In the late 1950’s the parishes of St. Joseph and St. Elizabeth experienced growing pains as the city of Lubbock grew. Our Lady of Grace Parish was born out of the need for a new church in the Arnett-Benson section of northwest Lubbock. 

The Lubbock clergy found that a Protestant community was building a new church and had put the old one up for sale. They quickly bought it for $35,000 and began remodeling it in January of 1960.

The original church was concrete block and had three classrooms and a nursery as well. It had about 20 pews and at first it appeared to be a large enough for the families at hand. 

However, when the church was dedicated January 24, 1960, the crowd that arrived overflowed the building. Bishop John L. Morkovski came for the dedication and installed Father Wilmer Riechel, former pastor of St. John’s Hermleigh, as the first pastor of Our Lady of Grace. 

Father Riechel offered the solemn High Mass of thanksgiving with Father Thomas Drury as deacon and Msgr. Francis Smyer as sub deacon. From the beginning, Our Lady of Grace was an active parish, and it grew very quickly. 

In September of 1960, Father Fred Hyland became the pastor. Father Tony Gonzales became his first assistant after his ordination in 1962. The following Fathers Paul Link and James Gurzynski began their service as assistants.

In 1964, Bishop Lawrence DeFalco assigned Father Curtis Halfmann as pastor of Our Lady of Grace. His assistants were Father Roland Buxkemper (1965-66, Emilio Abeyta (1966-68), Larry Hemp (1968-69), Harry Waldo (1970-1973) and Gary Sides (1973-1976).

In 1968, Father Halfmann announced that a new church would be built next to the old one on Erskine Road. What came out of this project was the most exciting church in the diocese at that time. 

The new building was formally dedicated Sunday, August 25, 1968 by Bishop DeFlaco. The new building was designed by Walter Calvert of Stiles, Roberts and Messersmith, architects and engineers of Lubbock. Hunter Construction finished the job. 

The observer was fascinated when he first saw the building. Unlike other churches, Our Lady of Grace Church was built around and down like an amphitheater. Father Halfmann saw that the church was designed according to recent revisions in the liturgy done at the Second Vatican Council. 

The seating arrangement was a result of the emphasis placed on a better congregational participation in the Mass. Even a child could clearly see from the rows, and the building was designed to seat a total of 520 people within 42 feet of the altar. The effect was rather striking as natural light poured in on the altar from the skylight above.

On the upper level, to the rear of the church, was a small chapel with the tabernacle. Thence to the left is the baptismal font. Our Lady of Grace was the first Church in the diocese to use the new type of confessional. The individual was able to enter the room and make their confession at the private booth incognito or step into a larger room to sit and discuss their confession with the priest.