Adventures in the Archives

The St. Austin school kids thought this new Halloween themed event was really fun. They wore their costumes, played games outside on the school playground, bobbed for apples in a big tub, and took a chance on the cake walk to win a delicious pastry. The Halloween Hoot events began in the 1970s and quickly became a popular fall event for school families.

The Dominican sisters who taught at St. Austin School never missed participating in the Halloween Hoot. Sister Carletta, Sister Pat, and Sister Annette were enthusiastic bingo players, costume judges and greeters to all who gathered on the school’s playground.

In the mid 1980s, all the children of the parish were invited to the Halloween Hoot. The new Parish Center hosted the events sponsored by the St. Austin’s School Parents Club. There were game booths for all ages, a spaghetti dinner, prizes for best costume and best jack o’lantern, the ever popular cake walk and a Haunted House.

Another feature was added a couple of years later when the Student Council hosted a dance in the school cafeteria for junior high students. Younger children partied in the Parish Center and

enjoyed pizza and soft drinks. 

SACS welcomes you to this year's Halloween Hoot! 

In the fall of 1987, Pope John Paul II visited Texas and presided at an outdoor Mass in San Antonio. His homily that day resonates with us now as we see a recent increase in immigrants from Afghanistan and Haiti. Here are some excerpts.

Your history registers a meeting of cultures, indigenous and immigrant, sometimes marked by tensions and conflicts, yet constantly moving toward reconciliation and harmony. People of different races and languages, colors and customs, have come to this land to make it their home – there are the descendants of those who came from almost every country in Europe, from Spain and France, from Germany and Belgium, from Italy, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, Ireland, England, and Scotland.

There are descendants of those who came in chains from Africa; those from Lebanon, the Philippines, and Vietnam and from every Latin American country.”

St. John Paul II recognized the unique role of Texas as a border state where cultures converge out of necessity and by chance.

“A Taste of 6th Street” began in 1980 and was one of St. Austin’s major fundraisers that became an annual​​​​​​​
event for 10 years. This lively fall event involved a food and beverage tasting at serving restaurants in the historic Old Pecan Street area of downtown Austin.

It was described as “a unique evening where many (about 24) restaurants on East 6th Street prepared a food specialty for every ticket holder.” Proceeds from the event benefitted St. Austin School and the Parish Center/Gymnasium. Tickets were $25 each and also included a Silent Auction two weeks prior to the evening and a Live Auction on the night of the event.

The 1984 event featured a “Roaring Twenties” party at the Pecan Street Cafe. Some of the participating restaurants in 1985 included “Alley Oops,” “ Boardwalk Beach Club,” “Enzo’s,” “Headliners East,” “ Jorge’s Downtown,” “ Old Pecan Street Café,” and “ Santiago’s Mexican Restaurant and Bar,” just to name a few. There were 35 items listed on the Live Auction including many trips and weekend get-aways as well as “Golf with Father Bob Scott” (a foursome of golf at the Austin Country Club).

In 1987, all ticket holders to the event were entered into a drawing for a Texas Wildflower Quilt. The quilt and a poster were designed by Rose Baxter for the National Wildflower Research Center. There were some new restaurants participating in 1989 including “Jazz,” “Maggie Mae’s,” “Wylie’s,” and “Richardo’s Ristorante Italiano.” This was the fundraiser’s last year.