About St. Gerard · San Antonio, Texas
St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in the historic Knob Hill neighborhood on San Antonio's East Side, founded in 1911 by the Redemptorist Fathers (C.Ss.R.). The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of San Antonio and worships in both English and Spanish, with daily Mass, a Saturday vigil, and a robust tradition of Redemptorist-style novenas and devotions. A parish school and high school grew up alongside the church, and for decades St. Gerard was the city's only co-ed Catholic high school. Today the parish continues the Redemptorist missionary spirit of welcoming families, expectant mothers (its patron is the patron of expectant mothers), and a multicultural community.
- Established
- 1911
- Patron
- St. Gerard Majella (Redemptorist lay brother; patron of expectant mothers, Protector of Mothers, Patron of Good Confession, Friend of the Working Man, Father of the Poor)
- Rector
- Rev. Robert Lindsey, C.Ss.R.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Antonio
Why belong here
St. Gerard is a bilingual Redemptorist parish with deep roots on San Antonio's East Side, where families have worshipped since 1911. It offers daily Mass in English and Spanish, a 7 PM Spanish Mass Monday through Thursday, and a 7 PM Spanish vigil on Saturday evening, making it a true anchor for both English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics. The parish maintains the classic Redemptorist devotional life, including a weekly Tuesday Our Mother of Perpetual Help novena and Holy Hour, weekly confession on Saturday afternoons, and monthly Anointing of the Sick. With ministries aimed at evangelization, catechesis, sacraments, and service, St. Gerard is a welcoming community for expectant mothers, working families, and anyone seeking a parish where the Redemptorist missionary charism is alive.
Mass times at St. Gerard
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM (Our Mother of Perpetual Help Novena & Adoration)
About St. Gerard Majella Parish
St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in San Antonio's historic Knob Hill neighborhood on the East Side, founded in 1911 and still served by the Redemptorist Fathers. The parish mission is to 'foster the loving family of God through Evangelization, Catechesis, Sacraments, Service, and Support so that we may be transformed by our encounter with Christ.' Today it welcomes about 600 people to its weekend Masses and serves a multicultural, primarily Hispanic and African-American community with ministries aimed at families, expectant mothers, and children.
Founding and Early Years (1911–1912)
The Redemptorists of the Western Province — led by Very Rev. Thomas Brown, C.Ss.R., and Rev. Daniel Mullane, C.Ss.R. — petitioned Bishop John Shaw for a mission house in Texas. After a first attempt at a house in Boerne, TX, the Bishop granted the Redemptorists property on Knob Hill, and the contract was signed August 17, 1911. The new foundation was named St. Gerard Majella at the urging of diocesan chancellor Rev. William Hume, who credited favors received at the saint's canonization in Rome. Father Henry Schutten, C.Ss.R., served as the first pastor and celebrated the parish's first formal Mass on September 10, 1911, in a rented house chapel that seated 65.
- Contract signed August 17, 1911
- First formal Mass September 10, 1911 (10 people in attendance)
- Census taken door-to-door: 84 families, 108 Massgoers
- Ground broken December 19, 1911
- Cornerstone blessed by Bishop Shaw on February 22, 1912
- Church and school dedicated May 5, 1912 before 300 people
- Daily Mass began May 7, 1912
St. Gerard Majella: The Patron Saint
St. Gerard Majella (1726–1755) was an Italian Redemptorist lay brother known for his humble, simple life. The patron is invoked as Protector of Mothers, Patron of Good Confession, Friend of the Working Man, and Father of the Poor, and is widely venerated as the patron of expectant mothers. The parish takes its name from him because Rev. William Hume had traveled to Rome for his canonization, received extraordinary favors through his intercession, and promised to honor the saint by placing a parish under his protection. His feast day is October 16.
- Patron of expectant mothers
- Protector of Mothers
- Patron of Good Confession
- Friend of the Working Man
- Father of the Poor
- Feast day: October 16
The Parish School and High School
St. Gerard has a long tradition of Catholic education. The School Sisters of Notre Dame arrived in 1912 and began teaching with 37 pupils on September 9, 1912; enrollment climbed to 70 by November. The parish later expanded into secondary education, starting a high school program in the grade school before opening a separate high school campus a few blocks away in 1948. Until 1989, St. Gerard's was the only co-ed Catholic high school in the city of San Antonio.
- School Sisters of Notre Dame began teaching September 9, 1912
- First class: 37 pupils; rose to 70 by November 1912
- High school campus opened 1948
- Until 1989, San Antonio's only co-ed Catholic high school
The Redemptorist Mission Center
From the start, St. Gerard was more than a parish — it was the Redemptorists' mission house for South Texas. The community produced parish priests, mission preachers, retreat masters, and hosted visiting priests, and served a growing East Side population that grew so rapidly that by 1940 St. Gerard claimed to be the largest parish in the (then-Diocese, now Archdiocese of) San Antonio. An Easter Mass in 1950 reportedly drew nearly 5,000 people.
- Once the largest parish in the Archdiocese of San Antonio
- Easter Mass 1950: nearly 5,000 attendees
- Mission house for Redemptorist preachers and retreat masters
The Centennial and Beyond
St. Gerard marked its centennial in 2011–2012 with a four-day mission/revival held jointly with neighboring Holy Redeemer Church. While the parish campus has lost some of its mid-century enrollment, St. Gerard remains an active bilingual congregation of about 600 at weekend Masses and continues its Redemptorist tradition of devotional preaching and outreach.
- Centennial celebrated 2011–2012
- Joint mission/revival with Holy Redeemer Church
- About 600 people at weekend Masses today
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
The parish celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish. Daily Mass is offered each weekday morning at 6:30 AM (in the chapel on most days), with a Saturday morning Mass at 8:00 AM. The Saturday vigil is bilingual, with an English Mass at 5:00 PM and a Spanish Mass at 7:00 PM. Sunday Masses are 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM. A Spanish evening Mass is offered Monday through Thursday at 7:00 PM (no Spanish Mass on Friday).
- Sunday: 8:00 AM, 10:30 AM
- Monday–Friday: 6:30 AM
- Saturday: 8:00 AM
- Monday–Thursday: 7:00 PM (Spanish)
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM (English), 7:00 PM (Spanish)
Sacraments and Devotions
St. Gerard offers the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, and the Eucharist. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM and by appointment. Anointing of the Sick is celebrated on the first Saturday after the 8:00 AM Mass. The parish also keeps the classic Redemptorist tradition of weekly novenas and adoration, with Our Mother of Perpetual Help devotions on Tuesday evenings.
- Confession: Saturdays 3:30–4:30 PM and by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick: First Saturday after 8:00 AM Mass
- Our Mother of Perpetual Help Novena & Adoration: Tuesdays 5:30–6:30 PM
- Mary devotions: Tuesday and Thursday evenings (established 1912)
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. Gerard is staffed by Redemptorist Fathers (C.Ss.R.) of the Western/Denver Province, continuing the order's 1911 commitment to the parish. The Archdiocese of San Antonio directory lists the pastor as Rev. Robert Lindsey, C.Ss.R., with associate priests including Rev. Donald Willard, C.Ss.R., and Rev. Thanh Nguyen, C.Ss.R.
- Rev. Robert Lindsey, C.Ss.R. — Pastor
- Rev. Donald Willard, C.Ss.R.
- Rev. Thanh Nguyen, C.Ss.R.
Visit, Contact, and Location
St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church is located at 1523 Iowa Street, San Antonio, TX 78203, in the historic Knob Hill area on the East Side. The parish office can be reached at (210) 533-0161 or by email at [email protected]. Masses and devotions can also be watched live online via the parish website.
- Address: 1523 Iowa Street, San Antonio, TX 78203
- Phone: (210) 533-0161
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.saintgerardchurch.org
- Diocese: Archdiocese of San Antonio
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Henry Schutten, C.Ss.R.1911–
First pastor of St. Gerard Majella Mission Center; celebrated the parish's first formal Mass on September 10, 1911, took the first parish census, and oversaw the 1912 construction and dedication of the church and school.