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 honors Mother Cabrini as model for Church on migration | | Photo credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News | | Pope Leo XIV paid tribute on June 20 to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first U.S. citizen ever canonized as a Catholic saint, holding her up as a model for how the Church should respond to migrants today. | | Message from Archbishop Gustavo
García-Siller, MSpS | |
| |  | For this very month of June, fittingly, Pope Leo XIV has offered his prayer intention “for the values of sports” — so let’s run with that image all the way home. Think of the spiritual life as a relay race, one runner handing the baton to the next. That’s the posture of every good athlete and every faithful disciple: pressured from all sides, but refusing to quit, because the strength is not ours alone — it is handed to us. Every fall, every fumble, is met with a grace that “overflows” far beyond the damage. That is not wishful thinking. Fear is what makes us drop the baton — fear of failing, fear of being seen, fear of the next lap. Pope Leo XIV, in his letter on sport, wrote beautifully that true competition “teaches us that we can strive for the highest level without denying our own fragility; that we can win without humiliating others; and that we can lose without being defeated as individuals.” That is not just sports wisdom – it is resurrection wisdom. Every Eucharist is the same handoff: the Lord Jesus gives Himself so we do not run alone, so our legs find strength when ours give out. So here is the exhortation, simple and direct: pick up the baton without fear. Whatever lap you are on —tired, doubting, behind — keep running toward the only finish line that matters: union with the Lord Jesus, who is already waiting at the line, applauding. Let Our Lady of Guadalupe, swift and tireless mother, run beside us, and carry our race safely home.
| | Around the Archdiocese of San Antonio | | |
Carry the Light You Received at Baptism
All Summer 2026 | #GodOnTheGoSA
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At baptism, each of us received the light of Christ, a flame meant not to be hidden but carried into the world. The God on the Go Summer Challenge gives families a playful, tangible way to live that truth all season long. As your Buddy joins you at the lake, the grocery store, or grandma’s kitchen table, he becomes a small reminder of a large mystery. “You are the light of the world,” Jesus tells us. “Your light must shine before others” (Matthew 5:14, 16). Every photo your family takes becomes a quiet witness, a way of saying that Christ goes where we go.
Tag your God on the Go moments on social media using the hashtag #GodOnTheGoSA
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Behind Prison Walls, Hope is Alive
Save the Date: Saturday, July 25, at St. Paul Community Center
| | Across Texas and four neighboring states, thousands of incarcerated men and women are encountering the mercy of Jesus Christ through Kolbe Prison Ministries. This summer, the ministry returns to San Antonio, its birthplace, for the 11th Annual Kolbe Prison Ministries Conference. Catholics, clergy, volunteers, and ministry leaders are warmly invited to a day of testimony, formation, and encounter. You will hear from people whose lives were renewed behind bars, and you will discover the many ways ordinary Catholics carry the Gospel to those society has forgotten. Whether you feel called to serve inside a prison unit or to support the mission through prayer, there is a place for you. | | |
Liturgy, Service, and the Gift of Children as Missionary Disciples
Tomorrow, Saturday, June 27, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Oblate School of Theology
| | Children are not the future of the Church. They are the Church, now, and Workshop 3 of The Child and Lamb honors that truth across three movements. Dr. Dolores Martinez, who served as director of the Office for Worship for the archdiocese, teaches Liturgy with Children, drawing from decades of forming liturgical ministers. Father Praveen Lakkisetti, parochial vicar at Holy Trinity Church, speaks about the Eucharist. The day closes with sessions on Community, Service, and Children as Missionary Disciples. Whether you serve in formation, in music ministry, or simply love a child in your life, this is a day to gather at Oblate School of Theology (directions). | | |
Vocation of a Catechist: Formation on Zoom for Ministry Leaders
Thursday, July 2, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., offered in English & Spanish
| | Who are we as catechists, and how do we help others encounter Jesus? Join us for a one-hour formation to pray and reflect on the heart of our calling as catechists. Together, we'll explore our role in facilitating a personal encounter with Christ and renewing our sense of purpose in this beautiful ministry. As Pope Leo XIV reminds us, "Because friendship with Jesus gives us joy, sets us free and helps us see, step by step, the vocation and the path that God has planned for each of us" (June 10, 2026). Whether you're new to catechesis or have served for years, this is a time to be refreshed, encouraged, and reconnected to the "why" behind your ministry. | | |
Forming Catechists in the Heart of the
Good Shepherd
Monday and Tuesday, July 6 and 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Boerne
| | Those who form our youngest disciples carry a tender and demanding vocation. The Found Sheep Central Texas CGS Group invites catechists and formation leaders to a two-day workshop, Positive Discipline in the Montessori Classroom for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS). Led by Chip DeLorenzo, M.Ed., author of the book by the same title, the gathering offers practical tools for building a community of mutual respect, setting limits with kindness and firmness, and guiding children toward self-regulation, cooperation, and independence. Whether you serve in an atrium, a classroom, or a parish faith formation program, you will find approaches that invite cooperation rather than power struggles. Catechists will leave St. Peter the Apostle Church (directions) ready to accompany the children entrusted to them with patience and confidence, in the gentle manner of the Good Shepherd who knows each one by name. Registration is $90 and includes lunch both days and a copy of Chip's book. | | Catholic Television of San Antonio | | St. Mary’s University President Winston Erevelles, Ph.D., joined a group of presidents from the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities for a seminar in Rome earlier this month, including a life-changing opportunity to visit with Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope. “It was a privilege to attend the 2026 ACCU Rome Seminar. Held in collaboration with the Lay Center, the event brought together 21 presidents of Catholic colleges and universities for five days of pilgrimage, visits and deep discussions with members of the Curia,” Erevelles said. “My wife, Dr. Chris Erevelles, attended the seminar as part of the spouse’s program. The highlight of the trip was a private audience with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.” He sat down with SA News to share highlights from the event, also attended by Dr. Tom Evans, president of the University of the Incarnate Word, and Our Lady of the Lake University President Dr. Abel Chávez, to share firsthand about this historic encounter, the importance of Catholic higher education, and the inspiration he brought back to the community. | | Catholic Charities staff from more than 20 countries celebrated World Refugee Day on June 19 with a potluck, enjoying food, culture, and company from around the world. The event featured a diverse array of dishes that highlighted a variety of cultures, creating a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere. | |
Today's Catholic Newspaper
| | Today’s Catholic Newspaper is published bi-weekly on Friday (except in June and August when one issue is published/month). Save now through the end of June! Subscribe to receive 22 issues for only $20/year. In July, the price will increase to $22/year, so don’t miss out. Subscribe online or contact Mandy Franco for information. | |
Treasures of the Archdiocese of San Antonio: A Commemorative Book
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When you buy the commemorative book Treasures of the Archdiocesan of San Antonio 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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