Attractions of the Past and Present, 3/06/2018

To wrap up our daughter’s visit, we made plans to visit San Fernando Cathedral (1738) and the Tower of the Americas (1968). 

The San Fernando Cathedral It is the oldest continuously operating cathedral in the US and the oldest building in Texas, as the original walls of the church remain today. A group of sixteen Canary Island families founded the church in 1731 when they arrived in the Spanish colony (Texas) at the request of King Phillip V of Spain. 

The Roman Catholic Church faces San Antonio’s Main Plaza and is the city’s cultural and geographical center. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Jim Bowie was married here in 1831 and General Santa Ana (Mexico) hoisted the flag of “no quarter” during the siege of the Alamo in 1836 from the church’s tower. 

In 1868, a gothic structure was added to the east side of the original colonial church. It forms the nave of the cathedral. In the Choir Loft at the rear is the pipe organ that was built in 1884 by George Kilgen.

A marble sarcophagus (located in the SW corner of the church) reportedly contains the remains of the defenders of the Alamo. There were originally buried under the altar after the battle, but were unearthed during the renovation in 1936.

Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral in September, 1987. The plaque and sculpture of him commemorate the historic visit. It is the only time a pope has visited the state of Texas.

The baptismal font is the oldest piece in the cathedral. Also shown is a Statue of the Pieta. 

The carved stone Stations of the Cross, represent scenes of the Passion and Death of Christ. They were placed in the church in 1874. 

The stained glass windows were added in the 1900s. 

We continued to explore the various statues positioned in various locations in the cathedral. Below is the St. Joseph Statue and a statue of Saint Toribio Romo, the patron saint of immigrants. Born in Mexico he was ordained in 1922 and is a martyr of the Mexican Cristero War (where priests were executed). 

The San Fernando Statue honors Ferdinand III of Spain (ancestor of King Phillip V) who ruled in the 13th century and was involved in the Crusades. The church is named for him. Also, shown is the devotional shrine featuring a replica of the Black Christ from Guatemala. Christi Negro was brought to San Fernando in the 1980s during political unrest in Central America.

This is the beautiful “Jesus Christ, Word and Sacrament” retablo. It is 18th century style and features statues of the four evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Measuring 24’ by 16’, it is gilded in 24 carat gold. The second retablo has a statue of Our Lady of Candelaria, a gift from the Canary Islands, honoring the Virgin Mary. She is the co-paratoness of the original church. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the other co-patroness. All of them are stunning!

Next to the church is the Plaza de la Cruz that was renovated and dedicated in 2015. It is a place to pray and reflect. The entrance to the cathedral’s Los Padrecitos Gift Shop is there as well.

The gift shop has historic pieces on display from the cathedral as well as many unique gifts. 

There is a small courtyard at the rear of the church with several statues. 

San Fernando Cathedral serves as a refuge for many of the poor in this area and has a rich history of responding to people’s needs. Over 5,000 people attend mass weekly. 

Website: www.sfcathedral.org

The Bexar County Courthouse, is built of red sandstone in Romanesque Revival style was completed in 1892. The Lady Justice Fountain uses treated air conditioning condensation instead of city water. The courthouse also borders the Main Plaza and is very close to the cathedral. 

Our final destination in San Antonio was the impressive 750’ tall Tower of the Americas. It is a theme structure of the 1968 World’s Fair (HemisFair ‘68). It also paid Tribute to the 250th Anniversary of the founding of San Antonio (1718). The tower was the tallest structure until the Las Vegas Stratosphere was completed in 1996. 

The Hemisfair Park has water features at the base of the tower. 

There are basically three choices of what you might want to do at the tower; and you can choose one or all of them. 

1. Visit the Flags Over Texas: Observation Deck where there are exhibits and the 4D Theatre Ride ($12/adult;$10/senior).
2. Have lunch or dinner at the revolving Chart House Restaurant provides panoramic views of San Antonio and beyond.
3. Enjoy some cocktails at the 601 Bar (one floor above the Chart House Restaurant). Drink prices are great during Happy Hour (Monday - Friday, 4:30 to 7:30 pm). That’s what we did. Check out the pomegranate martini!

Additionally, there gift shops, a cafe, and other activities on the ground floor. Be prepared for quite a wait for the elevator to ascend or descend the tower. But the views are gorgeous from it. 

Website: www.toweroftheamericas.com

Cocktails at the Tower of the Americas were a great way to wrap up Amanda’s visit to San Antonio for my birthday!