Bishop Carmody blesses some of the children following the Anniversary Mass. Fr. Varghese Antony is presently serving as Priest in Charge. The parish has a full roster of service and liturgical groups and organizations. Included are an active association for altar servers, a religious education program, a Council of the Knights of Columbus, Guadalupanas, and Ultreyas, There are also Lay Readers/Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of the Holy Eucharist, a liturgical music group and an Altar Flower group.

A cheery sign greeted visitors and parishioners to the 50th anniversary celebration at Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Sinton June 27. The event commemorated a number of achievements but primarily focused on the afternoon of Dec. 21, 1958 when Bishop Mariano S. Garriga made the short journey to Sinton to bless and dedicate the new church, which was to serve the people of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. The people had worked long and hard to get to that day. They were proud of their new church, a fine masonry building a suitable place to worship and receive the sacraments.

Bishop Carmody celebrated the anniversary Mass. To open his homily the bishop asked the congregation to reflect on the time, "When Bishop Garriga came over that day, things were different then. The people had made great sacrifices, money was scarce and the work was hard. They didn't have computers, like we have now. The people had to do things for themselves but, their focus was always on Jesus."

Bishop Carmody continued his reflection with the admonition that "we must always stay focused on Jesus, we must read the scripture and share the teachings. We thank the Lord today and every day for the people who built this church. They gave us a great gift through their commitment and work to share the teachings of Jesus with us. He continued, "Think of how many children were united with the Lord here through baptism, through Holy Communion, and the others who received the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of confirmation, the many who came here as brides, and those of our loved ones who lay here in their caskets as the priest gave thanks for their lives. Think of the consolation received by their loved ones. We also give thanks for the many graces granted during the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation here. We need to remember that we must help others to know and love the Lord Jesus. As we thank the Lord for the people who built this church we must also ask, ‘50 years from now what will our legacy be? Will it be one that is strong in faith? Have we handed on the faith?' "Will the children say, ‘My parents helped me to know Jesus and it has helped me live my life.' " We can remember what St. Paul wrote … it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal 2:20)

The parish began in 1940 as a mission of the larger Sacred Heart Church. In fact, lumber from the old church was used to build the first house of worship for the community at Our Lady of Guadalupe. The building was done under the supervision of two brothers who were priests, Fathers Louis and Charles Ordner. By 1944 the parish had grown and the pastor, Rev. Albert Schmitt sought out new property on which to build. He purchased a site for the future church on Sodville Road. Our Lady of Guadalupe remained a mission until 1954 when it was elevated to parish level and its first parochial pastor Rev. William Bogart was assigned. It was he, the young priest from Holland, who began to make plans for a new church to be built on the Sodville Road site. The result was a larger church, designed by Victor Brock & Associates and completed in 1958. It seated 750 people. The Sinton paper reported that according to Fr. Bogart, "the new brick and tile building was made possible to a large part by gifts in memory of the late Rob Welder and by gifts of parishioner and friends of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish."

The importance of the dedication is multi faceted. Decreed by canon law for every parish church, the solemn rite of dedication makes a building a sacred place where Mass can be celebrated. When a church is dedicated appointments such as the baptismal font, cross, images and statues, organ, bells, and Stations of the Cross are also to be considered as blessed, duly erected and installed. Further, in a church that is legitimately dedicated or blessed, all acts of divine worship can be performed within its walls: notably infant baptism, confirmations, adult initiation, the reception of a baptized person into full communion with the Catholic Church, marriages and funerals. The dedicated building truly becomes "God's House," a place where people come to meet the Lord Jesus.

Over the 50 years since then, the parishioners have accomplished a number of other significant achievements. The church is now surrounded by beautiful immaculately cared for grounds. This area came together with the careful purchase of property by Fr. Schmitt and the generous gift of parishioner Narciso Cantu who donated a half-acre of land to complete the campus. In 1967 the parish hall, which is essential for parish gatherings, was completed. Through the generosity of Tony Kunitz and Fr. Marcos Martinez additional land for parking was acquired. A new rectory was completed in 1975 and the Blessed Mother Fountain built in 1978. By 1980 the parish was able to build the Religious Education building.

To fulfill its mission of sharing the faith, the parish also grew in its ability to provide services and education to its people. Today it has an active association for altar servers, a Religious Education program, a Council of the Knights of Columbus, Guadalupanas, Ultreyas, a Prayer group, Baptism classes, and a vacation bible school. There are Lay Readers/Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of the Holy Eucharist, a liturgical music group and an Altar Flower group. Following the Mass, parishioners hosted an anniversary dinner in the parish hall. Guests were greeted and welcomed by Priest in Charge Fr. Varghese Antony.