About Us

A mission church (Mission of Loire) dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, was built just east of the Pleasanton City Hall near the Atascosa River. The ranch lands of the old Spanish missions stretched along the banks of the San Antonio River and its tributaries. Many settlements grew up in the course of time, and St. Andrew's Parish in Pleasanton, thirty three miles south of San Antonio, is in this territory. It was not a new parish, but rather the new headquarters of the old Loire-Las Gallinas-North Pleasanton Parish which, until 1946, had its headquarters at Loire.

Two rooms were added, and some alterations were made. The Claretian Fathers from San Antonio attended this and several neighboring missions, and for some time it was attended on Sundays by Father James F. Cassidy from St. John's Seminary. While St. Andrew was a mission of Loire, the church was renovated and additional property was purchased.

The church and its contents were entirely destroyed by fire. Parishioners used a large tent as a temporary church for Sunday worship services, funerals, weddings, baptisms, and confirmation, until that too, was destroyed by a rare winter snow and sleet storm in January of 1947, causing it to collapse. A local theater owner then gave permission to use his building for worship until the new parish center was completed.

The new parish center was completed. This new center was made possible by the American Board of Catholic Missions. The parish center was then used as a church for the next fifteen months while the new church was being constructed.

With the rearranging of parish boundaries, the mission of Campbellton, formerly attended by the Redemptorist Fathers from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in San Antonio, was added to St. Andrew's Parish.

A large framework of iron pipe, topped with a corrugated tin roof, forming a pavilion, was erected over a concrete slab. This was the start of the present parish hall. In December of 1959, the parish center (later referred to as the Educational Building and now as the Catechetical Annex) was divided into five classrooms for religious education. Around the same time, a building referred to as “The White-house” was purchased from Humble Oil Company and moved to the parish grounds. This building is now known as the St. Anthony Building.

Renovations to the parish hall continued and the last major modifications and expansion were completed. This last expansion included a large modern kitchen with two walk-in coolers, two major serving lines, and a stage for performances. This expansion nearly doubled the size of the previous hall.

Remodeling of the church and restoring it to its original modified mission style was completed. Old wood paneling was removed and restored with white plaster walls and ceiling. New carpet, metal and glass doors, light fixtures and an updated sound system were installed. Seven beautiful stained glass windows were also installed, four depicting the life of Christ, and one each depicting St. Andrew, a Guardian Angel, and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The last major addition to our parish buildings was the construction of the Catechetical Center with nine classrooms dedicated by Archbishop Patrick F. Flores, of San Antonio.

An outside freezer to store meat or turkeys was constructed in the rear of the parish hall next to the barbeque pits. The entrance to the parish hall was remodeled and changed to allow better handicap access. A 12-foot wide covering was constructed on the front and side of the hall to allow shade and protection from inclement weather and connecting to the Catechetical Building. A stained glass window depicting Jesus with the little children was installed on the front entrance facing the street. The façade to both the Catechetical Annex and parish hall was changed to match the front of the church and Catechetical Center.

Renovations have continued to the parish hall and Catechetical Annex.