Friday, September 11, 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 says Mary's simple presence — and her Son within her — moves all of history | | Photo Credit: Vatican Media | | It was shortly after 5 p.m. local time when Pope Leo XIV arrived at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel, awaited by thousands of people along the road and welcomed by his fellow Augustinians. | | Message from Archbishop Gustavo
García-Siller, MSpS | |
| |  | It is a grace to walk together before the Lord and to listen together for His voice. Every person carries within a hidden place, deeper than appearances, deeper than roles, deeper even than our struggles. The Holy Spirit is the divine guest who enters that inner room and brings light where we need clarity, courage where we need strength, and wisdom where we need direction. This is why discernment always begins within. Before we can recognize God’s path for a community, we must allow the Holy Spirit to open the doors of our own hearts. In that interior place, we learn to distinguish between good and evil, between what leads toward freedom and what leads toward captivity of the soul, between the voice of the Lord Jesus and the many competing voices that surround us. The deepest battle is not fought outside us but within us. In the Church, we walk together, listen to one another, and together seek the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Through prayer, dialogue, humility, and communion with the Church, the Spirit gradually forms within us the mind of the Lord Jesus. The deepest room of all is opened at the altar. Jesus gives himself to us in the Eucharist. The One who liberates, teaches, and gathers also feeds us with His own life. This week, spend a few quiet minutes each day in that inner room of the heart. Listen. Discern. Follow the good. Encourage one another. Walk together in hope. And may Our Lady of Guadalupe, who carried Jesus within her and brought him to others, teach us to listen deeply and follow her Son faithfully.
| | Where Christ Waits to be Welcomed | | “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt 25:35). Before He could walk, Jesus was carried across a border by night; the Holy Family remains the model of every refugee family. In the pastoral letter, We Will Come to You: United in Solidarity with Our Brothers and Sisters in Migration, Archbishop Gustavo teaches that to welcome the person in migration is to draw near to Christ Himself, and to turn away from them is to turn away from Him. This week, pray with Part II using the Pastoral Letter Reflection Guide, on your own or around the family table, and let the Lord show you where He is waiting to be welcomed. | | Around the Archdiocese of San Antonio | | Celebrate World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
Sunday, September 13 | | Photo Credit: Vatican Media | |
The Sixth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly will be celebrated this coming Sunday, September 13, to coincide with the national celebration of Grandparents Day in the United States.
The theme chosen by the Holy Father, “I will never forget you” (cf. Isaiah 49:5), reminds us that God’s unwavering love is the ultimate answer to the isolation and neglect so often experienced by the elderly.
This year, we want to place a special emphasis on closeness to others. Reach out directly to those who live alone, are staying in care homes, or have no visitors. Let this day be a tangible opportunity for everyone to spend time with their grandparents, the elderly in their families, and most importantly, those who are completely isolated.
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Care for Creation Outdoor Mass and Pilgrimage
Sunday, September 13, at 8 a.m.,
at Mission Espada
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Care for creation is not a single moment; it is part of our daily mission as disciples. In his homily for the Care of Creation Mass, Pope Leo XIV reminds us, "Our mission to care for creation, to foster peace and reconciliation, is Jesus' own mission, the mission that the Lord entrusts to us. We hear the cry of the earth and we hear the cry of the poor, because this plea has reached the heart of God."
To be Courageous in Christ means walking differently, loving more deeply, and living with the humility the earth deserves. This outdoor Mass and pilgrimage is a joyful turning point, a public yes to that calling. Join Archbishop Gustavo at Mission San Francisco de la Espada (directions), followed by a 1.5-mile pilgrimage along the San Antonio River Walk Mission Reach Trail.
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The battle is real, but we do not fight alone!
Worship on the River
and St. Michael the Archangel
Tuesday, September 15, at 6:30 p.m.,
at San Fernando Cathedral
| Young adults across the archdiocese are invited to gather for Worship on the River at San Fernando Cathedral (directions). The spiritual life asks real courage, and we were never meant to find that courage alone. This month's reflection draws from the Chaplet of St. Michael the Archangel, a prayer that invokes the protection of the angels as we navigate the journey of faith. It is a fitting companion for an evening that brings young adults before the Blessed Sacrament, into the mercy of Confession, and around the table for genuine fellowship. Adoration begins at 6:30 p.m. Light meal and fellowship follow at 7:30 p.m. No registration required. All young adults are welcome. Bring a friend. | Are You Ready to Deepen Your Ministry? Parish Ministry Formation Near You | | |
Your Faith Has Something to Say
About Public Life
Tuesday, September 22, at 7 p.m.
Free Spanish Webinar on Zoom
| | 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. | | |
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 hundred 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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When Exile Became Blessing
Centennial Mass, Saturday, November 7,
at 4 p.m., at Nelson W. Wolff Stadium
| | In the 1920s, as religious persecution swept Mexico during the Cristero era, priests, religious sisters, and seminarians fled north. Many found refuge in San Antonio, arriving in the very years our diocese was elevated to an archdiocese. Their exile became our blessing. Exiled communities helped build the seminaries, schools, and parishes that shaped Catholic San Antonio. Among them were the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, the religious congregation of our own Archbishop Gustavo. A century later, the thread comes full circle. Celebrate that providence with us at Nelson W. Wolff Stadium (directions). | | Catholic Television of San Antonio | | Photos: Veronica Markland for Today's Catholic Newspaper | | Catholic Night with the San Antonio Missions took place on September 1 at Nelson W. Wolff Stadium. Archbishop Gustavo prayed a special pre-game blessing and threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The hometown team was victorious over the Midland Rockhounds 7-1, powered by an early grand slam and another mid-inning home run. | | Catholic Charities San Antonio hosted People of Hope: Faith-Filled Stories of Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a traveling storytelling museum celebrating Christian service and community compassion, with a two-day stop downtown at Historic Market Square September 2-3. Catholic Charities San Antonio invited its Board of Directors, staff, Archbishop Gustavo priests, clergy and volunteers, Catholic School students, as well as members of the community, to experience the museum and celebrate the power of neighbors helping neighbors. Produced by Catholic Charities USA, the museum will visit more than 150 communities nationwide. Housed in a digitally outfitted semi-truck, it features 42 video stories from Catholic Charities staff and volunteers, along with an interactive poverty simulation, educational resources and a recording studio for visitors to share their own stories of hope and service. | |
Today's Catholic Newspaper
| | September 11 Issue Highlights | | Today’s Catholic Newspaper is published bi-weekly on Friday (except in June and August when one issue is published/month). Subscribe today to receive 21 issues for only $22 a year. Subscribe online or contact Mandy Franco for information. | |
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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