De Spiritu Sancto

Virgin Mary visits Houston by way of North Shepherd: Do you believe in thesightings?

An uncanny image of the Virgin Mary is stopping traffic along North Shepherdjust above 39th Street.
Click though the slide show and see the Blessed Mother appear before youreyes...
Photo by Tyler Rudick
Mary visits Texas on a fairly regular basis, with at least four reportedappearances since 2007.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
Property owner Kyle Toland has told reporters that people have been visiting theGarden Oaks Mary regularly for several years.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
Visitors clean up the site two or three times a month, keeping the memorialfresh and ready for steady stream of devotees.
Photo by Tyler Rudick

For residents of Garden Oaks, North Shepherd is known primarily for the CVS, the Sears and the post office . . . but a tree bearing the shape of the Virgin Mary across from Bally Total Fitness is quickly becoming the neighborhood's most recognized landmarks.

CultureMap visited the site this weekend and, within the first five minutes, no less than three cars slowed to a near stop on the busy thoroughfare to view the uncanny outline of the Holy Mother.

From a distance, the scene resembles a roadside memorial — a tidy pile of flowers and candles beneath a foot-and-a-half long scar in an oak tree just feet from the street. And, for years, property owner Kyle Toland though it was just that.

"The first thing that drew my eye was a lady and daughter taking pictures," property owner Kyle Tolan d said. "I could see them from my living room. I had no idea what was going on."

But in 2009, he noticed the tree was getting more and more visitors.

"The first thing that drew my eye was a lady and daughter taking pictures," Toland told KPRC Ch. 2. "I could see them from my living room. I had no idea what was going on."

Then he saw the image for himself and the steady stream of visitors made sense.

"Most of the people that come by keep it in very good condition," he explained, saying he didn't mind hosting the popular attraction. "They will rearrange everything to make it nice and pretty.”

The Virgin Mary, of course, has been no stranger to Texas, having revealed herself to unsuspecting passers-by in a variety of forms within the past five years:

El Paso, 2011: An apparition of the Holy Lady appeared in Alex Guillen's backyard during a party he was having for his 50th birthday.
New Braunfels, 2010: Residents at an apartment complex witnessed a glowing outline of the Blessed Mother on the side of a building on several occasions.
Bryan, 2009: Citizens gathered around a truck whose sideview mirror was hit with bird droppings displaying the miraculous shape of the Saint Mary on Dec. 12, the day La Virgen de Guadalupe is celebrated.
Houston, 2007: Cafeteria workers nearly ran out of the kitchen after seeing an image of Mary burnt onto the surface of a pizza pan.

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Design For All

Famed Texas architecture office opens call for 2026 $20K design grant

Courtesy of Hai Hospitality.

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A leading Texas-based architecture office is offering pro-bono services to nonprofits in the Austin, Houston, and for the first time, Dallas-Fort Worth areas. Michael Hsu Office of Architecture (MHOA) is embarking on its fifth annual Design for All initiative, with applications open now through May 15 at 5 pm.

MHOA is looking for a registered 501(c)(3) located within 50 miles of the approved metros. The nonprofit chosen will receive a grant covering $20,000 of design services; that might include things like a site analysis, a preliminary floor plan, or a proposal for a work plan, according to a press release.

Even if Hosutonians aren't architecture fanatics, they probably know MHOA's work, especially if they're foodies. The office has worked on Loro, Oporto Fooding House, the M-K-T development, the Heights Mercantile development, and other visually-striking buildings.

The goal of the Design for All Initiative is to help local nonprofits deliver more fully on their community work by giving them more functional spaces to work from.

“Working on Design For All projects reminds us why we became designers,” said MHOA senior associate Chet Morgan in the release. “This work serves as a reminder that thoughtful collaboration can unlock new possibilities long before construction begins.”

Last year's recipient was American YouthWorks, which used its grant to update its existing space, which it had "outgrown," according to a release at the time. Other past recipients include Central Texas Table of Grace (2024), Abigail E. Keller Foundation (2024), The Women’s Home and Children’s Assessment Center (2023), and Austin Angels (2022).

“Design For All has become one of the most meaningful ways we connect our work to the communities we care about,” said MHOA founder and principle Michael Hsu. “With our first Design For All project for Austin Angels completing construction this year, we’re especially proud of how the program continues to grow. As we prepare to open applications for this year’s program, we’re excited to meet the next nonprofit that’s prepared to imagine great possibilities with the support of design.”

Interested nonprofits can submit applications through Google Forms.

MHOA offers the following timeline for the process going forward:

Call for Entries – March 10
Questions due – April 10
Q&A posted on website – April 24
Submission Deadline – May 15 at 5 pm
Shortlist Interviews – June 8-19
Partnership announced – June 26

More information about the Design for All initiative, including more specific eligibility requirements, is available at hsuoffice.com.

architecture design nonprofits charity