SAN ANTONIO, Texas — For nearly a century, the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration have served as a spiritual and educational anchor on San Antonio’s historic West Side. When severe weather recently left their convent, chapel, and early childhood facilities with critical roof damage beyond their financial reach, a collaborative community effort stepped forward to restore the campus.
Community leaders, construction executives, and public figures gathered at the convent, located at 2403 West Travis Street, to celebrate the completion of emergency repairs and ongoing restoration work for the order, known locally as Las Adoratrices.
The initiative was catalyzed when community leader Cecilia E. Herrera reached out to Mario Lozoya, a partner with Noble Texas Builders. Lozoya immediately connected with Noble President and CEO Rene Capistran, who brought in TADCO Roofing and Waterproofing to execute the physical repairs.
Through the partnership, community donors helped cover direct roofing material costs, TADCO performed the labor at cost, and Noble Texas Builders donated general contracting, project management, supervision, and temporary structural support.
When a subsequent storm tore through the campus—blowing off a section of the roof at the childcare facility—the team expanded the scope of work to cover the entire property at no expense to the congregation.
“We have a moral responsibility to do the right thing, and that’s what is happening today,” said Capistran, whose firm operates offices in La Feria, San Antonio, and Houston. “Nothing in our mission statement talks about revenues or bottom line. Yes, we’re in business to make money, but we have to have purpose in everything that we do. It will never cost the nuns another penny. Our foundation and our partnerships will find ways to make it a reality.”
The effort brought together prominent figures with deep roots on the West Side, including former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and former San Antonio Mayor Henry G. Cisneros, along with his wife, former San Antonio City Councilwoman Mary Alice Cisneros, and attorney Frank Herrera. Both Mary Alice Cisneros and Cecilia Herrera attended early childhood programs operated by the sisters.
Reflecting on the historical and cultural footprint of the neighborhood, Cisneros emphasized the broader societal impact of preserving local institutions.
“Yes, it’s about fixing a roof, but it’s about fixing a roof so people can have a home for the most blessed things in their lives and a place where children can grow up with those values,” Cisneros said. “It’s a tiny place in the universe, but big things come from here.”
Lozoya noted that maintaining the structural integrity of the campus directly affects working families in District 5 and across the West Side.
“This particular campus, the chapel, the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, and the children’s campus is key to the West Side,” Lozoya said. “Imagine if it was unsafe and children couldn't come here for kindergarten or daycare—then mom and dad can't go to work. This campus is a key element of the fiber of the cloth that the West Side is made of.”
Established locally in 1927, the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration operate the Immaculate Conception Kindergarten and Nursery. Over the past 99 years, the order’s educational ministries have served more than 5,000 children.
Superior Maria Avelina Mendiola offered the invocation during the ceremony, offering prayers of gratitude for the coalition that came to the convent's aid.
As the congregation prepares for its centennial milestone on April 3, 2027, organizers announced plans for an upcoming fundraising dinner featuring San Antonio chef Johnny Hernandez to support ongoing campus maintenance and centennial celebrations.
Editor's Note: The above news story is the first in a two part series about the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration convent in San Antonio.
