The city of San Antonio, Texas, is known for its religious diversity and commitment to faith-based initiatives. With a religious diversity score of 18.3, it is clear that the city is home to a wide variety of religious beliefs and practices. The main religious affiliation in San Antonio is Catholic, but the city also has a vibrant Jewish community with reformist, conservative, orthodox, Chabad and reconstructionist congregations. The Jewish Community Center serves as a hub for all of these different organizations and provides a place for people to enrich their religious experience.
The city has also come together to create a strong sense of community through collaborations between the religious community, government agencies, non-profit organizations and community groups. The church also serves as a refuge for many of the poor in San Antonio who come to this place for help. The San Antonio Faith-Based Initiative promotes compassion with the support of other public, private, community and faith-based organizations. The people of San Antonio have come together to show their support for those affected by violence and prejudice.
For almost 90 years, the Cathedral of San Fernando has been an important part of the city's religious landscape. This cathedral is home to many works of art such as hand-carved Stations of the Cross, a hand-carved altarpiece above the central altar, marble altars and beautiful stained glass windows. The rise of many different religious groups in San Antonio can be attributed to the city's industries attracting immigrants from many parts of the world. This attitude of cooperation and religious acceptance has created an environment that continues to facilitate diverse faith communities in San Antonio.
The main churches or missions in San Antonio are the Cathedral of San Fernando, the Basilica of the National Sanctuary of La Florecita, the Concepción Mission, the San Francisco de la Espada Mission and the San Juan Capistrano Mission. These churches serve as a reminder that San Antonio was founded as a safe place for people to rest and seek God. I choose not to judge religion by what people do; instead, I judge people by how well they live up to what they say they believe. This type of cooperative interfaith activism for justice and social causes began to define the religious communities of San Antonio from that point on.
