San Antonio is full of exciting attractions, fantastic cultural heritage and some true Catholic gems (click here for my blog on Catholic San Antonio). But a visit to the San Antonio area should not be limited to the Alamo City itself. There are some fascinating day trips to be had whether it is north into the Texas Hill Country or south to the birthplace of Polish America. For those willing to commit to an overnight trip, the beaches of south Texas beckon and a trip to the tropical Texas coast can easily be combined with a pilgrimage to the fascinating Shrine of San Juan del Valle.
Texas Hill Country and Fredericksburg
About 70 miles northwest of San Antonio is the town of Fredericksburg in the heart of Texas Hill Country, well known for its peaches, wildflowers, rolling hills and lakes.
Few visitors realize that Fredericksburg and the Texas Hill Country rival the great wine producing regions of California, and is recognized as one of the top 10 wine regions, with over 50 wineries and tasting rooms. You can do wine tasting right on the main street and experience an authentic German biergarten at Aldstadt Brewery, one of the top Old World breweries in America.
Fredericksburg itself boasts a proud German heritage, founded by about 120 Germans in 1846 who had crossed the Atlantic in hopes of establishing a German colony in Texas. Traces of Germany are on display all along the Main Street and preserved in the historic buildings of the Pioneer Museum.
A jewel of main street Fredericksburg is the Gothic Old St. Mary’s Church, established by the first German settlers to the region in 1846. It is actually two churches on the campus, the first Marienkirche built in 1861 and the larger Gothic church built in 1908; the beautiful interior has won it inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places as one of the 15 painted churches of Texas. The Marienkirche today serves as the adoration chapel and its blue stained glass windows bathe the nave and sanctuary in a beautiful blue light, the color of Mary. Guided tours are available after the Sunday masses at the church.
One of the greatest surprises in Fredericksburg is the 55,000 square foot National Museum of the Pacific War, a fantastic World War II museum complete with military aircraft and navy vessels from the Pacific theater and an ampitheater on-site where visitors can watch live military battle re-enactments. The museum is located in Fredericksburg because it is the hometown of the great hero of America’s battles in the Pacific, Admiral Chester Nimitz. A short drive outside of Fredericksburg is the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, with its renowned hiking trails and one of the largest rocks in the state, a broadly domed 425 foot high pink granite formation.
In addition to exploring historic Fredericksburg, be sure to drive the 20 minutes along US 295 to the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site, where you can visit the ranch where President Johnson was born, lived and died and which became his Texas White House, in addition to seeing live Texas Longhorn and bisons in the park.
Panna Maria
About 60 miles south of San Antonio is the historic village of Panna Maria (“Virgin Mary”), which is the oldest Polish community in the United States; what Pope St. John Paul II affectionately described as the nest of Polish immigration in America.
The community was settled as a result of the vision of Father Leopold Moczygema. A missionary priest from Silesia, he is known as the Patriarch of American Polonia, who came in 1852 at invitation of Bishop of Texas. He invited his family to join him in Texas and about 150 other families from Poland joined his family and migrated over. This group landed in Galveston and then walked over to San Antonio to meet with Fr. Leopold and bought the land where Panna Maria exists, devoting the town to Our Lady. The first thing they did was celebrate mass under the giant oak tree on December 24, 1854; this tree remains a key site in town today.
The village’s church, Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the oldest Polish church in the U.S. There is a beautiful mosaic of Our Lady of Czestochowa that was given to President Johnson in the 1960s; he then donated it to this church. The chairs for the presiders are the same presiders chairs that were used by St. John Paul II when he celebrated mass during his trip to San Antonio. Also of interest, one of the pastors of the church in the twentieth century was Fr. Bernard Goebel, who was actually a survivor of the Dachau concentration camp.
Visitors can also see a few of the remaining heritage buildings on the site and a brand new Polish Heritage Center will be opening in October 2021.
South Padre Island and the Basilica of the National Shrine of San Juan del Valle
No trip to South Texas would be complete without an escape to the beaches of South Padre Island, located about four and a half hours from San Antonio. This island strip, named after a Catholic priest, is lined with pristine beaches, resorts, and a sprawling water park. The 1/2 mile wide island is a great place for horseback riding on the beach, spotting diverse species of birds over the Laguna Madre, visiting a sea turtle refuge, dolphin watching cruises, and so much more. SpaceX has a test facility and launch site on the island as well, which is increasingly becoming a major draw for curious visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of a rocket launch.
About one hour from South Padre Island is the town of San Juan, where the grand Basilica of the National Shrine of San Juan del Valle is located. A trip to the Basilica can easily be paired with fun in the sun at the nearby beach resorts of South Padre Island on the Gulf coast.
What started as a tiny Oblate mission church in 1920 has expanded into one of the largest shrines in the United States, attracting over 1 million pilgrims a year. It was in the mid nineteenth century that one of the pastors of the church decided to have the church dedicated to Our Lady of San Juan del Valle; this is the second most popular devotion in Mexico after Our Lady of Guadalupe, commemorating how the miraculous statue of Our Lady of San Juan brought back to life a young girl from a family of seventeenth century acrobats who had died in the village. Many people in the Valley had a devotion to Our Lady of San Juan and it was thought that placing a shrine to her Texas would eliminate the eight hour journey to the original shrine in Jalisco State.
The pastor at the time had an artist from Guadalajara make a replica of the tiny three foot statue to sit in this shrine. This statue is now enshrined high above the altar surrounded in golden rays within what can best be described as a bronze conclave circle, encircled by twelve stars and murals of pilgrims from all walks of life – from the clergy to the peasant farmer – approaching Our Lady, all with their gaze fixed on her. Most pilgrims to the Shrine kneel at the foot of this statue to light a votive candle.
A full room has been set aside in the rear of the Basilica to display the many ex voto offerings, pictures, and testimonials of pilgrims who have been healed through their intercession to Our Lady of San Juan. In addition, there is a chapel where pilgrims can pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament and confession is offered daily. Outside, visitors can view the giant 45 foot mural of Christ presenting His Mother to the people of the Valley, and enjoy the over 60 acres of gardens for prayer and contemplation.
The shrine building itself was miraculously preserved from disaster when a small plane crashed into it in 1970 while 50 priests and 50 laity were celebrating mass inside, with 100 children in the shrine cafeteria. No one but the pilot was killed, and both the replica statue and the Blessed Sacrament were safely removed from the burning building which was destroyed and had to be rebuilt. Today, the rebuilt shrine can attract up to 20,000 pilgrims each weekend and has a hotel on site to accommodate the crowds.
Also near the Shrine is Brownsville, one of the oldest cities in Texas, with the fabulous Gladys Porter Zoo. If you are adventurous you can even walk across the international bridge to take in the sights, sounds and tastes of downtown Matamoros, Mexico. Just outside of Brownsville is the 3,400 acre Palo Alto Battlefield, where the first major battle in the U.S.-Mexican War occurred.
CATHOLIC CONCIERGE 
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