A Tiny Church and a Small Town

Yesterday, we headed out of San Antonio toward Houston to visit my Uncle Dennis and Aunt Joyce who live on Lake Conroe.  Driving was very stress-free, and we began to really enjoy the scenery: cattle ranches and small rural town along the roadside. Dennis had suggested we find a church between Warrenton and Round Top, Texas.  Our GPS misdirected us by about a half mile, but mom spotted the church.  We turned around and parked in front of St. Martin's, the tiniest, active Catholic Church in the country!

St. Martin's Church

This tiny church sits just outside of Warrenton, Texas, nestled in the pasture land of the area.  We ventured into the yard, through the cemetery, and entered the church.  This beautiful chapel-sized church is a very rustic and charming building.  The pastor regularly celebrates Mass, and visitors are encouraged to write down Mass intention requests.

The Altar in St. Martin's

After we left St. Martin's we traveled into Round Top, Texas for lunch.  What a find!  This charming little town of 94 people is a step into quiet, charming, rural America.  We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Teague's Tavern, then wandered through the Henkel Square.  With a fountain in the center of this beautiful park, walkways wander through shops with late 1800s storefronts.  A small church is at the "head" of the walkway, and there was a little arched wooden bridge crossed to the fountain.

The church in Henkel Square, Round Top, Texas

Henkel Square fountain

Store in Henkel Square

This little town hosts a huge antique fair twice a year when thousands flock to the area to buy, sell, and trade antiques.  This venue would be a great destination to visit, not necessarily during the antique fairs, when you could spend a day or two just wandering through town.  Unfortunately, most of the businesses are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so we just took pictures and moved down the road.

Seating in the Henkel Square.