On September 21, 1977, the late Archbishop Francis J. Furey established a new parish on thirteen acres at the corner of Crestway and New World streets. St. John Neumann was selected in honor of the newly named American Saint, St. John Neumann, whose canonization occurred in Rome on June 19, 1977. Father Tony Cummins served as the first pastor. 

On March 30, 1980, Archbishop Patrick F. Flores dedicated our new church. The church seats 500 people and has a parking lot for 200 vehicles. A Blessed Sacrament Chapel contained a tabernacle and seating for forty people. Under the main altar were two relics: one of St. John Neumann, given to the late Archbishop Furey by Pope Paul VI, and a relic of St. Francis Cabrini, donated by an anonymous parishioner.

The bronze sculpture of St. John Neumann with two immigrant children was placed in front of the church in 1983. In 1985, the Family Center was dedicated by Archbishop Flores. In 1988, the Bell Tower was added to bring traditional bell tones to our parish.

July 1990, a new pastor, Fr. Robert Silverman, arrived. Shortly after his arrival, he instituted a twenty-four-hour Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament by placing an exposition repository in the chapel for the adoration of the Holy Eucharist. A statue and Stations of the Cross were added in the main church, and stained glass windows were added in the chapel.

In March 1995, a magnificent stained-glass window depicting the Last Supper was installed above the church's main entrance. In 1996, a marble altar and a mosaic of Our Lady of Guadalupe were added to the church. Later, in 2015, this altar, along with its six matching candles and ambo, was donated to St. Michael’s, a low-income parish in downtown San Antonio.

In May of 1997, we erected a flagpole plaza at the main entrances to the church grounds, where American, Papal, and Texan flags are proudly displayed for all to see.

Project 2000 church improvements included new carpeting, pews, and chairs, and remodeling of the vesting sacristy, bride’s room, restrooms, and library. We also added a building for our St. Vincent De Paul ministry and groundskeeping equipment storage. In 2001, the new Baptistery at the entrance of the church was completed, and so was the Memorial Brick Pathway in 2002.

During a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2004, Msgr. Silverman suffered a heart attack and died. Fr. Eddy Morales succeeded him as parish leader.

The Fatima Garden plans were started under Msgr. Silverman and the project were implemented and completed in 2006.   Archbishop José H. Gómez offered the dedication.

A milestone in the parish's history was the offering of the first Sunday Mass in Spanish in July 2007. A great need was then met as the Spanish-speaking community grew steadily over the past decade. The bell tower carillon was upgraded. Our Court, Our Lady of Fatima of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, was founded in late 2007. 

In 2008, Fr. Octavio Muguerza was appointed Administrator Pro Tem as he was not yet incardinated in the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Fr. Octavio served in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston for 15 years. He formally joined the Presbyterate of San Antonio in 2012 and was installed as the pastor in 2014. 

Fr. Alex Pereida was assigned as our Parochial Vicar for only one year in 2008 to assist Fr. Octavio in transitioning from part-time missionary work with Cross Catholic Outreach to full-time parish ministry.

In 2009, Deacon Vacilio Anaya, his wife, Marcela, and Sister Elizabeth Schilling, CSSF, arrived as our Pastoral Administrator. Deacon Jacques Abad and his wife, Barbara, served the community for several months shortly after.

Our concern is for the poorest of the poor in developing countries, and, in response to our baptismal calling, we began, for the first time in our parish, mission trips to Punta Gorda, Belize, in 2010. Initially, the group consisted of 4 adults and two teenagers. Now, the average size is 20. We have also started several small faith groups in a process called “Longing for the Holy," where parishioners gather periodically to reflect and share their faith. 

After seven fulfilling years of missionary work in Belize, in partnership with Cross Catholic Outreach and under the strong leadership of Salvador Ordorica, Bertha Santiago, and John Coldwater, among others, the parish sent another group to do missionary work in Saltillo, Mexico, in 2017.

As the parish property ages, we have actively engaged in the up-keeping and maintenance of our facilities, such as HVAC units, paving and striping of the parking lots, new LED lights and poles, creation of the Parma and Popes Rooms, new electronic marquee, replacing all the water and sewer pipes under the Family Center, renovations of the Ed building, Blessed Sacrament chapel and church building, etc.  All of this in 7 years (2010-2017).

In 2017, as part of the parish's 40th anniversary and Fr. Octavio's 25th Priesthood anniversary, our two worship spaces were renovated. The original tabernacle of the parish, a work of art by Brother Cletus, was refurbished and set into the church's rock wall. New marble floors and carpets were installed in both the church and the chapel. Both the crucifixes and the priest’s chair, the altar, and the ambo in the church have been beautifully refurbished. Also, new handmade wooden and matching furniture, as well as accessibility for people with disabilities, have been made possible. Aida Cape, 98, our oldest parishioner, donated a beautiful Baby Grand Piano for this memorable occasion.

The highlight is the new wooden Eucharistic Column suspended from the ceiling above the original granite altar in the chapel. It was made in Mexico using gold leaf and an electrical system to facilitate replenishing the hosts. This column encompasses both the Repository for Exposition and the Tabernacle used by the Homebound ministers. All of the above was done under the direction of Dario Bucheli, the architect, and Stoddard Construction, the contractor.

We have been blessed with numerous organizations and ministries whose in-kind contributions to the parish have been significant, including the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, Altar Guild, SVDP, and Pastoral and Finance councils. The ACTS ministry continues to deeply impact people through retreats organized by dedicated parishioners. Also, in 2016, a new 4th Degree Assembly of the Knights of Columbus was formed in our parish.

In 2018, Fr. Alex Pereida returned to the parish to become our pastor—a tremendous blessing. For more information on him, please see his bio.

Our current Deacons are Stephen Kerr and Larry Lindsey. They are strong collaborators with the pastor across many ministries, including baptism, confirmation, and marriage preparation, and they train altar servers and CDA chaplains, in addition to preaching, conducting funeral vigils, and providing graveside services.

Last but not least, the parish staff has been outstanding in performing their duties to serve the people of God and to maintain the premises well in a spirit of service and competence.

We thank God for our faith and accomplishments. We continue to push forward as a church community, committed to making our parish a place for fun, spiritual nourishment, and loyal friendships.