Saint Mary's Church

Saint Mary's Church. Founded 1852. St. Mary's Catholic Church founded in 1852 is the second-oldest parish in San Antonio; it opened in 1857 for two different congregations: the Germans and English. It was known as the Church for the English-speaking people of the city. The Spanish, Italian, and French were to worship at the Church of San Fernando. In 1887, a lady contributed monies for building the Church of St. Peter Claver for colored and Indian Catholics, who had previously worshiped at St. Mary's Catholic Church., Besides being a church of God, St. Mary's Catholic Church served for a time as a place of habitation for those engaged in ministry and for the seminarians preparing for the ministry. In October 1890, St. Mary's Church started the first Monthly Journal to make known to the faithful the principle Catholic events and the various regulations of the Church. From monthly it went to weekly publication and took the name of St. Mary's Weekly Journal. It was published to the public as paper by subscription. The paper took various names throughout the years; today it is known as Today's Catholic. In 1910 St. Mary's original school opened as a grade school and later adding a high school was conducted by the Sisters of Divine Providence. This school was the first free parochial school in Texas., In 1921, a disastrous flood devastated downtown San Antonio including St. Mary's Church. As a result, in September 1922, plans were laid out to tear down the original church and to erect the new St. Mary's Church which was opened September 1924. All proclaimed that the Church flourished in San Antonio and that the zeal and labors of those early pioneer priests were not in vain. Numerous additions have been made throughout the years. For example, the present rectory was built in 1967 and a new school with only elementary grades was finished in 1953., The area of St. Mary's Parish and the number of parishioners diminished through the years as new parishes were formed and people moved from the inner city. In taking care of its territorial parishioners, St. Mary's has always been a spiritual bulwark and an asset to downtown San Antonio and the business world serving this area with Masses, novenas, confession, spiritual consultation, hospital visitations, and nursing home ministry., The Oblates of Mary Immaculate became the caretakers of St. Mary's Catholic Church in January 1885 and have continued to present day., LAUS DEO (Praise God), Grand Commander Kenneth Boone . Grand Scribe George Terrell . Grand Chamberlain Bernabe Davila . Vice Grand Commander Alex Gomez . Scribe of the Exchequer Christobal Rodriguez . Chaplain Deacon Lawrence Brisiel . Rev. Charles Banks OMI . Rev. John J. Gordon OMI . Vice Supreme Commander Joe B. Cortinaz.