​History of ​Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and Shrine

      Over a century ago, in 1898, St. George's became the first Catholic Church in Midland. Located at the corner of Texas Ave. and Dallas St., the Sunday Masses were celebrated by priests who traveled from Stanton by train.  In 1933 Fr. Ed Harrison, OMI, became the resident pastor of St. George's.
     In 1953, the congregation of St. George's started a campaign to build a new church.  In 1960, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church was built in its present location, and the doors of St. George's were permanently closed.
     In 1969 Our Lady of Guadalupe became officially a separate Parish, that same year, the Parish Center (Hall), now All Saint's Hall, was built through the efforts of a largely volunteer group of parishioners.
     The first Religious Education building was constructed in 1976, and a second building was added in 1998 to serve the ever growing needs of the parish.  The Parish Office (formerly located in the rectory) was also moved to the new building.  That same year the beautiful stained glass window with the image of the Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego, (Juan Diego was declared a Saint on July 31, 2002) was installed in the church.  In 1987, Cherry Lane, which had divided the Parish property, was closed and purchased from the city.  In 1988 the sanctuary of the Church was enlarged, and a building to contain the sacristy and Perpetual Adoration Chapel was added to the church.
     The beautiful Shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, on the southeast corner of the Parish property, was dedicated by
​Bishop Michael Pfeifer, OMI on June 8, 1993.  The present Religious Store had been turned over to the Parish in 1990. In 1996 the St. Vincent de Paul Society moved into a new building and turned their old building over to the Parish, it was named the Norman Hall, now Juan Diego Hall,  and is used for CCD and Adult Religious Education.
     More important than all the buildings, are the thousands and thousands of faithful baptized Catholics who have lived as members of the "body of Christ" over the past century and have had a part in building up the KINGDOM OF GOD.