Name of Church Church of the Nativity
Address 6309 El Apajo Road, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
Phone number (858) 756-1911
Website www.nativitycatholic.org
Mass times Saturday vigil, 4 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m. 10:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. followed by adoration with benediction at 9:30 a.m.
Confessions Saturday, 1 – 2 p.m. and by appointment.
Names of priests Fr. Minh Do, pastor. Fr. Do is a refugee from Vietnam, who came to the U.S. in 1975. He began a successful career in business, before opting for the seminary in 2009. He was ordained a priest in 2014, and became pastor of Nativity in 2019. He is often praised for his talent in preaching; listen to him preach at past Masses on the parish YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp623a9YvqtaaHPHGQW7aQ/videos.
Special groups/activities Culture of Life ministries, Eucharistic Adoration Lovers (adoration Monday through Friday, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.), daily rosary and divine chaplet, mental health ministry, men’s group
Music Cantor, organ.
School Yes, pre-K through 8.
Fellow parishioners Nativity is a parish of the Diocese of San Diego, and serves a small, affluent community north of downtown San Diego.
Acoustics Good.
Parking The parish has a large parking lot.
Additional observations Nativity is a newer parish; the church was dedicated in 1989.
Well the exterior looked promising until I took a look at the inside sadly just another modern Novus Ordo church nothing to inspire.
So rare to find a really beautiful church.
If one can’t be inspired by what happens on the altar, then gothic arches and stained glass won’t help.
Jesus and Mary don’t inspire you?
Some might disagree with Romulus’s opinion. I actually find the exterior and interior quite inspiring.
The Interior has a cold and empty feeling and appearance. It doesn’t inspire you to get down on your knees and pray.
I’ve seen some TLM chapels that were bare.
There’s just no pleasing some people. That church probably cost 4 million dollars to build.
I have realized that I don’t like the blank wall thing on this and the other church. We cannot have felt banners because it makes some people apoplectic. Some others might like that look.
Plus on both parishes, you don’t have to play “hunt for the tabernacle.”
Everyone’s a critic these days.
Beauty glorifies God. Simplicity glorifies God.
Just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean God doesn’t.
Sometimes there are reasons that Churches are built the way they are and unless you are “in on it” you won’t understand.
There was a time (I think in the 80s) where hexagonal sanctuaries were built with the idea that they could easily be added on to if the parish expanded.
Most churches have very high ceilings. Some have slanted. There is one church I’ve attended where the ceiling got so low to the pews and the lights in it are so hot that you have to pick a spot away from the lights or you will start wanting to ditch your clothes during Mass.
It makes me angry.
“That church probably cost 4 million dollars to build”
They should ask for their money back, you could build a church for that amount of money.
I came to the Catholic faith by attending mass in college even before I was a Fellow Catholic. Trust me, the location was ugly as can be. On Sunday, it was held in , I kid you not, the windowless Multi purpose room of the school library. At least during the week it was held in an intimate nondenominational chapel room in the student Union. Windowless. Barren of religious or any art. But intimate and made Holy be the presence of the people of God, by the Word proclaimed, and the Sacrament celebrated. We always had the option of attending mass at the non denominational chapel in the campus next door, modeled after Chartres with gorgeous stained glass windows and soaring ceilings. But I always preferred to go to Our Lady of MultiPurposes. My point is that architecture can help but sometimes bad architecture focuses the mind on the important things.