About St. John Neumann · San Antonio, Texas
St. John Neumann Catholic Church is a bilingual (English and Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in northeast San Antonio, Texas, belonging to the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Founded in 1977 on thirteen acres at the corner of Crestway and New World Drive, the parish was named in honor of St. John Neumann, the first American male saint, whose canonization in Rome that same year inspired its dedication. Today the parish serves its community through daily and Sunday Masses, perpetual Monday Eucharistic Adoration, an intergenerational faith formation program, youth ministry, a Society of St. Vincent de Paul food pantry and outreach, and an annual mission trip to Belize.
- Established
- 1977
- Patron
- St. John Neumann
- Rector
- Rev. Alex Pereida
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Antonio
Why belong here
St. John Neumann is a welcoming bilingual community on San Antonio's northeast side where every parish family is invited to deepen their faith together. Generations of Faith brings children, parents, and grandparents around the same table for monthly intergenerational formation, while Youth@SJN ministers to middle and high school students and RCIA walks adults into full Catholic life. The parish keeps Monday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament rolling through the week, offers Mass in both English and Spanish every Sunday, and reaches beyond its walls through the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry and a longstanding mission partnership with the poor in Belize. Belonging here means sharing your gifts, growing in holiness, and serving neighbors close to home and across the Gulf.
Mass times at St. John Neumann
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 2:00 – 3:00 PM
- Saturday 4:00 – 4:45 PM
- By appointment during office hours
Adoration times
- Monday 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Parish History
St. John Neumann was established by Archbishop Francis J. Furey on September 21, 1977, on thirteen acres at Crestway and New World, only three months after the namesake saint was canonized in Rome. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated after Archbishop Patrick F. Flores dedicated the building on March 30, 1980. The parish has steadily grown — adding its Family Center, Bell Tower, stained-glass Last Supper window, Our Lady of Guadalupe mosaic, Baptistery, Memorial Brick Pathway, and Fatima Garden — and reached its 40th anniversary in 2017 with a full renovation of church and chapel.
- 1977 — Parish established by Archbishop Francis J. Furey; Fr. Tony Cummins named first pastor
- March 25, 1979 — Groundbreaking
- March 30, 1980 — Church dedicated by Archbishop Patrick F. Flores (seats 500, 200-car parking lot, 40-seat Blessed Sacrament Chapel)
- 1983 — Bronze sculpture of St. John Neumann with two immigrant children placed in front of the church
- 1985 — Family Center dedicated by Archbishop Flores
- 1988 — Bell Tower added
- July 1990 — Fr. Robert (later Msgr.) Silverman arrives as pastor; institutes 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration
- 1995 — Last Supper stained-glass window installed above main entrance
- 1996 — Marble altar and Our Lady of Guadalupe mosaic added
- 2001 — New Baptistery completed at the church entrance
- 2002 — Memorial Brick Pathway completed
- 2004 — Msgr. Silverman dies on pilgrimage to the Holy Land; Fr. Eddy Morales succeeds him
- 2006 — Fatima Garden completed and dedicated by Archbishop José H. Gómez
- July 2007 — First Sunday Mass in Spanish celebrated; Catholic Daughters Court Our Lady of Fatima founded
- 2008 — Fr. Octavio Muguerza appointed Administrator Pro Tem
- 2012 — Fr. Octavio incardinated into the Archdiocese of San Antonio
- 2014 — Fr. Octavio installed as pastor
- 2017 — 40th anniversary / Fr. Octavio's 25th priesthood anniversary renovation of church and chapel
- 2018 — Fr. Alex Pereida returns as pastor on July 2
Our Pastor — Rev. Alex Pereida
Father Alex is a native Texan, born and raised in Bexar County. He entered St. John's Seminary in Camarillo, California, in 1999, studying philosophy and psychology, then returned to San Antonio in 2004 to reside at Assumption Seminary and complete his M.Div. at Oblate School of Theology. He was ordained to the priesthood in May 2008 and first served at St. John Neumann as Parochial Vicar from June 2008 to June 2009. After assignments at Holy Trinity in Stone Oak and as Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of San Antonio, and pastorates at St. Mary Somerset and St. Peter the Fisherman in Von Ormy, he was appointed Pastor of St. John Neumann on July 2, 2018.
- Born and raised in Bexar County
- St. John's Seminary, Camarillo, CA (1999)
- Assumption Seminary + Oblate School of Theology, M.Div. (2008)
- Ordained May 2008
- Parochial Vicar, St. John Neumann (2008–2009)
- Holy Trinity, Stone Oak (2009–2011)
- Director of Vocations, Archdiocese of San Antonio (2011–2016)
- Pastor, St. Mary Somerset (2012–2018) and St. Peter the Fisherman (2016–2018)
- Pastor, St. John Neumann (July 2, 2018 – present)
Clergy & Staff
The parish team is led by Pastor Fr. Alex Pereida and supported by two permanent deacons and a lay staff. The deacons collaborate with the pastor across many ministries — baptism, confirmation, marriage preparation, altar server training, preaching, funeral vigils, and graveside services.
- Rev. Alex Pereida — Pastor
- Deacon Stephen Kerr (and wife Shelly)
- Deacon Larry Lindsey
- Blanca Loza Rocha — Pastoral Associate ([email protected])
- Estella Hermosillo — Generations of Faith Coordinator ([email protected])
- Socorro Almodovar — Reception/Data Specialist ([email protected]); joined SJN in 2011
- Letty Estrada — Administrative Assistant
- Paul Hernandez — Maintenance Coordinator
- David Boyle — Facilities
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. John Neumann is known for its intergenerational Generations of Faith (GOF) approach, which gathers the whole parish family — children, youth, parents, grandparents, sponsors, and other adults — around the same monthly rhythm of supper, prayer, age-appropriate learning, and shared faith conversation. The program was designed as a true alternative to traditional CCD-style religious education, with take-home packets so the whole household continues learning between sessions.
- Generations of Faith (GOF) — monthly intergenerational gatherings
- Elementary Religious Education — preparation for First Eucharist and Reconciliation
- Youth@SJN — middle and high school youth ministry (grades 6–12) using Life Teen and EDGE
- RCIA — Wednesdays 7:00 PM in the Scott Room of the Family Center, August–May
RCIA & Adult Faith
The Right of Christian Initiation of Adults is the formal process for preparing adults for full membership in the Catholic Church — whether they are curious, seeking to become Catholic, or have not yet received all the sacraments. Sessions combine prayer, faith sharing, Catholic doctrine, Scripture, and community building, meeting every Wednesday from August through May at 7:00 PM in the Scott Room of the Family Center.
Youth Ministry (Youth@SJN)
Youth@SJN focuses on the total personal and spiritual growth of young people in grades 6 through 12 and draws them into responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the faith community. It is closely tied to Generations of Faith and uses the Life Teen and EDGE programs. Contact Pastoral Associate Blanca Rocha at (210) 654-1643 or [email protected] to support or join.
Longing for the Holy & Bible Study
Longing for the Holy is a small faith-sharing group that meets twice a month for 90 minutes in parishioners' homes. Bilingual (English- and Spanish-speaking) groups meet at different times, sharing Scripture and daily life; twice a year all groups come together to pray, celebrate the Liturgy of the Word, and share their experiences. A Bible Study also forms part of the parish's ongoing adult formation.
Outreach & Charity
Reaching those in need is central to the parish's mission. Locally, the St. Vincent de Paul Society runs a food pantry and provides emergency partial payments for utilities, rent, and medical expenses to parishioners within the parish boundaries. Beyond San Antonio, the parish has partnered with Cross Catholic Outreach since 2009 to serve the poor of Punta Gorda, Belize, where the annual Mission Trip offers parishioners a face-to-face encounter with their brothers and sisters abroad.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — pantry and emergency assistance, open Mon/Wed/Fri 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Belize Mission Committee — annual Lenten fundraising and mission trip in partnership with Cross Catholic Outreach
- Belize projects supported: education of Indian/Mayan women; H.O.P.E. (Helping Older People Equally) food program; scholarships at Pallotti High School; home repair projects in Punta Gorda
- Northeast Senior Assistance (NESA) — outreach to elderly parishioners
- Life/Peace/Justice advocacy — defending the unborn, supporting immigrants, and helping the homebound
Catholic Daughters of the Americas
Court Our Lady of Fatima of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas was founded in late 2007 and remains an active part of the parish's fraternal and charitable life.
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for the full sacramental life of the Catholic Church, with the deacons and pastor collaborating across Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, First Eucharist, First Reconciliation, RCIA, and funeral rites (vigils and graveside services).
- Baptism preparation
- First Eucharist and First Reconciliation preparation (Elementary Religious Education)
- Confirmation preparation
- Marriage preparation
- RCIA for adults
- Funeral vigils and graveside services (Deacons Stephen Kerr and Larry Lindsey)
Campus, Building & Artifacts
Across its 40+ years the parish has assembled a campus of devotional and architectural features that document both its growth and its Catholic heritage. The 2017 renovation refreshed both worship spaces for accessibility, sound, and beauty ahead of the parish's 40th anniversary.
- Main church (1980) — seats 500
- Blessed Sacrament Chapel — seats 40 with tabernacle and stained-glass windows
- Family Center (1985) — houses the Scott Room used for RCIA and parish meetings
- Bell Tower (1988)
- Bronze sculpture of St. John Neumann with two immigrant children (1983)
- Stained-glass Last Supper window (1995)
- Marble altar and Our Lady of Guadalupe mosaic (1996, later donated to St. Michael's)
- Baptistery at church entrance (2001)
- Memorial Brick Pathway (2002)
- Fatima Garden (2006, dedicated by Archbishop José H. Gómez)
- St. Vincent de Paul building and groundskeeping storage (Project 2000)
- 200-car parking lot
- Two relics beneath main altar (St. John Neumann, given by Pope Paul VI; St. Francis Cabrini)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Tony Cummins1977 – c. 1990
Founding pastor when Archbishop Francis J. Furey established the parish in September 1977.
- Fr. Robert Silverman (later Msgr. Silverman)July 1990 – 2004
Instituted 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration; added statue, Stations of the Cross, stained-glass windows, the Last Supper window, marble altar, mosaic of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Baptistery. Died of a heart attack on pilgrimage in the Holy Land in 2004.
- Fr. Eddy Morales2004 – c. 2008
Succeeded Msgr. Silverman as parish leader.
- Fr. Octavio Muguerza2008 – 2018
Appointed Administrator Pro Tem in 2008 (previously 15 years in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston); incardinated into the Archdiocese of San Antonio in 2012; installed as pastor in 2014. Marked his 25th priestly anniversary and the parish's 40th with the 2017 renovation.
- Rev. Alex Pereida2018 – present
Returned to the parish as pastor on July 2, 2018, having previously served here as Parochial Vicar in 2008–2009.