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Texas
Painted Churches
Saints Cyril and Methodius Church
Shiner,
Texas
100 St. Ludmilla St., Shiner, Lavaca County
Type: Romanesque Revival
Architect:
F. Wahrenberger
Interior paintings by Edmond Fatjo
Date: 1920
Photos courtesy Barclay Gibson |
A red brick rectangular
building with cut stone buttresses and buff and gray brick designs. The square
tower supports an octagonal spire.
The interior has a vaulted ceiling
with pressed metal over the nave. Painted Greek crosses, gold fleur de-lis, and
other stencils were used throughout the building. Over the entrance of the apse,
a painting of angels resting on clouds surrounds a cloud-supported ciborium. |
| | | Christ
in the Garden of Gethsemane |
| Beneath the painting,
the Latin inscription Ecce Panis Angelorum appears - or "behold the bread of angels."
Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane is another focal point. Another mural of angels
playing musical instruments is located in the choir loft at the rear of the building.
|
| | | The
church's musical angel mural by Edmond Fatjo |
In 1890 two acres
of land were bought for construction of a church. The first wood frame church
was completed the following year and was damaged in a tornado in1892. By the early
twenties, the congregation had long outgrown the original church and the present
church was built near the first. In 1954 the building underwent a restoration
and it is believed the interior was painted shortly thereafter. The artist, Edmond
Fatjo was trained in Berlin and specialized in painting church interiors.
Source:
The Texas Historic Commission's Atlas of Historic Texas Places |
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