Panna Maria (

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

for ''

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

'') is a small

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Karnes County,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, United States. It is the oldest

settlement in the United States.

History

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

missionary A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

, Father

Leopold Moczygemba Leopold Moczygemba, OFM Conv (October 18, 1824 – February 23, 1891) was the founder of the first Polish-American parish in Panna Maria and Bandera, Texas. He was born October 18, 1824, in Groß Pluschnitz, Upper Silesia, Prussia (now Płuż ...

, started recruiting

Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( pl, Górny Śląsk; szl, Gůrny Ślůnsk, Gōrny Ślōnsk; cs, Horní Slezsko; german: Oberschlesien; Silesian German: ; la, Silesia Superior) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, locate ...

ns in 1852, when

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

belonged to the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918. Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...

. The immigrants began arriving at Indianola in early December 1854. With carts to haul them inland being scarce, the immigrants walked to their land grants near

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

and the town was settled on Christmas Eve in 1854. The town's identity as an insular Polish enclave was sealed by four factors: #Bypassed by the

railroads Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

in sympathy (Settlers were also unionist and were occasionally massacred in Texas during this period) #Polish Resurrectionist priests arrived from Europe #A sisterhood of Polish teaching nuns was established The Texas Silesian dialect has continued to be spoken for several generations. The Panna Maria Historic District is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

References

External links

Official website of Panna Maria, Texas"Panna Maria" ''Handbook of Texas Online''.Stanley S. (1976). ''In Quest of a Cultural Identity: An Inquiry for the Polish Community.'' New York, New York: IUME, Teachers College, Columbia University. ISBN ERIC ED167674.THE EARLY HISTORY OF PANNA MARIA, TEXAS by Thomas Lindsay Baker
* {{authority control Unincorporated communities in Texas Polish-American culture in Texas Silesian-American culture in Texas Silesian-American history Silesian emigrants to the United States Populated places established in 1854 Unincorporated communities in Karnes County, Texas Polish communities in the United States 1854 establishments in Texas

History

See also

References

External links