Nold, the Bishop of the Diocese of Galveston was carrying out his plan to purchase properties in circling areas, each ten, fifteen, and twenty miles apart assuring that each church would have available space to expand. Sunnyside being in the circle, a survey was ordered late in the year 1949 and results indicated that there were thirty-five Catholic families in the area. His Excellence called Fath
er Michael J. Flaherty, S.S.J., the pastor of Saint Nicholas Church, into his office and asked him to look for some property in the Sunnyside Community. Father Flaherty located several potential lots and it was decided to purchase five and one half acres of land on the southwest corner of Chocolate Bayou (Cullen) and Reed Road. Negotiations began in June 1951 and were completed in August 1951. The purchase price of the land was $10, 316.00. The funds for the land were collectively furnished by Saint Nicholas Parish ($3,000.00) and the Negro and Indian Fund of the diocese ($7,316.00). In 1951 the construction was started on a brick church that would seat two hundred and fifty people. The cost of the building was $29,000.00. The monies came from three major sources. A donation was made by The Society of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart in the amount of $10,000.00. The parishioners of Saint Francis Xavier and Saint Nicholas raised $9,000.00 and the remaining $10,000.00 was borrowed. The church was completed and dedicated in 1952. of Saint Nicholas, was assigned the first pastor of Saint Francis Xavier Church. The first families consisted of but are not limited to: Mr. Dennis Armelin, Mrs. Dorothy Amar, Mr. Preston Arceneaux, Mr. John Broussard, Mr. Adam Brown, Mr. Randall Bryant, Mr. Joe Chaison, Mrs. Gussie Charles, Mr. Oscar Charles, Mrs. L. A. Dugas, Ms. Edna Ellis, Ms. Ethel Ellis, Mr. Lawrence Ellis, Mr. Joseph Fletcher, Mr. Joe Goodie, Mr. George Gordon, Mrs. Ethel Harris, Mrs. Beatrice Hill, Mrs. Florence Hill, Mrs. Eula Holley, Mr. R. B. Jacobs, Mrs. Edna Jones, Mr. Jimmie Jones, Mrs. Clemmie Joseph, Mr. Justice Lancelin, Mrs. Sophia Lee, Mr. Leroy Lewis, Mr. Alfred Linden, Mr. Rivers Lockett, Mr. Herman Mabrie, Mr. Lawrence Mallory, Mr. Joseph Malveaux, Mrs. Rushton Malveaux, Mr. Horace Matthews, Mr. and Mors E.V. Molsey, Mrs. Florence McChristian, Mr. Eulysses Navy, Mr. Dewey Olier, Mr. Gaston Petrie, Mr. Leon Poindexter, Mr. Joseph Powell, Mr. Adolph Rodriguez, Mr. Labe Senegal, Mrs. Emogene Taylor, Mr. Ferdinand Thompson, Mrs. Cara Washington, Mrs. Albert Williams, Mr. Mack Williams. Later the men of the church built a small parish hall. This hall served as a kindergarten, Sunday school classroom and a place for parish meetings. It was not until, 1956 that the rectory was built. This building would cost $34,441.00. Again, the money was borrowed from the Saint Joseph’s Society of the Sacred Heart at a 3% interest rate. The parish members paid off this debt in three years, plus the $10,000.00, which was owed to Saint Nicholas Church. The congregation at Saint Francis Xavier was growing rapidly and within three years the number of parish members increased from three hundred to seventeen hundred. Over the years more and more families joined the parish. The increasing numbers brought a need for a larger parish hall and Catechetical Center. Therefore, Father Elbert Harris, S.S.J., the first African-American pastor assigned to Saint Francis, implemented the plans to add the new building to the complex. The new hall would be used for CCE classes and parish entertainment. The old building was renovated to serve as a Senior Citizen Nutrition Center. Thirty-three years later, a magnificent new church that seated 500 replaced the original church. It was designed to include a special chapel that was dedicated to the Martyrs of Uganda. The new church would cost the parish members $335,000.00. The new building was completed and dedicated by Bishop John Morkovsky on June 19, 1975. Nine years later, a ceremony was held for the “Burning of the Mortgage? Representing final payment of the debt the parish had incurred for the building of the new hall and new church. In the 1990’s the old church was renovated and made into classrooms for religious education. This building was dedicated to Father Elbert Harris and was named the “Harris Center.” Later, due to growth, the members were faced with a very emotional decision to change the church’s address from 9202 Cullen to 4600 Reed Road. After the decision was made, a new Harris Center building and rectory were built at no expense to the parish members or diocese. November 23, 2002 we celebrated fifty years of ministry in the Sunnyside Community. In 2007, under the pastoral direction of Father Kenneth Howard, S.S.J., the sanctuary and vestibule of the church were renovated to reflect the beauty we enjoy today. Since 1952 many families have chosen to worship at St. Francis Xavier Church. They have raised their families here, watched their children and grandchildren grow spiritually and in faith through reception of sacraments and Continuing Christian Education, saw new families develop and said goodbye to their loved ones. The parish has grown to include over forty-three ministries in service to God’s people. We are blessed to enjoy a loving parish family. Thank God years ago His Excellency Wendelin J. Nold, realized the need for our church.
