Mercedes, Hidalgo County
OUR LADY OF MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH IN 1908, THE CAPISALLO LAND COMPANY DONATED LAND TO THE OBLATE FATHERS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A CATHOLIC CHURCH. OUR LADY OF MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH ON HIDALGO STREET WAS DEDICATED IN FEBRUARY 1909 AND REV. ENRIQUE JANVIER, OMI, BECAME THE FIRST PASTOR IN 1912. IN 1910, THE LAND COMPANY DONATED FOUR ACRES FOR A CATHOLIC CEMETERY. A PAROCHIAL SCHOOL, UNDER DIRECTION OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY, OPERATED FROM 1915 TO 1961. UNDER FATHER IVOR GOURMELEN, A NEW BRICK CHURCH WAS BUILT AT THIRD AND VERMONT STREETS AND DEDICATED ON OCTOBER 29, 1922. OUR LADY OF MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS THE MOTHER CHURCH FOR SEVEN OTHER CATHOLIC CHURCHES AND FOSTERED A DOZEN MISSIONS IN HIDALGO AND CAMERON COUNTIES.