Name of Church Serra Chapel
Address 31520 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675. On the grounds of historic Mission San Juan Capistrano, Ortega Hwy. & Camino Capistrano, off the 5 freeway and Ortega Hwy.
Phone number 949-234-1360
Mass times Sunday 6:30 & 8 a.m. – Latin Tridentine Mass. Weekdays & Holydays: 7 a.m. English Mass. Additional Masses in the Basilica Church located on the north end of the 10-acre Mission grounds.
Confessions None in Serra Chapel; Friday 7:30 – 8:15 a.m. and Saturday, 8 – 9:30 a.m. in the Basilica Church.
Names of priests Visiting Norbertines from St. Michael’s Abbey celebrate the Tridentine Mass. The Norbertines are reliably orthodox and give good homilies. Msgr. J. Michael McKiernan is pastor of the Basilica; Fr. Robert Capone is parochial vicar.
School Pre-K through 8th grade.
Special parish groups Parish groups are connected to the Basilica church.
Liturgy Before Pope Benedict’s liberalization of the use of the Tridentine rite, Serra Chapel was one of two Orange County locations authorized by the Diocese of Orange to celebrate the old Latin Mass.
Fellow parishioners Draws many conservative and traditionalist Catholics, as well as visitors to the historic Mission.
Parking Street parking is usually available along the Mission grounds, especially as the Masses are offered early in the morning before visitors arrive. There is also parking across the street in the San Juan Elementary School lot on the weekends.
Acoustics Can be difficult to hear as you get farther back. The adobe building is about 240 years old, and is long and narrow.
Cry room No.
Additional observations Serra Chapel is California’s oldest church. It was built by the Spanish padres shortly after Mission San Juan Capistrano’s founding in 1776. Fr. Junipero Serra himself celebrated Mass there. The church was used for storage in the late 19th century, but was restored to its original use in the 1920’s. The church art and architecture has recently undergone an extensive renovation and is beautiful. The Stations of the Cross, older than the Mission itself, have been restored and properly lighted. The retablo, or altarpiece, has also been restored. New chandeliers have been installed. Although most of the parish’s liturgical/sacramental life occurs at the much newer and bigger Basilica church, Serra Chapel is still very much in use as a house of worship. It also boasts a side chapel shrine, St. Peregrine’s Chapel, which draws many cancer patients on pilgrimage each year. Perhaps the most beautiful and best maintained of the mission churches, it is well worth a visit. It is free to attend Mass in the early morning, but if you return later in the day to pray in the chapel, you must enter through the main gate and pay an entrance fee of $6-9.
Yes indeed a church finally worth going to why easy they offer the TRUE MASS OF ALL TIME! And also say NO! To the Pope for even suggesting we have female deacons, the Church is on its deathbed as it is he does not need to seal the coffin on it!!!
Janek, I agree about the ‘deathbed’ concerns. As if the Pope’s Amoritis Laetitia ‘Exhortations’, which left many, ‘confused/concerned’ weren’t bad enough. The LAST STRAW for me? His agreeing to study the recycled idea of women deacons. What is next, Priestist-hood? I am sick & tired of his outspoken support for progressive ideas VS core beliefs. He troubles me because his MO openly shows a preference for Liberation Theology (Marxism). He denies it. (Unaware or Alinsky tactic?) But his ACTIONS are curious (Cuba, Bernie Sanders, etc.) The jury is still out & time will tell. I am very bothered by this even though I trust God Rules. But I’m lamenting again……
Do they still have a Latin Mass at 8 on Sunday mornings in the chapel?
There is wonderful video of the mass at San Juan Capistrano Mission freely available in YouTube. It is from a TV series called Extraordinary Faith Episode 1.
lANK9ahh6TE
The Norbertine Fathers from Orange County are a blessing for the Church in Southern California. They give the Latin Mass wherever they are asked. Once a Father Ramos drove up to Ventura Mission to offer Easter Vigil Mass. Wonderful priests.
The Faith reflected by this Church, and its Mass of All Ages, is magnificent. All Catholic Churches should be this way. “Janek” and “FromThePew” you are correct in your concerns. Yet, and think of this, what does Christ want us to think of this? On one hand, Jesus created the Church on weak, timid Peter, not what you would consider building a house on solid land. Yet it endured for a long, long time. But, Satan is strong and clever, and never rests. Now, we have theologically stuck-on-stupid Catholics, and clergy, and Vatican leadership. God knows this? Are we to fight? If so, how?
Suggestions St Christopher? My wish list: Cardinal Burke for Pope (or someone like him). The beautiful Latin Mass offered every Sunday at each & every N.O. church possible. (Not just a token location either, one far away, usually an isolated ‘under-water’ church.) How can ‘in the pew’ fight? We tried dialogue but nobody listens to us. We tried the Latin Mass too. Loved the Mass (understatement) but constant moves (one bad location to another), we gave up. Tried a good pastor/priest adding a Latin mass in a decent spot. One had the desire but was told no by his bishop & was moved to a bad location. Still praying/lamenting.
This Pope and ALL the hierarchy will be in for a surprise when Our Lord comes to judge them, it will be should I say a very HOT home he will be sending them to. Vatican II utterly destroyed The Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church and may never recover from this evil brought upon it. I urge all to flee to the S.S.P.X. F.S.S.P. and Institute of Christ the King churches and chapels, I don’t know if this will ever blow over in our lifetime, the damage so complete now with Francis.
This papacy is utterly shocking, it is as if anything goes, except for one thing: teaching the Roman Catholic Faith. Now its women deacons, folks is there anybody in the Vatican with guts to just say enough is enough? Not one MAN can stand up and tell this Pope he needs to step down and go home to Argentina, this is where we are at folks. As for the S.S.P.X. they need to hold off before they fall into a trap, that just may be waiting for them.
INTERVIEW: Bishop Schneider: ‘In the Church, we are not living in a dictatorship’
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bishop-schneider-on-how-the-laity-should-address-concerns-about-pope-franci
That is the problem with True Roman Catholics, we always don’t want to rock the boat, but look at the Modernists they rock it all over get everything they want. English Mass, altar girls, dinner table, rock, folk, music, drums, guitars, communion in the hand while standing, kiss of peace, hand holding, Life Teen Mass, felt banners, female and male lectors, lay people handing out communion, so YES lets start demanding the return of The Traditional Latin Mass,
Can I still find a Latin mass at the mission’s chapel?
No, the Mission Chapel no longer offers TLM