Diocese acknowledges intention to demolish 1912 building in Misson area

MISSION — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville blamed a contractor Thursday for not properly filing a permit application to demolish a historic building on the grounds of the modern St. Joseph and St. Peter Seminary.

However, the diocese has acknowledged its intention to demolish the building — built in 1912 to house the Oblates of Mary Immaculate Novitiate — after structural engineers declared it unsalvageable following a Sep. 5 fire.

Shocked and furious city leaders and residents rushed to stop bulldozers from knocking down the building Wednesday, one day after Weslaco contractor R.L. Abatement Inc. began demolition.

"Any of the ambiguities have to be cleared by them," diocese spokeswoman Brenda Nettles Riojas said of the contractor. "We trust they are going to follow the procedures stipulated in the contract."

A copy of the permit the city of Mission gave to the diocese includes the words "DEMOLITION PERMIT" at the top of the document and lists "DEMOLISH" as the fee code; the permit also indicates that $50 was assessed as a "DEMOLITION PERMIT FEE."

However, the city of Mission stressed Thursday that the application for the permit is the crucial document. That application — signed by R. L. Abatement employee Roberto Valladares — describes the work to be performed as clean debris.

Neither Valladares nor project manager Rafael Jaramillo did not return calls placed to their secretary Thursday.

At the time of the fire five months ago, the building — part of La Lomita Historic District — was vacant and not in use, according to the diocese. The diocese acquired the property in 1999 from the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and planned to renovate the historic site. Several projects were in the works, including plans for a diocesan museum. The building was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, and an official Texas Historical Marker was placed next to the structure in 1981.

Members of the community expressed outrage over the demolition of the building and the removal of the historical marker.

"We are trying to protect history," Mission City Manager Julio Cerda said.

The diocese issued a statement Wednesday saying that it was "deeply saddened that the catastrophic fire of Sept. 5 left us with the remains of a historic building found to be unsalvageable. This certainly does not take away from the historical significance of the site and what it means to the Catholic community."

Cerda insisted the city does not want to become embroiled in a controversy with the diocese over the matter.

"The only thing we want is to work it out," he said. "Let’s reach a cooperative agreement to salvage as much of the building as we can."

A representative of the Texas Historical Commission — the state agency responsible for the historical preservation of Texas’ architectural, archaeological and cultural landmarks — said the commission was not informed about the removal of the historical marker.

"I don’t think we received any petition," for removal, said Bob Brickman, coordinator of the agency’s Historical Marker Program.

Anytime an institution or private property owner in Hidalgo County wants to relocate a marker, the commission should be informed through the Hidalgo County Historical Commission, Brickman said.

After learning that the marker was on the ground, the commission will try to recover the sign and place it in a museum or in a location where people can continue to read the story of the building’s history, Brickman said. Getting a historical marker in the first place requires up to two years of research.

The city of Mission considers the building an icon that represents not only the beginnings of the evangelization of Rio Grande Valley residents but also the foundation of the city itself.