Cathedral of San Fernando (San Antonio)

San Fernando Cathedral
San Fernando Cathedral is one of the oldest active cathedrals in the United States.
San Fernando Cathedral
29°25′28.0″N 98°29′38.4″W
Location	San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Denomination	Catholic Church
Tradition	Latin Church
Website	San Fernando Cathedral – San Antonio Texas
History
Status	Cathedral
Dedication	Saint Ferdinand
Architecture
Architect(s)	Francois P. Giraud; Dielman, Leo
Architectural type	Colonial, Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1738
Completed	1868?
Administration
Province	Ecclesiastical province of San Antonio
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of San Antonio
Clergy
Archbishop	Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller
Rector	Very Rev. Fr. Carlos B. Velázquez
Designations U.S. National Register of Historic Places Official name Church of Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria y Guadalupe Designated February 25, 1975 Reference no. 75001949 Governing Body Private

San Fernando Cathedral (Spanish: Catedral de San Fernando) also called the Cathedral of Our Lady of Candelaria and Guadalupe (Spanish: Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria y Guadalupe) is a cathedral of the Catholic Church located in downtown San Antonio, Texas, United States, facing the city's Main Plaza. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of San Antonio and the seat of its archbishop. Its dome serves as the city of San Antonio's cultural and geographical center. The cathedral is also known as the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria y Guadalupe and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is notable as one of the oldest cathedrals in the United States.

History

A view of San Fernando in the 1800s

Main Plaza, Cathedral, and Court House, San Antonio, Texas (postcard, c. 1901–1914)

The original church of San Fernando was built between 1738 and 1750. The walls of that church today form the sanctuary of the cathedral, which gives rise to its claim as the oldest cathedral in the State of Texas. The church was named for Ferdinand III of Castile, who ruled in the 13th century. The baptismal font, believed to be a gift from Charles III, who became King of Spain in 1759, is the oldest piece of liturgical furnishing in the cathedral. The cathedral was built by soldiers from the Presidio de San Antonio, their families and settlers from the Canary Islands; for this reason the interior is an image of the Virgin of Candelaria, the patroness of the Canary Islands.

In 1831, James Bowie married Ursula de Veramendi in San Fernando Cathedral.

In 1836, the cathedral, still a parish church, played a role in the Battle of the Alamo when Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna hoisted a flag of "no quarter" from the church's tower, marking the beginning of the siege.

The ashes of the heroes that died defending the Alamo on March 6, 1836, are interred there.

In 1868, under the direction of architect Francois P. Giraud, the cathedral was considerably enlarged in the Gothic style, the addition forming the existing nave. The carved stone Stations of the Cross were added in 1874. The striking stained glass windows were added in 1920.

On September 13, 1987, Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral during the only papal visit to Texas. A marker commemorates the event.

2003: major restoration

In 2003, a $15 million renovation project was undertaken which involved three phases:

• Phase One – restoration and stabilization of the cathedral foundation and structure and its enhancement for liturgy and other events. The altar was moved outside of the sanctuary, closer to the center of the nave, allegedly "to enhance the experience for Mass" and the baptismal font was relocated from the back of the church into the main aisle, against Catholic custom, which emphasizes that baptism is the entry into the Catholic Church (the baptismal font being placed near the entrance to the church symbolically indicates that).
• Phase Two – replacement of the rectory with a new Cathedral Centre which will house a small cafeteria, counseling rooms, museum, gift shop, reception room, television control room, and vesting sacristy.
• Phase Three – construction of a community centre to house community and social services, meeting rooms, a hall, church offices, and a residence for the priests.

The 2003 renovation was supervised by Richard S. Vosko, a liturgical design consultant and priest of the Diocese of Albany who has overseen often-controversial redesigns and renovations of numerous churches and cathedrals around the country.

2011: minor renovation

Official center of San Antonio marker in the Cathedral

In 2011, Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller broke from the design envisioned for the cathedral restoration and reversed some prior alterations of Vosko's design which had violated Church law, unveiling a new altar permanently affixed to the floor and within the sanctuary; a new traditional bishop's chair or cathedra; relocating the baptismal font from the back of the church back to the front next to the lectern; and installing a new railing behind the altar to section off the sanctuary to prevent people visiting the retablo from straying onto the altar. Donations from parishioners and outside donors in the amount of $150,000 funded the 2011 project.

As part of the dedication, the archbishop placed three relics in the altar. Two are relics of St. Anthony of Padua, a Doctor of the Church and the patron saint of San Antonio; and a third relic is of Blessed Concepción Cabrera de Armida, also known as Conchita, who inspired the formation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit (Archbishop Garcia-Siller was ordained a priest of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit in 1984) as well as 16 other spirituality inspired Catholic organizations.

Today

Cathedral interior in 2017

The cathedral remains at the heart of Catholic religious life of San Antonio, and this includes involvement in annual events such as the Fiesta Week. Over 5,000 participate at weekend Masses each week of the year. Over 900 baptisms, 100 weddings, 100 funerals, and countless other services and special events are performed each year, most notably in the staging of the Good Friday Passion Play, which attracts thousands of visitors.

In February 2006, the cathedral began a year-long celebration recognizing San Antonio's 275th Anniversary.

San Antonio: The Saga

Saga light show at night

Starting in June 2014 and continued presently, the majestic façade of the San Fernando Cathedral has featured "San Antonio: The Saga", a unique video art projection by international artist Xavier de Richemont. Its 24-minute runtime depicts the historical discovery, settlement and development of San Antonio, the Lone Star State, and United States history. Showtimes are managed by the Main Plaza Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that focuses on preserving the historical significance of the Main Plaza, which is part of the Main and Military Plazas Historic District.

Tomb of Davy Crockett, William B. Travis, and Jim Bowie

See also

• List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States
• List of cathedrals in the United States
• San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
• Alamo Mission in San Antonio
• Alamo Plaza Historic District
• Main and Military Plazas Historic District
• List of the oldest churches in the United States

External links

Daytime image of the cathedral in modern-day downtown San Antonio

• Official cathedral site
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio
• National Register of Historic Places.com
• Cathedral of San Fernando at Find a Grave
• San Fernando Cathedral at the Handbook of Texas Online