Cathedral of San Fernando, San Antonio (must see)

The Cathedral of San Fernando in San Antonio is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of San Antonio and the seat of its archbishop. The cathedral is also known as the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria y Guadalupe and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The original church of San Fernando was built between 1738 and 1750. The walls of that church today form the sanctuary of the cathedral, which gives rise to its claim as the oldest cathedral in the State of Texas, much as in the United States. The church was named for Ferdinand III of Castile, who ruled in the 13th century. The baptismal font, believed to be a gift from Charles III, who became King of Spain from 1759, is the oldest piece of liturgical furnishing within the cathedral. The temple itself was built by immigrants from the Canary Islands, for which reason the interior holds a picture of the Virgin of Candelaria, the patroness of the Canary Islands.

In 1868, the cathedral was considerably enlarged in the Gothic style, the addition forming the existing nave. The carved stone Stations of the Cross were added in 1874. The striking stained glass windows were added in 1920. The cathedral remains at the heart of the Catholic religious life of San Antonio, and this includes involvement in annual events, such as the Fiesta Week. In February 2006, the cathedral held a year-long celebration marking San Antonio’s 275th anniversary.