PARISH HISTORY

The Rt. Rev. John W. Shaw, coadjutor Bishop of San Antonio founded this parish in 1911 to serve the Spanish speaking families living in San Antonio's west sector. The church was dedicated to the Protectress of the Americas, Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The Rt. Rev. Arthur J. Drossaerts, bishop of San Antonio broke ground in 1921 for the new church on El Paso Street. Jesuits were invited to take over the parish by Bishop Drossaerts in 1932 and have ministred in the community since that time.

Theresian Sisters who had fled from Mexico due to the revolution in 1910 were in charge of the parish school until 1916 and were succeeded by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word who continued until 1985. In 1985 the parish school at Guadalupe Church was closed as six parishes on the west side together opened Westside Catholic School near Immaculate Conception Church. Westside Catholic continues in operation to the present time.

Fr. Carmelo Tranchese, S. J., was the first Jesuit pastor and worked valiantly to improve conditions in the Guadalupe neighborhood which was known as one of the nation's worst slums. He was influential in securing public housing legislation for construction on the "Alazan Courts" (in 1937-38) to provide housing for 932 low-income families. In March of 1939, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt came to Guadalupe church to review the new housing project. Fr. Tranchese personally escorted her on a walking tour through the muddy streets so that she would not forget what she saw.