Reverend Mario Paul Farana passed away suddenly on August 5, 2025, at the age of 80. Born in San Francisco on September 6, 1944, Father Farana died “with his boots on” still serving as pastor of St. Paul’s Catholic Church where he spent 32 of his 54-year vocation as a Catholic priest for the San Francisco Diocese.
Father Farana attended Epiphany Grammar School in San Francisco. In 1956, the family moved to Los Altos where Father Farana attended St. Williams Grammar School. He then entered St. Joseph’s Seminary for a brief time to discern his vocation to the priesthood but eventually postponed that decision. He finished out high school at St. Francis in Mountain View.
Father Farana attended the University of Santa Clara where he graduated with a B.A. in History and completed ROTC training. For the duration of his commitment to the US Army Reserves, he served as an Army chaplain.
Father Farana entered St. Patrick’s Seminary in the late 1960’s, was ordained as a deacon, and given a one-year assignment to St. Kevin’s Parish in 1970. On May 29, 1971, he was ordained by San Francisco Archbishop Joseph T. McGucken at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
Over the next eight years, Father Farana served as Associate Pastor at three parishes – St. John’s, St. Catherine’s, and St. Paul’s. In 1978, he was appointed Chairman of the Mission Deanery Council – an experience in community advocacy that would prove instrumental to Father Farana’s fight to preserve the existence of St. Paul’s Parish when it was under fire in the early 1990s.
Father Farana was then assigned chaplain at Sacred Heart High School for a year and in 1980 moved to St. Michael’s Parish as pastor. After eight years in that position, the Archdiocese of San Francisco appointed him vocations director. Eventually he returned to pastoral care with an appointment to St. Stephen’s Parish in 1992. After a year in that position, he received the assignment that would become his legacy.
When Father Farana was sent to St. Paul’s Parish at Church and Valley Streets in 1993, the church was one of many that were on a list for closure. Through his passion, determination and fortitude he succeeded in making St. Paul’s the only parish that did not close.
Over the next 32 years as the pastor of St. Paul’s, Father Farana proved himself to be a consummate organizer, negotiator, and advocate. His accomplishments included the retrofit of the historic St. Paul’s Church that incurred damage costing millions following the Loma Prieta Earthquake, the restoration of the slate roof, the refurbishment of the steeple crosses with gold-leaf, the building of a new school and the accomplishment of the Stained Glass Windows Project which removed and restored all of the antique stained glass windows that were created by German artisans who fashioned those masterpieces in the late 1800s.
In an age of self-promotion, Father Farana was not one to call attention to himself – he disdained the limelight. He was a quiet man and a humble priest. He preferred to stay on the sidelines but when called to act, he did not hesitate; and when called to speak, he regaled young and old alike with his homespun parables of simplicity, wisdom, and profound insight.
Father Farana gave his all to his God, to his church, and to his people. In 2020 the pastorship of St. Philip the Apostle and St. James Church were added to his responsibilities. He never wanted anything for himself. “Where his treasure was, was where his heart was.” His treasure and his heart were with the people of St. Paul’s while he lived and he left both to them for posterity at his death.
Family who preceded Father Farana in death were his parents, Salvatore A. Farana and Dorothy D. Farana, his brother, Richard J. Farana and his uncle, Reverend Nicholas E. Farana, who also served the Archdiocese of San Francisco for decades prior to his death in 1998. He is survived by his brother, Nicholas S. Farana, his sister-in law, Lawnie Farana, his sister, Ann M. Farana, his nephew Anthony A. Farana, his niece, Nicole Nardone and his grandnieces and grandnephews, Sienna, Sal, Zada, Luca, Lea, and Stella.
Friends may call from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 14, at Duggan’s Funeral Service – The Duggan Welch Family, 3434 17th Street in San Francisco, and on Friday, August 15, at St. Paul’s Church after 4:30 p.m. where the Vigil Service will be held at 7:00 p.m. Funeral Mass, Saturday, August 16,
10:00 a.m. at St. Paul’s Church. Committal services, Monday, August 18, 1:00 p.m., Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Los Altos. Charitable donations in his memory may be sent to the St Paul’s Parish Preservation Fund, and are preferred, 221 Valley St., SF CA 94131.
