Archdiocese of San Antonio

History

The Archdiocese of San Antonio was erected as a diocese on August 28, 1874, consisting of territory taken from the then-Diocese of Galveston. It was elevated to an archdiocese on August 3, 1926.

In 2010, it had 138 parishes, 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 as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles, its cathedral was considered sede vacante until October 14, 2010. On October 14, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Gustavo Garcia-Siller as archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio.

On January 31, 2019, the archdiocese released a list of 56 Catholic clergy who were "credibly accused" of committing acts of sex abuse as early as 1940.

Coat of arms

Bishops

Bishops of San Antonio

1. Anthony Dominic Ambrose Pellicer (1874–1880)
2. John Claude Neraz (1881–1894)
3. John Anthony Forest (1895–1911)
4. John William Shaw (1911–1918; Coadjutor Bishop 1910–1911), appointed Archbishop of New Orleans
5. Arthur Jerome Drossaerts (1918–1926), elevated to Archbishop

Archbishops of San Antonio

1. Arthur Jerome Drossaerts (1926–1940)
2. Robert Emmet Lucey (1941–1969)
3. Francis James Furey (1969–1979)
4. Patrick Fernández Flores (1979–2004)
5. Jose Horacio Gómez Velasco (2004–2010), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop and later Archbishop of Los Angeles
6. Gustavo Garcia-Siller, M.Sp.S. (2010–present)

Auxiliary Bishops

• Stephen Aloysius Leven (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 (1976–1980), appointed Bishop of El Paso and later Bishop of Brownsville
• Charles Victor Grahmann (1981–1982), appointed Bishop of Victoria 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 (2008–2013), appointed Bishop of Las Cruces
• Michael Joseph Boulette (2017–2025)
• Gary W. Janak (2021–present)
• José Arturo Cepeda Escobedo (2025–present)

Other diocesan priests 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, appointed Bishop of Amarillo in 1941
• John Louis Morkovsky, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Amarillo in 1955, later Bishop of Amarillo, Coadjutor Bishop of Galveston-Houston, and Bishop of Galveston-Houston
• Charles Edwin Herzig, 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 and later Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio

Education

Universities

• Our Lady of the Lake University – San Antonio
• St. Mary's University – San Antonio
• University of the Incarnate Word – San Antonio

High schools

• Antonian College Preparatory High School – Castle Hills (1964)
• Central Catholic Marianist High School – San Antonio (1852)
• Holy Cross of San Antonio – San Antonio (1957)
• Incarnate Word High School – San Antonio (1881)
• John Paul II Catholic High School – Schertz (2009)
• Our Lady of the Hills High School – Kerrville (2002)
• Providence High School – San Antonio (1951)
• St. Anthony Catholic High School – San Antonio (1905)

Former high schools

• St. Francis Academy – San Antonio (1960 – 2002)
• St. Gerard Catholic High School – San Antonio (1927 – 2022)
• St. Mary's School Riverwalk – San Antonio (1910 – 2004)

Province of San Antonio

See List of the Catholic bishops of the United States

References

References

1. (11 July 2019). "St. Anthony of Padua called an apostle of conversion and the sacrament of reconciliation | Archdiocese of San Antonio".
2. Antonio, Archdiocese of San. (2025-08-26). "Pope Leo XIV appoints Most Reverend Jose Arturo Cepeda as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio {{!}} Archdiocese of San Antonio".
3. (May 2005). "The Official Catholic Directory". National Register Publishing.
4. "TSHA {{!}} San Antonio, Catholic Archdiocese Of".
5. "Largest Provincial Archdiocese in the World to be Split".
6. (2010-04-06). "Archdiocese of San Antonio Archidioecesis Sancti Antonii". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio.
7. "Fast Facts {{!}} Archdiocese of San Antonio". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio.
8. "Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller".
9. "Pope Names Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Garcia as Archbishop of San Antonio {{!}} USCCB".
10. Kong, Vince. (2019-01-31). "Archdiocese Of San Antonio Releases Report On Child Sexual Abuse By Clergy".
11. Martinez, Sarah. (31 January 2019). "Archdiocese of San Antonio Report Names Nearly 60 Priests Accused of Sexual Assault Since 1940s".
12. (1916). "Some Recent Episcopal Arms.". The Dolphin Press.
13. (2010-04-06). "Pope Names San Antonio Archbishop José Gomez Coadjutor Archbishop Of Los Angeles". [[United States Conference of Catholic Bishops]].
14. (2010-04-02). "POPE APPOINTS COADJUTOR ARCHBISHOP FOR LOS ANGELES". [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles]].
15. "Resignations and Appointments, 09.09.2025".
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17. "History & Mission".
18. "Holy Cross of San Antonio - History of Holy Cross".
19. "Incarnate Word High School {{!}} A Private female day school in San Antonio, Tx".
20. "Brief History".
21. "History".
22. "Mission and History {{!}} Providence Catholic School".
23. "History".
24. "St. Francis Academy - San Antonio".
25. Patton, Mary Claire. (2022-07-19). "San Antonio Catholic high school closes after only 35 students enroll for upcoming year".