SAN ANTONIO • Blessed Sacrament Parish celebrated its golden anniversary July 15 with a Mass presided over by Archbishop José H. Gomez, followed by the dedication of the church’s new Adoration Chapel.     Concelebrants at the liturgy were Father John O’Donoghue, pastor, and a former pastor, Msgr. Michael O’Gorman. Special guests at the Mass included a large number of founding members of the church, who stood out among the congregation with special gold medals dangling from yellow ribbons around their necks.
    In remarks at the beginning of his homily, Archbishop Gomez praised the parish’s mission statement.
    It states, “The Blessed Sacrament Catholic Community seeks to be the reconciling presence of Christ. We are committed and sent forth to witness the love of God by serving the spiritual, educational, emotional and physical needs of our community. When we do this we: ‘Act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with our God. (Micah 6:8)’”

    The archbishop said, “Not only is that a good summary of the past 50 years at Blessed Sacrament, it is a good blueprint for the future.”

    Archbishop Gomez reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from Luke, the story of the Good Samaritan. “Who is my neighbor?” the archbishop asked. “Jesus answered that with the parable of the Good Samaritan. It is not someone we are close to or share interests with. It may be someone we don’t like. We must go out of our way to make life better for others. We are all children of God.” He continued, “The Good Samaritan did what he had to do — he spent time and money. Charity was shown in deeds.”

    Lastly, Archbishop Gomez challenged the assembly to ask if there is anything they can do to increase charity. “Be a real Good Samaritan to the people in your lives,” he concluded. “Jesus went out of his way to give his life for us, and he wanted to stay with us in the Blessed Sacrament.”
    A reception in the Parish Center, complete with historical displays, continued the joyous occasion of the parish’s jubilee.

    Blessed Sacrament Parish was created in the summer of 1956 by Archbishop Robert E. Lucey to accommodate the 405 families in the area of the north central portion of the city. Boundaries were Olmos Creek on the south, Missouri Pacific Railroad on the east, Blanco Road on the west and extending 4.4 miles north of the intersection of Bitters Road and Blanco. Father Charles J. Drees was named pastor, and the first Masses were held in Mount Sacred Heart School Chapel.
    In 1957, a temporary church with capacity for 400 and two two-story buildings were constructed. The school opened in 1958 with 650 students and nine Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Divine Child from Buffalo, N.Y. In 1960, an additional one-story building was added to the campus.

    By January 1964, Blessed Sacrament numbered 1,300 families, and a new parish, Church of the Holy Spirit was formed from the area north of Loop 410. The western boundary was moved to include the area west of Blanco Road as far as Olmos Creek and north to Loop 410. In June of that year, Father Drees was re-assigned, and Father Ralph J. Smith was named to succeed him.

    In 1966, a convent was built to accommodate the sisters teaching in the school. However, with the decrease in their number, the Franciscan Sisters withdrew from Texas, and were replaced with Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament from Victoria. The convent building was later converted into the Child Development Center, and the sisters were moved to a house within the parish.

    In 1973, fundraising was begun for a permanent church. This effort culminated in the present structure with a capacity of about 800, which was dedicated on July 19, 1976 by Archbishop Francis J. Furey.

    Father Smith was succeeded in 1977 by Father O’Gorman, who led the parish in many endeavors including planning the demolition of the original church building and replacing it with the Parish Center.
    When he was reassigned in 1990 to St. Gregory the Great Parish, he was replaced by the current pastor, Father O’Donoghue. The plans for the Parish Center were carried out and the facility was dedicated in 1998.
    Blessed Sacrament Parish now includes about 1,400 families.