Upcoming Events
Groceries for Seniors
If volunteering your time to help Groceries for Seniors create and pack over 200 grocery bags each morning is something you’re interested in, we’re always looking for helping hands.
Groceries for Seniors open our doors every Monday through Thursday, 8:30 – 11:00 am, welcoming all who’ve come to assist us. We operate out of the basement auditorium of Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral, 660 California Street (at Grant Ave) in San Francisco. Sorting through produce, lifting boxes of 30 to 40 lbs., and light cleanup, including wiping down tables and sweeping our workspace floor, may be some of the needed tasks. We reward our volunteers with a free bag of the groceries we packed that day, in addition to free coffee, tea and pastries (when available).
If volunteering with Groceries for Seniors sounds like something you’d like to try, please email Tim Thompson, Executive Director, at ttgroc4sen@gmail.com or call him at (415) 916-1694.
Noontime Concerts
We are happy to host Noontime Concerts on Tuesdays after the 12:05pm Mass (around 12:50pm). This is a wonderful concert series of local and distant aspiring musicians. You will find the acoustics of the church amazing, as our building brings out the beauty of the music.
Click here to find out their schedule and see live and past concerts.
Reflecting on Triduum (2025)
Triduum Masses
Holy Thursday - Good Friday - Easter Vigil
A maxim of our Catholic faith is “lex orandi, lex credendi”. It’s a Latin phrase meaning the law of prayer is the law of belief. If you want to understand what Catholics believe, look at and practice their way of praying. This is especially true for the Triduum, the one liturgy that spans three days, that unpacks our understanding of the Paschal Mystery of salvation. You can watch again our Triduum services:
Holy Thursday
Good Friday
Easter Vigil
Consider asking what are we saying about the nature of God in how we address God in prayer? What are the symbols and ritual actions trying to convey? In the text, what are they saying God has accomplished?
Mission Cooperative Appeal
2025 Mission Cooperative Appeal
Diocese of Miao in Northeast India
Deacon Rory Desmond, St. Cecilia’s Church
5pm Sat (May 31); 9am & 11am Sun (June 1)
Deacon Rory Desmond visited the parish to make a mission appeal for the Churches missionary work in India. Deacon Rory spoke to us about The Diocese of Miao which is in Northeast India.
Miao is a new missionary church it is up in the Himalayas in a region bordering Tibet, China and Myanmar (Burma). The Catholic Faith has only been in this area for the last forty years and for the first fifteen years of its existence the church was underground and persecuted.
This region of the Himalayas is extremely isolated and underdeveloped. The people here are a Mongolian Tribal people who are embracing the Catholic Faith eagerly and in growing numbers.
Most of the population lives in scattered isolated villages. The only reliable schools, clinics and social services are those provided by the Catholic Church. The region has little, or no infrastructure or development and the Church is the only provider of reliable education and health services as well as public health projects such as clean drinking water wells. Until the Church provided schools and teachers none of the tribal people had any access to education. The tribal people had no healthcare until the Church provided clinics, a hospital and trained medical personnel.
The people are flocking to the Gospel and the Church is growing in great numbers. It is a young vibrant and rapidly growing church spreading throughout the tribes to people hearing the Gospel for the first time.
To see the place, people and work please have a look at the link:
You can support the Diocese of Miao and other missionary efforts through the Mission Cooperative Appeal. Just pick up an envelope at the church and drop it off in the collection basket or at the church. Or you can donate by sending a check to Old St. Mary’s or donating online and putting “Mission Cooperative” in the memo line. Thanks for your support and for continuing the work of Christ to proclaim the Good News across the world.
Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession
Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession & Jubilee Pilgrim Visit
1pm, Sunday, June 22
Starting from S.S. Peter & Paul Church to National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi
Everyone is invited to participate in this ancient tradition of having a Eucharistic procession in town on the Feast of Corpus Christi, as we ask our Lord to bless our town and witness our devotion to our Lord. This procession will conclude with a Holy Hour at the National Shrine of St. Francis. That shrine has been designated a local pilgrimage site for the Archdiocese of SF.
Pentecost Pancake Breakfast
Pentecost Pancake Breakfast
After the 9am and 11am Mass on Sunday, June 8
Come join us after Mass for a pancake breakfast, as we continue to break bread together, sharing in the gifts of our God. On this birthday of the Church, the gift of the Holy Spirit, let us allow God’s Spirit to bring us to greater unity and peace, as we share a meal together.
Fr. Ricky Mass of Thanksgiving for 25 years
Fr. Ricky Manalo's Mass of Thanksgiving for 25 Years of Priesthood
11am, May 25, 2025
On May 2000 at St. Paul the Apostle Church in New York City, Ricky Manalo ,CSP was ordained a Ro!an Catholic priest. Twenty-five years later, he is still serving God and our Lord.
He will celebrating a Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, May 25 at 11am. Everyone is invited. There will be a potluck reception to follow that service.
Sinai Christ Icon
Sinai Christ Icon
We are pleased to announce the arrival of the Sinai Christ Icon at our side chapel, now on display . This sacred icon offers a space for quiet reflection and meditation. We invite all visitors to spend time in prayer and contemplation before Christ, deepening their spiritual connection during this sacred time of Easter.
我們很高興地宣布，西乃基督像已經陳列在我們的小教堂內，並將在四旬期期間展示。這幅神聖的聖像提供了一個安靜反思和冥想的空間。我們邀請所有來訪者在基督面前花時間禱告和沉思，藉此加深他們在這神聖四旬期的靈性聯繫。
2025 Spirit of Hecker Award
2025 Sprit of Hecker Awards
5:30pm, Sat, April 26
Find out who is this year’s Spirit of Hecker Award for Old St. Mary’s. Join the lifestream this Saturday at 5:30pm.
Servant of God Isaac Hecker was the founder of the Paulist Fathers. He was driven by a classic two-fold mission of personal perfection and zeal for souls. At his time, he felt America was ready to explode with faith from the riches of the Catholic Church. So he started a men’s religious order to help him carry out this mission instilled in his heart by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Fr. Isaac Hecker continues today, as the Paulists honor folks around the country to live that spirit in their particular context. Join us in hearing how they live out the Paulist mission to America.
Going Deeper in Easter
Throughout Easter, Catholics are encouraged to celebrate for 50 days the power of the resurrection of our Lord. The resurrection has changed everything, making all things new. We are to live that newness of life today and every day. The Easter season is also a time of preparation for Pentecost when the Church celebrates her birthday and the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide the Church to the end of time. Besides renewal of baptism promises (to God and from God), this is a time to renew the seal of the Holy Spirit we received at Confirmation. Allow the 7-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit to unfold in a richer and deeper way this Easter Season.
Besides the Easter activities found in our parish and archdiocese,
here are some personal resources:
Pope Francis Encyclical Letter: Dilexit Nos (On the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ)
Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation) - This year marks this Vatican II document’s 60th anniversary on Sacred Scripture and God’s self-revelation.
Nicene Creed - We’re in the 1,700th anniversary for the Council of Nicaea in AD 325.
Click here for a 5 minute summary.The Three Ordinary Voices of God by Matthew Kelly - you can pick this book up at our parish office (while supplies last) and use it to explore how to better listen to God.
Spes Non Conundit (Hope Does not Disappoint) - Papal Bull establishing the Ordinary Jubilee Year of Hope by Pope Francis
Jubilee Year of Hope Resources - Here are some resources from the Archdiocese of Washington on the Jubilee Year of Hope
Lenten Reconciliation Service
As we enter Holy Week and quickly bring Lent to a close, we will be having a Lenten Reconciliation Service so as a community we can collectively reflect upon our sins and each celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This is a great way to prepare for the Triduum celebration of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil or Easter Sunday.
Saturday for Engaged Couples
Getting married in 2025 or 2026? Remember, the Catholic Church requires at least 6 months for marriage preparation. Sign up for one of the Saturday for Engaged Couples sessions.
The Saturday for Engaged Couples is a one-day, all-day exploration of the meaning of marriage from a Roman Catholic perspective. Marriage is understood as "a covenant of irrevocable personal commitment between a man and a woman that is permanent and exclusive." On this day, the emphasis is on covenant and the commitment of two persons who create a community of life together through the sharing of the whole person -- physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Click here to register.
Young Adult Lenten Retreat
Young Adult
Lenten Retreat:
Renewing Our Relationships with God, Family, and Friends
9:30am Sat, March 29th
Bay Area Young Adults (20’s-30’s) are invited to spend a Saturday to take a break and explore how our rich Lenten themes can enhance our lives. It’s also a time to meet some great young adults. It’s all happening at Old St. Mary’s Auditorium on Saturday, March 29th starting 9:30am and ending wth Mass at 5pm. Registration deadline is March 26. For more info, contact Fr. Ivan.
Hours for the Lord
As part of the Jubilee Year, March 28 is to be celebrated as 24 Hours for Lord. Given the elderly age of our community and that we are downtown parish, we have designated 11am to 3pm as a time of adoration with a break for the 12:05pm Mass and Stations of the Cross. We will conclude with benediction.
Lenten Small Discussion Group (Tue)
During Lent, we will be reading and discussing Matthew Kelly’s The Three Ordinary Voices of God. How are we going to live our lives unless we listen to God and allow God to guide us?
We’ll meet on Tuesdays in Lent through Google Meets starting March 18th at 5:30pm. Contact Fr. Ivan for more information and the link.
Lenten Small Discussion Group (Sun)
During Lent, we will be reading and discussing Matthew Kelly’s The Three Ordinary Voices of God. How are we going to live our lives unless we listen to God and allow God to guide us?
We’ll meet in person after the 9am Sunday Mass. Contact Fr. Ivan for more information or just join us at a round table in the auditorium after the 9am Mass.
Joyful Simplicity - Part Two
Join Fr. Terry at 9am (PST) on Saturday, March 15th as he continues to talk about the joy of a simplified prayer of deep meditation that includes a more simplified way of life. Less clutter makes space for the Energy of the Presence to grow your life. Contact Fr. Terry for ZOOM link.
2025 Busy Person's Retreat
Busy Person’s Retreat
Needing some inspiration to kickstart your Lenten or spiritual journey? Is your life too busy to go on retreat? Sign up for our Busy Person’s Retreat where we pair you with a spiritual director to accompany you the first 3 weeks of Lent. For more info, contact Fr. Ivan.
Ash Wednesday Mass
Ash Wednesday Mass
Wed, March 5
8am, 12:05pm,
& 3pm (Chinese/English)
Join us as we celebrate the start of Lent with Ash Wednesday. We embark on our 40 day spiritual journey of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
Joyful Simplicity
Being joyful in God is simple, but we make it complicated. It is a bit like being in Paradise in our original harmony, our deification, but then stuff happens in being human and we end up losing the connection.
But it is still there within as God is within. Prayer, grace, is the recovering of our first nature. It is a life of restoration. We know when we are getting there when love becomes the ultimate motive of our human conduct.
We will take some time for meditation, and
check with those who joined us on Zoom.
Joyful Simplicity
Being joyful in God is simple, but we make it complicated. It is a bit like being in Paradise in our original harmony, our deification, but then stuff happens in being human and we end up losing the connection.
But it is still there within as God is within. Prayer, grace, is the recovering of our first nature. It is a life of restoration. We know when we are getting there when love becomes the ultimate motive of our human conduct.
We will take some time for meditation, and check with those who joined us on Zoom.