Name of Church Mary Star of the Sea
Address 870 W. Eighth Street, San Pedro, CA 90731
Phone number (310) 833-3541
Website www.marystar.org
Mass Schedule Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. (Spanish), noon, 1:30 p.m. (Croatian), 4 p.m. (Italian), 5:15 p.m. (Latin/English sung Mass).
Confessions Thursday and Friday after 5:15 p.m. Mass; Saturday after 8 a.m. Mass and 4-5 p.m.
Names of priests Fr. Maurice Harrigan, pastor. Fr. Martin Benzoni, associate pastor. Fr. Ivan Gerovac, chaplain for the Croatian and Italian communities. Fr. Freddie Chua, maritime minister. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny reside in the parish convent. Fr. Harrigan is orthodox, a good homilist and a good confessor/spiritual advisor.
Special activities and groups Daughters of Isabella; Maritime Minsitry/Apostleship of the Sea; Knights of Columbus; Perpetual Adoration; Culture of Life Committee; Bible studies; various prayer and ethnic groups; St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Music Depends on the Mass, cantors and choirs
Fellow parishioners This parish has a mix of ethnic groups; Mass is celebrated in four different languages (plus Latin).
School Yes, both elementary and high school. Established in 1951, Mary Star of the Sea High School is staffed by the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey, an orthodox and pious community of priests. The Norbertines assist at the parish on the weekends; the high school is about a 10-minute drive from the parish.
Parking Busy on the weekend with full lots.
Cry room Yes.
Additional observations Mary Star of the Sea is a parish of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It sits on a hill overlooking the Port of Los Angeles; it has traditionally been known as the “fisherman’s parish,” due to its close ties with the local fishing and cannery community. Its first parishioners included Croatian, Portuguese and Italian fishing families; many of their descendants still attend the parish. It was established in 1889 (a year
after San Pedro became a city), making it one of the region’s oldest parishes. The current church was built in 1958. Special features include a 10-foot bronze statue of Mary mounted on top of the church’s bell tower, with her arms outstretched to the port. Inside you’ll see some ocean-themed art, such as a statue of Mary holding a tuna clipper over the altar, a mosaic of Mary standing on ocean waves over the church’s entrance, and a stained glass window to the right of the altar area depicting Jesus on a boat speaking to fishermen. The parish has bookstore with religious items open on Wednesdays and Sundays.
There’s a nearby church of the same name, only in Latin: Mission Maria Stella Maris. The Masses are in Latin too. It is right next to the Fort MacArthur Museum, across the street from the Oiled Bird Rehab Center and the Marine Mammal Care Center, near Angel’s Gate Park, and within sight of the Korean Friendship Bell. A very serene place!
This parish has long been known as “The Fisherman’s Parish”, because of the many Croatian and Italian families who were involved in the San Pedro area maritime Industries. It is one of the oldest extant parishes in Los Angeles Archdiocese.
The present church and its statuary date from the pastor at the time in 1958, the legendary churchman Monsignor George M. Scott, and it reflects, to this day, his clear understanding of the Catholic faith.
49 years ago today, Sept. 23rd, 2017, Padre Pio passed away, and the Catholic church of Padre Pio and this Catholic Church of Msgr. Scott are harmonious and internally coherent.