St. Monica is a vibrant Catholic community in Converse, Texas. Known locally for the strength of our ministries, including a variety of outreach programs, the community includes a parish and an Elementary/Middle School.
From our origins as a small parish church in 1960, we have grown to one of the most active–faith communities in the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
We are blessed by many to help us provide ministries that include Community Life programs for parishioners, Care and Justice programs to help those in need, and Adult Enrichment programs for individuals seeking to deepen their knowledge and faith.
Known for the vitality of Liturgical Services, we warmly invite you to attend one of our Sunday or weekday Masses. Our current church, at 501 North Street, just off of FM78, was erected in 1979 with seating for 550 people.
Parish Boundaries
Close to Randolph Air Force Base, the parish boundaries are located approximately within Woodlake Parkway; a mile west of Kitty Hawk Road, FM 1518 and IH 10. The parish includes all of Converse and parts of Universal City, Live Oak, Schertz, San Antonio and unincorporated Bexar County. However, parishioners come from as far away as Stone Oak, Marion and New Braunfels.
To learn more about our patron saint of St. Monica, click here.
A History of Our Parish
On March 6, 1958, Mrs. Ida Kneupper donated four and a half acres of land in Converse, Texas to the Archdiocese. St. Monica Catholic Church was constructed with the help of a $10,000 grant from the Catholic Extension Society. The original church still stands to this day and serves as the Knights of Columbus Hall and the Thrift Shop operated by the Altar Society. Mass was celebrated for the first time on October 1, 1960. St. Monica was started as a mission church run by Our Lady of Perpetual Help in nearby Selma, Texas. It wasn't until 1963 that the parish was granted independent status. Father George Stuebben, who as assistant pastor at OLPH, was appointed the first pastor of St. Monica, whose congregation consisted of 200 families. St. Monica Catholic School was also founded in 1960 and their humble beginnings were in quarters of two surplus military barracks buildings.
Father Stuebben was succeeded by Father Hubert L. Bauman in 1968 and he oversaw several capital projects to address the needs of the growing parish including an expansion of seating in the original church building, the addition of central heating and cooling, construction of the parish rectory. During Father Bauman's tenure, plans for a new sanctuary for the parishioners of St. Monica were developed. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1977 and would not be able to see the all new St. Monica open in the following year.
A new church that would accommodate 700 persons was dedicated on August 19, 1978 by Msr. Alois Goertz, who was named pastor after Father Bauman's death. St. Monica featured two Reconcilation Rooms, fourteen stained glass windows representing the sacraments and liturgical life of Christians, a chapel that would be used as a Mother's Room, and a Commuhnity Room with a kitchenette to be used for fellowship on Sundays. A major remodel of the cryroom was completed in April 2020 to add new restrooms for our parishioners.
The current two-story main school building was completed in 1988. The decade of the 90's saw the addition of a gymnasium surrounded by classrooms for the Child Development Center, commonly called "the Annex." The School Administration building was also built during this period. The new century saw the purchase of eight acres of land and a Library/Computer lab was added to the school. With the new land, we were able to add a new parking lot, a soccer field, and build a new building to house Mollicone Middle School, allowing Saint Monica's School to add grades 7 and 8. In 2006, the Stuebben Hall was completed, which allowed the Parish to accommodate up to 370 persons for receptions, parash events, and meetings.
In 2010, the parish purchased an additional two acres of land to accommodate future growth. A memorial garden featuring a wooded walk through the Stations of the Cross was added behind the Parish Hall.
Currently almost 3,000 families call Saint Monica's home. St. Monica Catholic Community welcomes you and invites you to join us to fulfill the mission of Saint Monica:
To build a welcoming community of faith, making God's love visible through service to others.
Click for slide show of the history of the parish