Name of Church Star of the Sea
Address 4420 Geary Blvd., San Francisco CA 94118
Phone number (415) 751-0450
Website www.staroftheseachurchsf.com
Mass times Saturday vigil, 4:30 p.m. Sundays, 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. (Latin Tridentine) and 1 p.m. Weekdays, 7:30 a.m. (Latin Tridentine) and noon. Saturdays, 8:30 a.m.
Confessions 3:15 – 4:15 p.m. and by appointment. 15 minutes before every Mass and by appointment.
Names of priests Father Joseph Illo, administrator. Father Patrick Driscoll, parochial vicar. Both are priests of the newly established Oratorian Community of St. Philip Neri, an institute which allows parish priests the opportunity to live in community under a rule of life. It was approved by San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. Father Illo is a faithful priest from the diocese of Stockton. He came from the East Coast, worked for Ignatius Press for a time, was vocations director in Stockton, and served as a chaplain at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula. He 
made the news in 2008 when he suggested that Catholics who voted for pro-abortion candidates for public office go to confession. Read his blog at www.frilloblog.com. Father Driscoll comes from the archdiocese of St. Louis, although he was originally from San Diego. He’s a late vocation, ordained at age 48 in 2008. He tried his hand at acting in Hollywood in the 1970s; he held Father Mulcahy in a headlock in the 1978 episode Dear Sis.
Special groups and activities Our Lady of Perpetual Help devotion on Tuesdays after the noon Mass, Sacred Heart of Jesus devotion on First Fridays after the noon Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (First Saturdays, Second Sundays, Second Thursdays, Last Fridays), Holy Rosary Sodality, Italian Catholic Federation, Pro-Life Committee, Holy Name Society, Altar Society.
Fellow parishioners The area is mostly Caucasian and Asian and many who wish to attend the Tridentine Mass.
Parking There is a good-size lot behind the church, or you can park on the street. It is accessible by public transportation.
Additional observations Star of the Sea Church is a historic church in the archdiocese of San Francisco. It was established as a mission in 1887 and as a parish in 1894. It is located in the Inner Richmond neighborhood, between the Presidio and Golden Gate Park (don’t be surprised if it’s foggy!) It’s a beautiful old San Francisco church in the traditional style; there’s a magnificent image of the Blessed Mother overhead near the altar area. With the encouragement of Archbishop Cordileone, the parish has become a home for those who prefer Mass in the Extraordinary Form; the archbishop has come there himself to celebrate Mass in the EF.
For more information, see:
Jan. 27 Cal Catholic story
SO BEAUTIFUL in MANY WAYS!!!
Fathers Illo and Driscoll are the ‘REAL DEAL’ when it comes to the Priesthood!
Star of the Sea is very BLESSED to have them as their Priests :)
Great move as usual Archbishop Cordileone….and you are TRULY A BLESSING TO THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO TOO!!!
Amen to that Elizabeth. Hearing about good priests and Archbishop coming from San Francisco gives us hope for that part of California.
I live on the peninsula, but love attending Star of the Sea in the city whenever possible. Beautiful Church and Beautiful faithful Priests. Thank you Jesus!
God Bless these Priests and the Archbishop.
Great and holy priests indeed!!! But they are under attack for their faith and letting only “boys” serve at the altar as it should be, also the Mass of All Times is there and that is where the hatred is coming from, you see the devil hates the TLM for it is the TRUE MASS OF ALL TIMES, the Novus Ordo “man made” dinner service cannot go on much longer it is a “fake” and will die out in a few years. His Grace Archbishop Cordileone is under severe attack as well, and we all knew this would happen when he took the post of San Francisco and His Grace Im sure knew it as well. Pray brethen and pray hard for these good priests and for His Grace the devil is strong in San Francisco we know this and who is behind it. The time is now or never to fight back and fight hard for Holy Mother Church and the TLM, show your support for those who live there and attend the TLM at Mary Star of The Sea and tell the good fathers you love and support them they cannot sustain the devil and his helpers there!!! The Archbishop will suffer for the Faith just as many before him did as well as the priests, even now so called Catholics are pushing Rome to remove His Grace from his position as Archbishop of San Francisco, they are powerfull indeed, but Jesus Christ and his Blessed Mother Our Lady will prevail in the end. Pray that our next Holy Father whoever the Holy Ghost gives us will return to the Faith and return the TLM to its rightful place!!!
Janek speaks heresy in this post.
I rarely agree with you YFC, but regarding the Janek post, I do – if Jancek even is a Catholic.
He is just as hate filled as those he writes about if not more.
JANEK may NOT be a Catholic, but a Sedevacantist.
For the record, I did not myself say that Janek was hate filled. That is not a statement that I would be qualified to make. I do not look into his soul, but only into his statements.
Because of his statements, I did allege he was making a heretical posting, however, and that is one I stand behind. Calling the mass that has been celebrated for a half a century all over the world, by Popes and Bishops, and even Saints, “fake” is only one of his heretical statements.
SIDNEY I agree with your post. Good observation.
YFC accusing someone of heresy is laughable …..
laugh all you like, but heresy is heresy. Blaspheming the sacred sacrifice of the mass is a sort of heresy that even a homosexual like myself would not dare do.
Heresy? For showing my total support for the Archbishop, priests and TLM???? And a Sedevacantist to boot!! There is no hate in my posting, it is called telling the truth you should try it sometime. 40 years ago I would have been called a defender of the Holy Faith, boy how Vatican II changed things.
…being disparaged by those who are overtly against the Catholic Faith and those who mistakenly believed it only began in the 1960s is an honor, Janek. The doe-eyed idiots abound, especially those pre-programmed to say heresy, schism, and Sedevecantist at the push of a button. They can often be spotted by an excess of capital letters and the dreaded “may not” “tone of” “could be”. Anything to deflect from actual logic and reason correctly applied and/or looking to what is actually written.
God bless
Matthew 5:22
But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire.
Anonymous, remember this quote when you re-read your posts below and you bad mouth Fr. Illo.
Wasn’t me.
If one considers oneself to be a fool, it is rather foolish to attempt to portray others as saying one is a fool, Anonymous. But tossing around terms erroneously in fear is no sign of faithfulness, rather it is proof of a gross misunderstanding and often a stubborn unwillingness to educate oneself and/or to keep one’s peace in a discussion where one may want to understand, but doesn’t. Not really. Hence the term “useful idiot”.
Similarly your attempt to stifle honest exchange by steeping “fear” with misfired bible verses helps nobody, but only reinforces pride in being an ill informed reactionary. It is a form of judgment, Anonymous, blind judgement which carries is own sentence.
God bless.
You should have just repented.
You did blaspheme when you called the Holy Mass a “man made dinner service.”
Janek i love the TLM too but I dont agree with some of your views because i agree with the church that the OF mass when done in accordance to the GIRM is holy too. So nothing against your preferance but i do not agree with your rebellion against the Holy OF mass. Because some of your comments from the past against it, i find scandalous and disturbing. Please dont take offense. God bless.
“Father Illo is a faithful priest from the diocese of Stockton. He came from the East Coast, worked for Ignatius Press for a time, was vocations director in Stockton, and served as a chaplain at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula.”
Sounds pretty unstable.
When a diocesan priest gets ordained, he makes a commitment to his Bishop and to his Diocese.
So why is this man bouncing from place to place?
He should have stuck with acting…
This anonymous speaks ill, he or she might be a heretic or schismstic. You are where you should be…anonymous.
Anonymous, Fr Illo has an EXCELLENT background for serving God’s People. :)
Thanks for the additioanal info.
Btw, Priests are supposed to be moved very 6 years or so from Parish to Parish by the Diocese Bishop. This allows the Priest to grow, and the People to be attached to God rather than a personality Priest.
Priests are to be fishers of men.
Jesus did not stay in one place – one temple – either.
Yes, priests are supposed to be moved, but they are incardinated in ONE DIOCESE and are supposed to serve there until death.
Sort of like getting married: “until death do us part.”
The priests who bounce from one diocese to another tend to be odd, they often have psychological problems, and this explains WHY their bishops give them permision to leave.
WIthin a diocese. There is a huge difference between a pastor moved from parish to parish within a diocese, and another who cannot seem to stay in the same local Church Diocese long enough to make a difference. It is curios, given that the Oratorians are a group of secular priests who vow to stay in one place for the rest of their lives….
And…he’s the one who keeps complaining that his church is always empty?
Right?
Maybe the people of that famous old parish find him just too peculiar and are now worshiping at nearby St. Monica’s…
Anonymous, you are NOT Catholic, or you would not say such SACRILIGOUS things about a wonderful Priest.
CCC 2120.
You must be of the acting homosexual persuasion. – Talk about “peculiar” !
Fr. IIIo is none of your business. Go to your own Church – if you have one.
You are of Satan.
Ted B I agree with your comments, this Anonymous is up to no good.. Praise God we know better. There is justice! Sooner or later but always when God wills it!
Dear Ted B.,
May I assume that’s short for Teddy Bear?
In any case, I am neither homosexual nor of Satan – I’m of the Sunset District in San Francisco.
As for Father Illo, he has a squeaky little voice that DOES sound very peculiar, especially when he says weird things such as he had to “purge” the sanctuary of female altar servers “because the future of the Catholic Church is at stake.”
I think the man needs a good shrink.
Anonymous, and thank you for advertising St. Monica’s which also prominently advertises the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition” on its Diocese web site.
Both Star of Sea and St. Monica’s are wonderful parishes.
Both have schools that adhere to the directives of the Archbishop – teachers must adhere to the Catholic Faith in teaching and in example.
https://www.parishesonline.com/Scripts/HostedSites/Org.asp?ID=17708
Better to have a church that is half-empty with those who “believe” than a full church with those are there for the “show” that goes on in the Novus Ordo dinner service.
This parish is such a treasure! Wonderful profile – thank you!
Saint Mary, Mother of the Sacred Bread, pray for us.