church to display slides on the altar walls during weekend Masses.
Santa Rosa continued to grow under the care of Father Larry Stehling. As we continued to grow and saw more families move to the area Father Larry saw a need that was not being met...the need for a Spanish liturgy.
In June of 2022 it was announced that Santa Rosa would be welcoming their first Associate Pastor, Padre Cesar Guzman-Diaz. Padre Cesar celebrated Santa Rosa's first Spanish Liturgy accompanied by Bishop Joe Vasquez on October 2, 2022.
For the first time in the parish's history there were not only one but two priests and two deacon's on staff.
Thanks to Padre Cesar's arrival Santa Rosa now offers two Spanish liturgies on the weekends and one during the week. This is a dream come true for the founding members of the parish who, sadly never got to experience the liturgy celebrated in their native tongue.
In October 2023 the Parish held a Bilingual mass and community celebration in honor of the 85th anniversary of Santa Rosa de Lima parish being founded.
In the spring of 2024 the first Spanish Christ Renews His Parish Retreats were held: the Men in May and the Women in June. -
Santa Rosa Clergy from 1930 to 1964 - Missionary Priests
- Reverend Patrick J. O’Reilly, C. S. C. – 1930 to 1933
- Father Angus MacDonald - 1932
- Father Walter O’Donnell - 1934
- Father Frank E. Drummey - 1934 to 1935
- Father Thomas J. Culhane, C. S. C. – 1935 to 1951
- Father Peter Forrestal - 1934
- Father Alfred Mendez - 1936 to 1937
- Father Frederico Schmidt, C. S. C. – 1937 - 1959
- Father Joseph T. Houser - 1940 to 1943
- Father Peter F. Mueller - 1943 to 1945
- Father Vincent Delavy - 1944 to 1945
- Father Elmer Rupp - 1945 to 1946
- Father Thomas Curran - 1946 to 1949
- Father James Donnelly - 1949 to 1953
- Father Joseph F. Pawicki, C. S. C. – 1953 to 1964
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Santa Rosa Clergy from 1965 to 1995 - Austin Diocesean Priests from St. Helen's
- Father Victor B. Llorente - 1965 to 1967
- Father Alfred Kallas - 1967 to 1969
- Father Charles Davis - 1970 to 1975
- Father Albert A. Palermo - 1976 to 1979
- Father John D. Frizelle - 1979 to 1988
- Father John Heridan – 1981 to 1987
- Father James O’Connor - 1987
- Father Victor Matthias, S.J. - 1988
- Father George Tzanakas - 1988 to 1989
- Father Alberto Tijerina – 1989
- Msgr. Louis J. Wozniak – 1989 to 1992
- Father William Kinlough - 1990 to 1991
- Father Greg McLaughlin, PV - 1991 to 1992
- Father Walter F. Carr – 1993 to 1995
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Santa Rosa Clergy from 1995 to the Present
In 1995, Santa Rosa was appointed their first Pastor with Fr. Walter Carr and in 2022 our parish was appointed their first Associate Pastor with Fr. Guzman-Ruiz.
- Father Walter F. Carr –1995 to 2006
- Father Ellsius O. Ibeh – 2006 to 2012
- Father Larry Stehling – 2012 to Present
- Father Cesar Guzman-Ruiz – 2022 to Present
- Deacon Ray Moore – xxxx to xxxx
- Deacon Roger Collins – xxxx to xxxx
- Deacon Ken Ryan – xxxx to xxxx
- Deacon Steve Tedesco – 20xx to Present
- Deacon Glen Murphy – 2021 to Present
- Deacon Joe Ruiz – 2023 to Present
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Santa Rosa de Lima "In the News"
- 2024 – February. “The Catholic Spirit” on page 8. “Santa Rosa celebrates 85 years of growing faith” Santa Rosa Celebrates 85 Years
- 2023 – Sept 24th. “The Sunday Sun” (Georgetown, TX) on page 3. “Santa Rosa de Lima Catholic Church and community, now flourishing, to celebrate 85 years in Andice.” Santa Rosa Flourishing After 85 Years
- 2015 – July 5th. “The Sunday Sun” (Georgetown, TX) on page 2. “Santa Rosa honors the old, welcomes the new.” Santa Rosa Honors Old, Welcomes New
- 2011 – June 1st. “City Week” (??) on page 5B. “Shepherd looks back on sixty years in the priesthood.” Shepherd Looks Back On 60 Years
- 2008 – May. “The Catholic Spirit” on page 30. “Despite early struggles, Andice parish thrives.” Despite Early Struggles, Santa Rosa Thrives
- 2005 - May 29th. “The Sunday Sun” (Georgetown, TX) on page 6B. “Around Town – Country Cookout." Around Town - Country Cookout
- 2002 – June 26th. “The Sunday Sun” (Georgetown, TX) on page 6A. “It’s mass as usual, except for the fans.” Its Mass As Usual, Except for the Fans
- 2002 – June 4th. “The Sunday Sun” (Georgetown, TX) on page 3. “Storm hits Andice, northwest G’town hard, but burn ban still on.” Storm Hits Andice
- 1999 – August 15th. “The Sunday Sun” (Georgetown, TX) on page x. “Andice Catholic church blossoms.” Andice Catholic Church Blossoms
- 1997 – November 7th. “The Sunday Sun” (Georgetown, TX) on page x. “Around Town - Food, fun and car show.” Around Town - Food, Fun & Car Show - part 1 Around Town - Food, Fun & Car Show - part 2
- 1993 – ??. “The Sunday Sun” (Georgetown, TX) on page x. Article and Photo of SRdL Church (which has since been renamed Chapel)
- 1964 – March 26th. “The Sunday Sun” (Georgetown, TX) on page x. “Love – a Good Substitute for Intolerance.”
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