Plans unveiled for historical marker that will commemorate pope’s visit to San Antonio

The Archdiocese of San Antonio unveiled designs for the granite historical marker that will be placed near Stevens High School to commemorate Pope John Paul II’s visit to San Antonio almost 20 years ago.

On Sept. 13, 1987, Pope John Paul II celebrated Holy Mass before more than 350,000 people who gathered on what was then raw open land on the West Side of San Antonio, near SeaWorld. Today, the site is home to Northside’s John Paul Stevens High School, which opened in 2005.

NISD is providing the use of a roughly 1,600 square-foot plot of land on the far southeast corner of the Stevens campus for the historical marker. The Archdiocese will fund the design and construction of the marker and no public tax dollars will be used, Superintendent John Folks said at a Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday night.

“We are thrilled to be able to honor this historic event,” Folks said. “The design is very impressive.”

The marker will be carved out of pink Texas granite and will stand about 9 to 10 feet tall and 7 to 8 feet wide, architect Robert Morkovsky said. Embossed in the granite will be an image of Pope John Paul II superimposed over the state of Texas, the Alamo and the Texas flag. The design was copied from a poster used to promote the pope’s visit.

Below the image, an inscription will read “On this site Pope John Paul II celebrated Holy Mass for over 350,000 people Sept. 13, 1987.” An 18-inch tall rock granite wall will surround the marker, and Texas native plants will landscape the area.

“I am grateful to the Northside Independent School District for their collaboration on this effort to mark what was an historic moment for the people of San Antonio,” Archbishop José Gomez said. “Pope John Paul II’s visit, the first ever of a pope to San Antonio, will long be remembered by the hundreds of thousands of people who attended the Mass at Westover Hills, and also the thousands more who experienced his many stops along the way.”

The marker will be located outside the fence line of Stevens High School, at the corner of Dugas and John Paul Stevens Drive, and visitors do not have to enter school grounds to view the maker. A nearby streetlight will keep the area lit at night. Future maintenance of the site will be provided by the Archdiocese.

The marker in no way promotes religion and is simply an acknowledgement of a significant historical event, Folks said. The pope’s 1987 visit to San Antonio was his only trip to Texas during his reign.

“We’re very cognizant of the separation of church and state,” Folks said. “This is a historical piece of land for San Antonio and Texas.”

Archbishop Gomez said he is hopeful the necessary funds will be raised in order to complete the project by the 20th anniversary of the pope’s visit in September. The Archdiocese will plan a formal dedication ceremony after the marker is completed.