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

46
by bands of Mexican renegades and bandits which, according
to one group of Karnes County residents in late 1863, were
"alarmingly on the increase and threaten to devastate the
Country. "-^-"-^
Father Julian Przysiecki served Panna Maria as
priest for the first two years of the Civil War.
However,
he did not serve merely Panna Maria.
He, like Father
Rossadowski before him, served as a "circuit-riding" priest,
visiting all the Polish settlements to hear confessions
and offer the sacraments.
This meant that although his
seat was in Panna Maria, he served about eight parishes.
Spending much of his time on horseback. Father Julian's
travels took him as far away as Bandera, one hundred and
ten miles to the northwest.
Yet, the Silesians of Panna
Maria did feel the security of having a Polish priest for
at least a few days at a time.
However, this situation
was not to last for the duration of the war.
On November 15, 1863, a disaster occurred for all
the Poles in Texas.
Father Przysiecki died from a fall
from his horse near St. Hedwig, eighteen miles east of
San Antonio.
The death of this priest meant that there
was no Polish-speaking priest in Texas for the next three
116
Petition No. 40, Citizens of Karnes County Ask
that a Company be formed for the protection of Karnes and
other counties, December 8, 1863, Texas State Archives,
Austin, Texas.