Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church

The congregation took the patron saints of its homeland. Cyril and Methodius were brothers from Thessalonica who went to Great Moravia in 863 to preach in the Slavic language, and Cyril is credited with devising the Glagolitic alphabet. Both are venerated as patrons of the Czech Republic and of Moravia, and the Czech Republic and Slovakia keep their feast on July 5. For Moravian and Czech settlers in Granger, the name tied a Texas church to the first Slavic Christians of their homeland.

What the plaque says

Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church The Czechs/Moravians who settled here in the early 1880s initially worshiped in each others' homes or traveled 12 miles to Taylor, site of the nearest Catholic church. As their informal congregation grew so did the community of Granger. In 1891 they erected a wood frame sanctuary here on land donated by Austinite W. H. Walton, and named their church after the Czech patron saints, Cyril and Methodius. During the Rev. Frantisek Machan's brief tenure as pastor the church formed several fraternal organizations and established a school. His successor, the Rev. Frantisek Pridal, helped the congregation build a new school building/parish hall in 1912 and replace the original church building with a brick structure in 1916. Following the death of the beloved Father Pridal in 1927, the Rev. John Vanicek became pastor. He helped many young parishioners enter the priesthood and sisterhood, and guided several parishioners into leadership roles in statewide Catholic fraternal organizations. In 1948 this church became a part of the newly-formed Austin Diocese. A 2-story brick school building was added in 1947, a recreation center in 1959, and a brick convent in 1960. The church continues to play an integral role in church and community affairs. (1993)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Williamson County Courthouse — 15 mi
  The fifth Williamson County courthouse, a Beaux Arts building by C. H. Page, rises over a Georgetown square of more than 50 Victorian-era buildings.
• Inner Space Cavern — 16 mi
  A Georgetown cave found in 1963 when highway engineers drilled test holes, holding Pleistocene fossils and 72-degree rooms that visitors reach by an artificial tunnel.
• The Round Rock — 20 mi
  A table-shaped stone in Brushy Creek gave Round Rock its name in 1854; the Chisholm Trail crossed the creek near it, and Old Town stayed behind when the railroad pulled the town east.

More markers nearby

• Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic School — steps away
• Granger Brethren Church — steps away
• Brick Streets in Granger — steps away
• Macedonia Cemetery — 2.9 mi