About St. Mary - Downtown · San Antonio, Texas
St. Mary's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish in downtown San Antonio, Texas, recognized as the second-oldest parish in the city. Founded in 1852 to serve the English- and German-speaking Catholics of San Antonio (separate from the Spanish-speaking congregation at San Fernando), it has been staffed by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) since 1885. Today the neo-Romanesque church, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, sits at the corner of St. Mary's and College Streets next to the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre and just steps from the River Walk, welcoming daily downtown workers, residents, and visitors with weekday noon Masses, weekend liturgies, daily confession, adoration, and a broad set of devotions.
- Established
- 1852 (parish established; cornerstone 1856; first Mass 1857; rebuilt 1924)
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
- Rector
- Rev. John Gordon, OMI
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Antonio
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers a rare combination of historic Catholic identity and downtown convenience: weekday noon Masses designed for working professionals, daily confession, Eucharistic adoration on Fridays, healing services on Thursdays, and a cycle of popular novenas and rosaries. Beyond the sanctuary, the parish continues a 140-year Oblate mission of service — feeding the homeless through Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM) and San Antonio Metropolitan Ministry (SAMM), and feeding the spiritual life of downtown through the Holy Name Society, a charismatic prayer meeting, CCD and Confirmation preparation, and a Young Adults group. For anyone living or working in or visiting downtown San Antonio who wants daily access to the sacraments and a parish deeply rooted in Texas Catholic history, St. Mary's is a working, welcoming church family.
Mass times at St. Mary - Downtown
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 11:30 AM – 11:55 AM
- Tuesday 11:30 AM – 11:55 AM
- Wednesday 11:30 AM – 11:55 AM
- Thursday 11:30 AM – 11:55 AM
- Friday 11:30 AM – 11:55 AM
- Saturday 11:30 AM – 11:55 AM
- Saturday 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
Adoration times
- Friday 10:30 AM – 11:55 AM (Exposition and Adoration; Benediction and Reposition right before noon Mass)
- First Fridays 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM (Devotion to the Sacred Heart during Adoration)
History of St. Mary's
St. Mary's traces its origins to 1852, when Bishop John M. Odin of Galveston purchased land from the heirs of Ambrocio Rodriguez to build a second San Antonio parish for the growing English- and German-speaking populations. Rev. J. M. Dubuis broke ground in 1855, laid the cornerstone in 1856, and opened the original Gothic church in early 1857. Fr. Dubuis left in 1862 to become Bishop of Galveston, and from 1874 to the early 1880s the parish hosted the residence and chancery of the first Bishop of San Antonio. In January 1885 the parish was formally transferred to the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, with Fr. Richard J. Maloney as the first Oblate pastor. A devastating flood in September 1921 destroyed the original church; the present modified Romanesque building, designed by F. B. Gaenslen, opened in August 1924.
- 1852: Parish founded by Bishop J. M. Odin, land on former Rodriguez Spanish grant.
- 1855–1857: Fr. Dubuis builds and opens the first (Gothic) church; serves English and German congregations.
- 1868: German-speaking Catholics leave to build St. Joseph's Church.
- 1874: Bishop A. D. Pellicer makes St. Mary's rectory his chancery.
- January 1885: Parish transferred to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI); Fr. Richard J. Maloney, OMI, first Oblate pastor.
- September 1921: Great flood irreparably damages the original church.
- August 1924: New Romanesque church (architect F. B. Gaenslen) completed.
- 1956: Greiwe, Inc. of Cincinnati completes the present interior decoration.
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate
Since January 1, 1885, St. Mary's has been served by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the religious order founded by St. Eugene de Mazenod. Under OMI care the parish grew into a downtown center for the sacraments, preaching, and outreach to the poor. The Oblates celebrate a noon daily Mass to meet the needs of downtown workers and remain dedicated to direct service of homeless and low-income San Antonians through partnerships like Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM) and San Antonio Metropolitan Ministry (SAMM). Current pastor Fr. John Gordon, OMI — ordained June 2, 2001 — has served St. Mary's for over a decade, accompanied by parochial vicars including Fr. Basil Obeje, OMI (departing in 2025 for the OMI novitiate in Godfrey, Illinois).
- Pastored by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate since 1885 — 140 years of continuous OMI ministry.
- Daily noon Mass tradition designed around downtown workers.
- Oblate outreach to the homeless through CAM and SAMM.
Devotions & Novenas
St. Mary's is well known in downtown San Antonio for its running menu of weekday novenas and devotions, anchored around the daily noon Mass. These short, accessible devotions are especially popular with downtown workers on their lunch hour.
- Mon 12:30 PM — Novena to St. Mary Magdalene
- Tue 12:30 PM — Novena to St. Anthony of Padua
- Thu 12:30 PM — Brief Healing Service
- Fri 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM — Stations of the Cross (year-round, after noon Mass)
- First Sat 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM — Reparation Rosary + 15 min meditation on a Rosary Mystery
- Last Sat 11:30 AM — Holy Rosary prior to noon Mass
- Last Sat 12:30 PM — Reading of the Medjugorje message following Mass
Ministries & Groups
Beyond the sacraments, St. Mary's has long organized its lay faithful around the historic Society of the Holy Name (a lay confraternity devoted to reverence for the Holy Name of Jesus and parish fraternity), a weekly charismatic prayer meeting, CCD and Confirmation preparation programs, a Young Adults Group, and outreach to the homeless. The parish was historically the birthplace of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in this region.
- Society of the Holy Name (Holy Name Society) — parish confraternity of the laity
- Weekly charismatic prayer meeting
- CCD / Religious Education for children
- Confirmation preparation program
- Young Adults Group (monthly meetings)
- Hospital and nursing-home visitations
- Spiritual consultation / spiritual direction
- Marian Center of San Antonio (linked ministry)
Outreach to the Poor
Consistent with its Oblate charism, St. Mary's maintains strong partnerships with two of San Antonio's principal ministries to the homeless and indigent: Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM) and San Antonio Metropolitan Ministry (SAMM). Parishioners and Oblates volunteer regularly, and special collections of money, food, and clothing are taken up for these works. Many homeless men and women are fed daily through the combined efforts of the parish staff and volunteers.
- Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM) — food, clothing, financial aid
- San Antonio Metropolitan Ministry (SAMM) — nightly shelter and meals
- Special collections of money, food, and clothing for the homeless
- Daily feeding programs staffed by parish volunteers
Downtown & River Walk Presence
St. Mary's is one of the most recognizable parish presences on the San Antonio River Walk. In addition to serving downtown office workers, residents, and the tens of thousands of tourists who pass through annually, the parish actively contributes to the city's major civic celebrations, providing seating for the Fiesta San Antonio River Parade and the annual Christmas River Lighting, along with a 'Food Fest' in its parking lot.
- Parish sits one block from the San Antonio River Walk.
- Corner of North St. Mary's Street and College Street, next to the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre.
- Parish provides seating and food booths for the Fiesta River Parade and Christmas River Lighting.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. J. M. Dubuis1855–1862
First pastor; also rector of San Fernando; raised the building fund in San Antonio, Galveston, and New Orleans; later became Bishop of Galveston.
- First resident pastorsthrough 1871
Lived in a room over the vestry until the rectory was built in 1871.
- Rt. Rev. A. D. Pellicer (as resident bishop)from 1874
First Bishop of San Antonio; made St. Mary's rectory his residence and chancery.
- Rt. Rev. J. C. Neraz (transfer)January 1885
Second Bishop of San Antonio; transferred St. Mary's to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
- Rev. Richard J. Maloney, OMIfrom 1885
First Oblate pastor of St. Mary's, beginning continuous OMI care of the parish.
- Rev. John Gordon, OMIat least 2012–present (per parish bulletin 2025)
Ordained June 2, 2001; pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church downtown San Antonio.