Name of Church Star of the Sea
Address 4420 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94118
Phone number (415) 751-0450
Website https://starparish.com/
Mass times Saturday vigil, 4:30 p.m. Sundays, 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. (Latin Tridentine) and 7:30 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 Fr. Joseph Illo, pastor. Fr. John Mary Chung, parochial vicar. Fr. Mark Taheny, parochial vicar. Fr. John Fewel, visiting priest. Fr. Ala Nadim Alalamat, visiting priest. Fr. Illo is a faithful priest originally from the Diocese of Stockton. He is originally 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. He came to San Francisco to establish the Oratorian Community of St. Philip Neri. Read his blog at www.frilloblog.com. Fr. Taheny is a chaplain with Courage, the Catholic Church’s apostolate for people with same-sex attraction.
Special groups and activities Children’s catechism program, Star Book Club, Legion of Mary, Bible study, pro-Life group, Our Lady of Perpetual Help devotion on Wednesdays after the noon Mass, Paul Street Evangelization, Star speakers series (listen to a few of the talks on the parish YouTube page), 2,000 Hail Marys, Holy Rosary Sodality, Holy Name Society, Altar Society, Perpetual Adoration, Marian Movement of Priests.
School Yes, pre-school and K-8.
Fellow parishioners The area is mostly Caucasian and Asian, also 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 also 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. Parish leaders are attempting to raise $500,000 to renovate the church. The parish also has a quarterly magazine; read it online here.
Previous California Catholic Daily stories on Star of The Sea:
San Francisco Star of the Sea parish to become Oratory of St. Philip Neri
First Latin Mass at Star of the Sea, San Francisco
San Francisco’s radical parish prepares next step
Rebuilding the Church in San Francisco
Listen to Father Illo talk about why Mass is celebrated ad orientem at the parish:
Frs. Ching and Taheny are great priests, with a great pastor!! How I wish I could be a parishioner there.
Did Fr. Taheny go to St. Ignatius in the 1970s? I knew a Mark Taheny there.
Bit of an inconsistency here. ‘originally from the Diocese of Stockton’ then ‘originally from the East Coast’
Born and raised back east. Moved to CA and landed in Stockton.
This is about as good as it gets in today’s Novus Ordo Catholic Church. Time to make all masses the TLM and end the charade.
Contribute.
I disagree
“St. Christopher’s” dream is futile. The Mass of Pope Paul VI is here to stay; and I say this as someone who regularly goes to the TLM and loves it! Folks, there will never be a stampede back to the TLM. The ordinary way that Catholics worship UNIVERSALLY is the Ordinary Form. Pope Benedict said so himself. Millions of Catholics worldwide are nourished, nurtured, and sanctified by the Ordinary Form. Remove this from them? Will never happen. If reverence is your issue, then making the Ordinary Form more reverent, devout, free from abuses is the way. And guess what, many young priests and seminarians of today on board with that.
Jon, neither you nor I nor anyone else know what is going to happen in the future, only God knows. I do know this. I prefer a Mass where the priest faces East, whether it is in Latin or English. We should save the socializing, decent dancing and other for outside the Mass in the hall or else where. The Mass is temple worship, not synagogue worship as far as I am concerned. It replaces the sacrifices of the Old Testament. It is the fulfillment of the sacrifices of the Old Testament. It is not simply a meal.
Anne TE: Where did I claim that I “know what is going to happen in the future”?
You said St. Christopher’s dream is futile That is a prediction. I doubt he is talking about other Catholic rites besides the Latin one.It seems futile now, but none us of knows what will happen in ten or more years. We need Masses for the older saints and the newer ones.It could come to pass that the Traditional Latin Mass with slight changes could become as common as a more traditional vernacular, or both be in Latin.
To clarify: When I wrote “faces East”, I meant toward Christ (the Sun of God, Light of the World) over the altar during most of the Mass, not necessarily actually facing East. As Fr. Illo mentioned, at times the priest turns toward the people and speaks to them, even in the Traditional Latin Mass (the Extraordinary Mas)..
[Second Attempt To Post Response] “jon” you are incorrect. The TLM, the Mass of All Time that was universally used for centuries, with elements dating back to the Apostles, was ripped from the lives of practicing Catholics only some 50 years ago. With the advent of the Internet, this would not happen today, and the Church leadership knows it. The yearning by Catholic youth for Tradition is well documented.
Some Catholic youth yearn for Tradition. Some like the Lifeteen type Mass. Some like a reverent Ordinary Form Mass. Some (most?) don’t know there are different forms of the Mass.. Some are wondering why they are going and some have stopped going.
Well guess what, “StChristopher”, reverently and devoutly offered, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the OF. It remains the Mass in which Catholics today, UNIVERSALLY, today, are sanctified and nourished in the true Catholic Faith. And furthermore, “SC”, the living Magisterium of the Church (that’s the Pope and the bishops, for you dissenting folks out there) is totally within its rights and duties to oversee and rule over the liturgies of the Church. Any legitimate ruling of the Church over the liturgy is valid. For “SC” to dream about essentially “ripping” the OF from the life of Catholics today is nothing short of evil and uncharitable. Repent!
I think we could have done without the “Repent!”, jon. Otherwise, your post is spot-on.
No, “Just”, “SChristopher” methinks really does need to repent.
I attended Mass there when I visited San Francisco. I loved it. Father Illo gave a great sermon.
“jon,” your posts are always laughers. Nothing you have said even responds to the factual record of how a small group of faithless cardinals and bishops took over VII (where the TLM was said every day to all) and set the stage for the hapless Pope Paul VI. The NO is a failure. It is foisted on a trusting Catholic population just as communism was foisted on Russia. Sure the Vatican says, “go to this Mass.” It has the complete power, now. But, as St. Athanasius said, “you have the buildings but we have the Faith.”
St. Athanasius was in union with the See of Peter.
Anybody can say that but it depends on union with the see of Peter whether they are correct.
“SChristopher” mentions “factual record”. The factual record is that even now there is no stampede back to the TLM. Even in devout Lincoln, Nebraska where you have the TLM being celebrated side-by-side with the Ordinary Form, and as Bishop Conley said himself, there has been no increase among the folks who go to the TLM. Folks, the Mass of Pope Paul VI is here to stay, like it or not. And moreover, it will remain the more attended, and the more preferred, for very obvious reasons. Again, I’m saying this as someone who loves the TLM myself.
Bless you, St. Christopher! Many Catholics of today, have little or no religious training– nor education in the history of their Faith— and many are very confused, as to what the Catholic Church really is, beyond all the distortions and confusions that are presented, today! Strange that the Pope so favors, supports, and promotes immoral and heretical priests, like Fr. James Martin, SJ.!! And sounds so confusing and contradictory, on Christian morality, regarding the holy Sacrament of Marriage– and pro-life, too! And worse— giving us so many immoral and heretical bishops and cardinals! “Good-Bye, Good Men!” And :Good-Bye,” beloved, revered, 1500-years-old, ancient, traditional Latin Mass!
Linda Maria is wrong. The TLM is NOT 1,500 years old! It was Pope St. Pius V in 1570 through his “Qui Primum” that established a universal rite for the Western Church! Before that, the Mass was celebrated according to local customs and traditions and rituals, while maintaining a core structure. It was not until 1570 that Pius V instituted a universal rite for the Latin Church. And since 1570, the liturgy has undergone many more changes!
Yes, “jon” is correct, regarding the 1570 Tridentine Mass, at the Council of Trent, and papal bull, “Quo Primum,” ordering the use of this Mass in the Roman Missal! However– I am used to a whole different point of view— the Latin Mass is ancient, historically– extending back in history, to about the third century, A.D.! The Latin Mass was certainly not begun, at the Council of Trent, in the era of the Counter-Reformation! And our ancient Latin Mass was much the same, historically– until the Second Vatican Council– with a completely new Mass! — for the first time in history! Not worth bullying people over– we do have BOTH Masses available!
Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890) wrote that the Latin Mass was virtually unchanged, from about the third century, A.D.– to his day. Ven. Abp. Fulton J. Sheen mentioned this, also, in a wonderful book, “This Is The Mass.” Pope St. Gregory the Great (590-604) who gave us Gregorian Chant– made an important, definitive revision of the Roman Missal. Later, with the Roman Missal of 1570, the Council of Trent corrected many abuses that had crept into the Mass. If you compare the Roman Missal of the year 1000 A.D. to the Roman Missal of the Tridentine Latin Mass– you see almost the same thing!– very few differences!
Your words are warm and Catholic, “Linda Maria.” But do not think that the TLM will be eliminated by non-believers. We have the Mass of All Time for a reason; it is a gift from God. The rejection of Christ’s own blood sacrifice at Calvary is not the mark of Faith, but of rebellion. The maintenance of the Novus Ordo is a mark of pride. Remember what Christ said to St. Peter — the man upon whom He started His Church — when Peter tried to tell Christ not to offer Himself for our sins: “Go behind me Satan.” (Matt. 16:23) We need to follow Christ and what His apostles and disciples and martyrs and followers over millennia have fashioned for our worship. Otherwise, we are like the heretic Luther.
Bless you, St. Christopher! Best to ignore jon! Many older, educated Catholics know that our traditional, classical Latin Mass, instituted by Christ at the Last Supper– extends back to the time after our Faith was made the State religion of Rome (classical Latin also replaced Greek at that time). Pope St Gregory the Great (590-604 A.D.) — of Gregorian Chant fame — made a definitive revision of the texts our Mass. The most famous revision, later— was during the Council of Trent, in 1570. The 1962 Roman Missal is the most recent revision. There have also been forms (and customs) of the old Latin Mass used in certain regions, authorized by Rome, as well as those forms used by religious orders.
The rubrics of the TLM, which many folks here have turned into their “god” and “idol”, is not as old as LM and “SC” would have us believe. This is historical revisionism, not to mention ignorance of history.
Best to ignore “jon!”
Ignore the truth at your own peril. It’s not good to tell folks here half-truths or full lies, such as that the TLM is “1,500 years old”. It’s not! The Tridentine Mass is as old as the Council of Trent, which is how it got its name!
The Roman Missal, after being revised according to Tradition, under the pontificate of Pope St. Gregory the Great — remained basically the same (except for minor, unimportant revisions of details) — until the Second Vatican Council.
The revisions of the Latin Mass at the Council of Trent were minor revisions. The Council of Trent, during the Counter-Reformation– focused on purifying the Church of abuses. The Latin Mass— throughout many centuries— was pretty much the same, basically. The New Mass, of Vatican II, in vernacular tongues — is completely new– it is not a revision of the Latin Mass.
For your information LM, any revision of the Mass made by the competent ecclesial authority (that’s the Magisterium–the Pope and the bishops, for you Protestant dissenters out there), is VALID and worthy of OBEDIENCE. If you tell Catholics not to attend the Ordinary Form for any reason whatsoever goes against the Tradition of the Church!
“If reverence is your issue, then making the Ordinary Form more reverent, devout, free from abuses is the way.”–jon
Agreed. The Mass as televised on EWTN shows the way.
Yes, the EWTN televised Mass (Novus Ordo form) is excellent! It seems that “jon” totally overreacts to other posters, mistakenly thinking that posters expressing their points of view, have the strange “authority” to “boss” and “bully” others, and “tell them what to do” — which is “jon’s” strange belief, about religion! Very “neurotic” and un-Christian!
Sorry, but Linda Maria is wrong. I’m not overreacting. I have read many comments here from various people denigrating, belittling, disparaging the Ordinary Form of the Mass. People here routinely deride and mock the Second Vatican Council. To express your views is one thing. But to express your views by sowing disobedience to bishops, the Holy Father, and belittling the OF is flat WRONG!
Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890) wrote that the Latin Mass was virtually unchanged, from about the third century, A.D.– to his day. Ven. Abp. Fulton J. Sheen mentioned this, also, in a wonderful book, “This Is The Mass.” Pope St. Gregory the Great (590-604) who gave us Gregorian Chant– made an important, definitive revision of the Roman Missal. Later, with the Roman Missal of 1570, the Council of Trent corrected many abuses that had crept into the Mass. If you compare the Roman Missal of the year 1000 A.D. to the Roman Missal of the Tridentine Latin Mass– you see almost the same thing!– very few differences!
Shalom Aleichem! I am a Hebrew Christian coming to the Catholic Church via Russian Orthodoxy. As a Hebrew I have studied the Torah Code. It is encrypted in the Torah that the traditional Latin Mass is the means by which all prayers and sincere offerings, Catholic and non-Catholic, Christian and non-Christian, ascend to the Holy One. The traditional Latin Mass connects via Latin and the proper liturgy to the Great and Last Sacrifice of our Lord. So, the Novus Ordo, by itself and especially if not done reverently, is “strange fire” on the altar of God. If done reverently and sincerely it may (like all sincere offerings) be “joined” to the traditional Latin Masses of the past and present and carried upwards. Otherwise, frankly, it…
I feel almost saddened reading all these comments above. I am in a different parish but had to go elsewhere today. I would go to St. Dominics but thought I’d try Star of the Sea.. Ohhh. I was thinking what century are these people living in. Yes I remember the Latin Mass growing up. But this is something new. This was so much play acting. All this on and off of the beretta. white gloves, closing of the sanctuary with the gate…I felt it was imposing a fraud on these poor parishioners. But I guess there are just some people who hold on to the past and are just unable to move on.