About Church of the Epiphany · San Francisco, California
The Church of the Epiphany is a Roman Catholic parish in the Excelsior district of San Francisco, serving the community since 1911 and elevated to parish status in 1914. Located at 827 Vienna Street near Crocker Amazon Park, it sits within the Archdiocese of San Francisco under Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone. The parish is led by Fr. Eugene D. Tungol and welcomes a diverse congregation through its weekend Masses in both English and Spanish, its parish school (the School of the Epiphany), and more than thirty active organizations including the Knights of Columbus, the Pilipino Consultative Board, and a long-standing Hispanic community group that is one of the oldest Latino groups in the archdiocese.
- Established
- 1911
- Patron
- The Epiphany of the Lord (manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles through the visit of the Magi)
- Rector
- Rev. Eugene D. Tungol (also serves as ADSF Vicar for Filipinos)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Francisco
Why belong here
Epiphany is a multi-generational, multilingual parish that has welcomed new communities for more than a century — first German, Irish, and Italian families, then Hispanic and Filipino families, and today a vibrant mix that worships together in English and Spanish each Sunday. A family-founded parish school (since 1938), more than thirty active organizations, a Parish Council with representation across Spiritual Life, Social-Cultural, Outreach, Education, Youth, and Finance commissions, and ministries spanning the Knights of Columbus, the Pilipino Consultative Board, Grupo Hispano-Americano, and Small Christian Communities give nearly every parishioner a way to belong.
Mass times at Church of the Epiphany
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Or by appointment — call the parish office
Adoration times
- 1st Friday of the month: 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM (followed by Benediction)
- 1st Friday of the month: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (followed by Benediction at 8:00 PM)
Parish Identity & Mission
The Church of the Epiphany is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, located at 827 Vienna Street in the Excelsior district near Crocker Amazon Park. From its founding, Epiphany has been a community of welcoming newcomers: first German, Irish, and Italian settlers, later Hispanic and Filipino families, and today a multilingual congregation that worships together in English and Spanish.
History of the Parish
Born in 1911 as a mission church of St. John the Evangelist, Epiphany was dedicated by Archbishop Patrick Riordan and became a parish in 1914 under Fr. James Stokes. The community's defining moment came under Fr. Patrick Ryan in the 1920s, when the original wood-frame church was physically split in half, rolled up Russia Street on logs and barrels, and reassembled on a new lot bordered by Naples, Vienna, Amazon, and Italy. Fr. Ryan also opened the School of the Epiphany in 1938 with 239 students, taught by the Sisters of the Presentation.
- 1911 — Mission church dedicated by Archbishop Riordan (cost: $18,631.40)
- 1914 — Elevated to parish status under Fr. James Stokes
- 1922 — Fr. Patrick Ryan becomes second pastor
- 1923 — Rectory dedicated at Amazon & Vienna
- 1938 — School of the Epiphany opens (K–7, 239 students)
- 1940 — Fr. Ryan dies; Monsignor Maurice O'Keefe installed as third pastor
- 1952 — Present church (840 seats) dedicated by Archbishop Mitty; designed by William Schirmer
- 1965 — Grupo Hispano-Americano de la Epifanía founded
- 1999 — 3,912 average Sunday Mass attendance; 3,579 registered families
- 2004 — Fr. Eugene Tungol appointed pastor by Archbishop Levada
- 2011 — Parish celebrates 100th anniversary
- 2013 — School celebrates 75th anniversary
Parish School — School of the Epiphany
Founded August 16, 1938, by Bishop Armstrong (substituting for Archbishop Mitty), the School of the Epiphany opened with 239 students in grades K through 7. Instruction was commissioned to the Sisters of the Presentation, with Sister Mary Amibilis Meehan as the first principal. The school expanded in 1949 to add a second class per grade and a convent. It celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2013 and continues today as a parish PreK–8 school at 600 Italy Avenue.
- Opened August 16, 1938 — 239 students, K–7
- Sisters of the Presentation were founding teachers
- Sister Mary Amibilis Meehan — first principal
- 1949 — School expanded with second class per grade and new convent
- Current address: 600 Italy Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112
- Principal: Brian Joost
- 75th anniversary celebrated in 2013
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
The parish runs a School of Religion and Confirmation Programs that enrolled 490 students in 1999, and serves as one of the host sites for the Archdiocesan Youth Ministry (ages 13–17) and Young Adult Ministry (ages 18–40). The Faith Formation and Youth Ministry office is directed by Phillip Carrion (415-333-7630 ext. 15). Bible Study sessions presented by Fr. Cameron Faller are recorded and made available on the parish website.
- Director of Faith Formation & Youth Ministry: Phillip Carrion
- Bible Study with Fr. Cameron Faller (sessions archived online)
- School of Religion and Confirmation Programs
- Archdiocesan Young Adult Ministry host site
- Archdiocesan Youth Ministry host site (ages 13–17)
Parish Pastoral Council
The Parish Council of the Church of the Epiphany meets on the second Wednesday of every other month to report to the pastor on the work of each commission and to propose changes. It is organized around six commissions — Spiritual Life, Social-Cultural, Outreach, Education, Youth, and Finance/Temporal Affairs — plus at-large members.
- Chairman: Kathleen Fourre (Outreach Commission)
- Secretary/Recorder: Tessie Evelyn-Velicaria (Outreach)
- Spiritual Life: John Corcoran (Chair); Rosa Solis (Co-Chair, Spanish)
- Social-Cultural: Julinda Pastor (Chair)
- Outreach: Tessie Evelyn-Velicaria (Chair); Kathleen Fourre (Co-Chair)
- Education: John Mills (Chair); Mario Chang (Co-Chair, Spanish)
- Youth: Maia Pineda (Chair); Juan Cerda (Co-Chair)
- Finance/Temporal Affairs: Robert Lasirona (Chair); Ken Tonna (Co-Chair)
- At-Large: Calvin Dean & Betty Dean
Parish Organizations & Ministries
More than thirty organizations or groups are active at Epiphany, reflecting the parish's history of welcoming communities from Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Philippines, and Latin America. The Grupo Hispano-Americano de la Epifanía, founded in October 1965, is one of the oldest Latino groups in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
- Knights of Columbus
- Pilipino Consultative Board / Filipino Ministry
- Grupo Hispano-Americano de la Epifanía (est. 1965)
- Italian Catholic Federation
- Men's Club
- Ladies' Guild
- Small Christian Communities
- Over 200 liturgical ministers, catechists, and coaches
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments. In 1999 alone, the parish community celebrated 253 Baptisms, 177 First Communions, 75 Confirmations, 44 Weddings, and 149 Funerals. Reconciliation is offered every Saturday from 4:00 to 5:00 PM and by appointment.
- Baptism
- First Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage / Weddings
- Funerals
- Reconciliation — Saturday 4:00–5:00 PM or by appointment
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Peter D. Brady1910–1914
Pastor in charge of the mission church; oversaw construction and 1911 dedication by Archbishop Riordan.
- Fr. James Stokes1914–1922
First pastor after Epiphany became a parish.
- Fr. Patrick Ryan1922–1940
Native of Ireland, ordained in San Francisco; oversaw the dramatic move of the church up Russia Street, built the school (1938), and died suddenly in September 1940.
- Monsignor Maurice O'Keefe1940–1969
Installed by Archbishop Mitty; oversaw construction of the present 840-seat temple (dedicated 1952), designed by architect William Schirmer.
- Fr. Dreier
Predecessor to Fr. Tungol; Fr. Tungol served as associate pastor under his tenure before going to St. Augustine, South San Francisco.
- Rev. Eugene D. Tungol2004–present
Appointed by Archbishop William Levada; reorganized the Parish Council; welcomed 30+ organizations including Knights of Columbus and Pilipino Consultative Board; promoted Small Christian Communities.