The congregation of St. Mary’s, Hillsboro, who earlier this year lost their historic building to people who left The Episcopal Church, worshiped in their new space at 301 S Waco Street on Sunday, June 27, 2021.
For several weeks, they worshiped in a borrowed office space while they looked for something more permanent. Then a local businessman offered them a vacant bank drive-through facility on a main street in town. All they had to do was clean it up and do some mechanical repairs.
They set to work, and with the help of a generous gift from the Diocese of West Texas and others, they have transformed the place. West Texas gave them sanctuary furniture and 60 chairs for the worship space. Books of Common Prayer, hymnals, and all the accoutrement of our worship life came from parishes around Texas. St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Keller, produces bulletins for monthly Eucharists and sends them to St. Mary’s with a priest. And long time stalwart member Robert Skelton invites her brother in from time to time; the Rev. Joseph H Chillington, Jr., is a retired priest, and he celebrated and preached on June 27.
Watch a video of the day below.