HEBBRONVILLE, Texas — There’s another South Texas historical hotspot that you may want to hit during your summer vacation. It sits in Hebbronville, Texas and stands as one of the tallest structures anywhere. We’re talking about the Scotus College that’s still run by Franciscan Friars.
Some say the Scotus College in Hebbronville is one of the best kept secrets in the Coastal Bend. At one time it was used to train young men for the priesthood. Now it’s used by the Franciscan Friars for religious instruction.
Idalia Garcia Davila is with the Jim Hogg County Historical Commission and explains what happens if a visitor stops by.
"They will come and take pictures but they don’t stop to take the time to learn the story," Davila said.
Community leaders in Jim Hogg County are now ringing the proverbial church bell to draw attention to this South Texas landmark. Father Juan Jose Ibarra told us, "First of all day you can just see it from the outside it’s like a beautiful building it’s a one-of-a-kind in all of Texas I believe. It’s beautiful and it’s also full of history.”
Ibarra is one of the Franciscan Friars who understands the religious and historical importance of this complex he’s in charge of.
Members of the church and the local historical commission were also in attendance during the tour. That now includes the new museum which spotlights the religious history of the area and the friars.
Back around 1924 Mexico began to purge the country of its priests. The Franciscan friars fled that country. A number ended up here in Hebbronville in 1926. A safe haven for them and an area which has always been predominantly Catholic.
Homero Vera is an area historian & friend of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish. He loved all of the old photos that reminded him of his childhood.
"You see in all these pictures here are you see you can see the original church burned down in 1944 and they used the school as a church until the 1960s and they built the present church there," Vera said.
That’s a small sampling of some of the rich history you can now learn about at the Scotus College. If you’d like to check out the historic South Texas landmark you have to make a reservation first. The Franciscan friars will give you a personal tour. They promise it will be well worth your time.
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