Castañeda's Catholicism
As an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin (UT), Carlos E. Castañeda was a member at St. Austin's Newman Club. At secular universities across the country, Newman Clubs were social organizations for Catholic students, with many offering residential living spaces. While Castañeda was a Newman Club member, the club held regular picnics, and offered courses in ethics and religion for UT course credit.
Located across the street from the UT campus, the Paulist Fathers operated St. Austin, the second oldest Catholic Church in the city of Austin. A Newman Club report (see above), emphasized the priests at St. Austin crafting their homilies to engage students. Furthermore, echoing future goals of the Texas Knights of Columbus Historical Commission, the Newman Club states a major goal of the program is to indirectly influence non-Catholics by "personal association with Catholics without any specific discussion of religion."
Today, St. Austin remains located across the street from UT's campus. In the 1960's, the Newman Club was relocated to campus as the University Catholic Center and operates independently of St. Austin.
Initially, Castañeda entered UT to study civil engineering. While a student, Castañeda worked as a translator of historic documents for the historian, Eugene Campbell Barker. With the encouragement of a St. Austin chaplain, Father J. Elliot Ross, C.S.P. (left), Castañeda changed his undergraduate major to history.
After Fr. Ross moved to another parish outside of Texas, Castañeda continued his relationship with his mentor.
Following the completion of a master's degree in history, also received at UT, Castañeda was offered a position to teach Spanish at the College of William and Mary. At the College of William and Mary, Castañeda formed the school's first Catholic organization, modeled after St. Austin's Newman Club.
After returning to Austin, Castañeda remained a parishioner at St. Austin. He joined the Serra Club (an organization to support religious vocations) and the Knights of Columbus Council 1017 at the nearby St. Mary’s Cathedral. In 1947, the Diocese of Austin was established, and Castañeda served on the planning committee for the installation of its first bishop, the Most Reverend Louis J. Reicher (see above).
Shortly after completing the final volume of Our Catholic Heritage in Texas, Castañeda passed away. Castañeda was buried at the Mount Calvary Cemetery, a Catholic cemetery located near UT’s campus.