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HARLINGEN — A small chapel here has received new life after a year-long restoration project.

The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament reopened after over six decades without services and will now host daily Mass.

The historic chapel was restored thanks to Matt F. Gorges, who largely funded and spearheaded the project with a passionate vision and unwavering dedication. He had dreamed of this project for the last 10 years, he says, and was set on getting it done “before it was too late.”

“It has been a labor of love for me,” said Gorges.

The little chapel resides on the corner of Van Buren and 11th Street, right across from the Saint Anthony Catholic Church.

There is no official record of when it was originally constructed, but Gorges estimates it was built in the early 1900s, prior to the 1930s.

Gorges moved to Harlingen with his family in the 1940s. Back then, the building was Saint Alban’s Episcopal Church’s main and only chapel. It served as the home of Saint Albans from 1930 until 1957.

“I’ve been a member of this church since I was a young child, as was my whole family. From the day we moved here, I loved this little building,” said Gorges.

Harlingen had only been incorporated for a couple of decades before official records show Saint Alban’s utilization of the church building.

The chapel witnessed its congregation experience the hardships of the Great Depression, saw the establishment of the Harlingen Army Air Field, and watched as the city blossomed through its foundational period.

For 27 years, the Saint Albans Church congregation slowly outgrew the little chapel, and eventually the building was sold to Saint Anthony Church.

The chapel did not see a single church service for 68 years until its recent re-opening. According to Gorges, it was mainly used as a schoolroom, a library, and as of 10 to 15 years ago, it was utilized as a storeroom.

The restoration began in May 2024, according to Gorges.

“I am obviously reaching the end of my productive days, and it was always a desire of mine to convert it to what it really could be,” said Gorges.

Prior to the reconstruction, Gorges says the facility was in such bad condition because it was so old, that it was basically useless. It was far from the church Gorges remembered as a child.

Gorges says the floor was in the worst condition, only second to the roof.

Gorges and his team replaced it with new hardwood flooring, added freshly painted red doors, and replaced the roof, but did manage to preserve a portion. They stained it strategically to resemble the original wood.

Additionally, they gave the interior a fresh coat of new paint, installed bricks that resembled the originals, refurbished enough pews to seat around 120 people, and imported an altar.

Gorges even saw that a sacristy and confessional was added to the building.

As well, they were able to preserve many of the church’s original elements.

Atop the chapel sits a unique concrete cross, which Gorges said he’s always loved dearly. He says it’s as old as the chapel. Below it, is an original stained glass depiction of Saint Anthony lifting up baby Jesus towards the sky.

The original lights hang from the ceiling, providing an ambient glow for all churchgoers. Additionally, half of the stained glass is original, and another portion of the glass came from the Saint Anthony’s Church.

The chapel officially reopened on March 27, ironically, or maybe spiritually, the day of the torrential flooding across the Valley.

“It was raining cats and dogs when we were in here having the introductory service,” Gorges recounted. “Everybody took it in stride. A lot of cars got drowned and things like that, but it’s something to remember.”

Fortunately, the flooding didn’t cause the newly restored chapel any damage, as Gorges says his team had taken that possibility into consideration during the reconstruction process.

Now, the once-empty chapel sees daily Masses led by Pastor Jesus G. Garza, who previously served at Port Isabel’s Our Lady Star of the Sea.

Gorges says the project would not have been possible without the help of Garza, Gorges’ assistant Mary Hernandez and the contractor, Rene Mares of ARB Contractors LLC.

Gorges says through every setback, the memory of his late wife Patty kept him motivated to see the project through.

“We knew each other since we were children. She was just as devoted to Saint Anthony’s as I am and was a big inspiration for me to undertake the project,” he said.

The post ‘A labor of love’: This little chapel in Harlingen held its first services in over six decades appeared first on MyRGV.com.