About St. John Berchmans · San Antonio, Texas
St. John Berchmans Catholic Church is a bilingual parish on San Antonio's near south side, rooted in the Belgian immigrant community that built its first chapel on Zarzamora and Brady Streets in 1903. The completed church was dedicated in 1910 under Rev. Richard Vershaffelt and has since relocated twice — to West Harriman Place in 1948 and to its present Cupples Road site in 1965 — and now serves a vibrant Mexican-American and Anglo community with weekend Mass in English and Spanish, a K-8 parish school, religious education, and a robust network of ministries. The parish describes itself as 'a welcoming and liturgical community celebrating the spiritual need of God's people in the spirit of St. John Berchmans.'
- Established
- 1903 (chapel) / 1910 (parish church completed)
- Patron
- St. John Berchmans (Belgian Jesuit seminarian, d. 1621)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Anthony Male
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Antonio
Why belong here
St. John Berchmans is one of San Antonio's truly bilingual parishes, blending Mexican and American cultures into a single weekend liturgy — Saturday Vigil and the 11:00 Sunday Mass in English, the 9:00 Sunday Mass in English and Spanish — and warmly welcoming new members into a community that already feels like family. Beyond Mass, the parish sustains a fully accredited K-8 Catholic school, a year-round CCD/faith formation program for Pre-K4 through young adults, a Knights of Columbus council, CYO athletics, ACTS Core, a Vigil Team, Good Samaritans outreach, a homebound ministry and a church-cleaning team, so there is a place for every age and talent.
Mass times at St. John Berchmans
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM in the church
- By appointment
Parish History
St. John Berchmans traces its roots to 1903, when Stephanie Hooge donated three acres at Zarzamora and Brady Streets for a chapel to serve the Belgian farmers who had settled in south San Antonio. The Belgian community built the first church largely by their own hands — some traveling 15 to 30 miles by horse and wagon to help — and it was completed in 1910 under Fr. Richard Vershaffelt. The parish was San Antonio's Belgian national church until 1947, with Mass and preaching in Flemish. It moved to West Harriman Place in 1948 and to its present Cupples Road campus in 1965, after Father Michael Cattaert led the relocation forced by the new Kelly Access Road.
- 1903 — Stephanie Hooge donates land at Zarzamora & Brady; first chapel built by Belgian farmers
- 1910 — Church completed under Fr. Richard Vershaffelt with 152 members
- August 28, 1912 — Parish bell dedicated by Bishop Shaw
- 1947 — End of Flemish-language liturgy
- 1948 — Move to West Harriman Place
- September 1949 — St. John Berchmans School opens
- August 23, 1964 — Ground broken at Cupples Road & Weir Avenue
- 1965 — Parish relocates to present campus
Mission & Identity
The parish's stated mission is 'a welcoming and liturgical community celebrating the spiritual need of God's people in the spirit of St. John Berchmans.' The community is described as a 'truly bilingual mix of Mexican and American cultures' that weaves Mexican folklore and songs into American civic and Catholic tradition, with particular care for elderly parishioners and the formation of youth.
- Mission: welcoming and liturgical community in the spirit of St. John Berchmans
- Bilingual Mexican-American identity
- Care for elderly parishioners and education of youth
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Rev. Fr. Anthony Male as pastor, assisted by Deacon Luis Guardiola. The parish office is staffed by Cathy Martinez (Office Manager / Bookkeeper), Laly Arocha (Administrative Assistant), Joan Orosco (Sacristan), Jessica Ramos (Sacramental Records), Connie Peché (Family Records), Olivia Santoyo (Bulletin Editor) and Christine McWilliams (Website & Facebook Coordinator). Nora Garcia serves as Principal of St. John Berchmans Catholic School.
- Pastor: Rev. Fr. Anthony Male ([email protected])
- Deacon: Luis Guardiola
- School Principal: Nora Garcia — (210) 433-0411
- Office Manager / Bookkeeper: Cathy Martinez ([email protected])
- Administrative Assistant: Laly Arocha
- Sacristan: Joan Orosco
- Sacramental Records: Jessica Ramos
- Family Records: Connie Peché
- Bulletin Editor: Olivia Santoyo
- Website & Facebook: Christine McWilliams
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs a year-round CCD/Religious Education program on Sundays from 9:30 AM to 12:00 Noon. Children attend class and then participate in the 11:00 AM Mass as part of the curriculum, with parents strongly encouraged to attend the same Mass. Sacramental preparation is intentionally family-based so that parents remain the primary educators of their children.
- Pre-K4 & Kindergarten
- First through Fifth Grade
- Sixth through Eighth Grade
- Young Adults (ages 14 and older)
- First Holy Communion Classes
- Confirmation (two-year: 9th & 10th grade)
- Baptism Classes for Children 7 and Older
- OCIC — Order of Christian Initiation for Children
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation for Adults
- Coordinator: Elida Gonzales ([email protected])
St. John Berchmans Catholic School
St. John Berchmans Catholic School serves students in Kindergarten through 8th grade on the parish campus at 1147 Cupples Road. It is fully accredited by the Texas Education Agency through TCCB-ED, is a member of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), and uses FACTS for online tuition management and RenWeb for enrollment. The actual cost to educate a student is roughly $8,000; tuition is kept below this through fundraising, donations and stewardship, and the Hope for the Future tuition-assistance program is available for qualifying K–8 families, along with a military discount.
- Grades K–8, coed
- Principal: Nora Garcia — (210) 433-0411
- Accredited by TEA through TCCB-ED; member of NCEA
- Approximately 92 students (2021–22 PSS data)
- Uniforms through FlynnO'Hara
- Hope for the Future tuition-assistance program for K–8 families
- Military discount available upon request
Parish Ministries & Organizations
A wide range of lay-led organizations serves the parish. Pastoral and Finance Councils advise the pastor in governance and finances; CYO and the Knights of Columbus support youth athletics and Catholic fraternity; ACTS Core and the Vigil Team accompany parish retreats; the Good Samaritans of SJB coordinate outreach; Liturgy, Homebound, and Church Cleaning teams keep daily parish life running. Pastoral Council meetings are held the first Thursday of every other month (six times a year); Finance Council meets four times a year on the first Friday of each quarter.
- Pastoral Council — Chair: Kimberly Mata
- Finance Council
- CYO — Michael Rodriguez
- Knights of Columbus
- ACTS Core — Victor Gomez
- Vigil Team — Dora Duran & Oralia Cantu
- Good Samaritans of SJB — John Diaz (Mon & Fri, 3–5 PM, every other week)
- Liturgy Coordinator — Dolores Guardiola
- Homebound ministry
- Church Cleaning — Stella Rico
- Youth Ministry (TBA)
Sacraments
Information about sacramental preparation is published in the weekly bulletin. Baptisms (including Quinceañeras and Sweet 16 celebrations), marriage, and anointing are arranged through the parish office; First Communion and Confirmation follow multi-year catechetical programs tied to the Sunday CCD schedule.
- Baptism, Quinceañera and Sweet 16 — contact parish office; baptism classes available
- First Holy Communion — Sunday 9:30–10:45 AM class with required 11:00 AM Mass
- Confirmation — two-year program beginning in 9th grade
- Reconciliation — Saturday 4:00 PM or by appointment
- Marriage — meet with Fr. Anthony Male at least six months in advance
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
Contact & Visit
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (with a lunch break 12:30–1:30) at 1147 Cupples Road, San Antonio, TX 78226. The parish can be reached by phone at (210) 434-3247 and by email through the website's contact form. Online giving is available through the parish's 'giving/sjbsanantonio' page or by texting 'Give' to 210-934-0959.
- Address: 1147 Cupples Road, San Antonio, TX 78226
- Parish phone: (210) 434-3247
- Office hours: Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- School phone: (210) 433-0411
- Online giving: text 'Give' to 210-934-0959 or visit giving/sjbsanantonio
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Richard Vershaffelt1910–
Belgian priest; first pastor when the Zarzamora Street church was completed with 152 members. Officiated at a notable 1933 Armistice Day Mass for Belgian and U.S. WWI veterans.
- Monsignor John Dubourgelmid-1940s
Parish priest who oversaw the move to West Harriman Place and the opening of the school in September 1949.
- Father Michael Cattaertearly 1960s
Pastor who led the third relocation to the present Cupples Road campus; broke ground August 23, 1964.
- Fr. Fidèle (Fidèle)
Pastor referenced in the Pastoral and Finance Council descriptions on the parish website (succeeded by Fr. Anthony Male).