Texas Knights of Columbus Historical Commission

During the Texas State Council of the Knights of Columbus' Annual Convention in 1923, a resolution was passed to create the Texas Knights of Columbus Historical Commission. The intended purpose of the Commission was to collect historical items for preservation and publish a history of the Catholic Church in Texas. Diocesan archives in Texas and other repositories located throughout the United States, Mexico, France, and Spain were researched by the Commission. Photostat copies of archival documents were created with several documents transcribed by Commission members. St. Edward’s University in Austin was selected as headquarters for the Commission due to its proximity to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the University of Texas at Austin (UT). The Commission was interested in researching the Garcia Collection and the Bexar Archives at UT.

Prior to the establishment of the Historical Commission, the Most Reverend Christopher E. Byrne of Galveston introduced a resolution for the Knights to sponsor historical markers under the 1922 Texas State Council Annual Convention. With the approval from an advisory group of Knights, the markers highlighted areas of Texas foundational to the spread of Catholicism and statehood. Other resolutions passed during the 1922 and 1923 annual conventions included encouraging councils to celebrate Flag Day and Columbus Day, supporting the Boy Scouts, funding Catholic higher education, and lengthy discussions on the “bogus oath” reward.

Around the time of the Commission's organization, the Texas State Council, under State Deputy Joseph I. Driscoll's leadership, established funds for Mexican refugees (seen above) and the A&M Chapel (now St. Mary's Catholic Center in College Station). Individual councils were asked to fundraise through drives hosted at their local parishes. 

In 1923, the Texas State Council earmarked $250 to fund the Commission, however it was estimated that the Texas State Council spent around $130,000 in total for the project. Eventually, Driscoll would also ask individual councils to assist with funding the work of the Commission. 

Members of the Commission with other Church officials (seen above):

First row left to right: Joseph I. Driscoll (Texas State Deputy and organizer of the Commission), unknown, Archbishop Francisco Orozco y Jimenez of Guadalajara, Reverend Paul J. Foik, C.S.C. (St. Edward's University librarian and Commission chair), Father  Mariano Cuevas, S.J.;

Second row left to right: Father Dan Lanning (chancellor for the Diocese of Corpus Christi), Father Joseph Murphy of Galveston, Father Joseph G. O'Donohoe (organized the Catholic Exhibit for the 1936 Texas State Centennial Exposition in Dallas);

Third row left to right: unknown, Father William F. Blakeslee (priest of St. Austin), Father James P. Gibbons of St. Edward’s University, Dr. Carlos E. Castañeda

The Texas State Council initially proposed the Commisssion complete their deliverables prior to the centenary anniversary of the state in 1936. However, organizing the Commission and collecting source material took about eight years. The first volume of Our Catholic Heritage in Texas would not be drafted until 1932. Additionally, due to communication issues between Commission members, problems with the publisher, and Castañeda taking a leave of absence to serve on the President's Committee on Fair Employment Practice, the first volume would not be published until 1936. The seventh and final volume was published in 1958.

Goals of the Commission included promoting patriotism of Catholics and providing public examples of lay Catholic nationalism. The Knights of Columbus organization was initially designed as a mutual benefit society for working-class and immigrant Catholics. At the time, Catholics were excluded from joining labor unions and other fraternal societies. These societal exclusions motivated the Knights to create a public patriotic image, granting members to be seen as full citizens of American society. Futhermore, the Knights claimed Catholicism was foundational to America by using Christopher Columbus as a namesake.

Like many Catholics of the time, Foik (a Canadian by birth) believed the faithful needed to exhibit patriotism instep with public displays of religion for Catholics to wholly assimilate into American society. Promoting patriotism was a way for Catholics to prove they were authentic Americans with allegiance to their country and not the pope. This argument was something that the Texas State Council under Driscoll’s direction was actively engaging with via the bogus oath reward and resisting the Ku Klux Klan. For Catholic Texans to be seen as full Texas citizens, Foik promoted the public celebration of Texas Independence Day (March 2, celebrating the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence) as a "Catholic Fourth of July." Foik encouraged the Texas State Council, the Catholic Daughters of America, Catholic schools, and Texas hierarchy to organize local events.