May 2025

We recently spent several days in Galveston, Texas, in condo looking out over the sea. Today we reflect on the sea, on storms, and resilience.

The sea was calm during our stay in Galveston. Children laughed and played in the gentle waves. Sunlight sparkled on the placid waters. It is not always so.

In 1900, Galveston experienced one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. A ferocious hurricane swept in from the Gulf of Mexico. Nearly every building in the city was destroyed or heavily damaged. Roughly 20% of all Galveston residents lost their lives.

One building that survived the Great Storm of 1900 was St. Mary’s Basilica, the first Roman Catholic cathedral in Texas. Dedicated in 1848, the brick church withstood the 1900 storm with surprisingly little damage. It was not so lucky when Hurricane Ike struck the city in 2008. The interior was filled with storm surge to a depth of over 5 feet. Six years of repairs and renovation were required before the church re-opened in 2014.

This beautiful church stands as a testament to Galveston’s resilience. It is a symbol of hope, of renewal, of new life.

There is so much in each day’s news to leave us discouraged. Wars and famine. Conflicts and insults. Violence and deadly storms. But there is also so much good, so much to hope for. The resilient spirit of Galveston reminds me of these words of the Apostle Paul: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor. 4:8-9).

Like Paul, we live in the glowing light of Easter, the season of hope, the season of new life. No matter what storms life may bring us, in the presence of the empty tomb there is always hope.

--Bill

They caught my eye as I first walked onto the third- floor balcony, and I got my first whiff of salty ocean air. Fourteen elegant brown pelicans soared in unison, in measured formation, gliding upward then swooping low as if they had a quick task to do. They held my attention taut, as they floated on the mystic breeze that set them free. 

The ebb and flow of foamy serf, the floor beneath the winged ones, promised them a place of rest. To those of us who have endured ravages of hurricanes, we don’t always feel so kindly of nature’s Zen.

Shore birds on ebbing Texas Gulf Coast waters are only one of my Galveston memories; I could tell a lifetime of stories.

Those same vast expanses of water brought my grandparents to America. Grandmother Ida Block and family migrated from East Prussia (now Germany) by passenger ship, welcomed to Galveston in 1892, “a difficult journey” (story details of which I’ll never forget, as if it were on the Niña, Pinta, or Santa Maria). The folks drew upon mighty Prussian resiliency as they sailed through a ‘perfect storm’ more than once.

Galveston also is the place of conventions, celebrations, and camaraderie. During my growing-up years, my parents owned Pattillo Bros grocery store. They traveled to the annual Galveston convention of the Texas Retail Grocers Association. If only the Galvez Hotel walls could talk! Those tales could add color, I’m sure, to the stories my parents told. The hotel also must have resilient genes, as she has withstood monster hurricanes during those years, 1911-present. In fact, "Queen of the Gulf," she has recently earned the name, the Grand Galvez.  

The Great Storm of 1900 devastated Galveston and an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 people on the island were killed. More hurricanes have bruised or hit Galveston every 2 ½ years. Yet, they rebuild, not afraid to challenge the oceans’ moods and movements.

Take a trip to Galveston and you will see memorials, monuments, and relics to the resilience of a people who love their island. Theirs is a treasured history, inspiring a deep respect and affection for things, memories, and stories that are important.

From soaring pelicans to grand hotels, it is a beautiful thing: They all point to a strong resiliency and admirable purpose.

--Jan     

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