3303 Urban Crest Dr
San Antonio, TX 78209
210-824-0139; email: stpiusx@stpiusxsa.org
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Hall of SaintsIn the original design, the Church was built with a vestibule area that served two purposes: it was a transitional area between the entrance and the body of the Church and it was the Hall of Saints, dedicated to those who, by their exemplary lives, have earned a place in the Christian Hall of Fame. Although the vestibule area was eventually converted into the back area of the Church where the Baptismal Font resides today, the statues of the Saints are still present within our walls. Their presence serves to remind us of their earthly existence as well as of their eternal home with God. We call upon them to intercede for our parish family.
The walkway leading into the Church houses six saints. The first is St. Vincent de Paul, who is placed immediately next to the door leading into the walk from the side. He is born in Pouy, France, what is today known as Saint-Vincent-De-Paul, France. He was ordained a priest in 1600 and was later taken captive and sold into slavery by Turkish Pirates. He converted his owner to Christianity and was able to escape. In his years as a priest, he had a special concern for the peasants and galley-slaves. He founded society of Missionary Priests known as the Vincentians as well as the Daughters of Charity. St. Vincent De Paul De Paul was renowned for his compassion, humility and generosity. For this reason he is known as the “Great Apostle of Charity.”
The next statue is the Immaculate Heart of Mary holding the Child Jesus. Her visible heart represents her interior life, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections and above all, her virginal love for God and her maternal love for her son, Jesus. Although this statue does not show a sword, traditionally the Immaculate Heart of Mary is depicted as being pierced by a sword as it connects to the prophecy delivered to Mary in the Gospels, in which she is told, at Jesus' presentation at the temple, that her heart would be pierced with a sword.
Next to Mary is St. Anthony de Padua, Patron of our City. He was born in Lisbon, Portugal near the end of the twelfth century. As a young man, he joined the Augustinian Canons in his own city, but later received permission to join the Franciscan Order. He became a gentle but profound speaker whose sermons resulted in the conversion of many hundreds of people. On June 13, 1691, St. Anthony’s Feast Day, the first Mass was celebrated at the river which now flows through San Antonio and his name was given to the new settlement along its banks. St. Joseph stands next to St. Anthony de Padua. St. Joseph is the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus. The statue depicts him with the Child Jesus. He is the Patron of all Christian families, of fathers and he is the protector of the Universal Church. 
St. Teresa of Avila is the last saint in the walkway, leading into the Church. She was a prominent Spanish mystic, a Doctor of the Church, a theologian of contemplative prayer, and is considered to be, along with St. John of the Cross, to be a founder of the Discalced Carmelites. Pope Paul VI pronounced her and St. Catherine of Sienna to be Doctors of the Church. They were the first women to be awarded this distinction. She is revered as the Doctor of Prayer and has written several books such as Interior Castle, one of her most famous writings.