About Corpus Christi · San Francisco, California
Corpus Christi Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Catholic parish in San Francisco's Excelsior neighborhood, located at 62 Santa Rosa Avenue. Originally founded in 1898 as an Italian National Church to serve Italian (as well as Swiss and German) immigrant farmers in the southern part of the city, the parish today is administered by the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) and counts an active school, multiple Masses in two languages, and a wide range of devotional and parish groups. The present Midcentury Modern church building, designed by noted Bay Area architect Mario Ciampi, was completed in 1952 and replaced the parish's earlier Gothic Revival church.
- Established
- 1898
- Patron
- Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ)
- Rector
- Fr. Gustavo Martagon, SDB
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Francisco
Why belong here
Corpus Christi is one of the oldest parishes in the Excelsior, with roots going back to 1898 and a striking 1952 Mario Ciampi-designed church that the parish calls home. It is a genuinely bilingual community, with five Sunday Masses in English and Spanish, a Spanish Mass every weekday evening, Saturday confessions in two languages, and a robust list of parish groups — Guadalupanas, Fil-Am, Legion of Mary (English and Spanish), Santo Niño, Divino Niño, Knights of Columbus, Esquipulas, Neo-Catechumenal Way, youth ministry, choirs, lectors, and more. With Salesian priests, three permanent deacons, a Salesian Sister directing religious education, and a school on campus, it is a parish built for sacraments, formation, and family life across generations.
Mass times at Corpus Christi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:30–4:30 PM (English/Spanish)
- By appointment (call or ring the rectory doorbell if the church is closed)
Adoration times
- Thursdays 7:00–8:00 PM (bilingual Spanish and English)
About Corpus Christi Parish
Corpus Christi is a bilingual Catholic parish in the Excelsior neighborhood of San Francisco, served by the Salesians of Don Bosco. The parish traces its origins to 1898, when Italian, Swiss, and German farmers in the southern part of the city needed a church closer than Saints Peter and Paul in North Beach. Today the parish runs an active sacramental life in both English and Spanish, supports a school on campus, and offers dozens of parish groups, devotional societies, and choirs.
History of the Parish
The original Corpus Christi Church was built in 1898 as a modest Gothic Revival-style building on Santa Rosa Avenue near Alemany Boulevard. It quickly became the spiritual center of the Italian-American farming community that gave the Excelsior its character. By the early 1950s the old church had outlived its usefulness, and in 1952 it was replaced by the present Midcentury Modern complex designed by architect Mario Ciampi. The new church and school were recognized almost immediately as a major work of sacred architecture, and the original colored-glass facade was featured in LIFE magazine in 1955. The Salesians of Don Bosco continue to staff the parish.
- 1898 — Parish founded; original Gothic Revival church built.
- Early 1900s — Italian-American community thrives around the parish; convent, social clubs, and businesses grow nearby.
- 1952 — Present church and school completed, designed by architect Mario Ciampi.
- 1955 — Featured in LIFE magazine, 'A Luster in Churches'.
- 1960s–1970s — Excelsior demographics shift toward Latino and Filipino families; parish transitions to bilingual ministry.
- Today — Parish administered by Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) with Salesian Sisters (FMA) supporting faith formation.
Architecture & the Ciampi Building
Architect Mario Ciampi's 1952 design is a celebrated example of Midcentury Modern sacred architecture in the Bay Area. The unassuming exterior gives way to a striking facade whose original multi-colored glass panes created dramatic light effects inside; architect Emil Frei of St. Louis called it 'one of the few great churches of the world.' Those colored panes have since been replaced with amber-tinted glass, but the building's dynamic interior geometry remains intact, and the complex — church and school together — anchors the Excelsior block of Santa Rosa Avenue.
- Style: Midcentury Modern
- Architect: Mario Ciampi (San Francisco)
- Original feature: colored glass panes in the facade (since replaced with amber glazing)
- Complex includes church and parish school
- Recognized in LIFE magazine, April 11, 1955
Parish Staff & Salesian Community
Corpus Christi is pastored by a community of Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), with support from a Salesian Sister of Mary Help of Christians (FMA), three permanent deacons, and a lay staff handling the parish office, religious education, youth ministry, and finances.
- Fr. Gustavo Martagon, SDB — Parish Administrator Pastor / Salesian Community Vice Director
- Fr. Chinh Nguyen, SDB — Associate Pastor / Community Director
- Fr. Paul Tran, SDB — Associate Pastor
- Fr. Edward Liptak, SDB — In Residence (English Bible Study)
- Fr. Tom Juarez, SDB — In Residence
- Dcn. Mynor Montepeque — Permanent Deacon, RCIA Coordinator
- Dcn. Alvaro Ortega — Permanent Deacon, Spanish Baptism & Quinceañeras Coordinator
- Dcn. Noel Santillan — Permanent Deacon, English Baptism Coordinator
- Sr. Mary Link, FMA — Religious Education Coordinator
- Andrea Navas — Youth Ministry Coordinator
- Ana Rosales — Office Secretary / Parish Bulletin Editor
- Lita San Juan — Parish Bookkeeper
Parish Groups, Devotions & Ministries
The parish maintains a wide-ranging list of bilingual groups covering prayer, devotion, music, outreach, and parish leadership. Many are tied to the Salesian charism or to devotional traditions brought by the parish's diverse communities.
- ADMA (Association of Mary Help of Christians)
- Guadalupanas
- Fil-Am (Filipino-American community)
- Legion of Mary (English and Spanish)
- Knights of Columbus
- Holy Name Society
- Santo Niño / Divino Niño
- Inmaculada Concepción
- Nuestro Señor de Esquipulas
- El Salvador del Mundo
- Neo-Catechumenal Way
- Our God Reigns Prayer Group
- Grupo de Oración / Seguidores de Cristo
- Bible Study (English and Spanish)
- Association of Salesian Cooperators (English/Spanish)
- Liturgy Committee, Lectors (English & Spanish), Eucharistic Ministers
- Choirs: English Masses, Spanish 11:00 AM, Spanish 7:00 PM
- Altar Servers / Monaguillos
Faith Formation, Youth & Sacraments
Religious education for children is coordinated by Sr. Mary Link, FMA. The parish also runs an active Youth Ministry / Pastoral Juvenil for ages 14–19, which meets Friday evenings at the rectory for camp-counselor training and other activities. Sacramental preparation is coordinated through the parish deacons.
- Religious Education / Faith Formation — Sr. Mary Link, FMA
- Youth Ministry / Pastoral Juvenil — ages 14–19, Friday evenings 7:00–8:30 PM
- RCIA — Dcn. Mynor Montepeque
- Baptism (English) — Dcn. Noel Santillan
- Baptism (Spanish) — Dcn. Alvaro Ortega
- Quinceañeras — Dcn. Alvaro Ortega
The Parish School
The Corpus Christi school sits on the same Santa Rosa Avenue campus as the church, forming part of Mario Ciampi's 1952 complex. It serves the parish's families as part of the parish's commitment to Catholic education in the Excelsior.
Visit, Contact & Office Information
The parish office at 62 Santa Rosa Avenue is open Monday through Friday, with a midday break for staff. Weekend inquiries should be directed to the parish Facebook page or by leaving a voicemail; appointments for confessions or meetings with a priest can be made by calling the office.
- Address: 62 Santa Rosa Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112
- Phone: (415) 585-2991
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 10:30 AM–12:30 PM and 1:30–5:30 PM (closed weekends and holidays)
- Website: corpuschristisf.org
- Live-streamed Masses and updates: parish Facebook page