Department for Pastoral Ministries

I have known and been privileged to work alongside of Bishop Yanta for over 64 years and have appreciated his spirituality, charisma, leadership skills, executive skills, memory and attention to detail. I first met John W. Yanta in 1957 when he was assistant pastor at St. Ann’s Church in San Antonio and very actively involved in the Catholic Youth Organization sports program, which he quickly transformed into an evangelization/sports program. My entire family came to know him as Father John.

Ground was broken for the long-anticipated new gymnasium for St. John Paul II Catholic High School in Schertz on March 16.

Mexican American Catholic College students and faculty met with Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, in Our Lady’s Chapel at Assumption Seminary March 16 for Mass and to hear the archbishop convey his thoughts and feeling on the contents of his recent pastoral letter, Transformed by Hope, Let Us Rebuild Our Tomorrow!

A successful partnering of West Side parishes with COPS/Metro Alliance to study Pope Francis’ recent encyclical, Fratelli Tutti (On Fraternity and Social Friendship) owes it all to Zoom -- and the savvy leaders involved.

The U.S. bishop’s chairmen for the Doctrine Committee and Pro-Life Committee have addressed the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, which was recently approved for use in America.

For one year we have been faced with restrictions and other safety measures enacted to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19. These have greatly impacted our lives and our ministry as Church.

Remarks from Bishop-elect Gary Janak at February 15 announcement regarding his appointment as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Our Lady of Guadalupe in Helotes held a site blessing and groundbreaking for their new Family Center Building on March 2 at The Annex property at 11762 FM 1560 North. The church is celebrating 125 years of building community through faith.

Special Masses of thanksgiving are being celebrated by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, from mid-February through mid-March for donors to the Archbishop’s Appeal for Ministries, the “On the Way-Andale!” capital campaign, and Hope for the Future.

At the end of what was an unprecedented, challenging week for everyone in Texas, catechumens and candidates were welcomed at Rite of Elections and Call to Continuing Conversion gatherings which began the weekend of February 20-21 and followed the next week on February 27-28.

Everything in Natalie Mohr’s life seemed to lead to the position she currently holds as project coordinator for parish outreach and Project Rachel at Catholic Charities. A native San Antonian, Mohr attended St. Matthew Catholic School and Antonian College Preparatory High School before entering Texas State University (TSU) in San Marcos.

A 75-year-old Houston-area man died in his truck Feb. 16 after he ran out of oxygen for his oxygen machine.

Amid a winter storm that brought freezing temperatures and widespread power outages to much of Texas, Catholics are stepped to help their neighbors even while dealing with their own shortages of electricity and water.

For almost a week, amid an historic winter storm that’s left much of Texas paralyzed and shut down, Father Pat O’Brien and others at St. Pius X Church in San Antonio have operated under a simple mantra: “Whatever the need is, we will be open.”

The new parish of St. José Sánchez del Rio was formally established on the feast day of its namesake -- February 10 – and will be located in a fast-growing area of San Antonio, just off Blanco Road outside of Loop 1604.

Pope Francis has named Father Gary Janak, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Victoria, as well as rector of The Cathedral of Our Lady of Victory in Victoria, as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Let’s celebrate the gift of marriage! Among the many blessings that God has showered upon us in Christ is the blessing of marriage, a gift bestowed by the Creator from the creation of the human race. His hand has inscribed the vocation to marriage in the very nature of man and woman (see Gn 1:27-28, 2:21-24). Jesus Christ has elevated this blessing by making marriage between baptized Christians a sacramental sign of his own love for the Church (USCCB Pastoral Letter Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan). Our Church is blessed by and rejoices with so many couples that embrace the sacramentality of their marriage and are living in fidelity and commitment.

Before Father Don Cowie, SM, passed away, he was recorded reiterating a wonderful prayer that ties with the celebration of Marianist Heritage Week. He started off the prayer by saying, “Lord Jesus, through Your Mother, You inspired Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, our founder, to awaken the sleeping faith of a generation, of young men and women. Under his guidance, these young people became united in a brotherhood, and committed to apostolic work. Their goodness was contagious.”

Since 2011 -- for 10 years -- it had been tradition for a decade for Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, pastors, and active parish volunteers from across the archdiocese to gather on February 2 at St. Dominic Church to honor recipients of the archdiocesan Lumen Gentium and Christifideles Laici Awards.

World Day for Consecrated Life was celebrated in the Church on February 2 and in parishes the weekend of February 6-7. The event was instituted by Pope St. John Paul II in 1997 as a time to pray for all those men and women who have made commitments in the consecrated life and to thank them so that they would continue to be inspired by Jesus Christ and respond generously to God's gift of their vocation

Catholic Schools Week kicked off in a big way February 1 as ground was blessed for the new gymnasium at St. John Paul II High School in New Braunfels in advance of the February 23 groundbreaking gathering.

This week marks the 47th anniversary of celebrating Catholic Schools Week. All across the Archdiocese of San Antonio, our Catholic schools will be taking time out of their normal schedules to show their appreciation and celebrate people who help to make Catholic schools strong -- parents, teachers and staff, clergy and religious, students, and our benefactors.

Three Redemptorist brothers – Song You, Huan T. Le, and Huyen T. Nguyen – were ordained to the diaconate through the imposition of hands and the invocation of the Holy Spirit by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, at St. Gerard Church in San Antonio on January 23.

Msgr. Michael Yarbrough, 74, a longtime pastor of two of the largest parishes in the archdiocese who also served in numerous leadership roles on the archdiocesan level, died in hospice care at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital in San Antonio January 13 ­­­­due to COVID-19 related illness and other health issues.

I offer my prayers and congratulations to President Joe Biden as he begins the important and difficult work of leading the country at this crucial time in history; confronting a daunting health pandemic, economic challenges, and racial distrust.

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine January 14 at an inoculation event administered by CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, led a Holy Hour for Life the morning of January 22 from St. Joseph’s Chapel in the archdiocesan Pastoral Center.

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Remembering and celebrating the legacy of the love and faith of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the 34th Annual City-wide Interfaith Workshop Service was held January 17 at Mount Zion First Baptist Church. However, unlike past year’s, when the event was held in packed sanctuaries with worshippers holding hands singing “We Shall Overcome,” this year’s virtual gathering was limited to a handful of speakers and a choir of a half dozen socially distanced singers and musicians with the church’s Praise Team.

Father David Garcia, former director of the Old Spanish Missions and past rector of San Fernando Cathedral, was recently asked to submit a reflection for a book published by Harvard alumni.

In response to the ongoing COVID pandemic, the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) and Our Lady of Lake University (OLLU) held drive-through graduation celebrations and virtual graduation ceremonies the weekend of December 12-13.

In response to the January 6 violence in the United States Capitol, Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, condemned the violent protests and prayed for a restoration of order and safety at a prayer service in a time of civil unrest the following day at San Fernando Cathedral.

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller’s birthday was celebrated in the archdiocesan Pastoral Center Atirum December 16 along with all other employees who had birthdays this month with social distancing practiced.

A memorial Mass for Father Michael Bouzigard, SJ, was held at Assumption Seminary’s Our Lady’s Chapel on December 15, with Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, presiding, and Auxiliary Bishop Michael Boulette as the homilist.

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, once again had a very busy December Advent visit to The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, even though he was not able to continue his annual tradition of visiting patients and families in their rooms and distributing gifts due to the coronavirus pandemic.

We have been notified by Texas Governor Greg Abbott that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has made an initial allotment of more than 1.4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to the state this month. These vaccines, possibly arriving by mid-December, will be distributed to qualifying providers across the state who will administer these immunizations.

Catholic Charities and Redeemer Presbyterian Church in San Antonio partner to feed the hungry in San Antonio during Christmas on December 6. Over 700 Catholic Charities families received Boxes of Blessing from Redeemer Presbyterian with enough food to help feed a family of four for one week.

Dozens of adults received the sacrament of confirmation from Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, at Holy Spirit Church on December 5 in a liturgy provided the archdiocese several times per year for those over 18 to be strengthened by this sacrament.

The Federation of Guadalupanos hosted its archdiocesan-wide celebration for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Mark the Evangelist Church in San Antonio on December 6. Gone this year was the colorful procession of banners from the numerous societies, and the number of matachines was limited to keep with COVID-19 protocols, as 2020 is a time to be honest and take serious steps to change, said Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, presider at the Mass.

The Mexican American Catholic College (MACC) was notified it will receive a $1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of its Thriving in Ministry initiative. Father Juan Molina, Ph.D., incoming MACC president, expressed his gratitude and enthusiasm: “We are grateful to Lilly Endowment for trusting us to implement this grant. I look forward to creating a sustainable program to help ministers thrive and thus more successfully serve the people of God.”

Father Michael A. Bouzigard, SJ, died December 1 in San Antonio, Texas. He was 56 years old, a Jesuit for 29 years and a priest for 19 years.

The archdiocesan Vocations Office recently hosted a men’s discernment retreat at Assumption Seminary December 4-6.

“United in Times of Sorrow and Uncertainty” was the fitting title for the 29th Annual Thanksgiving Interfaith Service, held November 24 at San Fernando Cathedral.

The Archdiocese of San Antonio has begun preparations for the latest projects of its On the Way - ¡Ándale! capital campaign; the Pope Francis Center and the Margie and Bill Klesse Garden, which are adjacent to Mission Concepción.

More than 300 families from Catholic Charities’ Guadalupe Community Center, St. Stephen’s CARE Center, Senior Services, Family and Children’s Services, Caritas Legal Services, and the community received 40-pound boxes of food curbside that included turkeys with all of the trimmings to feed a family during the Thanksgiving holiday.

There’s something magical about San Antonio at Christmastime, when historic sites break out in holiday decor and trees and buildings sparkle with dazzling lights. Capturing this special season in a book of striking photographs are two resident San Antonians -- author Patricia Hart McMillan and photographer/graphic designer Natalia King-Sun.

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller blessed a statue of Our Lady of La Vang in an evening ceremony at Vietnamese Martyrs Church November 12.

The Archdiocese of San Antonio said yes! On November 7, more than 2,000 participants of Assembly 2020 reaffirmed their commitment to foster a Catholic Culture of Discipleship.

Daniel Schachle was attending a conference in San Antonio in May 2015 when he received word his 13th child was being delivered prematurely by cesarean section. He flew home to Tennessee immediately. It would be a miracle birth in more ways than one, for little Michael “Mikey” McGivney Schachle was not expected to be born at all, and his birth would provide the miracle needed for beatification of Blessed Father Michael J. McGivney Oct. 31.

The Archdiocese of San Antonio will hold the Retirement Fund for Religious collection Dec. 12-13. The National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) coordinates this annual appeal and distributes the proceeds to assist eligible U.S. religious communities with their retirement needs. Nearly 30,000 senior sisters, brothers and religious order priests benefit.

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, was the concelebrant at the opening Mass of the 2020 Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Assembly held October 19 in Austin.

The Board of the Mexican American Catholic College (MACC) announced October 16 the appointment of Father Juan Molina Flores, Ph.D., as president.

World Mission Sunday is an occasion when local churches come together in universal solidarity so that Catholics around the world recognize their common responsibility to evangelize all the earth.

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, invites clergy, consecrated women and men, Catholic school teachers and lay people from across the archdiocese to unite on a virtual platform. Join us as we work to strengthen, renew and celebrate our Catholic identity to witness a Culture of Discipleship

God always leads us out of sorrow and distress, listeners were reminded by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, at a Respect Life Mass on October 11 at San Fernando Cathedral.

The celebration of the annual Red Mass gathered the legal community in San Antonio for a blessing during these challenging days of the pandemic and to recognize their special calling and contributions at this time.

“Thankful for Today, Thriving Tomorrow,” was the theme of a gathering held in person and virtually by all 38 Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of San Antonio on October 7 that launched a campaign to raise awareness of the value and needs of Catholic schools.

Relying on the mercy of God, who has been with us throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, at the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, presented a pastoral letter, Transformed by Hope, Let Us Rebuild Our Tomorrow!, to all the people of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. The archbishop promulgated the document at a Mass September 14 at San Fernando Cathedral attended by ministry representatives from various institutions in the archdiocese, primarily educational entities.

With a $2.1 million gift from Verónica Salazar-Escobedo (BA Spanish ʼ65) and her husband Rubén M. Escobedo, Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) has launched the Salazar-Escobedo School of Mass Communication and Theater.

A Caring for Creation Outdoor Mass, celebrating the 300th anniversary of Mission San Jose, was celebrated on the grounds in front of the historic church by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, early on a cool Sunday morning, September 13.

Two men — Edward Joseph Gonzales and Paul Abraham Melgarejo — were ordained transitional deacons for the archdiocese on September 12 by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, at St. Dominic Church and, God willing, will be ordained as priests in the next few months.

Catholic Charities opened the St. Stephen’s CARE Center on Sept. 9, 2019 with the intent of providing a client-choice Food Pantry, Clothes Closet, and Diaper Bank for the San Antonio community. At its inception, the site was designed to provide additional capacity for food distribution and serve as a hub for disaster relief. Then the pandemic hit.

A massive explosion crippled the city of Beirut, Lebanon on August 4. More than 300,000 were displaced from their homes, hundreds are missing, and the death toll is rising. This tragic event also occurred as the country was suffering through a difficult financial crisis and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Catholic Teachers of the Year were recognized and honored a liturgy and ceremony by Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, MSpS, on August 7 in Our Lady’s Chapel at Assumption Seminary, following an almost four month delay. In most years the honorees receive their awards at a banquet in early May, however, that event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

All medical doctors, nurses, and medical students were thanked for their service and commitment for bring on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic during the annual Healthcare Professions Mass celebrated by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, on August 1 at San Fernando Cathedral.

The Double Solar Illumination which occurs every August 15 on the Feast of the Assumption of Our Blessed Mother took place as usual that evening at Mission Concepción.

Most Catholic schools in the archdiocese reopened on August 17 for both in-person and remote learning this fall, with teachers and staff addressing the challenges both to students’ health and their education.

August 15 was a day of amazing celebration, as the archdiocese rejoiced with the Blessed Mother on the Solemnity of her Assumption into heaven with the ordination of 12 men for the ministry of service by ordination as deacons for the Church.

The presidents of Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) member institutions, including Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) President Dr. Diane E. Melby, have decided to move traditional fall conference competition athletics to the spring session of 2021 to support the safety and welfare of student-athletes and all students on campus. The resolution was made by the group on a conference call on Wednesday as the cases of COVID-19 infections continue to rise in the RRAC states of Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico.

The Mexican American Catholic College (MACC) announces the arrival of Father Juan Molina Flores, Ph.D., to begin his appointment as the executive vice president. Upon the nomination of President Arturo Chávez, the Board of Governors appointed Father Molina to the position in April. Father Len Brown CMF, current vice president, will continue to direct MACC’s academic program in Diaconal Studies.

Sister Charlene Wedelich, CDP, entered eternal life on July 10 at the age of 87. She was born on Jan. 2, 1933 in Houston. She was one of four children born to Henry F. and Hilda (Funke) Wedelich. Her baptismal name was Patricia Ann. She answered God’s call to become a Sister of Divine Providence on Sept. 12, 1955 and professed first vows on June 22, 1957. Sister Charlene was a bridge builder who believed life was about connecting with others, helping others bond and unite with each other and with God their Creator. Her energetic contribution to the mission of Jesus was multi-faceted.

The U.S. Supreme Court prevented the immediate termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on June 18.

On June 14, 1692, the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua, Father Damián Massenet celebrated the first Mass on the banks of the Yanaguana River and renamed it Rio San Antonio de Padua. St. Anthony was renowned as a preacher with a deep knowledge and love for Scripture who lived the word of God in his daily lives.

There were prayers in memoriam of George Floyd, for peace, for the victims of COVID-19, and also for solidarity in these modern times at the Trinity Sunday Mass June 7 at Holy Redeemer Church which was celebrated by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS.

As part of a coalition with the City of San Antonio Department of Human Services, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, Catholic Charities is continuing Project Cool, a program that provides free 20-inch box fans to older adults in an effort to prevent heat-related illness and deaths during the hot summer months in San Antonio.

On the Feast day of Mary, Mother of the Church, June 1, Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, read the decree establishing the first new Catholic parish in the archdiocese in 20 years and named Father Martin Leopold as the new pastor.

A virtual celebration to mark the completion of the “On the Way-¡Ándale!” capital campaign of the archdiocese was held in the Pastoral Center atrium June 16, as attendees toasted the nearly $59 million raised for parish and archdiocesan projects, expressed gratitude for all the hard work, and gave thanks for friends made along the journey.

What a year 2020 has been! I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to our school faculty and staff, as well as parents and students for persevering through the challenges the pandemic posed. We are proud of the swift pivot to distance learning our schools made, and the continued learning and high level of student engagement that continued. We learned a lot from our experience with distance learning and it has paved the path for planning for the future.

In early March, Catholics in the Archdiocese of San Antonio still had a choice of whether or not they wanted to attend Mass and risk possible exposure to coronavirus.

The mission of the Tex Hill Wing of the Commemorative Air Force is to educate, inspire, honor, and preserve, and during this difficult time the organization teamed up with the archdiocese to inspire unity and healing with an operation called, “Mission: Hope.”

Catholic Charities, Seton Home, and St. PJ’s Home each received grants from the San Antonio Area Foundation on April 22 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to supplement programs and services with increased expenditures.

The Archdiocese of San Antonio, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and The Renee Benson Family Foundation have recently finalized an agreement to continue the legacy of Mount Sacred Heart School.

Though it is not possible for Catholics of our archdiocese to gather in our parish churches for the celebration of the Easter Vigil, we can still be united in prayer. A most striking and moving element of that liturgy occurs at its beginning. There a great fire is blessed, the Paschal candle is lit, and its light is shared with all who received the Light of Christ at baptism. Later in the liturgy, the newly baptized receive a lighted candle and are asked to “keep its flame burning brightly.”

During a time of darkness that pervades the world with the COVID-19 pandemic, the archdiocese experienced points of light in late March with the austere but beautiful ordination Masses of four new priests by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS.

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops (TCCB) issued a statement March 27 supporting the work of civic leaders, led by Governor Greg Abbott and Commissioner of the Department of State Health Services, Dr. John Hellerstedt.

My dear people, as I have already mentioned, the situation regarding COVID-19 is changing rapidly, in fact, almost by the hour!

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, issued the following decree, March 13, 2020, to the people of the Archdiocese of San Antonio about required changes in response to COVID-19.

God is full of surprises! Those were the opening words from Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, at a special liturgy celebrating the 300th jubilee on San José Mission, “the Queen of the Missions,” on February 19.

Catholic Charities kicked off the 40 Cans for Lent and 40 Days of Service to engage the community in a non-denominational effort to feed the hungry and strengthen the most vulnerable during Lent February 27-April 9.

A presentation on preparing for Lent had about 230 people gathering in the parish hall at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Boerne as Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, spoke at Theology on the Rocks-Hill Country for the second time on February 17, the week prior to Ash Wednesday.

A volunteer appreciation dinner for all who have offered service at Department of Pastoral Ministries events and gatherings throughout the year was held at St. Luke’s Church February 10, and attendees were lauded by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, for their invaluable collaboration in helping further the Kingdom of God in the local Church.

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, and Auxiliary Bishop Michael Boulette traveled to Rome in late January with bishops of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas for their ad limina apostolorum pilgrimage to meet with Pope Francis as well as Vatican offices.

New and returning members of the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities were welcomed and installed at a luncheon at The Plaza Club on February 4, providing for the needs of the community through selfless service under the sign of love.

Below is the vespers homily given by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, at the Lumen Gentium awards ceremony at St. Dominic Church on February 3.

On behalf of the many men, women, and children whose lives were touched, uplifted, or transformed through the ministries funded by the Archbishop’s Appeal, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, MSpS, celebrated an appreciation Mass recently for donors to thank them for their continued support and unwavering dedication.

On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court legalized abortion throughout the United States.

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, celebrated his annual Advent Mass at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on December 18, sharing with the men a story about St. Joseph that they may have not thought about previously.

Nine couples had their marriages convalidated in the Catholic Church in a special Mass celebrated by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, on December 7 at San Fernando Cathedral.

“We are here today to look at accompaniment,” proclaimed Father Daniel Horan, OFM, “to reflect on how God is calling us in our time and in our place, to exercise our baptismal call to be disciples of the Lord.” Addressing the gathered faithful of the Archdiocese of San Antonio as keynote speaker for Assembly 2019, the Franciscan theologian and author referenced Pope Francis’ observation that we live in a world “torn apart by wars and violence and wounded by widespread individualism which divides human beings.”

Rebecca Simmons was announced as the third director of the Old Spanish Missions by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, at a November 7 gathering at Mission Concepción in front of a group of special guests including representatives of the archdiocese, the National Parks Service, the La Misiones Advisory Group, the UNESCO World Heritage Office, the San Antonio River Authority, the San Antonio Conservation Society, priests of the missions, “On the Way – Andale!” capital campaign donors, and others.