About St. Paul · San Antonio, Texas
St. Paul Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish serving San Antonio's West Side neighborhood at 350 Sutton Drive, with its parish offices and community center located at 1201 Donaldson Avenue (ZIP 78228). The parish belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio and traces its origins to Christmas Eve 1953. Beyond the main church, the parish maintains a notable community campus that includes the St. Paul Community Center — a former Jewish congregation house (Agudas Achim) — along with the House of Mercy, House of Brigid, ballroom, and a remodeled Youth Education Center (YEC), reflecting the parish's unusually strong mix of worship, formation, hospitality, and family ministries.
- Established
- 1953
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Fr. Jude Offor (Parish Administrator; the website also references Rev. Msgr. Charles Chaffman, JCD, in connection with the parish)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Antonio
Why belong here
St. Paul Catholic Church offers daily and Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish, weekly Confession and daily Adoration, and a wide range of parish life — from RCIA for children and adults, Vacation Bible School, and middle/high school faith formation to Young Adult Ministry (YAM), Tongues of Fire (TOF), Teen ACTS, a Knights of Columbus council (#7265), CYO, Ladies Auxiliary, Family Agape meals, prayer groups, Bible studies, and a Marriage & Family Life ministry that hosts the annual RINGS Married Couples Retreat. With its unique community campus — the historic St. Paul Community Center, House of Mercy, House of Brigid, and remodeled Youth Education Center — the parish is both a place of worship and a gathering place for West Side families.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Saturday: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM (Church confessional)
- By appointment: call the office at 210-733-7152, ext. 110
Adoration times
- Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Monday through Friday after Mass (8:30 AM – 6:00 PM)
- Nocturnal Adoration: Saturdays 9:00 PM – 7:00 AM (monthly)
About St. Paul Catholic Church
St. Paul Catholic Church is a bilingual parish of the Archdiocese of San Antonio serving the West Side from its main church at 350 Sutton Drive, with parish offices and a community campus at 1201 Donaldson Avenue. The parish community gathers for Mass in both English and Spanish, devotes significant resources to faith formation for children, teens, and adults, and operates a network of ministries that includes young adults, married couples, youth athletics, and outreach.
- Church: 350 Sutton Dr., San Antonio, TX 78228
- Parish Offices & Community Center: 1201 Donaldson Ave., San Antonio, TX 78228
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- Founded: Christmas Eve, December 24, 1953
Our History
St. Paul was established on December 24, 1953 — Christmas Eve — as part of the post-World War II expansion of Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Over more than seven decades it has grown into a bilingual English/Spanish community deeply rooted in San Antonio's West Side. The parish is perhaps best known for the building at 1201 Donaldson Avenue, which it acquired from the former Agudas Achim Jewish congregation and converted into the St. Paul Community Center while intentionally preserving many of its original fixtures as a tribute to the Jewish roots of Christianity.
- Founded December 24, 1953 (source: GCatholic)
- St. Paul Community Center is housed in the former Agudas Achim synagogue
- Parish belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio
Faith Formation
The parish's Faith Formation office, directed by Anita Rivera, walks parishioners of every age through the sacraments and ongoing catechesis — from children's RCIA and Confirmation preparation through Vacation Bible School and middle/high school faith formation.
- RCIA for Children, Teens and Adults
- High School & Adult Confirmation
- Middle & High School Faith Formation (SPY)
- Vacation Bible School (VBS)
- Contact: Anita Rivera, Director of Faith Formation, 210-733-7152 ext. 122, [email protected]
Youth, Young Adult & Family Life
Joann Perez oversees the parish's Youth Ministry, which connects middle and high schoolers (and older teens) through programs like Teen ACTS, while the Marriage & Family Life ministry serves couples and young adults through Tongues of Fire (TOF), Young Adult Ministry (YAM), the annual RINGS Married Couples Retreat, and weekly family meals.
- Teen ACTS (Tuesdays 6:30–8:30 PM)
- Young Adult Ministry — YAM (Wednesdays 6:00–9:00 PM)
- Tongues of Fire / TOF & Adult Bible Study (Thursdays 7:00–9:00 PM)
- RINGS Married Couples Retreat (March 20–22, 2026)
- Family Agape Meal — Sundays after morning Mass in the House of Brigid
- Contact: Joann Perez, Youth Ministry, 210-733-7152 ext. 128, [email protected]
Parish Organizations
Beyond its formation programs, St. Paul sustains several long-standing parish organizations that animate parish life and outreach to the wider West Side community.
- Knights of Columbus Council #7265 — 'Always being of Service to St. Paul Catholic Church'
- CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) — currently recruiting board officers
- Ladies Auxiliary
- Respect Life Ministry
- Armor of God Bible Study (Saturdays 7:00–10:00 AM)
- Prayer Group (Mondays 7:00–8:30 PM)
St. Paul Community Center & Event Venues
The St. Paul Community Center at 1201 Donaldson Avenue is the parish's hospitality and event hub. Housed in the former Agudas Achim synagogue, it is available for weddings, quinceañeras, banquets, meetings, and other events, and is paired with a ballroom, the House of Mercy, the House of Brigid, and a remodeled Youth Education Center (YEC) for smaller or more intimate gatherings.
- St. Paul Community Center (1201 Donaldson Ave.) — the former Agudas Achim synagogue
- House of Mercy
- House of Brigid
- Ballroom
- Youth Education Center (YEC) — newly remodeled
Giving & the Archbishop's Appeal
St. Paul actively participates in the Archdiocese of San Antonio's Archbishop's Appeal for Ministries, which funds more than thirty archdiocesan ministries including San Antonio Vocations, Social Services, Pastoral Ministries, Catholic Communications, and Catholic Education. The parish notes that if it surpasses its goal, a portion of the funds can return to the parish.
- Archbishop's Appeal for Ministries
- Online giving (via saintpaulsa.org)
- Become a Parishioner registration
Contact & Staff
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, email, or in person during weekday office hours. The staff team includes clergy, deacons, and lay leaders in liturgy, youth ministry, faith formation, operations, and administration.
- Fr. Jude Offor — Parish Administrator
- Rev. Msgr. Charles Chaffman, JCD
- Deacon Adrian Cepeda
- Deacon Carl Weekley — Deacon and Clergy Liaison
- Deacon Armando Trevino
- Agustin Arismendez — Parish Operations Manager
- Jennifer Smyrl — Liturgical Coordinator
- Joann Perez — Youth Ministry
- Anita Rivera — Director of Faith Formation
- Almalinda Ortega — Bookkeeper
- Martha Gonzales — Parish Secretary
- General email: [email protected]
Becoming Catholic & Becoming a Parishioner
The parish's 'Becoming Catholic' pathway (RCIA) and 'Become a Parishioner' registration make it straightforward for newcomers to register with the parish or begin the journey toward full initiation into the Catholic Church through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist.
- RCIA for Adults
- RCIA for Children and Teens
- Online parishioner registration via saintpaulsa.org