About Christ the King · San Diego, California
Christ the King is a Roman Catholic parish in the Logan Heights neighborhood of southeastern San Diego, part of the Diocese of San Diego. It is a culturally rich, multilingual community where African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Anglo families worship together. The parish is best known for its vibrant Gospel Mass rooted in African American Catholic tradition, alongside two Sunday Masses in Spanish, and it has a long history of social activism and community ministry that dates back to its founding in the late 1930s. The current pastor, Father Tommie L. 'TJ' Jennings, leads the parish with a mission of preaching the Word, evangelizing, and witnessing to God's Kingdom of justice, love, and peace.
- Established
- 1938
- Patron
- Christ the King
- Rector
- Father Tommie L. 'TJ' Jennings
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego
Why belong here
Christ the King is a culturally rich Catholic parish in San Diego's Logan Heights that welcomes African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Anglo families into one worshiping community. Parishioners experience a unique blend of African American Gospel Mass, charismatic Spanish-language liturgy, a sanctuary Gospel Choir, and grassroots ministries such as St. Vincent de Paul, Knights of Peter Claver, a college scholarship fund, and the diocesan Fe en Acción health program. With Father Tommie Jennings as pastor, the parish continues a decades-long tradition of Gospel-rooted worship and active outreach to those in need.
Mass times at Christ the King
Weekly Mass schedule
About Christ the King Catholic Community
Christ the King is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego located in the Logan Heights neighborhood of southeastern San Diego. According to the parish's own mission statement, 'We, the Christian Community of Christ the King Parish, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, declare our mission to be that of Jesus — to preach the Word, to evangelize and to witness to the presence and the coming of God's Kingdom of justice, love, and peace in today's world.' The community places 'special emphasis on Black culture, while at the same time we strive to meet the needs of all members of the worshiping communities at Christ the King.' The parish website describes itself as 'the rich cultural fusion of African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Anglo communities' coming together 'as one body of Christ,' a 'jewel among churches in the Logan Heights area.'
- Parish motto from the About page: 'We are the body of Christ, ready, willing, called, and chosen.'
- Tagline quote from Rhonda Hatcher-Malone: 'See what the Lord has done!'
History of the Parish
The parish's roots go back to the late 1930s in southeastern San Diego, when a Black Catholic catechist's decades of teaching local children eventually led the diocese to build a church 'down here' for the new Catholics she had formed. The first Mass was celebrated on Christmas Eve, 1938, in a storefront on Imperial Avenue. In 1948, the present church structure at 29 N. 32nd Street was built and given to the Jesuit order to staff — the beginning of a long relationship between the parish and the Society of Jesus that would shape its activist character for decades.
- First Mass: Christmas Eve, 1938, in a storefront on Imperial Avenue.
- Present church built: 1948; originally staffed by the Jesuits.
- Parish nonprofit entity organized: 1946.
The Era of Activism and Sanctuary (Late 1960s–1970s)
By the late 1960s Christ the King had become nationally known as one of the most politically engaged Catholic parishes in America. The parish hosted Black Panthers' free breakfasts for neighborhood children, served as a center of communication for the Black community during unrest connected to FBI activities in Southeast San Diego, and was active in support of Angela Davis. In September 1971, nine sailors who had deserted the USS Constellation sought sanctuary in San Diego churches as conscientious objectors and were turned away — until Christ the King accepted them, becoming the first Catholic church in America to give sanctuary to military deserters. That same year Bishop Leo T. Maher tried to remove the activist Jesuit priests from the parish; the Jesuits' independent order and an outraged congregation stood up to protect them, and the bishop backed down.
- Hosted Black Panthers' free children's breakfast program.
- Center of communication during FBI-related unrest in Southeast San Diego.
- First U.S. Catholic church to give sanctuary to military deserters (September 1971).
- Bishop Leo T. Maher's effort to remove Jesuit priests failed after parish resistance.
Mass and Worship Schedule
The parish offers one Sunday Mass in English and two Sunday Masses in Spanish, plus daily Mass most days of the week. The 8:30 AM Sunday Mass is celebrated as a Gospel Mass rooted in African American Catholic worship, with music led by the Christ the King Sanctuary Gospel Choir. The 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM Sunday Masses are celebrated in Spanish, reflecting the parish's strong Hispanic charismatic community. Weekday Masses alternate between English and Spanish, with Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday Masses in Spanish and Tuesday and Friday Masses in English — all at 9:00 AM.
- Sunday 8:30 AM — Gospel Mass (English)
- Sunday 11:00 AM — Spanish
- Sunday 1:00 PM — Spanish
- Monday 9:00 AM — Español
- Tuesday 9:00 AM — English
- Wednesday 9:00 AM — Español
- Thursday 9:00 AM — Español
- Friday 9:00 AM — English
- Saturday 9:00 AM — Español
Sanctuary Gospel Choir
The Christ the King Sanctuary Gospel Choir is one of the parish's signature ministries, leading the music at the Sunday Gospel Mass and other liturgies including the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 'Call to Service' Mass. The choir is directed by Ms. DeShon Hall with Ms. Jacqueline Thousand as president, and rehearses on the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 PM in the church.
- Director: Ms. DeShon Hall
- President: Ms. Jacqueline Thousand
- Rehearsals: 1st, 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 6:30 PM in the church
Ministries and Groups
The parish hosts a range of spiritual, service, and cultural ministries that reflect its multicultural identity. Beyond the Sanctuary Gospel Choir, the parish lists the Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary, St. Vincent de Paul, and Contemplative Outreach San Diego among its active groups. The parish also participates in Fe en Acción (Faith in Action), a long-running partnership with San Diego State University that brings free Spanish-language exercise and health classes to parishioners — including cardio dance, strength training, and walking groups led by trained promotoras (community health workers) in the parish hall.
- Knights of Peter Claver & Ladies Auxiliary
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Contemplative Outreach San Diego — meets Tuesdays, 5:30 PM in the RCIA room
- Fe en Acción / Faith in Action — health program with SDSU
- Faith Formation / RCIA
Hispanic Committee and College Scholarship Program
The Hispanic Committee at Christ the King runs a long-standing college scholarship program originally inspired by the vision of a parish educator. Currently coordinated by Olga Loya Estrada, the program raises an average of $5,000 a year through parish events to support young parishioners pursuing higher education. Full-time university students can receive up to $2,500 and part-time community college students up to $500, and every qualified applicant receives an award — recipients must be active parish members participating in one of its ministries.
- Coordinator: Olga Loya Estrada
- Average $5,000 raised annually through parish events
- Awards: up to $2,500 (full-time university); up to $500 (part-time community college)
- 15–18 scholarships typically awarded each year
Sacraments and Services
The parish website highlights Weddings, Quinceañeras, Baptisms, and Faith Formation among the services offered. The church building 'offers a traditional setting for your most sacred celebration.' Families interested in Quinceañeras are directed to the parish's information sheet for full requirements.
- Weddings
- Quinceañeras (information sheet available from the parish)
- Baptisms
- Faith Formation
Black Catholic Life at Christ the King
Christ the King has long been one of the three parishes in the Diocese of San Diego where the African American Catholic presence has been strongest, alongside St. Rita and Holy Spirit. The parish celebrates Black Catholic History Month each November with special homilies and rites at the 8:30 AM Sunday Mass; in 2021 those homilies included Auxiliary Bishop Ramón Bejarano and were accompanied by the dedication of a plaque honoring the six African American candidates for sainthood — Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA, Julia Greeley, and others. The Diocesan Commission for African American Catholics, working with Father Jennings and Deacon Marvin Threatt, is actively working to re-invigorate the Black Catholic community at the parish, hosting annual observances such as the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 'Call to Service' Mass and a Juneteenth Mass.
- Hosts annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 'Call to Service' Mass.
- Hosts annual Juneteenth Mass.
- Celebrates Black Catholic History Month each November with guest homilists.
- Partners with the Diocesan Commission for African American Catholics.
- Deacons active in this ministry include Robert Booth and Marvin Threatt.
Visit Us — Location and Contact
Christ the King Catholic Church is located at 29 N. 32nd Street, San Diego, CA 92102, in the Logan Heights neighborhood of southeastern San Diego. The parish office can be reached at (619) 231-8906 (phone) or (619) 238-7060 (fax), and by email at [email protected]. The website is ctksandiego.org.
- Address: 29 N. 32nd Street, San Diego, CA 92102
- Phone: (619) 231-8906
- Fax: (619) 238-7060
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.ctksandiego.org/
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Father Tommie L. 'TJ' Jennings, pastor, an African American priest who grew up in the segregated South and has served Christ the King for many years. He is assisted by deacons including Deacon Harry Guess, Deacon Robert Booth, and Deacon Marvin Threatt (retired from Holy Spirit Parish and returned to Christ the King to help revitalize its African American community). Music ministry is led by Sanctuary Gospel Choir Director DeShon Hall and President Jacqueline Thousand.
- Pastor: Fr. Tommie L. 'TJ' Jennings
- Deacon Harry Guess
- Deacon Robert Booth
- Deacon Marvin Threatt
- Gospel Choir Director: DeShon Hall
- Gospel Choir President: Jacqueline Thousand
- Hispanic Committee / Scholarships: Olga Loya Estrada