About Church of the Nativity · Rancho Santa Fe, California
Church of the Nativity is a Catholic parish in Rancho Santa Fe, California, belonging to the Diocese of San Diego. The parish was founded in 1984 by Msgr. Dennis Clark, dedicated its current church on October 21, 1989, and today is pastored by Fr. Agustin (Gus) Opalalic. It is well known for the striking church complex designed by internationally celebrated postmodern architect Charles Moore (Moore Ruble Yudell), which draws on California mission, Spanish colonial hacienda, and Mexican modernist (Luis Barragán) precedents. The parish campus at 6309 El Apajo Road also houses The Nativity School, a preschool-through-8th-grade Catholic elementary school that the parish calls its largest and most active ministry.
- Established
- 1984
- Patron
- The Nativity of the Lord (Jesus)
- Rector
- Fr. Agustin (Gus) Opalalic
- Diocese
- Diocese of San Diego
Why belong here
Church of the Nativity offers a small, tight-knit Catholic community on a single, architecturally distinguished campus in the heart of Rancho Santa Fe. Daily Mass is offered Monday through Saturday, with three Sunday Masses, weekday Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction, Saturday confessions, and a robust OCIA program for adults entering the Church. Families can hand children off to The Nativity School (preschool–8th grade) on the same grounds, then return for Family Faith Formation, Youth Ministry (grades 9–12), or one of more than a dozen lay ministries — from the Rosary and Women of Nativity to the Culture of Life, Mental Health, and Samaritan outreach groups.
Mass times at Church of the Nativity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM (in the parish office)
Adoration times
- Monday – Friday following the 8:00 AM Daily Mass in the chapel, until approximately 9:15 AM
- Benediction at 9:30 AM (Monday – Friday)
- Monthly Nocturnal Adoration (see parish website for dates)
- No Adoration on Saturdays
About Church of the Nativity
Church of the Nativity is a Catholic parish of the Diocese of San Diego serving the communities of Rancho Santa Fe, Whispering Palms, and Fairbanks Ranch in coastal north San Diego County. Its stated mission is: 'We are a praying, learning and caring community fulfilling the mission God gives us in baptism by our worship in faith, by our witness in hope, and by our service in love.' The parish welcomes visitors, encourages registration, and offers daily Mass along with a full sacramental and faith-formation life for children, youth, and adults. The same 8.7-acre campus on El Apajo Road also houses The Nativity School and a distinctively designed church complex by Charles Moore.
- Diocese: Diocese of San Diego
- Pastor: Fr. Agustin (Gus) Opalalic
- Parish founded: 1984
- Current church dedicated: October 21, 1989
- Address: 6309 El Apajo Road, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
- Phone: 858-756-1911
History
Founded in 1984 by Msgr. Dennis Clark to serve Rancho Santa Fe, Whispering Palms, and Fairbanks Ranch, the parish first gathered in a meeting room at Whispering Palms Country Club. In January 1985 parishioners purchased an 8.7-acre parcel on El Apajo Road. Clark hired Los Angeles architect Charles Moore (with Renzo Zechetto) to design 'a comprehensive parish plan that is world class' and compatible with the area's Spanish colonial character. After a contentious zoning fight that ended in a 4–4 tie vote by the county planning commission on May 20, 1987, construction moved forward; parishioners raised more than half of the $3.4 million cost, with the Diocese of San Diego loaning the rest. The finished church was dedicated on October 21, 1989, and was profiled by the Los Angeles Times the following year.
- Founding pastor: Msgr. Dennis Clark (1984–early 1990s)
- Architects: Charles Moore (Moore Ruble Yudell) and Renzo Zechetto
- Construction cost: approximately $3.4 million
- Current pastor: Fr. Agustin (Gus) Opalalic
Architecture & Campus
The parish complex is widely regarded as a notable example of late-20th-century American sacred architecture. Visitors approach through a single gateway into a cloistered courtyard anchored by a low fountain and a small grove of trees — a clear homage to Mexican architect Luis Barragán — surrounded by low-slung, red-clay-tile-roofed buildings housing the parish offices, parsonage, and community hall. The church proper, marked by a belfry tower, opens off the cloister with a cross inset into a smooth troweled plaster wall. Inside, the nave is largely monochromatic, with precise landscaping and animated light and shadow. A reinforced steel-and-concrete pad was built into the original design to eventually house a pipe organ that was installed decades later.
- Architectural references: California mission, rancho hacienda, and monastery
- Style: postmodern Spanish colonial, with Barragán-inspired courtyard
- Hidden behind a blank plaster wall from the parking lot — an intentional 'architectural journey'
- Houses a Grand Pipe Organ installed long after the 1989 dedication
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Agustin (Gus) Opalalic. A small staff supports the sacramental, catechetical, and operational life of the parish, including a Pastoral Associate who also directs OCIA and Youth Ministry, a Family Faith Formation Coordinator, a Business Manager, a Facilities Manager, and an Administrative Assistant. The school principal and office manager staff The Nativity School, which shares the campus.
- Pastor — Fr. Agustin (Gus) Opalalic
- Pastoral Associate / OCIA / Youth Ministry — Mike James
- Family Faith Formation Coordinator — Michelle Atkins
- Business Manager — Lourdes Barton
- Facilities Manager — Gustavo Ortiz
- Administrative Assistant — Tula Pinnella
- Sacristans / EM contact — Pat James
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Family Faith Formation is the parish's catechetical program for children in kindergarten through eighth grade who do not attend the parish school. Classes meet on Sundays at The Nativity School from 9:00 to 10:10 AM, with separate Sacrament Preparation sessions for grades 3–8 from 8:00 to 8:55 AM. The 2026–27 program year runs from September 13, 2026 to May 16, 2027, and uses Sophia Institute's 'Spirit of Truth' curriculum. The program is aligned with the San Diego Diocese's six catechetical goals — knowledge of faith, liturgy and sacraments, moral formation, prayer, community life, and a missionary spirit.
- Coordinator: Michelle Atkins ([email protected])
- Grades K–8 on Sundays, using Sophia Institute Spirit of Truth
- First Sacraments prepared through Family Faith Formation
- Phone: 858-756-1911
OCIA (Adult Initiation) & Youth Ministry
Adults seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church meet on Sundays from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM in the Parish Classroom for OCIA — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly known as RCIA). The program is led by Mike James, who holds Diocesan Certification in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and has helped hundreds of adults and their children come into the Church. High-school youth (grades 9–12) gather for Youth Ministry on Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 6:15 PM in the Parish Commons.
- OCIA: Sundays 11:30 AM–12:30 PM, Parish Classroom
- Contact: Mike James, [email protected], 858-756-1911 ext. 205
- Youth Ministry (Grades 9–12): Sundays 5:00–6:15 PM
The Nativity School
The Nativity School is the parish's largest and most active ministry. Founded in 1980 and sharing the El Apajo Road campus, it serves preschool through eighth grade on a Catholic, faith-filled, and academically rigorous foundation. Principal Brittany Bateman leads a faculty organized around small class sizes and differentiated instruction; graduates typically continue on to local Catholic high schools. Faith is woven into the school day through weekly Mass, Feast Day celebrations, service projects, and a Faith in Action team, with athletics and academics offered alongside parochial-school competition.
- Preschool (ages 3–5), Transitional Kindergarten, and K–8
- Principal: Brittany Bateman
- Office Manager: Heidi Bender
- Phone: 858-756-6763
- Web: www.thenativitymail.org / thenativityschool.org
- Faith integration: weekly Mass, service projects, Faith in Action team
- Open since July 1, 1980
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music is supported by a Youth Choir for ages 9–18, which rehearses on Thursdays at 3:30 PM in the church Sanctuary under Alison Luedecke. The parish's Grand Pipe Organ — installed after the church was built — sits against the back wall of the nave in the reinforced structure that Charles Moore and Renzo Zechetto designed into the original 1989 building. Extraordinary Ministers of Communion and Sacristans round out the liturgical lay ministries, coordinated by Pat James.
- Youth Choir (Ages 9–18): Thursdays 3:30 PM, church Sanctuary
- Director: Alison Luedecke ([email protected])
- Grand Pipe Organ against the back wall of the nave
- Extraordinary Ministers of Communion & Sacristans coordinated by Pat James
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Beyond the school and faith-formation programs, the parish supports a wide range of lay-led ministries: the Women of Nativity gather monthly on Marian holy days in the Parish Commons; the Rosary is prayed Mondays in the chapel after Adoration; the Culture of Life Ministry advocates for life; the Mental Health Ministry offers pastoral support; and the Samaritan Ministry coordinates transportation. The parish also runs Eucharistic Adoration daily (weekdays) and a monthly Nocturnal Adoration.
- Women of Nativity — monthly Marian holy day meetings
- Rosary — Mondays in chapel after Adoration (Jennifer Miller, 407-506-2882)
- Culture of Life Ministry (Natasha Bullock)
- Mental Health Ministry (Lisa James)
- Samaritan Ministry — transportation help
- Nocturnal Adoration — monthly
Visiting & Practical Information
The parish welcomes visitors and offers a 'Become a Member' link on its website. A few practical notes published by the parish: dress is a matter of personal choice ('casual' is welcome); a limited number of hearing-assist headsets are available from ushers or by sitting closer to the front; non-Catholics are welcome to remain seated or process with arms crossed for a blessing at Communion. Those interested in becoming Catholic are referred to the OCIA program. Note that the U.S. Postal Service does not deliver to street addresses in Rancho Santa Fe, so all mail should be addressed to the parish's P.O. Box 8770.
- Become a Member link on the website
- Hearing-assist headsets available from ushers
- OCIA inquiries: Mike James, 858-756-1911
- Office hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
- Mail: P.O. Box 8770, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067-8770
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Dennis Clark1984 – c. early 1990s
Founding pastor. Came to Rancho Santa Fe to start the parish, led the purchase of the El Apajo Road site in January 1985, hired architect Charles Moore, and oversaw the campaign that raised more than half of the $3.4 million construction cost. The church was dedicated during his tenure in October 1989.
- Fr. Agustin (Gus) OpalalicPresent
Current pastor. Referred to affectionately as 'Fr. Gus' on the parish website.