San Antonio, Texas, is named for St. Anthony of Padua. For those in the know, St. Anthony is the go-to guy for finding lost or stolen items. What you may not know is that St. Anthony is also the go-to guy for finding your true love.
In Guatemala, singles flock to area churches on St. Anthony’s Feast Day, June 13, to ask him for help in finding their better half. It just so happens that I was in Antigua, Guatemala, on St. Anthony’s Feast Day back in 1992. The woman I was boarding with sent me to the church across the street to have a chat with St. Anthony and to place 13 coins in his offering box. Is it a coincidence that my boyfriend showed up two weeks later with an engagement ring that sparkled with 13 diamonds? I don’t think so.
Residents of and visitors to San Antonio may connect with St. Anthony right here in the Alamo City. St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church, 102 Lorenz Road, was founded in 1927 to serve the workers and neighbors of Cementville, the area surrounding the Alamo Cement Company’s quarry, home of the current Alamo Quarry Market. From downtown, take the number 9 VIA bus north up Broadway. Ask the driver to please let you off at the Howard Early Childhood Center, 7800 Broadway at Lorenz. Walk west down Lorenz. The church will be on your left.
When the congregation outgrew the small chapel, a larger church opened in 1957. The original chapel, which was recently moved in front of the church and restored, now serves as a sanctuary for adoration. It is open on Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sundays from 7 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
The grounds of the church include fourteen outdoor Stations of the Cross for meditation on the final hours of Christ’s life and a lovely Lourdes grotto. Inside the church, which also holds a special devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, you’ll find a relic of St. Anthony encased in a marble stand. Look below the St. Anthony statue to the left of the altar. Nine days prior to St. Anthony’s Feast Day, the parish hosts a nightly novena. Call (210) 824-1743 for more information.
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart priests serve this vibrant parish that has an amazing music ministry. Masses are on Saturdays at 5 p.m.; Sundays at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m. (Spanish Mass), 10:30 a.m. and noon; and Mondays, Tuesdays (novena to St. Anthony), Thursdays and Fridays at 9 a.m. On Wednesdays at 9 a.m., there is communion service only. Visitors are welcomed at all Masses.
On Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, the church will host its annual Parish Festival, which kicks off with a Mass on the Grass (grounds) at 11 a.m. A rummage sale, bingo, food booths, games and more will round out the day. Admission is free.
Drop by for a fun day! Who knows? Maybe you’ll find your true love? If not, ask St. Anthony for some help!
Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been home ever since. For even more ideas of fun things to do and see in San Antonio, visit Barnes & Noble, The Twig or Whole Earth Provision Co. to purchase Denise’s book, “100 Things To Do in San Antonio Before You Die” . Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to design/lead a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!
The stations of the cross are wonderful here. Have you visited the grotto and stations at the Oblate Center?
I have visited the stations at Oblate, but it’s been too long. I also love the grotto there. Very spiritual, peaceful place. I’ll do a posting about it at some point.