The “Mother Church”
St. John Nepomuckѐho church, located in Bomarton, TX, southwest of Seymour, is the oldest Czech church in northwest Texas. A permanent wooden church was first erected on the site in 1908. Father Paul Mosler, who arrived in 1910 as the first permanent pastor in the area, always referred to Bomarton as the “Mother Church.” In 1909, a site for the church property was selected in southwest Bomarton. The initial First Communion class received the sacrament in 1912. In 1914, the church was dedicated, along with a Conformation for 21 boys and 39 girls, with Bishop J.P. Lynch from Dallas presiding. The parish had a beautiful tradition of celebrating the feast of Corpus Christi by erecting many elaborately decorated outdoor altars. A procession formed from the church to visit each of the special shrines, followed by a picnic and dance for the parishioners. The old wooden church was dismantled and the lumber was recycled for the new building.
Sacred Heart Parish
The first Catholic people of Baylor County came from the state of Oregon in the year 1882. The nearest Catholic Church at the time was St. Michaels near Henrietta, well over 50 miles to the east. Most of the early Catholics were largely farming people. Among the first to emigrate were a number of Catholic farming people of Czech origin. Father Paul Mosler, Oblates of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I.), was sent to take up residence in Bomarton in Baylor County in 1910.Scores of times, Father Mosler was known to walk from Bomarton to Seymour, (12 miles), and from Megargel to Seymour (22 miles), leaving at night and arriving in time for early Mass. For many years, the Sunday Mass was celebrated in Seymour only one Sunday per month, usually in the auditorium of the public school. Then, late in 1915, the Baptist Congregation announced the sale of their old church building which was located close to the center of the town. Seymour’s Catholic community bought the property and began renovations. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered in a permanent Church structure for the first time on January 16, 1916. On May 2, 1917, Bishop J.P. Lynch, D.D., dedicated the church. Forty-five children received the Sacrament of Conformation on that same occasion. In November of 1928, he moved permanently to Seymour. Finally in April of 1950, the existing Church building was moved from the site it had stood from 1890 to a new location across the street. Ground was broken for the new Sacred Heart Church on May 1, 1950. The original Church furnishings were all new. By Christmas of 1950, the altars, Stations, pews, and most of the other furnishings had been installed. Although the Church was not entirely finished, midnight Mass was celebrated by the Pastor in the new facility. Reverend David L. Redmond, O.M.I. completed construction of the new Parish Hall and was dedicated in 1969.