On December 14, amidst the glow of candlelight in the storm-darkened church, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone installed Father Sebastine Bula, VC, as pastor of St. Rita Catholic Church in Fairfax, St. Cecilia Church in Lagunitas, and St. Mary’s Church in Nicasio.

Pope Francis has declared 2025 to be a jubilee year with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” With this jubilee, the Church will embark on a collective pilgrimage toward “a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus…”

Joining Mary and Joseph on their journey to Bethlehem, many cultures spend the last nine days of Advent remembering the nine months Mary spent with Jesus in her womb.

Helping the bereaved find meaning in loss is the lifeblood of the Archdiocese’s grief and consolation ministry

This tradition marks the beginning of preparations for Simbang Gabi, the novena of Masses leading up to Christmas, which will commence on December 16.

“¿No estoy yo aquí, que soy tu madre?”

“Our Lady of Guadalupe reminds us that we have a mother who always protects us, intercedes for us, and brings us closer to her Son.”

During this holy season of Advent, the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Office of Human Life & Dignity hosts events that help struggling families.

The year-long celebration commemorated the bicentennial of the death of their foundress, Blessed Maria Maddalena of the Incarnation.

General McMaster is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general who served in the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and as the 25th U.S. National Security Advisor from 2017 to 2018.

By Christina Gray On All Saints Day on Nov. 1, Catholics recognize the holy men and women who lived, died and have already entered into eternal glory in heaven. One

At seminaries around the country, the preparatory, probationary “propaedeutic year” that precedes formal studies is providing critical time and tools for the making of a priest.

The Armenian Apostolic Church dates back to the Apostolic age. St. Jude Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew brought the Gospel to the area of modern-day Armenia.

Spiritually, The Last Judgement reminds viewers that in this life, man lives under God’s mercy. When the world ends, he will live under His justice.

He is also the namesake of one of the nation’s largest Black Catholic organizations, the Knights of Peter Claver founded on Nov. 7, 1909.

The Xavier Society for the Blind, based in New York, is the only Catholic organization that actively provides reading and audio materials to the visually impaired for free.

In a heartwarming show of community spirit and generosity, the students and staff of Our Lady of Loretto School rallied to restock the parish food pantry following a critical shortage.

Affectionately known as “The Italian Cathedral of the West,” Sts. Peter and Paul has since become a landmark of cultural and spiritual significance in San Francisco, welcoming generations of families through its doors. 

“I am grateful to Father Roy for his presence and work in our Archdiocese. He has been a valued collaborator with me during his years here. I am very grateful to him for taking on this assignment to continue and build upon the good work here.”

An all-volunteer crew captained by a former Navy pilot has anchored hopes for helping fellow veterans combat anxiety, depression, post-traumatic-stress disorder and other mental scars of military service in a donor-funded program of sailing and restoring vessels.

By Christina Gray One of the best ways to count one’s blessings at Thanksgiving is by sharing them with others. Catholic San Francisco has compiled a list of these opportunities

Sister André Marie Vuong stepped away from a successful career as a pharmacist after a life-changing encounter with the Blessed Sacrament.

Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma held a special All Souls Day Mass celebrated by retired San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop William Justice on Saturday, November 2, to pray for the souls of those who had passed away over the past year and all those who were buried at the cemetery.

The longtime director of the Office of Worship for the Archdiocese of San Francisco was named recipient of the 2024 Alleluia Award from the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC).

Catholic couples gathered at St. Pius Catholic Church in Redwood City for a day dedicated to enriching their marriage and empowering families in their journey of faith.

Father Schunk comes to St. Stephen parish having previously served as the administrator at St. Monica-St. Thomas the Apostle parish. He also served as the vice-rector of the North American College in Rome from 2017 – 2023 and the vocations director for the Archdiocese of San Francisco from 2013 – 2017.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco welcomed the Sisters of Life October 25-27, with Mother Agnes Donovan, SV, Sr. Ann Immaculée, SV, and Sr. Mary Pieta, SV, spending several days meeting with parish groups, students, and young adults across the Archdiocese.

On Sunday, October 20, Father Manuel Igrobay was installed as the new pastor of St. Timothy and St. Luke parishes, and Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone blessed the newly renovated gym at St. Timothy.

The Mass brought together parishioners and first responders from across San Mateo County.

“May prayer be the underpinning of all we do in sharing our faith and knowing Christ Jesus.”

Friends of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption had been planning for some time a special gift and unique presentation for the Archbishop to commemorate the occasion.

Medical professionals are blessed with “this holy call as a Catholic health care worker healing mind and body with the selfless love of the Mother of God, with the compassion revealed by her Son on the cross.”

St. Patrick’s Seminary was bustling with excitement on September 28 as Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone ordained five men to the transitional diaconate.

“This school has survived earthquakes, it has survived fires, it has survived politics and so many other challenges, and here it is, stronger than ever,” Mayor Breed said.

St. Francis of Assisi: Join us in celebrating the 800 anniversary of the stigmata. CLICK HERE FOR EVENTS THIS WEEK!

“I have worked very closely with Father Faller for many years now…He is a man who is guided by the wisdom from above that teaches us what to ask for and gives us the desire to act accordingly.”

“After being ordained to the priesthood, it feels like probably the greatest day of my life,” said Father Vito Joseph Mary Perrone of the Holy Face and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

“Having this community gathered here to sing the historic music of the Church is just a spectacular gift.”

Members of the legal profession gathered at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church on Thursday, September 19, for the annual Red Mass sponsored by the St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco celebrated by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone.

ore than 120 youth and their leaders from nine Archdiocesan ministries joined 1,500 other Catholics on Saturday, September 14, for ONFiRE, an annual event that kicks off the year’s youth and young adult ministries in Northern California.

The French national parish of Rome (San Luigi dei Francesi) contains three priceless paintings by Michelangelo Caravaggio (1571–1610) known collectively as the Matthew Cycle. The three paintings depict, respectively, the calling of St. Matthew, his writing of the Gospel that bears his name and his martyrdom.

Father William O’Connell passed away peacefully at his home in Moss Beach, at the age of 97.

The annual Police-Fire-Sheriff Mass originated as a way to honor the firefighters who lost their lives during the 1946 Herbert Hotel Fire and continues to honor all first responders.

By Mary Powers In a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, members of the legal profession gather at the beginning of each court year for the annual Red Mass,

By Rev. Vincent Woo, J.C.D. The content of this piece is drawn from Father Vincent Woo’s article titled “Historical Development of the Times of Ordinations: A Proposal to Revitalize Ember Saturday

The Church traditionally dedicates the month of September to Our Lady of Sorrows, a title given to Mary that recalls the deep sorrows she felt as she witnessed the passion and death of her Son, not only as His mother, but also as a co-redemptrix.

Get to know our new superintendent of Catholic Schools

The celebration included a procession through the town, a blessing by Archbishop Cordileone and Mass for the solemnity of the Assumption.

“Let’s bring our Lord out into the streets, not just around the church…Our faith is not meant to be hidden, it’s meant to be shown, shown to others.”

Standing before the Archbishop, the candidates resolved to complete their preparation for Holy Orders, to form their heart and mind to faithfully serve Christ the Lord and His Body, the Church.

The bi-lingual parish event attended by several hundred was a special day of liturgical worship and celebration commemorating the Feast of the Assumption of Mary on Aug. 15.

This year’s event was different in that it was the first time the group was able to come together with the new Superintendent of Schools, Chris Fisher, and the new Associate Superintendent of Elementary Schools, Angela Johnson, Ed.D., who shared their vision for Catholic education in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

The culmination of St. Dominic Catholic Church’s 150 year Jubilee celebration occurred on August 4 with a special parish-wide Mass celebrated by the Master of the Order of Preachers, Father Gerard Timoner who made a special trip from Rome for the event.

As a Catholic education leader, Dr. Johnson brings to this position a wealth of experience at all levels of education. Most recently, she served as the Assistant Superintendent of Mission and Catholic Identity at the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in Texas.

“In a way, we were living that missionary spirit that St. Junipero Serra had when establishing the missions and evangelizing to different people.”

This is a first in a series of stories and reflections from the Perpetual Pilgrims on the St. Junipero Serra Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. The following is an interview with San Francisco seminarians Dereck Delgado and Jimmy Valesco.

“A Eucharistic marriage starts with us as individuals being fed by Christ in the Eucharist, then going out and feeding one another and the world around us.”

Thus, in celebration of the love found in marriage and family, we, the Catholic bishops of California, are overjoyed to introduce ‘Radiate Love’ – a new initiative to encourage and inspire marriage.

Cardinal Tagle relayed a message from the Holy Father: “Conversion to the Eucharist.”

Sister Josephine Garrett delivered a hopeful keynote that acknowledged our brokenness as humans and as a Church, pointing to Jesus as the Divine Physician who longs to meet us in that place of woundedness and make us new.

“Knowledge can make someone great, but only love can make a saint. And the road to love is repentance.”

The first day of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress included Eucharistic Adoration, Sacrament of Reconciliation, opportunities to browse exhibitions on Eucharistic Miracles and the Shroud of Turin, and veneration of the relics of the saints of the four routes of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Blessed Carlos Acutis.

On an early muggy morning in Indianapolis, the streets were quiet as the first pilgrims of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage routes made their way to St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. A small group walked with the St. Junipero Serra Route perpetual pilgrims, finishing their more than 2,500 mile procession that began in San Francisco.

Sister André Marie Vuong stepped away from a career as a pharmacist after a life-changing encounter with the Blessed Sacrament.

“We are starting something very positive here, something that is very needed,” said Archbishop Cordileone after blessing the school. “I couldn’t be prouder of you and more grateful.”

In June, the arm of St. Jude Thaddeus visited four parishes in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Thousands came to venerate the relic of the patron of impossible causes and participate

What’s the secret behind this quality of care? Catholic values. Bella provides life-affirming, lifelong care for any patient, in any walk of life, whether insured, underinsured or self-pay.

Visitors to the Vatican are often surprised to learn that several important structures have stood on the very spot where St. Peter’s Basilica currently stands. These structures tell the story of how the most famous Catholic church in the world came to be.

Deacon David Mees ordained to the priesthood June 15: “The purpose of a priest is to bring Jesus to the people, and the people to Jesus. It’s as simple as that.”

“Behold the heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, in order to testify its love. … I promise you that my heart shall expand itself to shed in abundance the influence of its divine love upon those who shall thus honor it, and cause it to be honored.”

The arm of Saint Jude Thaddeus, venerated in Rome from ancient times, is currently on pilgrimage in the United States, making stops in more than 100 cities. The relics will be visiting the Archdiocese June 14, 15, 20, and 22.

On May 10, Archbishop Cordileone rededicated a chapel in the mansion on the property of Vallombrosa Retreat Center in Menlo Park. The new chapel brings together history from different parts of the Archdiocese.

Rini Stefani, Mary Ann Robbiano, and Marion Moreno seem to back up research that suggests faith, family, and friendship are keys to longevity. All three longtime St. Raymond parishioners — who happen to be good friends — are 100 years old.

Thousands join in launch of National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in San Francisco.

View pictures from the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in the Archdiocese of San Francisco!

View new schedule and travel advisory.

The Office of Faith Formation honored catechists from parishes across the Archdiocese on Thursday, May 2 at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. The annual St. Pius X dinner honored the many years of service for those present from five years to 55 years.

Catholics gathered on May 7 and 8 to pray for the persecuted Church in Hong Kong and China.

“It is truly an honor to represent our Archdiocese on the Serra Route…I’d like to ask readers to please pray for us.”

On April 28, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone celebrated Mass to a standing-room-only crowd at the church, installing Carmelite Father Gregory Houck as pastor and confirming four young women in the faith. Following Mass, the Archbishop blessed the parish’s new prayer garden.  

“Congratulations to the students who entered, and thanks to their teachers who encouraged them,” said Valerie Schmalz, director of the Office of Human Life and Dignity. “We are also grateful to the many Respect Life volunteers who helped judge the entries.”

We are all called to act as stewards to help reach future generations with the Church’s message of faith, love and hope. Robert and Barbara McCullough’s support and commitment exemplified their deep love of our Catholic faith. They are a great inspiration and their commitment lives on.

At 88, St. Joseph of Carondelet Sister Noreen O’Connor has certainly earned her rest, even if she is unlikely to take it. As she approaches her 70th jubilee on April 21, she told Catholic San Francisco she has “no plans to stop working.”

“Prayer is where we meet God,” master catechist John Michael Reyes told Catholic San Francisco. “Jesus didn’t tell them to read the Torah,” he said. “He was saying, ‘I just talk to My Father.’”

Like its namesake angel who told Mary, “do not be afraid” after her pregnancy with Jesus was revealed, the Gabriel Project promised the couple it could help them and assured them of what Gabriel said to Mary: “Nothing is impossible with God.”

Father John A. Balleza passed into eternal life over Easter weekend at the Contemplatives of St. Joseph Monastery at Mater Dolorosa at the age of 70 years. 

San Francisco-born Father Gibson was an active Dominican priest until three months before his death on March 11 at age 92. One month prior to his death, Father Gibson was featured in a story on the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the Easter issue of Catholic San Francisco.

“Continuing education for priests is important to be able to understand the world and how to best minister in that world. We wouldn’t be able to engage in this continuing education for priests if not for the support of the Annual Appeal.” 

Archbishop Joseph Alemany, OP, the first Archbishop of San Francisco, desired to build a college in the city shortly after the Archdiocese was founded. Purchasing a piece of farmland property, he founded the first St. Mary’s College in 1863.

Rev. Joseph E. Richard passed into eternal life on Friday, March 29 at Redwood Acres Residential Home at the age of 94 years. 

The Mass is the eternal sacrifice of the Lamb of God for your sins, for my sins, that saves the entire world. Here are 14 meditations on the Eucharist beginning in the Book of Genesis.

As the Church celebrates the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood on Holy Thursday each year, the stunning window at St. Anne’s is fit for meditation, giving us a glimpse into the beauty of the new covenant and the gift of the sacramental life of the Church, carried on by her priests in apostolic tradition.

On Thursday, March 21, Archbishop Cordileone gathered with priests and lay faithful of the Archdiocese at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption for the annual Chrism Mass. 

On Saturday, March 16, more than 200 Catholic youth singers in grades 4-12 from different Catholic schools and parishes across Northern California united as one combined choir for the 2024 Pueri Cantores Northern California Catholic Youth Choral Festival & Mass.

St. Peter Catholic School in San Francisco is the first school in the Archdiocese to implement this unique program.

Even halfhearted followers of March Madness can find religion in the sport when spotting an iconic fixture at the home games of the Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball team — a 104-year-old dynamo known to her fans as Sister Jean.

“We often fail to realize that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is an encounter with the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, just like the Eucharist is.”

The California Catholic Conference announced today that it is vehemently opposed to SB 1196, the proposed bill that would expand the definitions for eligibility and eliminate residency requirements for those seeking suicide options from their physicians.

Monsignor Labib was ordained a priest on June 7, 1975. He was a priest with the Patriarca of Jerusalem and in residence in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

“Family catechesis” is the heart of St. Bartholomew’s parish religious education program, serving about 30 families. “My goal is simple. It’s to make disciples,” said JacobTolentino.

Participants joined from across Archdiocesan parishes to engage in reflections and discussions designed to help shape the Church’s understanding of herself and her mission of evangelization and forming disciples. All Catholic were invited to participate in the local Synod process during Lent.

More than 100 people gathered together in prayer for the 18th annual Ecumenical service of Salutations to the Holy Cross, drawing Catholic and Greek Orthodox faithful from across counties.

“It’s our mission to be with those who are in need and help in any way we can. It’s our presence, wherever we are, whatever we do. We don’t ever stop.”

“We pray for our clergy, staff, ministers, parishioners, neighbors, law enforcement officers and their families, asking for Your healing touch to mend the physical and emotional wounds caused by this senseless act,” said Archbishop Cordileone. “Bless and guide our community, and guide us in the ways of justice, peace, and love.

On Sunday, March 3, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone joined St. Anselm’s parish for Fr. Gabriel Wanker’s pastor installation ceremony. The joyful celebration honored Fr. Wanker’s Nigerian heritage. Concelebrating the Mass were Father Raymond Tyohemba, Father Sebastian Bula, Father Celestine Tyowua, and Father Cameron Faller.

By helping educators with some of the financial burdens of professional development, archdiocesan Catholic schools are benefiting from the knowledge they bring back to the schools and students they serve.

Archbishop Cordileone spoke with Catholic San Francisco about his favorite memories and family traditions surrounding the Festa di San Guiseppe.

More than 130 women from across the Archdiocese gathered at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church on Saturday, February 24, for the Archdiocesan Women’s Conference.

“Tonight is the fruit of the living faith of so many who are seeking to know and spread the love of Jesus Christ., said Archbishop Cordileone. “Thank you!”

A third-generation Hong Kong Catholic and MIT-educated engineer and his wife are funding a unique new University of San Francisco service scholarship to build a bridge between campus and community.

All of us, as Catholics, use our gifts and talents to support and serve others. A way we do so is through supporting the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco is pleased to announce that Chris Fisher will be the next Superintendent of the Archdiocesan Department of Catholic Schools. Chris will assume the position of Superintendent on July 1, 2024, after completing his role as Executive Director of the Portsmouth Institute for Faith and Culture at Portsmouth Abbey and School, a Benedictine monastery and Catholic boarding school in Rhode Island.

It’s precisely their Jewish faith, tradition, practices and beliefs that lay the foundation for their belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

The theme of atonement takes us to the very heart of the mission of Jesus Christ. Revealing the love of God as a mortal man, while bearing the conditions of sin-wrought estrangement, God’s Son atoned for the sins of the whole world (cf. 1 Jn 2:2). Atonement is the form that the love of God takes in his Son, Jesus Christ, under sin-wrought conditions – a love than which no greater can be conceived. Christians in every age should know and witness to the God of Jesus Christ in precisely these terms.

“To our dear consecrated religious, and especially those of you celebrating milestone anniversaries of your consecration this year, we express to you a resounding and emphatic thank you to match the resounding and emphatic yes you gave to Jesus Christ in accepting this extraordinary call in your life,” said Archbishop Cordileone.

God’s design for marriage is to take two “opposite” people, opposite in the sense of equal and complementary, to unite them, and through their union and communion, their struggles and triumphs together, teach each of them to become more selfless, and ultimately arrive at the true happiness God wants for all of us. 

Lent is the season of grace in which the desert can become once more – in the words of the prophet Hosea – the place of our first love (cf. Hos 2:16-17). God shapes his people, he enables us to leave our slavery behind and experience a Passover from death to life. Like a bridegroom, the Lord draws us once more to himself, whispering words of love to our hearts.

The Office of Consecrated Life, based out of the pastoral center in San Francisco, is focused on serving and supporting professed religious and consecrated persons in the Archdiocese. This includes 36 congregations and 300 sisters, as well as consecrated virgins and hermits—two other vocations within the consecrated life of the Church. In the future, Sister Diane hopes to expand support for religious brothers.

Can today’s Catholic educators help shape new generations of Catholics who embrace the real presence and its centrality to the faith? Catholic San Francisco talked to several Catholic school administrators across the Archdiocese about how they are recultivating a “Eucharistic culture” in their schools — one shared by administrators, faculty and students alike.

My role as superintendent has been to sustain the work of the Church by supporting our presidents, principals, teachers and staff spiritually and professionally, creating a climate where Christ is at the center of all we do and ensuring that every aspect of the school, from finance to discipline, is driven by our mission.

To gather before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ  to show him that we still strive to live according to his words to his disciples, “that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17.11), and to open our hearts to Him to confess what we still lack, and ask for Him to journey with us, as He journeyed on the road to Emmaus, teaching us all that we must know, before we may break bread together at His table, in the Eucharist.

January 2024 commemorates the 60th anniversary of the historic, break-through meeting in Jerusalem on the slopes of the Mount of Olives between Pope St. Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras. This meeting provided a catalyst for open dialogue toward hopeful restoration of full communion between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

On Nov. 19, the SI awarded their highest honor, the Christ the King Award, to Drucker, a 1958 alum.
Joining the faculty of SI in 1965 to teach history and physical education, Drucker began coaching the boys’ basketball team a year later, leading the team to a championship win.

Stella Maris students again earned top honors in the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest. This year, the students wrote their history essays on American musical composer, and 17th Director of the “The President’s Own” Marine Band John Philip Sousa (1854-1932).

St. Paul’s life was marked by travel and missionary work, founding Christian communities in Greece and Asia Minor, and encouraging Christians in various communities by writing to them and praying for their flourishing. Today, his spiritual daughters live out this same call, fostering spiritual communities that spread the good news of the Gospel through various mediums including books, blogs, social media, and videos.

Curtin siblings Joey, Danny, and Jennifer grew up in Noe Valley and the Cayunga Terrace neighborhoods in San Francisco, attending St. Paul Catholic School. While high school separated them, they have joined forces again at Archbishop Riordan High School.

21st-century Eucharistic miracles provide us with validated scientific evidence that it truly is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus.

“What started out to be a one-year emergency shelter is entering its 35th year,” said Michael Pappas, who succeeded Semel as executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council 18 years ago. Pappas said the city depends upon the Winter Shelter to augment its facilities during the colder seasons.

Preparing for the 2024 Walk for Life West Coast? Join us for the many events around town!

Pope St. John Paul II writes in the concluding meditations of his great document on suffering, quoting an earlier document from the Second Vatican Council: Man cannot “fully find himself” except through a sincere gift of himself. There is a peace that comes from the acknowledgement that the idols of this world – wealth, pleasure, power and honor – cannot and do not satisfy.