Mary Star of the Sea

About Mary, Star of the Sea Mission

Mary, Star of the Sea is a Catholic mission church serving the coastal community of Gualala in southern Mendocino County. It is one half of a united parish with St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church in Point Arena, sharing one pastor (the Parochial Administrator) and one parish office. The mission belongs to the Diocese of Santa Rosa and offers bilingual worship, the sacraments, Eucharistic Adoration, and Reconciliation in a setting designed specifically for its windswept bluff above the Pacific Ocean.

• Type: Mission church (Mission of St. Aloysius, Point Arena)
• Diocese: Diocese of Santa Rosa
• Address: 39141 Church St., Gualala, CA 95445
• Parish phone: (707) 882-1734
• Email: [email protected]

History of the Mission

For years before a permanent chapel existed, Catholic Masses in the Gualala area were celebrated outdoors in the forest on the current site and at the Gualala Community Center. In the early 1990s the parish committed to building a dedicated worship space, and on August 27, 1995, the new Mary, Star of the Sea Mission was completed and consecrated. The building was made possible through donated volunteer labor combined with contemporary architectural design. It was established as a mission of St. Aloysius Parish in Point Arena, whose roots go back to about 1895 when Italian immigrant families built the first Catholic church in the area.

• Consecrated August 27, 1995
• Built largely through donated volunteer labor
• Predecessor Masses held outdoors in the forest and at the Gualala Community Center
• Mission of St. Aloysius Parish, Point Arena
• 2025 marked the 30th anniversary of the mission church

Architecture & Building

The mission chapel was designed by Arkin Tilt Architects (David Arkin in collaboration with James Burlage, FAIA, with Stickman Construction led by Will Wade) and completed in 1995. Roughly 1,566 square feet in plan, the timber-frame chapel seats 175 people and is sited on a wooded terrace above Highway One and the Pacific. Two large trusses run on the diagonal of a 40-foot square plan, carrying a copper roof that steps up toward the east to admit morning light through clerestory windows. Bi-fold birch-veneer doors can open the entire rear wall for overflow outdoors, and an arbor, a roofed bench, and a small outbuilding form a sheltered cloister against the constant ocean wind. A symbolic baptismal rock sits at the entry porch, collecting rainwater from the copper roof, and the altar faces south toward Gualala Point Regional Park. All structural framing is left exposed as a celebration of the region's timber heritage.

• Architects: Arkin Tilt Architects (David Arkin with James Burlage, FAIA)
• Contractor: Will Wade / Stickman Construction
• Seating: 175 people
• Approx. 1,566 sq ft, roughly a 40-ft square plan
• Copper roof, exposed wood framing, bi-fold rear doors
• Shared with Protestant congregations
• Awards: 1997 Sustainable Built Environment, 1998 East Bay AIA Honor Award, 1998 AIA SF "Best of the Bay and Beyond," 2000 AIACC Craftsmanship Award

Clergy & Staff

Mary, Star of the Sea is currently served by a Parochial Administrator together with a deacon, who together minister to both the Gualala mission and the parent parish of St. Aloysius in Point Arena. The parish office, reachable at (707) 882-1734 or [email protected], handles inquiries about the sacraments and parish life.

• Reverend Taiye Obada — Parochial Administrator
• Deacon Sergio Orozco

Mass & Service Schedule

Worship at Mary, Star of the Sea is bilingual, with regular weekly Masses in English and Spanish, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, Reconciliation, and a Sunday Rosary prayed immediately before the parish's principal Mass. The mission shares its schedule with St. Aloysius in Point Arena so that the South Coast of Mendocino County is covered throughout the week.

Sacraments

Arrangements for the sacraments are made through the parish office.

• Baptism — call (707) 882-1734
• Marriage — call (707) 882-1734 (six months in advance)

Parish Life & Ministries

As a small coastal mission united with St. Aloysius in Point Arena, Mary Star of the Sea draws its ministries and pastoral care from the shared life of the parish. Bilingual worship is central, with both English and Spanish Masses each week. The mission also maintains online parish giving and a parish registration process for newcomers.

• Bilingual liturgical ministry (English and Spanish)
• Eucharistic Adoration
• Reconciliation ministry
• Baptism preparation
• Marriage preparation
• Parish registration
• Online parish giving