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 from 1759, is the oldest piece of liturgical furnishing in the cathedral. The cathedral was built by 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. 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. In 1868, under the director 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. Among the changes, the altar was relocated to a movable platform closer to the center of the church to enhance the experience for Mass and the baptismal font was relocated from the back of the church into the main aisle.
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 Father Richard S. Vosko, a liturgical design consultant and priest of the Diocese of Albany who has overseen the redesign and renovation of numerous churches and cathedrals around the country.
Today
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 FridayPassion Play, which attracts thousands of visitors. In February 2006, the cathedral began a year-long celebration recognizing San Antonio's 275th Anniversary.
2011: minor renovation
In 2011, Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, broke from the design envisioned for the cathedral restoration and reversed some prior alterations, unveiling a new altar ; 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. 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 Venerable Concepcion Cabrera de Armida, also known as Conchita, who inspired the formation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit as well as 16 other spirituality inspired Catholic organizations. , William B. Travis, and Jim Bowie.
