The first Lebanese immigrants arrived in San Antonio by the 1880's, but it was not until 1925 when an opportunity to obtain their own priest came for the local Maronites who had, until that time, been worshipping in a Roman Catholic Church near their colony on San Antonio's near west side.

In early 1925, the Reverend George Aziz, who had stopped over in San Antonio on his way back from visiting his nephews, George and Toffie Aziz, in Brownsville, Texas, was asked by local Maronites to stay and serve as their priest. Father Aziz consented, providing permission was obtained from the local Catholic Bishop, who was at the time the Most Reverend A.J. Drossaerts. Approval was granted.

 By mid-1925 the parish had collected enough money to buy the lot which was located at the southeast corner of Pecos and West Martin Streets. The lot included a small frame building with gray clapboard siding which was used as the first church. Father Aziz lived upstairs from the Church and served his parishioners, most of whom lived within a six-block radius of the church in the Lebanese colony.

The original congregation of just over fifty members had grown by 1931 and a larger church building was needed. In 1932 a new church was begun on the same site as the first church. It was completed in 1934.

In 1948, the parish learned the church building would have to be relocated, as the site at Pecos and Martin Streets lay in the path of a proposed expressway (now I- 35). The church building was rebuilt or duplicated like the old church in the new location on the southwest corner of North Frio

 and Morales.    

Once again, in 1968 the parish faced still another upheaval. The church on Frio was condemned by an urban renewal project. Again, the church would have to be moved. A new site of 15 1/2 acres on Babcock Road, twelve miles north of metropolitan San Antonio was purchased. A banquet hall and rectory were completed in 1976. In 1980 the present St. George Maronite Church was built, combining the modern and traditional styles of the existing buildings. In 1988 a second banquet hall was completed.

Today we are a parish growing in size and activity. The motivation of those early pioneer families is still present in the many descendants. Under the direction and assistance of our pastor, Father Ghassan Mattar, M.L.M., we strive to educate and teach everyone about the richness of the Maronite Catholic Church, its Liturgy and traditions. Now in the 21st Century we are even more committed to meeting the challenge of defining and preserving our faith and our Syriac Maronite Tradition for our children and our children's children.

St George Maronite Catholic Church

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