About Our Lady of Guadalupe · San Jose, California
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish is a bilingual Catholic community in the Mayfair neighborhood of East San Jose, California, belonging to the Diocese of San Jose. The parish celebrated its roots in 1953, when Father Donald McDonnell helped a Mexican-American congregation establish what was originally called Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission Chapel, and it became a full parish in 1962 under Father Anthony Soto. Today the parish is best known as the church where labor and civil rights leader César Chávez worshipped and helped found his chapter of the Community Service Organization, a chapter of Latino history recognized in 2016 when the old mission chapel (now McDonnell Hall) was designated a National Historic Landmark. Our Lady of Guadalupe continues that legacy with a robust schedule of Spanish and English Masses, faith formation for children and youth, and outreach partnerships that serve the surrounding East Side community.
- Established
- 1953
- Patron
- Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Rector
- Fr. Hugo Rojas
- Diocese
- Diocese of San Jose
Why belong here
Our Lady of Guadalupe welcomes parishioners into one of the most historically significant Latino Catholic parishes in Northern California, where Sunday worship is offered in both English and Spanish and weekday Masses and Reconciliation are available every Tuesday through Friday. The parish runs an active religious education program under the direction of Sister Gisela, preparing children for First Holy Communion and Confirmation, and partners with community organizations such as the Rotary Mobile Medical Clinic (hosted on the fourth Saturday of each month) to bring free and low-cost health services directly to Mayfair residents. With deep roots in the Sal Si Puedes barrio, a celebrated connection to César Chávez, and an explicit mission to 'evangelize, grow spiritually and serve, united as one family of faith, under the protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe,' it is a parish where tradition, social justice, and family life come together.
Mass times at Our Lady of Guadalupe
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM (or by appointment)
- Tuesday–Friday after the morning Mass and before the evening Mass
Parish History
Our Lady of Guadalupe traces its beginnings to a 1950s effort by Mayfair's Mexican-American Catholics to establish their own parish, formalized in 1953 when Father Donald McDonnell relocated the old St. Martin's church building to a barrio called Sal Si Puedes with volunteer labor organized by a young parishioner, César Chávez. The mission chapel became a full parish on June 30, 1962 under Father Anthony Soto, and a new six-sided church was built by the community and completed in November 1967 on East San Antonio Street. The parish's historic original chapel was renamed McDonnell Hall in 1974–75 and recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 2016.
- 1940s: Mexican and Mexican-American families settle in Mayfair
- 1952: Archbishop Mitty designates Mayfair a 'mission area' of St. Patrick's and assigns Fr. Donald McDonnell
- 1953: Volunteers, led by César Chávez, relocate and reassemble the 1914 St. Martin's building as Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission Chapel
- Oct. 18, 1953: First Mass celebrated at the mission chapel
- June 30, 1962: Mission elevated to parish status under Fr. Anthony Soto
- Mar. 2, 1967: Ground broken on the new church
- Nov. 1967: New church completed — built by the congregation itself
- 1974–75: Original chapel moved, deconsecrated, and renamed McDonnell Hall
- 2016: McDonnell Hall designated a National Historic Landmark
César Chávez and the Community Service Organization
Before he became a national figure, César Chávez was a parishioner at the mission chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Through Father McDonnell's guidance in Catholic social teaching and nonviolence, Chávez helped organize the local chapter of the Community Service Organization (CSO) at the chapel in the early 1950s. The CSO experience at Our Lady of Guadalupe became a formative training ground for the activism that would later define Chávez's leadership of the United Farm Workers.
- Chávez organized CSO chapter meetings at the chapel
- Father McDonnell instructed Chávez in Catholic social justice and nonviolence
- CSO chapter at OLG cited as a National Historic Landmark criterion
Mission, Vision, and Parish Identity
The parish's bilingual mission statement reads: 'Evangelize, grow spiritually and serve, united as one family of faith, under the protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe' (Evangelizar, crecer espiritualmente y servir, unidos como una familia de fe, bajo la protección de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe). Its stated vision is to develop deep, personal relationships with Jesus Christ, make liturgies the highlight of parish life, claim reverence and love for all people and cultures, and serve those in need.
- Mission: Evangelize, grow spiritually and serve
- Vision: Deep relationship with Christ; liturgy as the center of life; beloved community; reverence for all peoples and creation
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently led by Fr. Hugo Rojas as Pastor, with Fr. Andrey Garcia serving as Parochial Vicar and Deacon Armando Brambila-Ornelas as Permanent Deacon. Sister Gisela directs the Religious Education (CCD) program, supported by CCD Administrative Assistant Juanita Mena. Pastoral Associate Idania Barousse and office staff Claudia Chavez (Receptionist) and Sthefany Sanchez (Administrative Assistant) round out the team.
- Fr. Hugo Rojas — Pastor, ext. 232, [email protected]
- Fr. Andrey Garcia — Parochial Vicar, ext. 229, [email protected]
- Deacon Armando Brambila-Ornelas — Permanent Deacon
- Sister Gisela — Religious Education Director, ext. 238, [email protected]
- Juanita Mena — CCD Administrative Assistant
- Idania Barousse — Pastoral Associate
- Claudia Chavez — Receptionist
- Sthefany Sanchez — Administrative Assistant
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12)
In keeping with its patroness, Our Lady of Guadalupe offers an expanded devotional schedule each December 11–12 with Mañanitas, Masses throughout the day in Spanish, English, and bilingual form, a Rosary novena in the OLG Garden the week before, and a Mass of the Roses. The Diocese of San Jose also coordinates a diocesan celebration (with procession and Mass followed by a reception) in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
- Dec. 4–11: Rosary novena, 7:30 PM in the OLG Garden
- Dec. 12: Mañanitas, Masses at 5:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 5:00 PM, 7:00 PM, and 9:00 PM (mix of Spanish, English, and bilingual)
- Diocesan celebration also includes a procession and reception
Sacraments
The parish's Sacraments page walks through the seven Catholic sacraments in both English and Spanish, beginning with the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, First Holy Communion), continuing through the Sacraments of Healing (Anointing of the Sick, Penance and Reconciliation), and addressing the vocation to the priesthood and the ordained diaconate. Certificates for Baptism, Communion, Confirmation, or Marriage can be requested through the parish's online Document Request form.
- Baptism / Bautismo
- Confirmation / Confirmación
- First Holy Communion / La Primera Comunión
- Anointing of the Sick / Unción de los Enfermos
- Penance and Reconciliation (Confession)
- Vocation to the Priesthood / Ordination
Faith Formation and Religious Education (CCD)
Religious Education at Our Lady of Guadalupe is directed by Sister Gisela and supported by a CCD Administrative Assistant. Online registration, a signed media-release form, and a copy of the child's baptismal certificate are required; the completed packet is submitted to Sister Gisela either by mail or email ([email protected]). A dedicated helpline is staffed on Saturdays, 2:00–6:00 PM at (408) 926-9287.
- Director: Sister Gisela (Hrna. Gisela)
- Required documents: online registration, media release form, copy of baptismal certificate
- Saturday support line: (408) 926-9287, 2:00–6:00 PM
- CCD office line: (408) 258-7057 ext. 238
Parish Councils
In accordance with the Second Vatican Council's call for lay participation in Church leadership and the Diocese of San Jose's mandates, the parish maintains two consultative bodies. The Parish Pastoral Council acts as stewards of the parish mission, advising the pastor on pastoral planning, prioritizing goals, and assessing results. The Finance Council oversees the temporal goods of the parish.
- Pastoral Council — mission development, goal-setting, planning, evaluation
- Finance Council — administration of parish goods per Canon Law and diocesan norms
Community Outreach and Health Partnerships
The parish grounds serve as a regular site for community health and family services, with the Rotary Mobile Medical Clinic visiting the parish on the fourth Saturday of each month from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM, parked in front of the Prayer Garden. The clinic offers free and low-cost services and is paired with programming from the Stanford Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Early Head Start.
- Rotary Mobile Medical Clinic — fourth Saturday, 9:30 AM–12:30 PM
- Stanford Alzheimer's Disease Research Center programming on clinic days
- Early Head Start programming on clinic days
- Prayer Garden frontage on East San Antonio Street used as clinic site
Buildings: Modern Church and McDonnell Hall
The parish plant consists of two principal buildings: the modern six-sided church on East San Antonio Street completed in November 1967, and the historic 1914 mission chapel (Louis Lenzen, architect) now known as McDonnell Hall, which sits in the parking lot and functions as a parish hall with meeting rooms, a kitchen, classrooms, and storage. McDonnell Hall was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016.
- Modern church: hexagonal plan, built 1967–68 by the parish community
- McDonnell Hall: 1914 building, relocated 1953, reoriented 1974–75, NHL 2016
- Prayer Garden: front of building, used for the Rotary Mobile Medical Clinic
Contact, Visiting, and Joining the Parish
The parish invites visitors and newcomers to register online via its website and to contact the office during business hours at (408) 258-7057. Religious Education inquiries are routed to (408) 926-9287. An emergency line for Anointing of the Sick / last rites is staffed at (669) 282-9183. Certificates for Baptism, Communion, Confirmation, or Marriage can be requested via the online Document Request form linked from the Contact Us page.
- Office: (408) 258-7057 • Fax: (408) 258-8249
- Email: [email protected]
- Religious Education: (408) 926-9287
- Emergency (Anointing/last rites): (669) 282-9183
- Online parish registration and Document Request form available on the website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Donald McDonnell1952–1962
First pastor in residence; led the relocation and reconstruction of the 1914 St. Martin's building as Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission Chapel (1953); friend and mentor to César Chávez. The original chapel was later renamed McDonnell Hall in his honor.
- Fr. Anthony Soto1962
Appointed June 30, 1962; under his tenure the chapel was formally elevated to the status of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish.
- Padre Gerardo Menchaca ('Fr. G')
Listed as pastor on third-party parish directories prior to the current pastor.