About Most Holy Rosary · San Francisco, California
Most Holy Rosary Chapel is a historic Roman Catholic chapel located on the grounds of Catholic Charities' St. Vincent's School for Boys at 1 St. Vincent Drive in San Rafael, California (north of San Francisco in Marin County). It functions as a parish mission of St. Isabella Parish in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and is unique in serving two simultaneous Catholic communities: an Ordinary Form Sunday Mass at 9:45 a.m. celebrated by Father Andrew Ginter of Marin Catholic High School (under Catholic Charities SF), and the Extraordinary Form (Traditional Latin Mass) celebrated by Canon Benjamin Norman of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. The chapel was dedicated in 1930 on the 75th anniversary of St. Vincent's founding, replacing an earlier church lost to fire in 1888, and is recognized as California Historical Landmark #630.
- Established
- 1930
- Patron
- Most Holy Rosary (Our Lady of the Rosary)
- Rector
- Father Andrew Ginter (Sunday 9:45 AM Novus Ordo Mass, Marin Catholic High School). For the Traditional Latin Mass apostolate: Canon Benjamin Norman of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (chaplain). The chapel is a parish mission of St. Isabella Parish, San Rafael.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Francisco
Why belong here
Most Holy Rosary Chapel offers an unusual combination: a California Historical Landmark church renowned for its Mayer of Munich stained glass, Carrara marble sanctuary, and Tuscan-inspired architecture, alongside a tangible Catholic Charities mission — every Sunday collection directly supports wraparound services for at-risk boys in residence at St. Vincent's. Visitors can choose between two distinct liturgical experiences on the same campus: an Ordinary Form Sunday Mass at 9:45 AM celebrated by Father Andrew Ginter, or the Traditional Latin Mass apostolate of the Institute of Christ the King (with a Low Mass at 8 AM and a Sung Mass at 12:30 PM, plus daily Masses). It's a rare place where exceptional beauty of worship and direct service to vulnerable youth come together in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
Mass times at Most Holy Rosary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:15 AM (before 8:00 AM Low Mass)
- Sunday 11:30 AM (before 12:30 PM Sung Mass)
- Monday 5:30 PM (before 6:00 PM Mass)
- Tuesday 5:30 PM (before 6:00 PM Mass)
- Wednesday 5:30 PM (before 6:00 PM Mass)
- Thursday 11:30 AM (before 12:00 PM Mass)
Adoration times
- First Friday and First Saturday devotions scheduled based on chapel availability, announced in advance via Flocknote
History of Most Holy Rosary Chapel
The chapel sits at the heart of St. Vincent's School for Boys, one of the oldest institutions west of the Mississippi dedicated to the therapeutic and compassionate care of traumatized boys. In 1853, Irish-born Marin County pioneer Timothy Murphy deeded 317 acres on the banks of San Pablo Bay to Archbishop Joseph Alemany, the first Archbishop of San Francisco. Two years later, in 1855, the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul founded what was originally called the St. Vincent Orphan Asylum of San Francisco — created in the wake of a Gold Rush-era cholera epidemic that had orphaned many children. The original chapel on the campus was destroyed by fire in 1888. In the 1920s, Monsignor Francis P. McElroy, then director of St. Vincent's, designed and oversaw construction of an entirely new group of Renaissance-style buildings, including the present chapel. The stained-glass windows were commissioned in 1928–29 from the Mayer firm of Munich, with designs by McElroy himself and construction by German craftsmen. The chapel was formally dedicated in 1930, on the 75th anniversary of the school's founding.
- 1853 — Timothy Murphy donates 317 acres to Archbishop Joseph Alemany
- 1855 — Daughters of Charity found the St. Vincent Orphan Asylum
- 1888 — original chapel destroyed by fire
- 1920s — Msgr. Francis P. McElroy designs the new Renaissance-style chapel and campus buildings
- 1928–29 — Mayer of Munich stained-glass windows installed
- 1930 — Chapel dedicated on the 75th anniversary of the school
- January 29, 1958 — Designated California Historical Landmark No. 630
Architecture & Sacred Art
Most Holy Rosary Chapel is widely described as one of the most beautiful Catholic churches in California. Its Spanish Colonial Revival / Renaissance design is often compared to Hearst Castle, and the interior has been described as having the feel of a Tuscan seminary. The sanctuary is dominated by a white Carrara marble high altar and statuary, including depictions of St. Isabel, Mary and Joseph, St. Thérèse of the Little Flower, and Jesus welcoming a child. A porcelain-white bas-relief reproduction of Italian painter Lorenzo Lotto's vision of St. Dominic receiving the rosary from the Virgin Mary in 1208 hangs in the chapel. The building's signature feature is its sixteen Mayer of Munich stained-glass windows — fifteen in the main chapel plus one in the upstairs chapel originally built for the Dominican Sisters — depicting Bible stories chosen specifically to appeal to youth, with bright, vibrant colors.
- Style: Spanish Colonial Revival / Renaissance, modeled on a Tuscan seminary
- Often compared architecturally to Hearst Castle
- White Carrara marble high altar and statuary
- 16 Mayer of Munich stained-glass windows (designed by Msgr. McElroy, built by German craftsmen in 1928–29)
- Bas-relief reproduction of Lorenzo Lotto's painting of St. Dominic receiving the rosary
- Detailed woodwork in the confessionals
- Concrete ceiling finished to resemble wood, matching the floor
Mass & Liturgy
The chapel is unusual in serving two simultaneous Catholic liturgical communities under the same roof: an Ordinary Form Mass in English each Sunday at 9:45 AM, celebrated by Father Andrew Ginter of Marin Catholic High School, and the full Extraordinary Form (Traditional Latin Mass) apostolate of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. The Latin Mass apostolate offers a Low Mass at 8:00 AM and a Sung Mass at 12:30 PM on Sundays, with daily Low Masses Monday through Wednesday at 6:00 PM and Thursday at noon. Confessions are heard before every Mass, and First Friday and First Saturday Masses and devotions are scheduled as the chapel is available, announced in advance via Flocknote.
- Sunday 9:45 AM — Ordinary Form Mass (English), Father Andrew Ginter
- Sunday 8:00 AM — Low Mass (Latin)
- Sunday 12:30 PM — Sung Mass (Latin)
- Monday 6:00 PM, Tuesday 6:00 PM, Wednesday 6:00 PM — Low Mass (Latin)
- Thursday 12:00 PM noon — Low Mass (Latin)
- Confessions 30 minutes before each Mass; 45 minutes–1 hour before Sunday Sung Mass
- Rosary recited by a group before the Latin Mass; traditional organ and choir music
Stained Glass Window Restoration
The Mayer of Munich stained-glass windows at Most Holy Rosary Chapel are more than 95 years old and in need of repair due to decades of weather exposure. A restoration campaign — led by a volunteer group known as 'The Godmothers,' who have pledged $75,000 — has been launched to clean, relead, reglaze, and reinstall the windows one at a time. The estimated total cost is $200,000. Envelopes dedicated to the campaign are available in each pew and in the vestibule; donations can also be mailed directly to The Godmothers.
- 16 windows originally installed 1928–29
- Estimated project cost: $200,000
- The Godmothers have pledged $75,000 and lead the campaign
- Donations can be made by cash, check, or in the collection basket
- Contact: Kathy McNeil at (415) 302-7571
Outreach & Catholic Charities Mission
Because the chapel sits on the campus of St. Vincent's School for Boys, weekly Sunday collections do double duty: they support chapel operations and also fund Catholic Charities wraparound services to the at-risk youth in residence at St. Vincent's. St. Vincent's is today a licensed residential treatment program (Short-Term Residential Therapy Program) serving up to 60 boys, ages 7–18, referred by county public health agencies and in-patient psychiatric hospitals throughout Northern California. Sunday offerings can be made via offertory baskets during Mass, through the online form on the Catholic Charities site, by texting the word 'Chapel' to 76278, or by mail.
- Weekly Sunday collections support both chapel operations and wraparound services for at-risk youth at St. Vincent's
- St. Vincent's serves up to 60 boys, ages 7–18, from across Northern California
- Operated by Catholic Charities CYO (Catholic Charities of San Francisco)
- Text-to-give: text 'Chapel' to 76278
- Mail: Most Holy Rosary Chapel, 1 St. Vincent Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903
Ministries & Community Life
The chapel community sustains a small but distinctive set of programs. The Children's Schola sings for the Traditional Latin Mass. The annual St. Michael's Patrol — a father-and-son summer camp run by the Institute of Christ the King — is hosted on the St. Vincent's campus. Parish communication is run through Flocknote (text 'ICKSPSFBay' to 84576). Sunday Mass is regularly full, drawing both registered local parishioners and Catholics from other Marin County parishes who come for the building's beauty, music, and preaching.
- Children's Schola (Latin Mass choir)
- St. Michael's Patrol — annual father-and-son summer camp (ICKSP)
- Flocknote parish updates (text 'ICKSPSFBay' to 84576)
- Stained Glass Restoration Campaign led by The Godmothers
- Sunday Masses regularly draw Catholics registered at other Marin parishes
Clergy & Pastoral Care
Most Holy Rosary Chapel is a parish mission of St. Isabella Parish in San Rafael, within the Archdiocese of San Francisco. It is currently served by two priests serving two distinct liturgical communities: Father Andrew Ginter of Marin Catholic High School, who celebrates the Sunday 9:45 AM Mass under Catholic Charities SF, and Canon Benjamin Norman of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, who serves as chaplain of the Extraordinary Form apostolate. In earlier years the 9:45 AM Mass was celebrated by a rotation of volunteer priests connected to Marin Catholic High School, including Bishop Tom Daly (now Bishop of Spokane) and Monsignor Robert Sheeran.
- Father Andrew Ginter — celebrant of Sunday 9:45 AM Mass
- Canon Benjamin Norman — Chaplain, Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
- Parish mission of St. Isabella Parish, San Rafael
- Archdiocese of San Francisco
- Earlier volunteer celebrants: Msgr. Robert Sheeran (8 years), Bishop Tom Daly
What to Expect at the Traditional Latin Mass
The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest's apostolate at Most Holy Rosary Chapel celebrates the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Visitors can expect a fully traditional liturgy celebrated in Latin, with the rosary recited by a group before Mass, traditional organ and choir music, modest dress, and the use of feminine head coverings. Holy Communion is received kneeling at the communion rail, on the tongue. Latin-English missals are provided in the vestibule. Genuflections toward the Tabernacle are observed at multiple points throughout the Mass.
- Mass celebrated in Latin (Usus Antiquior / Extraordinary Form)
- Rosary recited before Mass; Latin-English missals available in the vestibule
- Communion received kneeling on the tongue at the rail
- Modest dress; feminine head coverings reflect reverence
- Traditional organ and choir music
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Francis P. McElroy1920s–1930
Director of St. Vincent's School for Boys; designed the chapel, the stained-glass window program (Mayer of Munich), and the broader group of Renaissance-style campus buildings.
- Bishop Tom Daly (now Bishop of Spokane)
Former campus minister at Marin Catholic High School; volunteer Sunday celebrant in earlier years.
- Monsignor Robert Sheeran~8 years (as of ~2024)
Bishop Daly's successor as campus minister at Marin Catholic High School; volunteer Sunday celebrant for about eight years.