THE EARLY HISTORY OF PANNA MARIA, TEXAS ... - Repositories

cleaned and smoothed its inside walls, covered the floor
with stone, built crude oak benches, and placed lime on
42
its outside walls.
After this work was completed. Father
Anthony had the Polish carpenter, Joseph Smia^^ek, to
build the pulpit, altar rails, and choir.
Coming from Upper Silesia in 1858, John and Tecla
Rzeppa brought a large bell for the church at Panna Maria.
After some discussion over where to place it. Father
Rossadowski and the parishoners decided that it would be
most appropriate to mount it in a bell tower over the
church.
Accordingly Mr. Smia^ek was commissioned to erect
a small tower over the choir at the front of the church.
The bell was placed in the tower, and the tower itself
was topped with a cross made by a Mr. Bronder of Panna
109
Maria.
Father Rossadowski remained in Panna Maria until
late spring 1860.
Leaving Panna Maria probably in May,
Father Anthony joined Rev. Moczygemba in Syracuse, New
York, where he served as the master of novices at the Conventual
Franciscan seminary.
Here he died in 1864 with
Father Leopold, the only other Pole, serving his his last
111
rites.
109
Dworaczyk, The First Polish Colonies, p. 20;
Kruszka, p. 374.
110 Dworaczyk, Church Records of Panna Maria, p. 4 5
Kruszka, p. 375.