The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio is an

archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

of the

Catholic Church in the United States With 23 percent of the United States' population , the Catholic Church is the country's second largest religious grouping, after Protestantism, and the country's largest single church or Christian denomination where Protestantism is divided i ...

, and sui juris

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in full communion with the

pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. It encompasses in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio had a self-reported 2018 population of 796,954, up from 728,001 in 2014. The archdiocese includes the city of

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...

and the following counties: Val Verde,

Edwards Edwards may refer to: People * Edwards (surname) * Edwards family, a prominent family from Chile * Edwards Barham (1937-2014), a former member of the Louisiana State Senate * Edwards Pierrepont (1817–1892), an American attorney, jurist, and or ...

Real Real may refer to: Currencies * Brazilian real (R$) * Central American Republic real * Mexican real * Portuguese real * Spanish real * Spanish colonial real Music Albums * ''Real'' (L'Arc-en-Ciel album) (2000) * ''Real'' (Bright album) (2010) ...

Kerr Kerr may refer to: People *Kerr (surname) *Kerr (given name) Places ;United States *Kerr Township, Champaign County, Illinois *Kerr, Montana, A US census-designated place *Kerr, Ohio, an unincorporated community *Kerr County, Texas Other uses ...

, Gillespie, Kendall,

Comal COMAL (''Common Algorithmic Language'') is a computer programming language developed in Denmark by Børge R. Christensen and Benedict Løfstedt and originally released in 1975. COMAL was one of the few structured programming languages that was a ...

, Guadalupe, Gonzales, Uvalde, Kinney,

Medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...

, Bexar,

Wilson Wilson may refer to: People *Wilson (name) ** List of people with given name Wilson ** List of people with surname Wilson * Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender * Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson R ...

, Karnes,

Frio Frío or Frio may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places * Frio River, Texas, United States * Frio County, Texas Frio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 18,385. The county seat is Pearsall. ...

, Atascosa, Bandera County, and the portion of McMullen north of the

Nueces River The Nueces River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas, about long. It drains a region in central and southern Texas southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the southernmost major river in Texas northeast of the Rio Grande. ''Nueces' ...

. On August 28, 1874, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galveston was divided and the northern territory was canonically erected by the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

as the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Antonio. Originally part of the Ecclesiastical Province of New Orleans, it was subsequently elevated on August 3, 1926, to a

metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...

archdiocese. The archbishop of San Antonio also serves as the metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of San Antonio with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio overseeing the following

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdiction ...

dioceses:

Amarillo Amarillo ( ; Spanish for " yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall Cou ...

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, El Paso,

Fort Worth Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. Accord ...

, Laredo,

Lubbock Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...

, and

San Angelo San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert to the southwest, Osage Pl ...

. All of Texas' dioceses had been suffragan sees under San Antonio until December 2004 when

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

created the new Ecclesiastical Province of Galveston-Houston and elevated the

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

to a metropolitan see.

History

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio was erected as a diocese on August 28, 1874, under the then

Diocese of Galveston In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

. It was elevated to an archdiocese on August 3, 1926. In 2010, it had 138

parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

, 34 missions and two pastoral centers. In 2018, it reported 139 parishes, 5 hospitals, 3 health care centers, 3 orphanages, 16 nurseries, 10 high schools, and 30 elementary schools. With the appointment of Archbishop

José Horacio Gómez José Horacio Gómez Velasco (born December 26, 1951) is a Mexican-born American prelate of the Catholic Church. He became the fifth Archbishop of Los Angeles in 2011. He served as Auxiliary Bishop of Denver from 2001 to 2004 and as Archb ...

as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles, its cathedral was considered

sede vacante ''Sede vacante'' ( in Latin.) is a term for the state of a diocese while without a bishop. In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the term is used to refer to the vacancy of the bishop's or Pope's authority upon his death or resignation. Hi ...

until October 14, 2010. On October 14, 2010,

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereig ...

appointed Gustavo Garcia-Siller as archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio. On January 31, 2019, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio released a list of 56 Catholic clergy who were "credibly accused" of committing acts of sex abuse as early as 1940.

Bishops

The following are lists of ordinaries (bishops and archbishops of the diocese) and auxiliary bishops, and their years of service. They are followed by other priests of this diocese who became bishops.

Bishops of San Antonio

# Anthony Dominic Ambrose Pellicer (1874–1880) #

John Claude Neraz John Claude Neraz (January 12, 1828 – November 15, 1894) was a French-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of San Antonio from 1881 until his death in 1894. Biography John Claude Neraz was born in Anse, Rhône, ...

(1881–1894) #

John Anthony Forest John Anthony Forest (December 25, 1838 – March 11, 1911) was a French-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of San Antonio from 1895 until his death in 1911. Biography John Forest was born in Saint-Martin-la-Sau ...

(1895–1911) # John William Shaw (1911–1918; Coadjutor Bishop 1910-1911), appointed

Archbishop of New Orleans The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans ( la, Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, french: Archidiocèse de la Nouvelle-Orléans, es, Arquidiócesis de Nueva Orleans) is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church spanning Jeffers ...

# Arthur Jerome Drossaerts (1918–1926), elevated to Archbishop

Archbishops of San Antonio

# Arthur Jerome Drossaerts (1926–1940) # Robert Emmet Lucey (1941–1969) # Francis James Furey (1969–1979) # Patrick Fernández Flores (1979–2004) # Jose Horacio Gómez Velasco (2004–2010), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop and later Archbishop of Los Angeles #

Gustavo Garcia-Siller Gustavo is the Latinate form of a Germanic male given name with respective prevalence in Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian. It has been a common name for Swedish monarchs since the reign of Gustav Vasa. It is derived from Gustav /ˈɡʊstɑːv/, ...

, M.Sp.S. (2010–present)

Auxiliary Bishops

Stephen Aloysius Leven Stephen Aloysius Leven (April 30, 1905 – June 28, 1983) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of San Angelo from 1969 to 1979. Biography Early life and education Stephen Leven was born in Blackwell, Okl ...

(1955–1969), appointed Bishop of San Angelo * Patrick Fernández Flores (1970–1978), appointed Bishop of El Paso and later Archbishop of San Antonio * Hugo Mark Gerbermann, M.M. (1975–1982) *

Raymundo Joseph Peña Raymundo Joseph Peña (February 19, 1934 – September 24, 2021) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.Bishop of El Paso and later Bishop of Brownsville *

Charles Victor Grahmann Charles Victor Grahmann (July 15, 1931 – August 14, 2018) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Dallas in Texas from 1990 to 2007. He also served as bishop of the Diocese of Victo ...

(1981–1982), appointed

Bishop of Victoria The Bishop of Victoria, Hong Kong was (from 1849 to 1951) the Ordinary of a corporation sole including Hong Kong and South China that ministered to 20,000 Anglicans. Bishops *18491865 (ret.): George SmithHandbook to the Diocese of Victoria (Hong K ...

and later Bishop of Dallas * Ricardo Ramirez, C.S.B (1981–1982), appointed Bishop of Las Cruces * Bernard Ferdinand Popp (1983–1993) * Edmond Carmody (1988–1992), appointed Bishop of Tyler and later Bishop of Corpus Christi * Joseph Anthony Galante (1992–1994), appointed Bishop of Beaumont and later Coadjutor Bishop of Dallas and Bishop of Camden * John Yanta (1994–1997), appointed Bishop of Amarillo * Thomas Flanagan (1998–2005) * Patrick Zurek (1998–2008), appointed Bishop of Amarillo *

Oscar Cantú Oscar Cantú (born December 5, 1966) is a Mexican-American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of San Jose in California since 2018. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Las Cruces in New Mexico fr ...

(2008–2013), appointed Bishop of Las Cruces *

Michael Joseph Boulette Michael Joseph Boulette (born June 4, 1950) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of San Antonio in Texas since 2017. Biography Early life Michael J. Boulette wa ...

(2017–present) * Gary W. Janak (2021–present)

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

* Mariano Simon Garriga, appointed Coadjutor Bishop in 1936 and later Bishop of Corpus Christi * Sidney Matthew Metzger, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Fe in 1939 and later Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of El Paso *

Laurence Julius FitzSimon Laurence Julius FitzSimon (January 31, 1895 – July 2, 1958) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Amarillo in Texas from 1941 until his death in 1958. Biography Early life Laurence Fi ...

, appointed Bishop of Amarillo in 1941 *

John Louis Morkovsky John Ludvik Morkovsky (August 16, 1909 – March 24, 1990) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Amarillo in Texas from 1958 to 1963 and as bishop of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston in Texas f ...

, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Amarillo in 1955, later Bishop of Amarillo, Coadjutor Bishop of Galveston-Houston, Bishop of Galveston-Houston *

Charles Edwin Herzig Charles Edwin Herzig (August 14, 1929 – September 7, 1991) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Tyler in Texas from 1987 until his death in 1991. Biography Charles Herzig w ...

, appointed Bishop of Tyler in 1986 * Gerald Richard Barnes, appointed Auxiliary Bishop in 1992 and later Bishop of San Bernardino * José Arturo Cepeda Escobedo, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit in 2011

Education

; Catholic Universities *

Our Lady of the Lake University Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU), known locally as the Lake, is a private Catholic university in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1895 by the Sisters of Divine Providence, a religious institute originating in Lorraine, France, duri ...

* St. Mary's University *

University of the Incarnate Word The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is a private, Catholic university with its main campus in San Antonio and Alamo Heights, Texas. Founded in 1881 by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, the university's main campus is located ...

;High schools *

Antonian College Preparatory High School Antonian College Preparatory High School is an archdiocesan Catholic co-educational high school for students grades 9 through 12. Antonian has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon Catholic high school. It is located in Castle Hills, Texas. It ...

, Castle Hills (Est. 1964) *

Central Catholic Marianist High School Central Catholic High School, is a Catholic, all-male, non-boarding college preparatory school located in the River North District of Downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio. History The school began as ...

, San Antonio (Est. 1852) * Holy Cross of San Antonio, San Antonio (Est. 1957) *

Incarnate Word High School Incarnate Word High School is a private, Roman Catholic, all-girls high school in Midtown San Antonio, Texas, United States established in 1881. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio and is a division of the University o ...

, San Antonio (Est. 1881) * Our Lady of the Hills High School, Kerrville (Est. 2013) * Providence High School, San Antonio (Est. 1951) *

St. Anthony Catholic High School St. Anthony Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school located in the Monte Vista Historic District in Midtown San Antonio, Texas, United States.St. Gerard Catholic High School, San Antonio (Est. 1927) * John Paul II Catholic High School, Schertz (Est. 2009) ;Former high schools * St. Francis Academy - High school for girls * St. Mary's School by the Riverwalk (1910–2004)

Province of San Antonio

See '' List of the Catholic bishops of the United States''

References

External links

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio Official Site
*
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio Official Site
(Archive)
Archdiocese of San Antonio Schools

Archdiocese of San Antonio
(Archives) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic Archdiocese Of San Antonio Organizations based in San Antonio