Address 5011 White Oak Avenue, Encino, CA 91316
Phone number (818) 342-4686
Website www.ourladyofgrace.org
Mass times Saturday vigil, 5 p.m. Sunday, 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. (Spanish), 12:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. First Fridays, 6:30 p.m.
Confessions Fridays, 5 to 6 p.m. Saturdays, 9 to 10 a.m. Fr. Saguin hears confessions in English, Spanish and Tagalog.
Priests Fr. Marinello Saguin, pastor. Fr. Gerald Osuagwu, associate pastor. Fr. Saguin is a fine young pastor ordained in 2015. He is an American with parents from the Philippines and grew up in Los Angeles. He was a Carmelite for five years before opting for the seminary for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Since becoming pastor in 2021, he has tried to deepen the community’s love for the Eucharist, improve liturgies, and add confession and adoration times. Listen to him preach on the parish YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZPN75Ki82xrysj8tNVyJIw/featured. Click here to listen to him speak on Eucharistic Adoration: 190225 Sermon – Marinello – Eucharistic Adoration.mp3 (dropbox.com).
Parish groups and activities Weekday adoration in adoration chapel 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Respect Life Ministry, Men’s Fellowship, Young Adults.
Parking There is a large lot beside the church.
School Yes. It has 327 students pre-K through 8th grade. In addition to the parish school, Crespi Carmelite High School is adjacent to the parish.
Fellow parishioners The parish serves 2,500 families. Half are English speaking, 40% Hispanic and 10% Asian.
Additional observations Our Lady of Grace is a parish of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The parish was established in 1945. It is located in the San Fernando Valley.
Many of the younger priests are more solidly Catholic than some of the Baby Boomers. A priest friend of mine says, “Where there’s death, there’s hope.” To that, I’d add retirement. We need more of the men inspired by Saint John Paul and Pope Benedict XVI to become pastors and bishops. “Interestingly,” Pope Francis does not seem to inspire as many vocations to the priesthood and religious life (and maybe even holy matrimony).
A priest said “Where there’s death, there’s hope” about older priests?
And you think he is solidly Catholic?
We need to pray for priests. I know you all do but pray more.
If what is going on at Franciscan is any indication of what is next…Pray hard.
What is going on at Franciscan?
Pride. Arrogance. Elitism. Hypocrisy. Nastiness.
Same old downfall.
It used to be called Holy Hill.
I see people who graduated 5 years ago mourning.
I used to hear graduates say “We were in Heaven and didn’t know it.” Now I hear graduates say “I mourn for what it used to be.” and “My kids will never set foot on those grounds.”
These are faithful Catholics. Church-going, obedient to Catholic morality.
I think the problems existed for a while but Covid really took it to a new level.
Not talking about the staff or faculty. It is mostly the students.
That is the problem with some of the other Newman list colleges, too. The education is faithful to Church teaching but what is the environment outside of class? We looked at another Newman list school and were told “There is nothing to do here but drink.”
Dear downfall, No institution is perfect as they involve fallen human beings. Nor can they control what students do, especially off campus. My wife and I are alumni of Franciscan as are four of our “kids” and two of their spouses. My wife and I and our children are all still practicing Catholics in large part because of how the Lord worked in our lives and the truths we were taught while at Franciscan University. And, we know many alumni; young recent graduates as well as us older alumni. If there are specific people or policies involved in wrongdoing that should be pointed out or reported and rectified. We’re all painfully aware of the former friar going on trial. Fr. Dave Pivonka TOR, the president, is a faithful and holy priest. It is an excellent university still worthy of support and consideration. To use terms like “Pride. Arrogance. Elitism. Hypocrisy. Nastiness.” about an entire institution is untrue, unfair, uncharitable and unChristian. Again, if there are specific reasons the university shouldn’t be supported, please make them known publicly or, better yet, to the university directly (at least at first, Matt. 18:15-17). There is a lot more to do at Franciscan than drink. There are mission trips, pro-life activities, serving the local needy, prayer, faith households, sports, theatre and more. Hearsay, rumors, even gossip and lies, do a lot of destruction, including to the lives of good people. Please bring the truth(s) of your criticism to the university.
I understand your loyalty to the institution and appreciate your desire to defend it. it appears that you did not read my post very carefully. I do not appreciate the false accusations, the uncharitable name-calling and the insults. Be that as it may…
Everything you see here on this website comment thread and other places- Francis isn’t the Pope, Vatican II is illegitimate, covid conspiracies, rejection of the “Novus Ordo” Mass, all the stuff with Vigano- all the errors of the Internet- are now at Franciscan. Most of it is from students but not all.
They were not there when my child attended, either. Or it was just starting. There were students who criticized other students for not being good enough Catholics because of how they prayed the rosary or which Mass they attended. Some of that is normal narcissism in which people need to feel like they are better than other people. You find that everywhere.
None of this is hearsay, rumors, gossip or lies. People are just saying what they think. Young people just talk. They do not self-censor like us old ones. They do not know how much they are saying when they say “I have a PDP student who wants to attend our event. He is a good guy. Not like a PDP.”
I’m not going to contact the University. It really is not my place. I am sure that the University is aware. How could they not be?
Fellow Franciscan Parent, I’m not denying you have some legitimate concerns. Yet, in fairness and charity, do contact the university, if you have any evidence other than hearsay, which is “people just saying what they think.” I spent much of my career as an investigator. Hearsay and evidence are two different things. And, often hearsay has been proven wrong.
Posting (anonymously and) falsely about someone, or an institution, on the internet is a form of calumny. We personally know some people there, faculty and other staff, all very good Catholics. It’s wrong to tar them with a broad brush.
And, your statement “Francis isn’t the Pope, Vatican II is illegitimate, covid conspiracies, rejection of the “Novus Ordo” Mass, all the stuff with Vigano- all the errors of the Internet- are now at Franciscan. Most of it is from students but not all.” seems wrong. Can you name a faculty member who teaches that? I attended Novus Ordo Masses there last year and will again this June (when on retreat). Pope Francis is prayed for at every Mass. When I was in graduate school there, a semester course on Vatican II, reading the documents themselves, was required and I think still is (for theology majors). One of the best popular authors on the Council, and my teacher then, still teaches there. Look at the disproportionately large number of vocations to the priesthood, religious life, holy matrimony and the diaconate that have come out of Franciscan. Look at the many ministries founded by alumni as well as leaders in education, health care, business and other fields who now bring Catholic values into the world. I post with my name as I’m publicly willing to stand by what I’m posting. And, I’m willing to be corrected, if wrong. And, IF I owe you an apology, I’m willing to apologize. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at dcnanderson@ephx.org or, better yet, if you’re in northern California, I’m certainly willing to meet in person to discuss this further. Thank you.
If you don’t wanna pray for ’em, don’t.
Maybe others will.
Sir, none of this was about Franciscan University. It was a request for prayer for priests and for those seeking the priesthood.
I am not saying not to enroll there.
I still think it is a good school and I think these problems are everywhere.
It is important that we do not pit Catholics and Catholic priests against each other.
Is that Our Lady of the Rectangular Box Parish?
rect, yes, it is. Is she your patron saint?
Like they made a church out of a giant Lego brick.
This picture does not match the sanctuary on the website or they youtube.
I’ve been there. It’s really hard to see from the back of the church.
That’s why I think more churches should install big screens so viewers in the back rows can see the action close-up.