About Our Lady of Mount Carmel · Redwood City, California
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a Roman Catholic parish in Redwood City, California, belonging to the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The community was founded as a mission in 1863 and established as a parish in 1887, and it shares a long history with the neighboring Our Lady of Mount Carmel School (founded 1885), the oldest Catholic school on the San Francisco Peninsula. The parish offers Mass in both English and Spanish, runs a full religious-education and sacramental-preparation program for children and adults (including RCIA), and is supported by a wide range of liturgical, social-justice, and hospitality ministries.
- Established
- 1887 (parish); 1863 (mission); 1885 (school)
- Patron
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Mount Carmel)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Andy De Guzman (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Francisco (Metropolitan Archdiocese)
Why belong here
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a Christ-centered community in the Roman Catholic tradition that explicitly values and respects individual differences as a diverse parish family. It offers daily and Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish, a year-round Eucharistic Adoration hour on First Fridays, weekly Confession on Saturday afternoons, and a robust sacramental life — including a two-year Children's Faith Formation program (English on Sundays, Spanish on Wednesdays/Thursdays), a Confirmation program, and RCIA for adults seeking Baptism, Confirmation, First Eucharist, or full communion. With active liturgical ministries (altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, choirs, ushers, greeters, and a hospitality donut-and-coffee ministry after the 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass), outreach through the St. Vincent de Paul Society and food-pantry volunteering, plus a Pre-K–8 parish school that has educated local children since 1885, OLMC is both a spiritual home and a multi-generation neighborhood anchor in the Mount Carmel area of Redwood City.
Mass times at Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM in the Church
Adoration times
- First Fridays: after the 8:15 AM Mass (until 9:45 AM per third-party listing)
Parish History and Heritage
Our Lady of Mount Carmel traces its roots to a Catholic mission established in 1863 and was formally constituted as a parish in Redwood City in 1887. The community that grew up around the parish and its school has continued without interruption for more than 160 years, making it one of the oldest Catholic presences on the San Francisco Peninsula. The first known school principal, Father Michael Riordan, opened the school in 1885 with the help of four Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, and within weeks of the 1906 earthquake the sisters were back teaching the local children. Today, alumni and their descendants often make up four- and even five-generation OLMC families, with five alumni currently on the school staff.
- Mission founded: 1863
- Parish established: 1887
- School opened: August 4, 1885 (originally at Brewster Street and El Camino Real)
- Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur: original and long-running school staff
- 1906 earthquake damage; community rallied to reopen the school
Father Cavanagh and the Building of the Campus
The late Father John P. Cavanagh purchased the present-day parish property and oversaw construction of the school, the priests' rectory, and a church — that original church is now the parish Auditorium/Gym known as Cavanagh Hall. A convent for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur was added later, and Fr. Cavanagh's campaign for a beautiful new parish church was finally realized with the 1952 completion of the current church at the corner of James and Fulton. The 1932 opening of the new school and church on the corner of Katherine and Grand was marked by community-wide celebrations and a parade through downtown Redwood City.
- Fr. John P. Cavanagh — purchased property; built school, rectory, original church
- Original church now used as Cavanagh Hall (parish Auditorium/Gym)
- Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur convent added later
- Current parish church completed 1952 at James and Fulton
- 1932 community parade marked opening of the Katherine/Grand campus
Buildings and Grounds
The OLMC campus is a layered set of historic buildings serving different parish functions today. The current church (1952) anchors the corner of James and Fulton; the original 19th-century church is now the Auditorium/Gym (Cavanagh Hall) with a Large Hall (gym), Small Hall, and kitchen; the original Sisters' convent at Fulton and Katherine has been adapted as parish offices, meeting spaces, the preschool (ages 3 & 4), and the Extended Care program ("A Kid's Place" for grades TK and up); and the school building is the Spanish Mission-style landmark on Grand Street.
- Current church — 1952, corner of James and Fulton
- Cavanagh Hall — original church, now Auditorium/Gym
- Original convent (Fulton and Katherine) — offices, preschool, Extended Care
- School — Spanish Mission-style architecture, Pre-K through 8th grade
Parish Staff and Leadership
The parish is administered by Rev. Fr. Andy De Guzman and is served by two permanent deacons, Rev. Mr. Raymond Smith (also coordinator of Adult Faith Formation/RCIA) and Rev. Mr. Ricardo Escobar. A Parish Office Secretary, a Director of Religious Education, a Director of Liturgy, a Music Director, and a Confirmation Program Coordinator round out the published parish staff. The parish also maintains a separate, currently-open search for a new School Principal.
- Parish Administrator: Rev. Fr. Andy De Guzman
- Deacon: Rev. Mr. Raymond Smith
- Deacon: Rev. Mr. Ricardo Escobar
- Parish Office Secretary: Luke Mulhall
- Director of Religious Education: Magdalena Hernandez
- Director of Liturgy: Maria Cornell
- Music Director: Kristen Lapinig
- Confirmation Program: Johanna Rasmussen
Faith Formation and Religious Education
OLMC runs a full sacramental-preparation program for children and a year-round RCIA for adults. Children's Faith Formation is a two-year program (September–April): Year 1 covers God the Father, Jesus, Mary, the Saints, and the liturgical calendar; Year 2 focuses on the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. English classes meet Sundays 8:45–9:45 AM (followed by the 10:00 AM Mass); Spanish classes meet Wednesdays or Thursdays 6:30–7:30 PM. Baptized children receive First Communion in April/May; unbaptized children receive the sacrament on Easter Sunday. Registration is held each August (in person and online), with sliding-scale fees for families in financial hardship.
- Two-year Sacramental Program, September–April
- English: Sundays 8:45–9:45 AM, then 10:00 AM Mass
- Spanish: Wednesdays or Thursdays 6:30–7:30 PM
- First Communion in Year 2; unbaptized receive on Easter Sunday
- Director of Religious Education: Magdalena Hernandez — [email protected] — (650) 369-8237
RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
Rooted in the very beginning of Church tradition, the parish's RCIA is a communal process for formally initiating new members into the Catholic Church, returning Catholics, and adults who have never been baptized. The group meets Sundays from 9:00–10:00 AM, September through May, in the chapel (or Parish Center across the parking lot from the Church), using a small-group discussion format to unpack the biblical readings, Church tradition, and the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist. The Sacraments of Initiation for adults are usually administered at the Easter Vigil each year.
- Meets Sundays 9:00–10:00 AM, September–May, in the Parish Center
- Coordinated by Deacon Ray Smith
- Open to: never-baptized, Christians from other traditions, Catholics needing to complete Sacraments, returning Catholics
- Initiation typically celebrated at the Easter Vigil
Confirmation Program
The parish's Confirmation program is run by Johanna Rasmussen and prepares older students for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Classes are held twice a month on Sunday evenings from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Registrations for Confirmation are accepted each August both online and in person at the porch of the Church or in the Parish Center.
- Coordinator: Johanna Rasmussen — [email protected]
- Classes: twice a month, Sunday evenings 5:00–7:00 PM
- Registration each August
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the Mass through a rich variety of liturgical ministries coordinated in part by the parish's Liturgy Committee. Altar Servers, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, the Music Ministry with active choirs (vocalists and instrumentalists) at all Sunday liturgies and special feasts, and Ministers of Hospitality (Ushers and Greeters, including a donut-and-coffee reception after the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass) all help the parish worship together. A Children's Liturgy of the Word dismisses the children at the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass to hear the readings at an age-appropriate level.
- Altar Servers
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (at Mass and to the homebound)
- Music Ministry (choirs and instrumentalists)
- Ushers and Greeters / Ministers of Hospitality (donuts & coffee after 10 AM Mass)
- Children's Liturgy of the Word (at 10:00 AM Sunday Mass)
- Environment / Altar Society (linens, cleaning, seasonal decoration)
- Liturgy Committee (planning, music selection, scheduling of ministers)
Parish Life, Outreach, and Social Justice
Beyond the liturgy, OLMC offers a wide range of parish-life groups and social-justice ministries. Outreach includes the St. Vincent de Paul Society, visiting the homebound, and volunteering at local food pantries. Other parish groups include youth ministry, men's and women's groups, and an annual parish bazaar. The parish encourages parishioners to use their time and talent and welcomes ideas for new ministries.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Visiting the homebound
- Food-pantry volunteering
- Youth Ministry
- Men's and Women's groups
- Annual Parish Bazaar
Our Lady of Mount Carmel School (Pre-K – 8)
Our Lady of Mount Carmel School is a Catholic Preschool through 8th-grade elementary school in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, serving Redwood City since 1885 and recognized as one of the oldest Catholic schools — public or private — on the San Francisco Peninsula. The school is known for its Spanish Mission-style architecture, for serving generations of students across social, economic, cultural, and ethnic lines, and for its multi-generation OLMC families. It is also the home of a preschool for ages 3 and 4 and an Extended Care program ("A Kid's Place") for grades TK and up, both of which share the original Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur convent building at the corner of Fulton and Katherine with the parish offices. The parish website notes that the school is currently searching for a new principal.
- Founded 1885 at Brewster and El Camino Real by Fr. Michael Riordan
- Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur — first and long-running teachers
- Spanish Mission-style architecture, current site on Grand Street
- Preschool (ages 3 & 4) and Extended Care ("A Kid's Place") for grades TK and up
- Open School Principal search posted on parish site
Becoming a Parishioner, Sacraments, and Newcomers
OLMC welcomes new arrivals, returning Catholics, and those interested in becoming Catholic. The parish's Newcomers & Registration page invites visitors to register as parishioners, return to the practice of the faith, or begin the RCIA journey. The parish's seven sacraments are listed on its Sacraments page, with the Eucharist at the center of the parish's liturgical life and Penance and Anointing of the Sick featured as the Sacraments of Healing, and Marriage and Holy Orders as the Sacraments of Vocation.
- Newcomers & Registration page (parish registration, returning Catholics, RCIA)
- Seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, Holy Orders
- Baptism/First Communion/Confirmation preparation through the Children's Faith Formation program
Contact, Location, and Communications
Parish office hours and contact information are published on the parish website. The parish mails a weekly bulletin (also available online) and live-streams Mass on YouTube. The church is in the Mount Carmel neighborhood of Redwood City, between James and Katherine on Fulton Street, with the school a short walk away on Grand Street.
- Parish address: 300 Fulton Street, Redwood City, CA 94062
- Phone: (650) 366-3802; Fax: (650) 366-1421
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Live-streamed Mass on YouTube; Facebook page MtCarmelChurchRedwoodCity
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Michael Riordan1885
Founded the parish school in 1885 and invited the first four Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur to teach.
- Fr. John P. Cavanagh
Purchased the present-day parish property, built the school, rectory, and original church (now Cavanagh Hall); campaigned for and saw his dream of a new church realized with the 1952 dedication. The current Auditorium/Gym is named Cavanagh Hall in his honor.