www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Any Byzantine Catholics in San Antonio, TX?

Glory be to Jesus Christ, as well as to the Father and the Holy Ghost!

I'm a Latin rite who is interested in Byzantine Catholic Christianity, and I am wondering about the faith lives of Byz Caths in SA. Do you worship at the territorial Latin church (alone or together with some attendance at an Orthodox church)? At St. George Maronite Catholic Church on Babcock? At the Byz Cath mission in Austin?

I've been to a Maronite Catholic Divine Liturgy at St. George's, as well at to a Greek Orthodox church in Dallas many years ago. I would love to go back to a Byzantine Divine Liturgy (I've spent many times watching youtube videos of one on different occasions) either by visiting an Orthodox church again, or going to the Austin mission on Saturday so that I can taste Holy Communion as it is in Byz Cath worship (I know that since it is a Saturday liturgy I'll have to go back to Mass on Sunday). In addition to the liturgy, I am also studying up on my spare time on Byzantine expressions of the Christian Faith.

The most feasible for me, however, would be to visit an Orthodox church in SA (I know I can't receive Holy Communion in this instance) while going to the Novus Ordo at my parish church on Sunday evening. Since I'm in my parish choir for one of the morning Masses, this will most likely have to be in the summer since we are on break and use a reduced amount of choral music during that time (and our conductor-organist is on vacation). In this case, what would be the proper protocol for visiting an Orthodox church? Writing an introductory letter to the pastor? Or may I just visit?

Well, enough about me; tell about how you worship absent a Byzantine Catholic church in San Antonio and the immediate vicinity.


May the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with us all forevermore.

Paul R. Viola

Welcome to the Forum! I'm a sporadic poster, but San Antonio caught my eye, because I have a love for your beautiful city. My dad's cousin is the pastor at Holy Rosary parish, near St. Mary's University.

I would definitely encourage traveling to Austin to experience teh Divine Liturgy. Please continue to post and let us know how it goes for you.

Elizabeth

Paul,

Welcome to the forum. I have fond memories of both San Antonio (having spent a year at Fort Sam, decades ago) and of St George Maronite Church (then in the city itself) whose pastor (Father Wladimir Akeekee, of blessed memory) and parishioners were very welcoming and kind to a young Melkite away from home and bereft of access to a parish of any Byzantine Rite Church.

You may visit an Orthodox temple without any prior formalities, although I'm certain that if you wrote beforehand, the pastor would be delighted to know of your coming. You may not, of course, receive the Mystery of the Eucharist. As to 'what to do' - there is a wonderful piece titled '12 things I wish I had known before visiting an Orthodox Church'. The points made in it are equally applicable to a visit to most EC parishes.

Offhand, I can't think of anyone currently active as a poster here who is from SA, but I could be wrong. If so, they'll likely offer some suggestions as to where you might want to go. (We do have several Texans, not from SA, who might be familiar enough with the area to offer suggestions.)

Be patient, if no one replies immediately, with Pascha looming a week away, many - both EC and EO - are not posting much right now.

As to how one worships according to the Byzantine praxis when there is no EC Church in the area, that's a topic addressed many times previously, although its somewhat amorphous nature makes it difficult to search out threads on it. I'll see what I can find - meanwhile, someone may well address the matter anew.

Many years,

Neil

Fr. Elias Rafaj, the pastor of St. John Chrysostom BCC in Houston serves DL in San Antonio periodically, I believe once per month. I will have to do some checking on the actual schedule, time, and location.

Ryan

Ryan,

If that is a recurring thing, I'd like very much to have the details for the Directory.

Many years,

Neil

I'm sorry--it's in Austin, not San Antonio, that Fr. Elias is serving DL periodically.

Ryan

San Antonio did once have a solid mission effort, but it died I believe as a top-down decision (i.e. not a failing of the people of the mission).

There is a wonderful Maronite Parish there which I have celebrated the liturgy in while in my old stomping grounds during my Air Force years.

Would love to see a Slavic Btzantine Mission start there.

Christ is Risen! Alleluia, Alleluis!
Stephanos I

Sigh...We are a Byzantine Catholic Family in the Weslaco area, ie about 4 hrs south of San Antonio. We attend a local Latin Rite Parish, and when able, (which isn't often), have to drive many hours to a Byz parish, get a hotel room, etc. My understanding is that the Byz Mission in Austin has not been there/functioning for a while...My understanding is that Maronite's are very similar to Latin Rite, and in that sense very different from Byzantine, Ruthenian. This is important for us as our two youngest children are still "too young" to receive Holy Eucharist in the Latin Rite without much angst and pushing on our parts.

Ditto for the Orthodox, none of us can receive communion there, so rather than confuse my children, we don't go there.

In short, the best option for those wanting a Ruthenian Liturgy in the San Antonio area is to drive to Houston, Tx or Irving, Tx...

Nancy Sandrock

Nancy

I have created a little blog on this topic. You might want to check it out. byzantinesa.blogspot.com is the address. Please consider joining and participating. I would be interested in hearing about your experiences in the hinterland as a Byzantine Catholic. Maybe you would write some posts for me.

Peace
Jim

For anyone interested I have started a little blog on this topic. Look at byzantinesa.blogspot.com . I certainly would welcome any help I can get.

I was in basic training there, but never stationed there again. A great resource might be the chaplains office on base. Possibly there is some way the diocese could check with them to see if they have any numbers available or names to contact.

I see you have an entry on "Switching Rites". We are canonically members of Churches, not Rites.

Your inclusion of Deacon's Blog [konicki.com] by a deacon of Polish National Catholic Church in a short list of five "Things to Read or Follow" seems a bit provocative to me... I'm all for reading and following "ORTHODIXIE" however.

Off Topic:
We had an Eastern Catholic Texan visiting our parish in SF yesterday. Was it one of you fellows?

It seems that such a large city such as SA could gather enough people and money to start a Byzantine Catholic Church.
Ask your leaders to launch a mission there.
Stephanos I

Thanks for the feedback. I used the term "Switching Rites" for two reasons. First, it was the term used on the article I referenced. Second, I presumed most people reading that would be Roman Catholic and probably not too into the technical issues of semantics or canonical niceties. In fact, one of the things I plan to do one of these days is put up some more info about the exact point that you are making, i.e. that someone is switching churches not just styles of liturgy. I hope that people who are unfamiliar with the Eastern Churches will listen to Father Loya's podcasts from #1 on. I think this point will be clearer then.

Actually, the PNCC blog has Orthodixie as one of the blogs he follows. I also follow that one. I didn't mean to be provocative, it is just a blog I follow. He actually had a number of pieces on there about the Polish Orthodox Church's observances during the recent tragedy in Russia.

I don't know who was visiting but I hope you told him to check in. Keep in touch and help out when ever you can. Thanks.