Our Lady of Dallas

• The Founding of Our Lady of Dallas
• Prehistory: Cistercians in Hungary
  
• Building a New Monastery: Cistercians in Texas
  
• Our Lady of Dallas Timeline
  
  

Our Lady of Dallas Timeline

Major Dates

• 1955, February 19: The Holy See officially erects in the Diocese of Dallas-Ft. Worth a religious house founded by Hungarian monks belonging to the abbey of Zirc in Hungary. The temporary residence is a rented house on Swiss Avenue in Dallas.
  
• 1956, September 27: The University of Dallas opens its doors with nine Cistercians on its faculty.
  
• 1958, February 9: Bishop Gorman dedicates the first wing of the monastery building.
  
• 1961, March 21: The monastery becomes an independent (“sui iuris”) monastery with Fr. Anselm Nagy as its prior.
  
• 1962, September 8: Cistercian Preparatory School opens its doors with 50 students in rented facilities on Walnut Hill Lane in Dallas. Fr. Damian Szödényi serves as first headmaster.
  
• 1964, January 4: Abbot General Sighard Kleiner, with Bishop Gorman in attendance, blesses and installs Fr. Anselm Nagy as first abbot of the Abbey of Our Lady of Dallas.
  
• 1964, April 5: The first building of Cistercian Preparatory School is dedicated.
  
• 1988, April 14: Abbot General Polycarp Zakar blesses and installs Fr. Denis Farkasfalvy as second abbot of the Abbey of Our Lady of Dallas. Fr. Pat Koch, president of Dallas Jesuit Preparatory School, preaches in lieu of Bishop Tschoepe.
  
• 1992, May 12: The Abbey Church of Our Lady of Dallas is consecrated by Bishop Charles Grahmann.