About Mater Dei · Chula Vista, California
Mater Dei Catholic Parish is a diocesan parish in Chula Vista, California, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego. The name 'Mater Dei' is Latin for 'Mother of God,' honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as the parish's patroness. Established on January 1, 2004, by retired Bishop Robert H. Brom, the parish is led by founding pastor Rev. Jovencio D. 'Ven' Ricafort with Deacon Jovel Javier Rodriguez. After more than 16 years of gathering in parishioners' homes, a high school cafeteria, two high school gyms and a pastoral center, Mater Dei finally dedicated its own permanent church building in 2020. The parish serves a richly multi-ethnic community in eastern Chula Vista and offers a wide range of liturgical, catechetical and outreach ministries.
- Established
- 2004
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God (Mater Dei)
- Rector
- Rev. Jovencio D. 'Ven' Ricafort
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego
Why belong here
Mater Dei is a multigenerational, multi-ethnic Catholic family in eastern Chula Vista where parishioners can worship in a brand-new, purpose-built church while being served by the same founding pastor who has shepherded the community since day one. The parish offers a full sacramental life — daily and Sunday Masses, weekday Confession before Sunday Masses, baptisms, marriage prep, a robust Religious Education Program for children and youth, an OCIA (RCIA) process for adults, plus a music ministry ('Voices of Mater Dei'), youth and young adult ministries, and outreach through groups such as Heart of St. Joseph, Healing & Comfort, Health Resource, Service Ministry and the Hands of Mater Dei council. For anyone seeking an active, welcoming parish home in South County, Mater Dei has both deep roots and a fresh, growing future.
Mass times at Mater Dei
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before each Sunday Mass (i.e., before the 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM Sunday Masses)
- For the Sacrament of Marriage and other sacraments/services, please call the Parish Office
Adoration times
- Young Adult Ministry begins with a 6:00 PM Holy Hour on the 1st Wednesday of each month
Parish History and the New Church
Mater Dei Catholic Parish was established January 1, 2004, by retired Bishop Robert H. Brom of the Diocese of San Diego, with Father Jovencio D. 'Ven' Ricafort as founding pastor. For its first three years the community celebrated Mass in parishioners' homes, a high school cafeteria and two high school gymnasiums, before moving into a pastoral center on the present Magdalena Avenue site in 2007. After 13 years worshipping in that multipurpose space, the parish broke ground on March 24, 2019, and after delays from the COVID-19 pandemic and weather, Bishop Robert W. McElroy dedicated the permanent, 17,420-square-foot church on July 25, 2020. Construction cost approximately $10.2 million.
- Established January 1, 2004 by Bishop Robert H. Brom
- Founding pastor: Rev. Jovencio D. 'Ven' Ricafort
- Groundbreaking: March 24, 2019 (with Bishop McElroy and retired Bishop Brom)
- Church dedication: July 25, 2020, by Bishop Robert W. McElroy
- Capacity: 1,000–1,200 seats
- Site: 1571 Magdalena Avenue, Chula Vista
Architecture and Marian Symbolism
Founding pastor Father Ricafort oversaw the design of the new church in a modern style with an open floor plan: there are no doors between the vestibule and the nave and no pillars to interrupt sightlines to the altar. The building is rich with Marian symbolism that ties the architecture to the parish's patroness, the Mother of God. A 44-foot-tall, 21-foot-wide steel cross tops the bell tower, scaled up from the original wooden cross Father Ricafort set on the future church site in 2004.
- Open floor plan; no vestibule doors, no interior pillars
- Bell tower cross: 44 ft tall × 21 ft wide (steel replica of the 2004 wooden cross)
- Black-and-gray mosaic around the sanctuary crucifix — evokes the womb of Mary
- Curved outer wall of the Blessed Sacrament chapel — suggests a pregnant silhouette
- Front-door façade: image of Mary with outstretched arms sheltering figures of the parish's many ethnic communities
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for the sacraments of initiation, marriage and reconciliation. Baptisms are celebrated on the 3rd and 4th Saturday of each month at noon, with a required Baptism Preparation Class held on the 1st Monday of the month at 6:30 PM. First Communion and Confirmation follow a two-year preparation track through the parish's Religious Education Program. Adults seeking full initiation or simply wanting to learn more about the faith are accompanied through the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process. Couples preparing for marriage should contact the Parish Office directly.
- Baptism Preparation Class: 1st Monday 6:30 PM
- Baptisms: 3rd & 4th Saturday 12:00 noon
- First Communion & Confirmation — two-year REP track
- OCIA for adults (Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, or inquiry)
- Marriage and other services: contact the Parish Office
Religious Education Program (REP)
The parish's Catechetical Ministry, called the Religious Education Program (REP), is the formation engine of Mater Dei. Its mission is to prepare children, youth and adults to receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation, to partner with parents in their children's journey of faith, and through OCIA to assist anyone who would like to know more about the Catholic faith. For the 2025–2026 academic year, registration runs through August 31, 2025; opening week begins September 14 (Sunday 9:30–10:30 AM), September 16 (Tuesday 6:30–7:30 PM) and September 18 (Thursday 6:30–7:30 PM).
- Pre-Communion (year 1) and Communion Upper Grade (year 2): grades 3 and up
- Pre-Confirmation (year 1): grades 9–11; Confirmation (year 2) follows
- REP Office phone: 619-656-3740
- Registration & details: materdeicv.org
- Parents submit a copy of the Church Marriage Certificate and each child's Baptismal Certificate to the catechist on the second day of class
Liturgical Ministries: Voices of Mater Dei and Friends
Mater Dei's liturgical life depends on a large corps of lay volunteers. The music ministry is known as 'Voices of Mater Dei' (VOMD), directed in contact via [email protected]. The parish also schedules greeters, ushers, lectors (Readers), extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, and altar servers/acolytes at every Mass, and rotates them in published assignments in the weekly bulletin.
- Voices of Mater Dei (Music Ministry) — [email protected]
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
- Readers (Lectors)
- Greeters and Ushers
- Altar Servers / Acolytes — contact Emmy at [email protected]
Parish Ministries and Outreach
Beyond the sanctuary, Mater Dei runs more than a dozen lay-led ministries grouped under 'Parish Ministries' in the bulletin: Hands of Mater Dei (the Council of Ministries), Youth Ministry, Young Adult Ministry, Marriage/Family Life and Vocations, Heart of St. Joseph, Healing & Comfort and Culture of Life, Health Resource, Faith & Culture, Service & Safety, IT/Audio-Visual, Altar & Sacristy, and the Capital Campaign Ministry that advises the Finance Council. Many of these groups meet monthly in the Admin building, with consistent days and times published in the weekly bulletin.
- Hands of Mater Dei (Council of Ministries) — 2nd Wednesday 6:00 PM
- Heart of St. Joseph — 3rd Wednesday 6:00 PM
- Youth Ministry — 1st Friday
- Young Adult Ministry — 1st Wednesday (with 6:00 PM Holy Hour)
- Healing & Comfort / Culture of Life — 4th Monday 6:00 PM
- Health Resource — 4th Monday 6:00 PM
- Faith & Culture — 3rd Wednesday 6:00 PM
- Service & Safety — last Thursday 6:00 PM
- Marriage, Family Life and Vocations — active ministry group
- Capital Campaign (Finance Council) — 1st Thursday 6:00 PM
Support the Parish: Giving and the Annual Catholic Appeal
Mater Dei supports the Diocese of San Diego's annual 'Advancing Our Mission' appeal and maintains its own parish registration, online giving, Building Fund and weekly 'My Own Church' (My Parish) platform for existing parishioners. The most recent published weekly bulletin reports that 287 families are participating in the 2025 Annual Catholic Appeal, with pledges and on-line giving supporting both diocesan ministries and the parish's own loan reduction and capital needs.
- Annual Catholic Appeal ('Advancing Our Mission') — diocese-wide
- Parish online giving & Building Fund
- My Own Church / My Parish — existing parishioner platform
- Online parish registration for those living within Mater Dei's parish boundaries
- Bulletin, REP and technical support: [email protected]
Getting Involved: Becoming a Mater Dei Parishioner
Online parish registration is offered only to those living within the Mater Dei parish boundaries. Newcomers begin by registering online, attending Mass at Mater Dei, and participating in parish life and ministry; only then can they sign up for REP and other formation programs. The parish recommends using a PC or Mac for the online registration process, and offers an email address for technical support if needed.
- Online registration required before REP and many ministries
- Email [email protected] for technical issues
- Bulletin (Parish Calendar, ministries, Mass assignments) posted online weekly
- Subscribe via the parish YouTube channel for livestreams and parish news
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach Mater Dei Catholic Parish by phone, mail or in person during office hours (9:00 AM–5:00 PM Monday–Friday with a lunch break from 12:30–1:30 PM). The mailing address is P.O. Box 212047, Chula Vista, CA 91921. Bulletin archives and forms are available on the parish website.
- Address: 1571 Magdalena Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91913
- Mailing: P.O. Box 212047, Chula Vista, CA 91921
- Phone: (619) 656-3735
- Fax: (619) 656-2939
- Office Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–5:00 PM (lunch 12:30–1:30 PM)
- Website: https://materdeicv.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jovencio D. 'Ven' Ricafort2004–present
Founding pastor; established the parish on January 1, 2004, and continues to serve as pastor; presided over the dedication of the permanent church on July 25, 2020.