Mentz gets its name from its first settlers, who came in 1846 – Catholics from Mainz, Germany. Records show that as early as 1850 priests were riding from Frelsburg on horseback to say mass in Mentz. In 1857, Franz Burtschell deeded four acres of his land to the Catholic Diocese of Galveston for $1 to build a church. A year later, St. Roch Catholic Church was completed. Mentz had become one of Texas’s vibrant German-Catholic enclaves.

The present St. Roch Church, built in 1941, is still the center of the Mentz community. On the first Sunday in October every year, residents come together for an enormous German festival – complete with polka, dancing, and games – a Mentz tradition since 1855.

Watch our Religious and Ethnic Diversity in German Texan Communities video to learn more about German Texan cultural heritage in Texas. This video was produced for inclusion in our German Texans mobile tour found in our Texas Time Travel Tours mobile app. Download the app for more videos and travel information: