About Hanna Center · Sonoma, California
Hanna Center, located on a 157-acre campus at 17000 Arnold Drive in Sonoma, California, is a Catholic faith-based nonprofit that serves youth and families through residential care, mental health services, and training programs. Originally founded as Archbishop Hanna Center for Boys in 1945 and named for San Francisco's late Archbishop Edward J. Hanna, the organization operates a residential program with an on-campus academy for young men impacted by childhood trauma. At the heart of the campus stands the Hanna Chapel — built in the late 1940s and designed by architect Mario Ciampi, with stone quarried locally on Trinity Road — which hosts Catholic Masses open to the broader Sonoma community and serves as the focal point of Hanna's Campus Ministry / Spiritual Wellness program.
- Established
- 1945
- Patron
- Named for San Francisco's late Archbishop Edward J. Hanna
- Rector
- Father Samuel Natale (Chaplain at Hanna Center)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Santa Rosa
Why belong here
Hanna Center welcomes the broader Sonoma community to celebrate Mass with its residents and staff at the historic campus chapel — a working Catholic chapel that has stood since 1949, designed by architect Mario Ciampi. Beyond weekend worship, visitors and supporters encounter a place where faith is woven into a trauma-informed mission of caring for youth, families, and neighbors through residential care, mental health services, and community outreach — a tangible, decades-old ministry rooted in Catholic Social Service.
Mass times at Hanna Center
Weekly Mass schedule
About Hanna Center and the Chapel
Hanna Center is a Sonoma, California-based nonprofit that enhances the health and well-being of thousands of individuals — particularly youth impacted by childhood trauma — through residential care, mental health, training, and community support services. The historic on-campus chapel, built in the late 1940s and designed by architect Mario Ciampi, anchors the organization's faith life and is the spiritual heart of the 157-acre Agua Caliente campus. The chapel hosts regular Catholic Masses and is opened to the wider Sonoma community on major celebrations such as Easter and Good Friday.
- Faith-based nonprofit rooted in Catholic Social Service tradition
- Historic chapel designed by architect Mario Ciampi
- Chapel constructed from stone quarried on Trinity Road
- Stained-glass window installed in 1962
History
Hanna's story begins in 1944 with Father William O'Connor's response to a Bay Area juvenile-delinquency survey, leading to the 1945 Menlo Park pilot, the 1947 purchase of Morris Ranch in Sonoma, the 1948 groundbreaking (attended by Fulton Sheen and Irene Dunne), and the December 4, 1949 opening of the Sonoma campus chapel and first three cottages. The organization renamed itself "Hanna Center" in 2022 and launched the co-ed Hanna Academy in 2023.
- 1945 — Archbishop Hanna Center for Boys pilot opens in Menlo Park
- 1947 — Archbishop Mitty announces purchase of Morris Ranch in Sonoma
- 1948 — Groundbreaking attended by ~10,000 people, including Fulton Sheen
- 1949 — First residents move into Sonoma campus; chapel completed
- 1962 — Stained-glass window installed in chapel
- 2022 — Renamed "Hanna Center"; rebrand reflects broader mission
- 2023 — Hanna Academy launches as a nonpublic co-ed high school
Spiritual Wellness & Campus Ministry
Spiritual Wellness is one of the four pillars of Hanna's residential care, integrated alongside Clinical Care, Residential Care & Transitional Programs, and Academic Success. The Campus Ministry program uses a trauma-informed, mindfulness-based approach to cultivate personal empowerment through spiritual health — defined at Hanna as living in harmony with oneself, others, the environment, and the spiritual realm. The program is intentionally inclusive of all faith backgrounds, welcoming Catholic, Hindu, Islamic and other traditions, while remaining rooted in the organization's Catholic heritage.
- Spiritual Counseling
- Chapel Services (open to community on major feasts)
- Personal and community prayer
- Meditation and journaling
- Retreats (on-campus reflective time)
- Liturgies and worship
- Community service programs
- Pastoral Care Program (PCP)
Residential Care & Transitional Programs
Hanna's residential program offers homes, life skills, and therapeutic guidance to young men impacted by trauma, and has expanded to include transitional-age youth housing for foster youth aging out of care at 18.
- Group Home (on-campus cottages)
- Transitional Housing for former foster youth
- Transitional Age Youth Housing
- Spiritual counseling integrated into residential care
Academic Success — Hanna Academy
In partnership with Hanna Academy, academic programming on campus now includes Career Technical Education. Hanna Academy launched as a nonpublic, co-educational high school and independent California public benefit corporation on July 1, 2023.
- Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
- Career Technical Education
- Inaugural co-ed year 2023
Clinical Care & Community Mental Health
The Community Mental Health Hub at Hanna Center extends the organization's trauma-informed expertise outward, offering treatment and support services for people of all ages in Sonoma County.
- Community Mental Health Hub
- Treatment and support services across age groups
- Regional partnerships with community organizations
Sustainability & Support
Beyond direct service, Hanna strengthens its long-term impact through alumni relations and vocational training pathways, plus ongoing partnerships with like-minded organizations regionally and nationwide.
- Alumni Relations
- Vocational Training
- Partnerships with community service organizations, agencies, and businesses
Leadership & People
Hanna Center is led by President & CEO Cameron Safarloo. The Diocese of Santa Rosa continues to oversee the chapel, where Father Samuel Natale serves as Chaplain.
- Cameron Safarloo — President & CEO
- Father Samuel Natale — Chaplain
- Diocese of Santa Rosa — jurisdiction over the chapel
Visiting the Chapel
The chapel is located on the Hanna Center campus at 17000 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, and is open to the community for major celebrations such as Easter Sunday Mass and Good Friday liturgy. Visitors wishing to attend should consult the Hanna Center website or call (707) 996-6767 for current schedule information, as published community Mass times are limited.
- Easter Sunday Mass — 10:00 AM (open to community)
- Good Friday — 3:00 PM (open to community)
- Phone: (707) 996-6767
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor William O'Connor1945–~1968
Founder; served as director for 23 years; came from San Francisco Catholic Social Service.
- Father James Pulskamp
Second director; served 12 years.
- Father John Crews
Longtime executive director; resigned following an allegation of sexual misconduct with a boy in the 1970s (predating his arrival at Hanna).