St. Peter Claver Academy

Established in 1888, by Margaret Healy Murphy, St. Peter Claver Academy was the first African American Catholic School in the state of Texas. Moved by a sermon at a local church, Ms. Murphy felt called to serve the African American community in San Antonio. The initial construction included a church, 3-room school house and a teacher’s residence. In spite of opposition by nearby neighbors, Catholic School leadership policies, staffing the challenges, the school operated from 1888 to 1970. Today, the site is the Healy-Murphy Center charged with providing education support to multi-ethnic students who learn differently.