H.R. No. 397 R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives takes pride in 1-2 recognizing the bicentennial of the founding of the Mission Nuestra 1-3 Senora del Refugio, the last Spanish mission established in Texas; 1-4 and 1-5 WHEREAS, Founded in 1795 by Father Manuel Silva, the Mission 1-6 Nuestra Senora del Refugio was part of an attempt to christianize 1-7 the Karankawa Indian tribes of the Texas Coastal Bend; the location 1-8 for the mission was on a high spot of a prairie within the limits 1-9 of Rancho de Santa Gertrudis; and 1-10 WHEREAS, During the decade of 1820-1830, the mission was 1-11 abandoned and eventually fell into ruin, but the town of Refugio 1-12 and Refugio County would one day rise from the very stones that 1-13 originally formed the mission's walls; and 1-14 WHEREAS, In 1834, Irish immigrants from Ballygarrett, County 1-15 Wexford, under the leadership of empresarios James Power and James 1-16 Hewetson, arrived at the mission site after a difficult voyage of 1-17 danger and tragedy; the immigrants carted away the stones from the 1-18 dilapidated walls of the old mission to be used for the foundations 1-19 of homes, garden enclosures, and cisterns; and 1-20 WHEREAS, An intriguing historical site today, the town of 1-21 Refugio is a tribute to the mission's founder and to the Irish 1-22 immigrants who used the mission's scattered remains to build a 1-23 town; and 1-24 WHEREAS, In memory of the mission and in honor of the Irish 2-1 immigrants who founded Refugio, and as part of a Saint Patrick's 2-2 Day celebration, a mass will be held at Our Lady of Refugio Church 2-3 on Friday, March 17, 1995; now, therefore, be it 2-4 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 2-5 Legislature hereby extend best wishes to the citizens of Refugio on 2-6 the bicentennial of the founding of the Mission Nuestra Senora del 2-7 Refugio and on their Saint Patrick's Day Celebration; and, be it 2-8 further 2-9 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-10 prepared for the town of Refugio in honor of its founders and in 2-11 memory of its mission.