Welcome to
Old St. Mary’s Cathedral
& Chinese Mission
Welcome to our vibrant Catholic community,
where we together celebrate
faith, hope, and love of God.
Join us in sacred worship, building community,
and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Weekend Mass Times
Saturday 5:00 pm
Sunday 9:00 am & 11:00 am
Weekday Mass
Tue-Fri 12:05 pm
Adoration
1st Friday of the month after the 12:05pm Mass
Confessions
by appointment (Contact Fr. Ivan
415-288-3830 or e-mail;
or contact any of the other Paulist priests)
Advent Reconciliation
3:30pm-5pm
TODAY, Saturday, Dec 13
In this penitential season of Advent as we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, it an especially good time to do a personal assessment of ourselves. What are great things we are doing well to follow God’s will and be one expression of His love in the world? What are the not so good things we do, that we might often trip over repeatedly? The former, we want to give thanks to God for God’s grace working in our lives. The latter, we’ll want to own and ask for God’s forgiveness and grace to be our better selves.
We will be offering the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 3:30pm to 5pm. We will have extra priests to help.
First Friday Adoration
after the 12:05pm Mass
After the 12:05pm Mass, on the first Friday of the month, we will have adoration and benediction. Come spend some quiet time and meditative Taize chants with our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament. In our busy and chaotic world, we are in need of the peace and presence and wisdom of our Lord. We will conclude around 1pm with Benediction and the Divine Praises.
World Day of the Poor
Sunday, November 15
In 2017, Pope Francis established the 33rd Sunday as the World Day of the Poor. This is to be a time to “reflect on how poverty is at the very heart of the gospel.” Pope Francis desired for Christians across the world to unite and be a greater and more tangible sign of Christ’s charity for those in need. At the first World Day of the Poor, he said, “to draw near to the poor, to encounter them, to meet their gaze, to embrace them, and to let them feel the warmth of love that breaks through their solitude. Their outstretched hand is also an invitation to step out of our certainties and comforts, and to acknowledge the value of poverty in itself." Just as Jesus, who is God almighty, embraced a state poverty as a babe in a manger, a carpenter, a prophet falsely accused and persecuted, so are we, His disciples, called to follow His footsteps in complete surrender, so nothing keeps us from God and doing God’s will.
At all our Masses on Nov. 15th, we empowered each of our parishioners and visitors with an envelope with $10 to invest in helping the poor. We passed out 158 envelopes. 28 envelopes were returned in the collection basket totally $380. That still leaves 130 creative seeds germinating to make a difference in the world.
Some suggested ideas include:
- Take someone poor to lunch and learn their story
- Buy food to make sandwiches and feed the poor in a park
- Use the funds to travel to a soup kitchen like Tenemos Catholic Workder or St. Anthony’s Dining Room and serve others
- Buy stamps, stationary, and envelope and write a letter on behalf of the needy to our president and your representatives. If needed, use AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini) to help compose your letter.
- Join a JustFaith group to learn more about poverty
- Use the funds to travel to your public library and read Oxfam’s recommended 19 books on poverty
- Use the funds as a starter to sponsor a needy person locally or through an organization like UNBOUND or Save the Children.
Some of the Investment Results So Far
Our outreach is now national: a couple visiting from Pennsylvania combined their envelopes with additional funds to support Sister Paula’s Soup Kitchen
While at a grocery store, someone in need asked for $10 which matched the envelope - God destined this envelope was going to meet that person’s needs.
Matching the fund and providing donuts and dog food to the needy
Sonating $100 to Alameda County Food Bank
Volunteering at the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano and donating $30
Reading Jonathan Kozol’s Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation about children in South Bronx.
Pledging to support Emmanuel, an 8-year old child from Kenya, through UNBOUND
A couple of people returned their envelopes with a total of $100 more for us to invest
One person is praying for our parish’s efforts in helping the poor
What’s Coming Up
OCIA - A Journey of Faith
Wanting to explore the Catholic Faith? Considering becoming Catholic or receiving sacraments
of Confirmation & Eucharist?
We have a process called the OCIA where the church accompanies folks in their spiritual journey to discern God’s call to become Catholic.
Contact Fr. Ivan for more information.
After-Mass Hospitality
(After the 9am and 11am Mass)
Everyone is invited to our after-Mass hospitality after the 9am and 11am Sunday Masses. Each Sunday, the parish provides tea and coffee and various parishioners bring treats or make something delicious to share. We are following the Master who did his best ministry around food,
In this we start to fulfill our Mass dismissal charge to “go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” We glorify the Lord by making people feel loved. We glorify the Lord by allowing others to help us experience God’s love through their friendship and affection.
Our parishioners and visitors often spend an hour after Mass in our auditorium getting to know one another, sharing our week, or finding needed connections, laughter, or prayers. Come an entertain angels without knowing it through your presence and hospitality. (Hebrew 13:2).
Bible Studies
Come join our online Bible Studies to deepen your appreciation of the power and wisdom of God’s Word.
Fr. Tom leads an English Bible Study on Thursday at 6pm (ZOOM ID: 819 3641 0160; Passcode: 016304).
Deacon Simon leads a Cantonese Bible Study on Friday at 8pm (Zoom ID: 758 223 4347)
Archdiocesan Annual Appeal
It’s that time again to support our SF Archdiocese through the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal (AAA). Your support helps with the operating expenses for running an archdiocese. When you donate in the name of Old St. Mary’s Cathedral, you help us reach our required goal. To find out more, please watch the AAA Video
Spirituality Resources
We are now in the season of Ordinary Time, However, for us baptized in the power of Christ and living in the age of the Spirit and of the Kingdom, no day is ordinary. Everyday is extraordinary. Click here for some resources to help you celebrate well this extra-Ordinary Time.
Also consider downloading the Hallow App and use its variety of resources to help you deepen and celebrate your faith. Develop some holy habits this year through prayer or Scripture reading or spiritual podcasts. See the brochures in church for our download special or specify Archdiocese of SF to get a special rate.
Advent & Christmas Concert
Noontime Concert
12:50pm, Tuesday, 2025 Dec 9
Come celebrate this season of Advent, as we prepare for Christmas, with the richness and beauty of music. Members of our Music Ministry performed at the Dec. 9th Noontime Concert. Allow their Advent and Christmas music to help deepen your spiritual journey this Advent.
** Visiting Old St. Mary's
** Visiting Old St. Mary's
If you are planning to visit Old St. Mary's, we look forward to welcoming you. This 171 year old church has seen a lot of history and a lot of lived faith.
We have a self-guided tour pamphlet you can pick up at the church. At our church entrance, we have historic pictures of the church and tower that amazingly survived the 1906 SF earthquake. That earthquake destroyed over 80% of the city.
Our church is normally open
Tues-Fri: 10am-4:30pm
Sat: 11:30am-6pm
Sun: 8:30am-Noon
(until 3pm during the summer)
Who Are We?
Welcome to our community, where warmth and faith come together
to create a sense of belonging for everyone.
Join us as we share in life's journey,
celebrating and supporting one another every step of the way.