Friday, September 18, 2026 | | Ver este correo electrónico en español: Haga clic aquí para abrir el correo en un navegador y, a continuación, utilice la función de traducción del navegador. | | Welcome to The New Messenger, your weekly archdiocesan newsletter featuring messages from Archbishop Gustavo, news briefs, event previews, and updated information. The Archdiocese of San Antonio's weekly newsletter is published every Friday morning. | | The Holy See | Pope Leo XIV | | Pope Leo XIV sends greetings to Rome Jewish community for new year observances | | Photo Credit: Vatican Media | | Pope Leo XIV sent greetings to Rome’s Jewish community as it prepared to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot in a telegram addressed to the city’s chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni. | | Message from Archbishop Gustavo
García-Siller, MSpS | |
| |  | Every human heart longs for mercy. We want understanding when we fail, patience when we fall short, and a new beginning when our mistakes seem larger than our strength. Saint Augustine knew this struggle well. Looking back on his life in his Confessions, he saw not a story of his own achievements, but a story of God’s patient pursuit. He discovered that every step home began with a mercy that came first. Augustine’s famous insight still speaks to us: our hearts are restless until they rest in God. And one reason they remain restless is that resentment asks the heart to carry a burden it was never created to hold. Remember your last days. Remember that you, too, stand in need of mercy. We belong to the Lord. Our injuries do not define us. Our grudges do not own us. Our deepest identity is that we belong to God. God’s mercy toward us is always larger. As Pope Leo XIV recently reminded us, “forgiving means not letting hatred take hold of our hearts. The Christian life begins when we remember the embrace we ourselves have received.” And may Our Lady of Guadalupe, who carries her children close to her heart, teach us never to forget the mercy that has first remembered us.
| | Around the Archdiocese of San Antonio | | Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month September 15 - October 1 | | Photo: Veronica Markland for Today's Catholic Newspaper | Each year, Hispanic Heritage Month honors the rich gifts, diverse cultures, traditions, and faith of Hispanic and Latino Catholics. | | September 20, 2026 | “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… to bring good news to the poor” (Lk 4:18; cf. Is 61:1) | | |
This Sunday, September 20, the Church celebrates Catechetical Sunday. The theme, drawn from the moment Jesus stands up in the synagogue at Nazareth, reveals both his mission and his identity: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me … to bring good news to the poor" (Lk 4:18; cf. Is 61:1). Anointed by the Holy Spirit, he comes not with power or status, but with compassion, bringing hope, healing, and freedom to the poor, the brokenhearted, and the forgotten. What Jesus announces in Nazareth becomes the pattern for the Church. By virtue of our baptism, each of us is called to hand on the faith and witness to the Gospel.
This Sunday invites us to rededicate ourselves to that mission, and to thank those who formed us in Christ. This year the timing carries added weight. Catechetical Sunday falls directly before National Migration Week, a providential reminder of the call to accompany brothers and sisters in migration. Read Archbishop Gustavo's pastoral letter, We Will Come to You. The connection between Catechetical Sunday and the call to serve our brothers and sisters in migration is strong. Read You Are Not Alone: Accompanying Migrants in a Tumultuous Time, published by the USCCB Secretariat of Migration.
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National Migration Week
September 21-27
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For more than 45 years, the Church in the United States has kept National Migration Week: a week to remember that ours is an immigrant Church, enriched by generation after generation who made this land their own, and to grow in understanding of what our migrant and refugee neighbors carry. This year it runs September 21 through 27 and culminates in the World Day of Migrants and Refugees on Sunday, September 27. The USCCB’s Justice for Immigrants Campaign provides a variety of resources to celebrate the World Day of Migrants and Refugees/National Migration Week, including a toolkit. These resources will help educate you on the theme for this year's World Day and provide spiritual resources that will help you focus your prayer life on these vulnerable populations.
Pope Leo XIV has chosen the theme "Even just one of these children," from the words of the Lord: "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me" (Mt 18:5). The Vatican has explained that the Holy Father intends "to express the Church's concern for minors directly involved in migration, recalling the duty to welcome each one of them as the Gospel teaches us." Archbishop Gustavo wrote We Will Come to You for a week like this one. Keep the week in prayer, accompaniment, and advocacy, and let his words accompany you. Read the Pastoral Letter.
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Your Faith Has Something to Say
About Public Life
Tuesday, September 22, at 7 p.m., Spanish Webinar via Zoom is Free
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Many of us carry a quiet question into every election season: how do I hold my faith and my citizenship together without letting one flatten the other? The bishops of the United States answer plainly. “In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.” This fall, the Office for Life and Social Justice Ministries invites you to a free 90-minute session on Zoom exploring Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the teaching document of the U.S. bishops on the political responsibility of Catholics. There is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare. Come as you are, bring your questions, and leave with a clearer conscience and a steadier heart.
Source: USCCB, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, no. 13.
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USCCB Webinar: International and Domestic Dynamics of Child Migrations
Tuesday, September 23, at 1 p.m.
| | In honor of National Migration Week, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat of Migration is hosting a free public webinar on the realities facing migrant children today, both internationally and here at home. Catholic experts will shed light on this year's theme and what it calls us to do. Panelists include Jenny Cachaya from The Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), Haydee Diaz from Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Honduras, and Ashley Feasley from The Catholic University of America. Whether you work in ministry, care for migrant families in your parish, or simply want to understand more about how our faith calls us to respond, this is an opportunity to listen, learn, and be moved. Register for the webinar. | |
Families United in Faith: When the Storm Comes Home
Saturday, September 26, at 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.,
at Molchan Hall, at St. Dominic
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When someone we love is struggling, the whole family feels it. Worry over a loved one's mental health, a sudden crisis, or the long road of incarceration, probation, or reentry can leave families unsure where to turn.
The Criminal Justice Ministry invites you to Families United in Faith, a free support gathering for learning, sharing, and prayer. This time, the day centers on mental wellness. Under the theme "Navigating the Storm," presenters from trusted local organizations, including the San Antonio Fire Department and the Center for Health Care Services, will talk about what to do in a crisis and where to find counseling, treatment, and support close to home. The gathering is open to all members of the community, including anyone seeking mental health resources. Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments are provided.
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Deaf Awareness Mass
Sunday, September 27, at 11 a.m.
at Our Lady of Sorrows Church
| | All are welcome to join us for the annual Deaf Awareness Mass on Sunday, September 27 at Our Lady of Sorrows Church (directions). Celebrated in both English and American Sign Language, this liturgy invites the whole community to worship together as one family and to honor the vibrant faith and culture of our Deaf brothers and sisters. Following Mass, stay for a social and complimentary lunch in the Parish Hall until 1 p.m. Come and celebrate with us. We look forward to worshiping alongside you. | | |
Lift Your Voice:
Join Our Archdiocesan Centennial Choir
RSVP by Sunday, September 27
Rehearsals Begin Saturday, October 17
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We invite you to be part of a historic moment in the life of our local Church. On Saturday, November 7, at 4 p.m. at Nelson W. Wolff Stadium, the faithful of the archdiocese will gather to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Elevation of the Diocese to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio. This centennial celebration calls us to be Courageous in Christ, to give thanks for those who came before us, to renew our shared mission, and to step boldly into the next 100 years as one Church united in faith.
If you have a love for sacred music and a heart for service, we invite you to lift your voice in praise and help shape the prayerful beauty of this once-in-a-century celebration.
What to Know: Singers must be able to match pitch and some music-reading ability is helpful given our limited rehearsal time. Rehearsals begin Saturday, October 17, at the University of the Incarnate Word (directions). RSVP by Sunday, September 27. Come and be part of the song that carries us forward. We look forward to singing with you!
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Zoom Formation for Ministry Leaders
Go Forth & Spread the Gospel: Living Out the Advent Season in the Parish
Thursday, October 1, from 5:30 p.m. - 6:40 p.m.
| | Ministry formation leaders and all interested are invited to join the Office of Evangelization and Formation of Missionary Discipleship for our monthly one-hour Zoom session. In October, Steffani Aquila, author of Festive Faith, will explore how leaders can use the liturgical year as a guide to help the faith community grow closer to Christ through parish engagement. She will share practical ways the parish can support their communities to live out the upcoming Advent season. This session aims to inspire leaders to create opportunities for encounter, strengthen parish engagement and foster a culture of lifelong missionary discipleship. | | |
What Is a Pastoral Vision, and Why Should You Care?
Saturday, November 7, at 4 p.m.,
at Nelson W. Wolff Stadium
| | On November 7, Archbishop Gustavo will proclaim a new Pastoral Vision for the archdiocese. But what is it? A Pastoral Vision is a prayerfully discerned, long-term direction for the local Church, created through broad consultation with clergy, religious, and laity, and shaped by a synodal process of listening. It is not a document for the chancery shelf. It sets priorities for our parishes, renews our commitment to missionary discipleship, and calls every baptized person, including you, to active participation in the mission of Christ. | | Catholic Television of San Antonio | | The Catholic community of San Antonio is mourning the passing of Father Juan Ignacio Alfaro, a beloved voice and presence who touched the lives of many through his faith, service and dedication to the community. In this story, CTSA remembers his life and legacy and the lasting impact he leaves behind. | | Photo: Veronica Markland for Today's Catholic Newspaper | | Auxiliary Bishop Gary Janak celebrated the Intercollegiate Commissioning Mass at the University of the Incarnate Word Our Lady’s Chapel on September 11. | |
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Treasures of the Archdiocese of San Antonio: A Commemorative Book
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Inside Treasures of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, read about San Francesco di Paola, and much more. When you purchase this commemorative book, you will also receive the Today's Catholic 150th anniversary magazine as an added bonus.
Don't let this opportunity slip away. Purchase your book now and take home or pass along a piece of history!
- Published by Editions du Signe | ISBN: 978-2-7468-4515-2
- 9.65” x 11.81”
- Soft cover – glossy paper – 440 pages
- Full color throughout
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Seeking to live in sacramental communion with one another, the Archdiocese of San Antonio exists to make disciples and missionaries of Jesus Christ to prepare for the promise of Eternal Life.
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