125 years later, annual Mass still honors Blessed Mother, unites family in memory of 1900 storm

Father James Murphy, CSB, vice president of mission at St. Thomas High School, celebrates a Mass for the Ingrando Family on Sept. 8 at St. Thomas High School. The annual Mass, which marked its 125th anniversary this year, honors the Blessed Virgin Mary and those affected by the Great Storm of 1900. (Photo courtesy Of Ingrando Family)HOUSTON — In a powerful testament to enduring faith and family legacy, the Ingrando Family marked the 125th anniversary of a sacred vow with a special Mass at St. Thomas High School this September. 

The annual celebration honors the Blessed Mother and commemorates the victims and survivors of the 1900 Galveston hurricane, a tradition born from a prayerful promise made in the face of tragedy.

One hundred twenty-five years ago, Jeanice Netzel’s great-grandfather, Ignacio “Nash” Ingrando, gathered his frightened family in their Houston home that terrible night on Sept. 8, 1900, as what is now considered a Category 4 storm that shredded Galveston Island and raked Houston. Desperate, he turned to the Blessed Mother and prayed: “Oh, Blessed Mother, if you save my family, I’ll have a Mass said in your honor every year.” 

Little did Sicilian-born Ingrando know that the words he spoke in a moment of fear would still resonate more than a century later, carried in the prayers of five generations of his own family.

“That night changed everything,” said Jeanice Netzel. “It all ties back to the Virgin Mary and my great-grandfather’s covenant with God. He prayed that if our family was spared, we would hold a Mass in her honor every year.”

The storm, which devastated Galveston and reshaped the region’s history, also marked a turning point for the Ingrando family. Their vow to honor the Blessed Mother, which also coincided with the Sept. 8 feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, has been faithfully upheld for over a century. This year’s milestone gathering drew a larger crowd than ever before, held in the school’s auditorium.

“It was so special to see all the family there,” said Jeanice Netzel.

Father James Murphy, CSB, vice president of mission at St. Thomas, has celebrated the Mass for the family more than a dozen times. 

“To gather every year to remember a family’s promise of faith and hope is remarkable,” he said. “This family has been celebrating this Mass for 6% of the history of the Church. That’s pretty impressive.”

The Mass reflects the Basilian Fathers’ mission of responding to local needs with compassion and service. 

“We’ve always tried to do what needs to be done, where it needs to be done,” Father Murphy said. “During the hurricane, the Basilian community helped raise funds and support relief efforts. That spirit continues today.” According to a diocesan ledger reviewed by Archives and Herald staff, the Basilian Fathers in Toronto donated to the 1900 Hurricane relief efforts. 

The Ingrando family’s connection to St. Thomas began in the early 2000s when Jeanice Netzel’s husband, Mike, joined the school’s staff. 

“We started small with a private Mass,” she said, some years simply joining a scheduled Mass at a parish, then going out for lunch after. Through the years, the family’s Mass would move from room to room and church to church. Many priests have also stepped in to celebrate the Mass, also becoming part of the family’s extended community and celebration, she said.

“Then it grew — first at St. Anne’s, then in St. Therese’s room, and now in the auditorium. It’s always centered around the Mass and how important our faith is to why we’re here.”

The celebration has become a spiritual anchor for the family, much like Christmas or Easter. “We just always went,” said Jeanice Netzel. “Even as a child, I remember going with my mom, my aunts and cousins. It’s always been part of our lives.”

Father Murphy said the Mass is a living embodiment of the Church’s mission. 

“It’s a gathering of family, a meal of celebration and faith,” he said. “Every time we celebrate Mass, it’s not just the community around the altar — it’s the communion of saints, the lived history of our faith.”

He also noted the spiritual growth he’s witnessed over the years. “Watching little ones become teenagers, teenagers become adults and get married and bring their loved ones into this tradition — it’s the Church writ small and writ large,” he said. “Someone has always stepped up to keep that prayer of faith alive.”

The family’s commitment is evident not only in their attendance but in their storytelling. “They have a family website to keep the story alive,” Father Murphy said. “It’s delightful to see older members pass it on and younger ones embrace it.”

Jeanice Netzel said it’s inspiring to see the younger generations participate in the annual celebration, whether at Mass, such as serving as lectors or altar servers, or beyond. For this milestone year, Jordan Adamo created a logo for the Mass, which incorporated the family’s Sicilian heritage.

As the Ingrando family continues to honor their ancestor’s vow, their annual Mass stands as a beacon of hope, resilience and devotion — proof that faith, when rooted in love and tradition, can weather any storm. 

To learn more about the Ingrando Family’s history, visit the website at www.sites.google.com/view/ingrando-family.