The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate opened a seminary in San Antonio in 1903 to train priests for the Southwest, and in 1927 they moved it to this hilltop campus a few miles north of what was then the edge of the city. The grounds are now home to Oblate School of Theology and to one of San Antonio's best-loved shrines. This walk begins at the statue of the order's founder, passes the memorial chapel, and climbs through the Lourdes grotto and the Guadalupe shrine above it before ending at a sculpture of the order's horseback missionaries.
Tucked into 41 wooded acres in north-central San Antonio, the Oblate School of Theology campus is one of the city's most peaceful places to walk, and it holds one of its best-loved shrines. This tour follows the story of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who opened a seminary in San Antonio in 1903 to train priests for the Southwest and moved it to this hilltop in 1927.
The centerpiece is the Oblates' replica of the grotto at Lourdes, France. It was dedicated on December 7, 1941, the very day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and a statue of Mary still looks down on a kneeling St. Bernadette. Climb above it and you reach Tepeyac de San Antonio, opened in 1999 to recreate Our Lady of Guadalupe's 1531 appearance to St. Juan Diego on a hill outside Mexico City. Standing between the two shrines, you see a European apparition and a New World one side by side, a fitting tribute to the Oblates' long ministry among Mexican American communities in South Texas.
Elsewhere on the grounds, a metal sculpture of the "Cavalry of Christ" recalls the horseback priests who rode long circuits through the brush country of the lower Rio Grande Valley, and a bronze of St. Eugene de Mazenod honors the French priest who founded the order in 1816.
Free to visit and full of shade, it's a reflective hour whether you come for faith, history or simply quiet.
How long is the Oblate School of Theology Campus Tour?
It is a self-guided walking tour: 5 stops, about 0.2 miles, ~25 min. Go at your own pace; the app keeps your place.
Where does it start?
In San Antonio, Texas. The exact starting point, the full stop list and turn-by-turn directions are in the TexasRoam app.
How do I take this tour?
Download TexasRoam for iPhone or iPad from the App Store. The tour is included with TexasRoam+. It is not available on the web map.
When is the best time to go?
Come in daylight hours; the shrine grounds are free to visit and shaded by live oaks, and Masses are held on site, so check the shrine's schedule if you want to avoid or attend a service.
Take the “Oblate School of Theology Campus Tour”
Texas Roam guides you turn by turn through San Antonio with maps, audio narration and check-ins as you go — plus all 5 stops on this tour and every guided tour, hiking trail and historical marker across Texas. Get it on the App Store.
Guided tours & hiking trails are available only in the TexasRoam app for iPhone & iPad — not on the web map. Free to download; unlock with TexasRoam+.
