The following excerpt is from the book Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Nuestra Historia a Traves de los Anos 1918 -1990 which can be purchased in the Guadalupanas' Gift Shop.

A new Catholic Church was needed for the fast-growing city of Amarillo, Texas. Many fund-raisers were held. The Hispanic community participated well. Every payday Dona Maria Vasquez and "la mis Susana", as Susan Morris was known, went to the railroad camps and yards, where many Hispanics worked, and collected donations for the Church building fund. The new Church was built in 1916 at 9th and Taylor and dedicated as Sacred Heart Cathedral on April 13, 1918.

Most Reverend J.P. Lynch, Bishop of Dallas gave the old Church building for the exclusive use of Spanish speaking Catholics of Amarillo. In October 1918, the building was moved to a lot at 11th and Arthur and named Our Lady of Guadalupe, with Father Cesario Gutierrez as its first Administrator. Four years later an adjoining lot was bought for a catechetical center, where religious instruction was taught by lay teachers. The Church was dedicated in a Mass on May 4,1920.

Rudolf A. Gerken was consecrated a Bishop in Dallas on April 26,1927. Two days later he was installed as the first Bishop of the new Amarillo Diocese. One of the dearest things to his heart was the cause of the Spanish-speaking Catholics. Soon after his arrival Bishop Gerken purchased one full block on Houston and 11th street on August 31,1927. He met with considerable opposition on the locations from Ango-Americans and non-Catholics.

Once again, the old Church building was moved to the corner of 11th and Houston. Bishop Gerken's chief purpose in securing a large piece of property was to build a parochial school. With help from the Catholic Church Extension Society, a fine brick school building was built in 1928 and the rectory in 1930.

Much of the success of all this work was due to the untiring and sincere efforts of Father Gutierrez and Bishop Gerken.