Texas is as haunted as it is historic, so every week, we explore a different Texas ghost story. At this stage, I’m still uncertain where I stand with ghosts, but the more I learn, the more I’m inclined to believe. Have a spooky San Antonio tale to share? Email us at mysa@mysa.com.
The San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio is both the oldest and, allegedly, the most haunted in the state of Texas.
This week in the paranormal, I returned to the place of my baptism to see if I would encounter a spirit first hand.
Between 1738 and 1750, the original church of San Fernando was erected, named for Spain’s Ferdinand III of Castille. From those walls, the sanctuary of the Cathedral was erected in 1868, in a very beautiful Gothic revival style.
In 1936, during some renovations, bones of men who fought in the Battle of the Alamo were uncovered, later to be entombed inside. During this disruption of their place of rest, it is said that their spirits were awakened, and continue to occupy the grounds to this day. Some of the “heroes” that are said to be inside include Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.
Microfilm via Newsbank
In August of 1993, my parents were married there. Five years after that, they decided to baptize me in the holy water of the ancient font, then my brother two years later. At my brother’s baptism, my grandmother leaned back to take a photo (into a cornucopia of prayer candles) and her hair promptly caught on fire. (True story!)
Whether it was the copious amounts of hair spray she was wearing that did the trick, or rather the mischievous spirit of Davy Crockett playing with fire, is unknown.
I headed out as night began to fall with my roommate in tow for spiritual protection. At night is when spirits are most active, seen through windows and felt in hair-prickling presences.
Camille Sauers
In a 2019 roundup of the 30 most haunted places in America, Condé Nast Traveler said of the site, “come nightfall, you’d have to be something of a daredevil to enter its myth-ridden grounds” due to all the spirits that visitors have reported there over the decades. Other sources have even claimed to have seen a white stallion walking around outside the Cathedral at night.
I guess you could call me something of a daredevil, Condé Nast Traveler!
Walking around the hallowed plaza, taking in the intricacies of the building and its storied history, I tried to stay alert. Was I hearing galloping? Was this trot consistent with that of a transparent white stallion? I couldn’t quite be sure over the sounds of nearby Norteño music.
The stone of the building appears porous, with signs of wear, like a darkening around certain edges. Its yellow lights at the base of the building cast a ghastly tone, almost imitating the effect a person sitting by a campfire, illuminating their face with a flashlight before beginning a story.
READ ALSO: A flying creature has spooked the South Texas area for decades
Suddenly, my roommate, along for the ride only because I needed spiritual protection, called out a window that seemed to have opened in the time that we had been standing in front of it. I turn around quickly, and immediately notice that yes, it was in fact ajar.
Camille Sauers
I entered the space skeptical, especially because we went with access only to the outside area, but this genuinely freaked me out.
Camille Sauers
Sure, maybe it was already open when we first got there? Maybe we just missed it? Maybe the new priest, Father Velazquez, was in the building after hours and needed a little fresh air?
Earlier this week, I reached out to Father Velazquez, who claims in the few weeks he has been there, he has not yet experienced any paranormal happenings. I felt guilty about asking a Catholic priest about ghosts, but even so, he was kind about the inquiry.
My roommate and I exchanged a look, and naturally, laughed. We are almost entirely certain the window wasn’t previously open.
A little time passed and we noticed a single chicken bone on the ground, only two feet from where we stood. Normally, I would write that off as a simple case of litter, an incident classic of our time.
But in combination with the case of the creepy window, I took it as a sign.
It started to grow increasingly dark outside, so we decided to get out of there — while we still could.
I’m not religious, but I wondered if me being baptized there granted me any additional protection against any scarier encounters (if we’re being honest, my roommate wasn’t giving me any real security.)
My trip to San Fernando, while subtly creepy, made me want to visit the stunning Gothic building more often. Maybe one of these Sundays, you’ll see me praying at a Mariachi Mass, head on a swivel, looking for more signs of spirits passing through.
