1700 to 1800 During the 17th century, present-day San Antonio was part of a province of the
Spanish Empire. The Catholics in the region were under the jurisdiction of the
Archdiocese of Mexico. In 1731, the
Spanish Crown sent 55 settlers from the
Canary Islands, another Spanish province, to live in the
presidio, or fort, of San Antonio. Juan Antonio Pérez de Almazán, the military commander, was directed to find a site for building a church for them. The
cornerstone for San Fernando Church was laid on May 11, 1738. It was named for
Ferdinand III of Castile, who ruled parts of present-day Spain in the 13th century. The church was being built by soldiers from the presidio, their families and the newly arrived settlers. However, their inexperienced efforts led to poor results. In 1748, the viceroy donated 12,000 pesos to
jump-start the project, allowing church officials to bring in a master
stone mason and a stone cutter from Mexico. Clearing away the existing work, the men expanded the church footprint. San Fernando Church was finally dedicated in 1755. By now the San Fernando Church was suffering from the aftereffects of the war; its roof caved in 1840 and birds were nesting in the building. That same year, the Cathedral of San Fernando received its carved stone
stations of the cross. The project had three phases: • Phase One – restoration and stabilization of the cathedral foundation and structure, and changes to interior organization for liturgical purposes. The contractors moved the altar out of the sanctuary and closer to the center of the nave. They relocated the baptismal font from the back of the church into the main aisle. • Phase Two – replacement of the
rectory with a new Cathedral Centre, housing a small cafeteria, counseling rooms, museum, gift shop, reception room, television control room, and vesting sacristy. • Phase Three – construction of a community center to house community and social services, meeting rooms, a hall, church offices, and a residence for the priests. In February 2006, the cathedral began a year-long celebration recognizing San Antonio's 275th Anniversary.
2011 to present In 2011, Archbishop
Gustavo García-Siller decided to change some of the elements of the 2003 renovation. He Installed a new
altar permanently affixed to the floor in the sanctuary, with a railing behind the altar to limit access there. Contractors also added a
cathedra and relocated the baptismal font to the front of the nave next to the
lectern. Parishioners and outside donors contributed $150,000 to the project. Over 5,000 participate at weekend masses each week. Over 900 baptisms, 100 weddings, 100 funerals, and countless other services and special events are performed each year. The Good Friday
Passion Play attracts thousands of visitors. ==See also==