About Holy Rosary · San Antonio, Texas
Holy Rosary Catholic Church is a Marianist parish on San Antonio's West Side, located steps from St. Mary's University at 159 Camino Santa Maria. Founded in 1948 by the Society of Mary (Marianists) to serve the growing families and university students of the area, the parish is bilingual (English and Spanish) and is currently led by Rev. Neville O'Donohue, S.M. The parish offers a full sacramental life — daily Mass, Saturday Vigil, Sunday Masses in English and Spanish, reconciliation, Eucharistic adoration, RCIA, religious education, and a robust roster of ministries including a St. Vincent de Paul conference, Knights of Columbus, ACTS groups, choirs, Legion of Mary, and a high school youth group.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Rosary (Holy Rosary)
- Rector
- Rev. Neville O'Donohue, S.M.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Antonio
Why belong here
Holy Rosary is a Marianist parish with deep roots on San Antonio's West Side and an unusually close partnership with St. Mary's University next door, which makes it a natural fit for families, students, and young adults. The parish worships bilingually, with a 9 a.m. Spanish Mass and a 12 p.m. English Mass each Sunday (plus a Saturday Vigil at 5 p.m. and daily 8 a.m. Mass), and feeds that life with daily Eucharistic adoration, weekly confession, RCIA, religious education from Pre-K 4 through 12th grade, and a thriving high-school youth group. Its long-running parish ministries — St. Vincent de Paul, Knights of Columbus, ACTS groups for women/men/youth, the Altar Society, Legion of Mary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Bible studies, and three parish choirs — give almost anyone a way to belong and serve.
Mass times at Holy Rosary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- By appointment (call the parish office)
Adoration times
- Monday – Friday 4:00 AM – 8:00 AM (Eucharistic Adoration)
- Wednesday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (one hour of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
- 2nd Thursday of every month, 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM — Adoration/Benediction with Praise & Worship
- 4th Thursday of every month, 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM — Adoration/Benediction (Traditional)
About Holy Rosary Parish
Holy Rosary Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Marianist parish on San Antonio's West Side, at 159 Camino Santa Maria, directly next door to St. Mary's University. The parish traces its origins to 1947–1948, when the Society of Mary (Marianists) established it to serve the families and university students of the growing neighborhood. Today it is a mid-sized parish with a full sacramental schedule, daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, three parish choirs, and a wide range of lay ministries.
- Parish Office: 210-433-3241 • Fax: 210-433-2133
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Mailing/Street address: 159 Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, TX 78228-4901
- Diocese: Archdiocese of San Antonio
- Served by the Society of Mary (Marianists)
History of Holy Rosary
Holy Rosary was created as a parish on September 15, 1948, after Fr. Sylvester Juergens, S.M., superior general of the Society of Mary, proposed the idea on December 6, 1947 to serve a growing West Side population and the students of nearby St. Mary's University. Fr. Cyril M. Kuehne, S.M., was the first pastor, with Fr. Alfred Rabe, S.M., assisting and serving the Mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Helotes, which had been entrusted from St. Ann parish.
- 1948 — Parish officially established (Sept. 15)
- 1949 — School opens, directed by the School Sisters of Notre Dame
- 1957 — Convent built to replace surplus government building
- 1958 — Holy Rosary Church dedicated (April 27)
- 1960 — Rectory purchased and expanded
- 1963 — Holy Family parish erected from Holy Rosary territory
- 1967 — Parish hall and cafeteria dedicated (Feb. 19)
- 1968 — Our Lady of Guadalupe in Helotes becomes a parish; St. Andrew's Episcopal Church hosts Holy Rosary Sunday Masses 1968–1970
- 1969 — Library/learning center created from surplus building
- 1971 — St. Dominic parish established
- 1972 — 7th and 8th grades closed at the parish school
- 1973 — Holy Cross School opens a junior high in the area
- 2014 — Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller invites St. Mary's to partner with Holy Rosary
- 2017 — Marianist Province assigns a new team (Fr. John Thompson, S.M., Br. Mark Motz, S.M., and others) to renew the parish
- 2023 — 75th Jubilee and 'Support Legacy' jubilee fund launched
Pastoral Team & Staff
The parish is led by an Irish-born Marianist priest, Fr. Neville O'Donohue, S.M., supported by two permanent deacons, a parish secretary, a director of religious education, a pastoral associate for youth and young adults, and an operations manager.
- Rev. Neville O'Donohue, S.M. — Pastor ([email protected])
- Dcn. Francisco Sandoval — Deacon ([email protected])
- Dcn. Albert Sanchez — Deacon ([email protected])
- Pauline Banda — Parish Secretary ([email protected])
- Ann Rangel — Religious Education ([email protected])
- Andrew Villarreal — Pastoral Associate, Youth & Young Adult Minister
- Armando DeLeon — Operations Manager
Meet the Pastor — Fr. Neville O'Donohue, S.M.
Fr. Neville was born and raised in Ireland. After earning a degree in Business and intending to become a CPA, he joined the Marianists at 25. He taught at the Marianist High School in south Dublin, served in youth ministry there, and in 2010 moved to Maryland, where he was a pastor for nine years. While studying at the Marianist Seminary in Rome he earned an STL in Sacramental Theology, and he holds a Master's degree in Ecumenical Theology from Trinity College, Dublin.
The Marianists at Holy Rosary
Holy Rosary is a Marianist parish, meaning it is served by priests and brothers of the Society of Mary — the same religious congregation that founded and staffs St. Mary's University next door. The parish's own website points visitors to short videos about the Marianists, including 'What is a Brother?' and 'Who are the Marianists?' and notes the partnership between the parish and the university on the West Side.
- Society of Mary (Marianists) staff the parish
- Adjacent to and partnering with St. Mary's University
- Long-standing collaboration on liturgy, including the annual Marianist Heritage Mass
Holy Week & Easter
The parish publishes its own Holy Week schedule, keeping the bilingual character of the parish and a special Wednesday morning hour of adoration.
- Palm Sunday: Saturday Vigil 5:00 PM (English); Sunday 9:00 AM (Spanish) and 12:00 PM (English)
- Mon–Wed of Holy Week: 8:00 AM Mass; Wednesday 11:00 AM one hour of Adoration
- Holy Thursday: Mass of the Lord's Supper, 7:00 PM
- Good Friday: Confessions at 10:00 AM (by phone appointment); Commemoration of the Passion, 3:00 PM
- Holy Saturday: Easter Vigil, 8:15 PM
- Easter Sunday: 9:00 AM (Spanish) and 12:00 PM (English)
Parish Ministries
The parish groups its lay ministries into three families: parish ministries (service, fraternal, and sacramental preparation), Bible study groups, and prayer groups. Many have a designated contact person and a regular meeting time listed on the parish website.
- Knights of Columbus — open to all men 18+
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference — Tuesdays 10 AM–12 PM; Thursdays 6–7 PM
- Altar Society
- Bereavement Ministry
- ACTS Groups — Women, Men, Youth
- Baptism Preparation — contact Christine Vangelakos
- Finance Council
Music & Choirs
Three parish choirs provide music for the three principal Sunday/weekend liturgies.
- Spanish Choir — sings at the Sunday 9:00 AM (Spanish) Mass
- 5 PM Choir — sings at the Saturday 5:00 PM Vigil Mass
- 12 PM Choir — sings at the Sunday 12:00 PM (English) Mass
Faith Formation, RCIA & Youth
Holy Rosary runs religious education for children and teens (Pre-K 4 through 12th grade) on Sunday mornings between the two Sunday Masses, an RCIA process for adults seeking initiation, and a high school youth group that meets midweek. The parish also has Bible studies and a Spanish-language faith-sharing group.
- Religious Education — Sundays 10:30–11:45 AM (Pre-K 4 through 12th grade)
- RCIA — Sundays 10:15 AM (contact Deacon Albert Sanchez)
- Youth Group (high school, ages 14–18) — Wednesdays 6:30–8:30 PM
- God Girls (Bible study) — Tuesdays 7:00 PM, Room R-3
- Sons of Mary (Bible study) — Tuesdays 7:00 PM, Room R-14
- Spanish Faith Sharing — Thursdays 6:00 PM, Room R-13
Prayer & Devotional Groups
Beyond the Sunday liturgies, several groups meet weekly or monthly for prayer and devotion.
- Divine Mercy Chaplet — Tuesdays 6:30 PM in the church
- Legion of Mary — Fridays 4:00 PM, Room R-13
- Monthly Adoration & Benediction — 2nd Thursday (Praise & Worship) and 4th Thursday (Traditional), 7:00–7:30 PM
Sacraments & Parish Services
The parish office coordinates preparation for the sacraments and offers practical help with celebrations, burials, and parish facilities.
- Baptism — contact Christine Vangelakos, (210) 548-9983
- Marriage & Quinceañeras — contact the parish office at least six months in advance
- Funerals — call the parish office; Catholic Cemeteries: San Fernando II (210) 432-2302, Holy Cross (210) 651-6011, San Fernando III (210) 433-3241
- Parish Hall Rental — contact parish secretary Pauline Banda, (210) 433-3241
75th Anniversary & 'Support Legacy' Jubilee
For its 75th anniversary (2023), Holy Rosary launched a 'Support Legacy' jubilee fund aiming to raise at least $75,000 by May 2025, with the money split equally across three priorities.
- Enhance worship — replace the sound system, install a permanent baptism font, return the tabernacle to the main sanctuary
- Support youth and young adults — faith-life enrichment, quality speakers, and travel assistance for youth groups
- Renew facilities — construct new restrooms
- Contact the parish office at (210) 433-3241 to contribute
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Cyril M. Kuehne, S.M.1948–
First pastor; Fr. Alfred Rabe, S.M., served as his assistant with special duty in Helotes.
- Fr. John Thompson, S.M.circa 2017
Pastor when the Marianist Province renewed its commitment to Holy Rosary alongside St. Mary's University.