Church of the Assumption

Welcome from Fr. John Carillo

Fr. John Carillo, Parochial Administrator, extends a warm welcome to the parish. In his letter on the website he writes: 'Welcome to The Church of the Assumption parish community. As Parochial Administrator of this wonderful and vibrant parish, I wish to extend a warm, encouraging and welcoming invitation to all who wish to worship with us and for us to share our community and Catholic faith with you.' He invites visitors to experience 'Christian fellowship, faith, spirituality, and a sense of belonging' and to 'taste and see that the Lord is Good.' Fr. John was born and raised in the province of Aklan, Philippines; entered seminary at age 12; came to the U.S. in 2010 to complete theological studies at St. Patrick's Seminary; and was ordained May 13, 2016 on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. He previously served three years as associate pastor at St. Joseph Basilica in Alameda and two years as Parochial Vicar at Holy Spirit in Fremont. He also serves as Presider of the Southwest Deanery of the Diocese of Oakland.

Our Story — 75 Years of Faith (1951–2026)

Assumption traces its roots to February 11, 1951, when its very first Mass was celebrated in the Bal Theatre in San Leandro, before the present church was built. Parishioners then raised the funds to build the church themselves on Fulton Avenue. The parish and its K-8 school have grown side-by-side ever since, and 2026 marks the 75th anniversary — celebrated as a Diamond Jubilee year of events.

• First Mass celebrated Feb. 11, 1951 at the Bal Theatre, San Leandro
• Parishioner-funded construction of the present church on Fulton Avenue
• 75th graduating class from Assumption School in 2026
• 4,386 Baptisms · 8,890 First Holy Communions · 4,076 Confirmations · 1,481 Weddings

Mission, Vision & Parish Prayer

The parish's stated Mission is 'Love and follow Jesus. Be a disciple like Mary.' Its Vision: 'Through our Blessed Mother, we seek to be a welcoming community united in faith, love and service, where each of us encounters the transformative power of God's grace. We gather in prayer and fellowship, connecting people and making disciples.' The parish prayer asks the Father to send the Holy Spirit, to make the people 'faithful disciples of your Son, Jesus Christ,' and — through Mary's intercession — to 'open our arms wide' so 'no soul feels alone or excluded.'

75th Anniversary Celebrations (2026)

Under the leadership of Fr. John Carillo and the 75th Anniversary Committee co-chaired by Jacqui Diaz and Mary Schirmer, the parish is hosting a year-long series of community events for its Diamond Jubilee, with sponsorship levels ranging from 'Faithful Friend of Assumption' (up to $999) up to 'Crown of Mary' ($25,000).

• St. Patrick's Day Celebration
• Feast of Our Lady of Fatima — honoring San Leandro's Portuguese Marian roots
• San Leandro Cherry Parade
• August 15 — Feast of the Assumption (parish feast day)
• Community-Wide Book Read
• October Gala
• Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
• Simbang Gabi during Advent
• '33 Days to Eucharistic Glory' parish retreat (began Jan. 16, 2026)
• Anniversary Mass on Wed., Feb. 11, 2026 at 6:00 PM

Faith Formation for Children & Youth

Children's Faith Formation (K-5th grade) meets roughly twice a month, combining religious education, weekly liturgy, faith families, and two-year sacrament preparation for Reconciliation and First Eucharist. Older children who have missed sacraments enter the Special Sacramental Program (RCIC / SSP), which requires faithful class attendance, weekly Mass, and a March retreat. Middle-schoolers serve through AYSAT (Assumption Community Middle School Social Action Team), and high-schoolers are served through Youth Ministry and the High School Confirmation program, led by Mary Schirmer.

• Children's Liturgy of the Word
• Elementary Faith Formation K-5 (sessions begin Sept. 21, 2025)
• Special Sacramental Program / RCIC
• AYSAT — Middle School Social Action Team
• Youth Ministry & High School Confirmation

Adult Faith Formation, OCIA & Bible Study

Adult Faith Formation offers seasonal series — for Lent 2026 the parish is running 'Journey Together,' a five-week small-group program on Tuesday evenings (The Examen with Deacon Rigo; Forgiven with Fr. John) and Thursday evenings (Called & Gifted; The Eucharist with Fr. John; Diary of St. Faustina with Deacon Rico and Juan Renteria). OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) and Adult Confirmation begin each fall with the 'Alpha' stage — a 10-week introduction to Christianity with dinner, videos, and discussion. A '33 Days to Eucharistic Glory' parish retreat also ran January–February 2026.

• OCIA & Adult Confirmation (Alpha stage: Sept–Nov)
• Alpha for Adults — 10 weeks with dinner
• Journey Together Lenten series (Tues & Thurs)
• 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory retreat
• Bible Study and Catholic Web Resources

Assumption School (K-8)

Assumption School is a Catholic K-8 school sharing the parish campus, 'supporting its student body to develop spiritually, academically, socially and physically in preparation for the future,' according to the parish website. The school is governed in partnership with the parish through the Assumption School Board (Matt De Palm, President) and supported by a Parent Teacher Group, an annual School Festival each fall, and a spring School Auction. The school office can be reached at 510-357-8772 or at www.assumptionschool-sl.org.

• K-8 Catholic school on the parish campus
• School Board — advisory body, monthly meetings
• Parent Teacher Group (PTG) — monthly meetings
• Annual School Festival (fall)
• Annual School Auction (spring)

Outreach & Service Ministries

Service is central to Assumption's identity. The St. Vincent de Paul Conference (led by Denis Ducey) responds to neighbors' needs through partial financial assistance, food, and referral — funded largely by 5th-Sunday collections. The Brown Bag Project, Lasagna Love, the Knitting & Crochet Group, and the parish's newest Pastoral Care Ministry extend that mission to food-insecure neighbors, isolated seniors, and the homebound. Communion is brought to All Saints Skilled Nursing and Kindred Hospital; the Hospital & Homebound ministry visits the sick.

• St. Vincent de Paul Conference — food, rent, utility assistance
• Brown Bag Project
• Lasagna Love
• Knitting and Crochet Group
• Pastoral Care Ministry (newest)
• AYSAT Middle-School Service Team
• Hospital & Homebound Ministry
• Communion to All Saints Skilled Nursing & Kindred Hospital
• Parish Outreach — gift-card program for food-insecure neighbors

Parish Life & Community Groups

Beyond worship and service, the parish hosts a wide range of community and devotional groups that knit parishioners together across ages and backgrounds — including Cursillo, Prayer Chain, Rosary Makers, the Dads Club, Tuesdays with Larry, the Young Adult Group (YAG), and Assumption University for Seniors.

• Cursillo
• Prayer Chain
• Rosary Makers
• Spiritual Direction
• Assumption University for Seniors
• Tuesdays with Larry (Larry Graves)
• YAG — Young Adult Group
• Dads Club (Ben Musson)

Liturgical Ministries

Parishioners serve the liturgies as Ushers (John Leibee, Head Usher), Lectors (Arleigh Simon, Head Lector), Communion Ministers (Faye Caruso, Head Communion Minister), Greeters, and Altar Servers (Dennis Burigsay, Coordinator). The Music Ministry is led by Music Director William Vaughan; the Linens ministry (Susan Uribe) cares for the sacred vestments and altar cloths.

• Ushers — John Leibee, Head
• Lectors — Arleigh Simon, Head
• Communion Ministers — Faye Caruso, Head
• Altar Servers — Dennis Burigsay, Coordinator
• Music Ministry — William Vaughan, Director
• Greeters
• Linens — Susan Uribe
• Ministry Schedulers — Arleigh Simon

Parish Staff & Leadership

The parish staff and lay leadership listed on the parish website include Fr. John Carillo as Parochial Administrator, supported by a deacon team and an administrative assistant, plus school, faith-formation, music, communications, OCIA, and youth ministry staff. Pastoral and Finance Councils, the School Board, the Foundation Board, CYO, and St. Vincent de Paul round out the leadership structure.

• Fr. John Carillo — Parochial Administrator
• Lana Rocheford — School Principal
• William Vaughan — Music Director
• Mary Schirmer — Youth Ministry & Formation
• Jim Brady — OCIA Director
• Kelly Hodgins — Communications Director
• Martha Zeyen — Administrative Assistant
• Kathy Banks — Pastoral Council President
• Pat Sangiacomo — Finance Council Chair
• Allison Fargo — Assumption Foundation President
• Matt De Palm — School Board President
• Denis Ducey — St. Vincent de Paul President
• Shereda Nosakhare & Josh Meyer — CYO Co-Chairs
• John Leibee — Head Usher

Contact & Visit

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located at 1100 Fulton Avenue, San Leandro, CA 94577. The parish office can be reached at (510) 352-1537. Weekend Masses are live streamed on Facebook for those unable to attend in person, and donations are accepted through Vanco, the parish's secure online giving platform. Parish registration forms (PDF) are available on the website for those wishing to formally join.

• Address: 1100 Fulton Ave, San Leandro, CA 94577
• Phone: (510) 352-1537
• Website: assumptionsanleandro.org
• Online giving via Vanco
• Parish Registration Form (PDF) available online
• Live-streamed Mass on Facebook