About St. Andrew Catholic Church · Pleasanton, Texas
St. Andrew Catholic Church is a Eucharistic faith community in Pleasanton, Texas — a town about 33 miles south of San Antonio — serving the people of Atascosa County under the Archdiocese of San Antonio. The parish shares its pastor with nearby Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Campbellton, and welcomes a bilingual (English and Spanish) congregation with daily Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, a St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, and a full religious education program for children. Under its current administrator, Father Arul Francis Arputham, MSFS, the parish continues more than a century of Catholic life in the Pleasanton area, tracing its roots to a 1903 mission chapel and dedicating its present church in 1949.
- Established
- 1903 (Mission of Loire); 1913 (renamed St. Andrew after the flood); 1946 (parish formally established at Pleasanton)
- Patron
- St. Andrew the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Arul Francis Arputham, MSFS (Parish Administrator, effective July 1, 2024)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Antonio
Why belong here
St. Andrew is a welcoming, bilingual Eucharistic community in the heart of Pleasanton that has been serving Atascosa County Catholics for more than a century. Daily and Sunday Masses (in both English and Spanish), Thursday all-day Eucharistic Adoration, monthly Healing Masses, and steady Reconciliation times give parishioners multiple ways to encounter Christ each week. The parish also reaches beyond the church walls through its Society of St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, the multi-classroom Catechetical Center for faith formation, FORMED online Catholic study access, and a wide range of lay liturgical and hospitality ministries — making it easy to find both spiritual nourishment and a way to serve.
Mass times at St. Andrew Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 5:30 – 6:30 PM
- Saturday: 4:30 – 5:30 PM
- By appointment — call the parish office
Adoration times
- Thursday: 5:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Eucharistic Adoration)
- First Friday Devotion: 8:30 AM
- First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary: 8:30 AM
About St. Andrew Catholic Church
St. Andrew Parish describes itself as a 'Eucharistic, faith community, dedicated, committed, and responding to God's call, to proclaim and share Christ's merciful and abundant love, through service and example.' Located at 626 Market Street in Pleasanton, Texas — about 33 miles south of San Antonio in Atascosa County — the parish sits within the Archdiocese of San Antonio and shares its priest with Sacred Heart Catholic Church in nearby Campbellton. The parish welcomes both English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics through a bilingual Mass schedule and a range of lay ministries, faith formation, and outreach programs.
- Mission: a Eucharistic, faith community responding to God's call to share Christ's love through service and example.
- Location: 626 Market Street, Pleasanton, TX 78064 — Archdiocese of San Antonio.
- Sister parish: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Campbellton (shared pastor).
- Pastor since July 1, 2024: Father Arul Francis Arputham, MSFS.
Our History
St. Andrew's story stretches back more than a century. It began in 1903 with the Mission of Loire, a small chapel near the Atascosa River, and was forced to relocate and rename after a devastating 1913 flood. The parish as it exists today was formally created in 1946 under Father Victor G. Schmidtzinsky, and the present church was dedicated on May 15, 1949. Major milestones over the decades — a 1978 rectory, the 1980 parish hall expansion, the 1994 mission-style restoration with new stained glass, the 1999 Catechetical Center, and the 2003–2004 doubling of the sanctuary and addition of an adoration chapel — reflect a community that has continuously rebuilt and renewed itself.
- 1903: Mission of Loire (St. Anthony of Padua) built near the Atascosa River.
- 1913: Flood forces relocation; mission renamed St. Andrew.
- 1946: Parish formally created under Father Victor G. Schmidtzinsky; church later destroyed by fire.
- 1949: Present church dedicated by Monsignor Patrick Geehan for Archbishop Robert E. Lucey.
- 1978: New brick rectory built.
- 1980: Parish hall expansion with full commercial kitchen and stage.
- 1994: Church restored to modified mission style; seven stained glass windows installed.
- 1999: Catechetical Center with nine classrooms dedicated by Archbishop Patrick F. Flores.
- 2004: Church rededicated by Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Flanagan after the 2003 expansion.
Parish Staff
The parish is currently led by Father Arul Francis Arputham, MSFS, who serves as Parish Administrator of both St. Andrew and Sacred Heart, effective July 1, 2024. He previously served as Parochial Vicar at St. Rose of Lima in San Antonio. The Office of Religious Education is staffed by Debbie Shows, DRE, who can be reached through the parish office. The parish website also lists 'Technical Contacts' for website and media support.
- Rev. Arul Francis Arputham, MSFS — Parish Administrator (since July 1, 2024).
- Debbie Shows — Director of Religious Education (DRE).
- Parish Office: (830) 569-3356.
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish Office of Religious Education is housed in the nine-classroom Catechetical Center dedicated by Archbishop Patrick F. Flores. It coordinates ongoing faith formation for children and youth, sacramental preparation, and access to the FORMED.org online Catholic study platform — free to every parishioner. Office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM (closed Mondays and 12:00–1:00 PM for lunch).
- Office of Religious Education — open Tuesday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM.
- 2025–2026 Religious Formation Calendar published annually.
- FORMED.org — free online platform with 4,000+ Catholic studies, movies, audio dramas, ebooks, and talks.
- Sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation.
- Contact: Debbie Shows, DRE — (830) 569-3356.
Liturgical Ministries
St. Andrew welcomes lay men and women into a wide range of liturgical roles, in keeping with the Second Vatican Council's call for the whole Church to be 'full, active, and conscious participants' in the liturgy. The parish trains and commissions Altar Servers, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Sacristans, and Ushers/Hospitality Ministers. The FAQ section of the parish website explains each role in plain language and invites new volunteers to step forward.
- Altar Servers — main helpers on the altar; also a way to discern vocation.
- Lectors — proclaim the Word at Mass.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC) — commissioned by the pastor.
- Sacristans — set up for Mass, fill candles, prepare bread and wine, lock/unlock the church.
- Ushers / Hospitality Ministers — greet, seat, collect, take headcounts, and hand out bulletins.
Outreach: Society of St. Vincent de Paul
The parish's St. Vincent de Paul Conference operates a food pantry serving neighbors in need throughout the Pleasanton area. The pantry is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM and accepts food items, personal hygiene products, and monetary donations. Donations can be dropped off in the receptacles in the Church, the St. Vincent de Paul Building, or the Parish Office.
- Pantry open: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
- Food items needed: canned fruit, canned meat, boxed dinners, soups, powdered/canned milk, peanut butter, jelly, tuna, rice, beans, powdered juice drinks (no glass).
- Hygiene items needed: toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, lotion.
- Monetary donations: cash or checks accepted.
- Volunteers needed — as little as 2 hours on a Tuesday or Thursday.
Facilities & Campus
The St. Andrew campus includes the 1949 church (expanded and rededicated in 2004), a west-side adoration chapel created during the 2003–2004 renovation, a 1978 modern brick rectory, an expanded parish hall with a full commercial kitchen and stage (1980), and the 1999 Catechetical Center with nine classrooms. The interior features restored modified-mission-style white plaster walls and seven stained glass windows installed in 1994.
- Church (dedicated 1949; rededicated 2004 after major expansion).
- Adoration Chapel (west side, added 2003–2004).
- Memorial-brick arches at the covered side entrance (2003–2004).
- Modern brick rectory (1978).
- Expanded parish hall with kitchen, coolers, serving lines, and stage (1980).
- Catechetical Center with 9 classrooms (1999).
- St. Vincent de Paul Building (food pantry operations).
Parish Communications & Giving
Beyond Sunday worship, St. Andrew stays in touch with parishioners through a weekly bulletin (published as PDFs on the parish website), the FORMED.org online study platform, and an online giving program that supports sustained budgeting and special funds. The parish also participates in the Archdiocese of San Antonio's Archbishop's Appeal for Shared Ministries, which funds pastoral ministries, Catholic education, priestly formation, Catholic Charities, and Catholic communications across 19 counties.
- Weekly parish bulletin — available in PDF on standrewpleasanton.org.
- Online Giving — for sustained parish support and special funds.
- Archbishop's Appeal for Shared Ministries — parish participation.
- FORMED.org — free Catholic study platform for all parishioners (signup code: 78064).
Getting Involved
St. Andrew makes it easy to find a way to serve. The parish website's FAQ section explains every liturgical ministry in detail, and a single call to the parish office can connect interested adults with training. Other practical opportunities include volunteering in the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry (just two hours on a Tuesday or Thursday) and signing children up for Religious Education classes through the Catechetical Center.
- Liturgical ministries — Altar Servers, Lectors, EMHC, Sacristans, Ushers.
- St. Vincent de Paul food pantry — Tuesdays or Thursdays.
- Religious Education — sacramental prep and ongoing formation.
- Parish office — (830) 569-3356 — to connect with any ministry.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Victor G. SchmidtzinskyApril 1946 –
Appointed pastor in April 1946; created the new parish at Pleasanton and transferred parish headquarters from Loire to North Pleasanton.