About Our Lady of the Pillar · Half Moon Bay, California
Our Lady of the Pillar is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Half Moon Bay, California, in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Founded on July 21, 1868 by Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany, it was the second parish established in San Mateo County and remains the largest by area, covering roughly 500 square miles of the San Francisco Peninsula coast — from the San Pedro Mountains in the north to Santa Cruz County in the south, and from Skyline Boulevard to the Pacific Ocean. The parish serves the coastal community from its 400 Church Street church and includes two mission churches: St. Anthony's in Pescadero (1868) and Our Lady of Refuge in La Honda (officially established 1883). The parish offers Mass in English, Spanish, and Latin, maintains a 24-hour Perpetual Adoration chapel, and operates a K-8 Catholic classical school (Our Lady of the Pillar Academy) alongside religious education, OCIA, youth Confirmation, and a robust network of lay ministries including the Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, and the Legion of Mary.
- Established
- 1868
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Pillar (Nuestra Señora del Pilar)
- Rector
- Rev. Jose Corral
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Francisco
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Pillar is the spiritual and charitable anchor of the San Mateo County coast, where a single parish of roughly 500 square miles serves Catholics from Half Moon Bay down to Pescadero and over to La Honda. The community gathers around Mass in three languages (English, Spanish, and Latin), a 24-hour Perpetual Adoration chapel, a parish-run K-8 classical school (Our Lady of the Pillar Academy), and a dense parish life — Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul food pantry and home visits, lay liturgical ministries, youth Confirmation, and a strong outreach to the working poor, seniors, and homeless along the Coastside. It is a parish with deep roots in Spanish Catholic heritage (founded 1868 on land first donated by the Vasquez family in 1854) where new families are readily welcomed into the life of the parish.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Pillar
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — Sacred Heart Perpetual Adoration Chapel (Half Moon Bay)
Parish History
Our Lady of the Pillar was founded on July 21, 1868 in 'Spanish Town' — today's Half Moon Bay — by Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany, with Father Antoine Langlois as its first priest. It was the second parish established in San Mateo County and remains the largest by area. The present church was built and dedicated in 1954; the first Mass in the new building was offered on Easter Sunday, April 18, 1954. The parish carries the name 'Nuestra Señora del Pilar' given by the early Spanish settlers, after the famous Marian shrine at Zaragoza, Spain. For more than 150 years people of many backgrounds and ethnic origins have shaped this coastal Catholic community.
- Founded July 21, 1868 by Archbishop Alemany
- First pastor: Father Antoine Langlois
- Land originally donated by the Vasquez family in 1854
- Original church destroyed by fire (1875 / 1876)
- Present church: first Mass Easter Sunday, April 18, 1954
- Named for the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, Zaragoza, Spain — the oldest Marian shrine in the world
Mission Churches
Our Lady of the Pillar Parish includes two mission churches that serve the broader Coastside community: St. Anthony's in Pescadero and Our Lady of Refuge in La Honda. Both have their own Mass schedules and traditions but fall under the pastor of Our Lady of the Pillar.
- St. Anthony's Church, Pescadero — built in 1868
- St. Anthony's Mass times: Saturday 6:00 PM (Spanish); Sunday 9:00 AM
- Our Lady of Refuge, La Honda — officially established 1883; present church dedicated 1954
- Our Lady of Refuge Mass time: Sunday 10:30 AM
Parish Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently shepherded by Father Jose Corral as pastor, with Father Mark Taheny serving as parochial vicar and Father Charles Onubogo in residence. The parish office can be reached at (650) 726-4674 or [email protected] and is staffed Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM (closed on holidays).
- Rev. Jose Corral — Pastor (Phone: 650-713-5301)
- Rev. Mark Taheny — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Charles Onubogo — In Residence
- Parish office: 400 Church Street, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
- Phone: (650) 726-4674 — Email: [email protected]
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish runs a complete faith-formation program for children, youth, and adults, drawing on its commitment to orthodox catechesis and the Catholic intellectual tradition. Religious Education classes for children in grades 1 through 6 meet weekly on Thursdays, with a $125 registration fee, and prepare candidates for First Reconciliation and First Communion. Youth Confirmation is a one-year program for teens ages 13 to 17 (or starting freshman year of high school), divided into Catechesis and Discipleship units including prayer, study, generosity, and evangelization; candidates undertake a visit to a religious order of their choice and a weekend retreat. Adult OCIA (formerly RCIA) walks unbaptized adults and baptized Christians seeking full communion through inquiry, instruction, and spiritual direction.
- Religious Education (grades 1-6) — weekly Thursdays; registration in summer (office visit)
- First Reconciliation & First Communion preparation
- Youth Confirmation — one-year program for ages 13–17; Catechesis + Discipleship
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — inquiry through full communion
- Adult Confirmation available by appointment through the parish office
- Contact: [email protected] or (650) 726-4674
Our Lady of the Pillar Academy
Our Lady of the Pillar Academy is an independent, Catholic, classical-curriculum K-8 school run on the parish campus. Its mission is to build abundant and joyful lives in the children and families it serves through cultivation in faith, reason, and virtue. The academy is part of the parish's broader commitment to forming the next generation in the Catholic tradition.
- K-8 Catholic classical curriculum school
- Located on the parish campus
- Cultivation in faith, reason, and virtue
- Parents are directed to the school's own website for enrollment and tuition information
Parish Ministries and Parish Life
Our Lady of the Pillar maintains a robust lay ministry ecosystem that supports the liturgy and reaches into the community. Liturgical ministries include the Music Ministry, Altar Servers, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, and Lectors. Service organizations include the Knights of Columbus (Council 1964, over 100 Brothers, with Father Mark as Chaplain), the St. Vincent de Paul Society (food pantry and home visits), and the Legion of Mary with its Praesidium meeting weekly. The Music Ministry sets an aspirational goal of enriching parish worship in the spirit of St. Cecilia. Parish volunteers contribute more than 9,000 hours annually to SVdP and other outreach.
- Music Ministry / Sacred Music program
- Altar Servers
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist (EMEs)
- Lectors
- Knights of Columbus — Council founded 1964; meets 3rd Tuesday 7:00 PM in Old Hall; Annual dues $35
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — assistance line (650) 726-8177; volunteers (650) 712-1770
- Legion of Mary — weekly Praesidium meeting
- Parish life / volunteer opportunities coordinated through the parish office
St. Vincent de Paul Society — Outreach
The St. Vincent de Paul Conference at Our Lady of the Pillar provides person-to-person services to families and individuals facing emergency situations, sharing time, talent, and resources in a spirit of love and humility. The conference operates a food pantry and home visit ministry serving the working poor, low-income seniors, the homeless, single parents, the unemployed, and the disabled, without regard to race, religion, creed, or ethnic origin.
- Food programs / pantry
- Rent and utilities assistance
- Emergency shelter assistance
- Emergency transportation
- Senior and shut-in care; visiting the sick
- Clothing and household needs
- Homeless care
- Assistance line: (650) 726-8177 — home visit scheduled by a conference member
- Volunteer line: (650) 712-1770
Knights of Columbus Council
Our Lady of the Pillar's Knights of Columbus Council was founded in 1964 and now numbers more than 100 Brothers. The council meets every third Tuesday at 7:00 PM in the Old Hall for dinner, fellowship, and a working discussion on serving the parish community. Annual dues are $35. Father Mark (Taheny) serves as chaplain. Members usher, lector, and serve as EMEs at Mass, assist at the monthly adoration hour, run a booth at the Pumpkin Festival, and host an annual Christmas dinner for parish volunteers.
- Council founded 1964 — over 100 Brothers
- Meetings: 3rd Tuesday 7:00 PM in the Old Hall
- Chaplain: Father Mark
- Grand Knight: Paul Reidl — [email protected] / (650) 560-8530
- Annual dues $35
Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary at Our Lady of the Pillar offers Catholic men and women an organized way to support their parish clergy in performing spiritual works — visiting the homebound, bringing Communion, greeting new parishioners, spreading devotion to the Rosary, and assisting as Eucharistic Minister, Lector, or Altar Server at daily Mass. Active members attend a weekly Praesidium meeting and carry out substantial assigned apostolic work in the parish.
- Weekly Praesidium meeting
- Active and auxiliary (prayer-only) membership
- Apostolic work: homebound visits, Eucharistic ministry, Rosary devotion, parish welcomes
Music Ministry
The parish holds an aspirational goal of enriching worship through a liturgical music program that responds to the spiritual needs of parishioners. Drawing on the tradition of St. Cecilia, the program supports parish-based musicians and the training that good liturgical music requires. Donations help fund a director of music and the formation of parish musicians.
- Parish-based musicians and choir
- Supports English, Spanish, and Latin liturgical celebrations
- Director of music supported by parishioner donations
Parish Cemeteries
The parish maintains two historic Catholic cemeteries serving the Coastside. Historic Pilarcitos Cemetery was established in 1820 and served as the burial ground for coastal settlers and Mission-era Indians; after a fire destroyed the original church (1875 / 1876) the Vasquez family began using the surrounding land directly for plots, and the pastor at the time, Father John Valentini, eventually purchased the land from the family to formalize it again as a Catholic cemetery of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery replaced Pilarcitos as the active Catholic cemetery for the area, with its first burial in 1921. Sunset Magazine named Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery one of the 'Five Great Cemeteries Worth Exploring in Northern California.'
- Pilarcitos Cemetery established 1820; associated with the Vasquez rancho
- Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery — first burial 1921
- Operated as a Catholic cemetery of the Archdiocese of San Francisco
- Recognized by Sunset Magazine among 'Five Great Cemeteries Worth Exploring in Northern California'
Visiting and Getting Involved
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at (650) 726-4674 or [email protected]. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM (closed on holidays). Interested Catholics are encouraged to attend a weekend Mass, sign up for RCIA/OCIA or Religious Education, volunteer through St. Vincent de Paul or the Knights of Columbus, or sign up for a holy hour in the Perpetual Adoration Chapel. The parish bulletin (linked on the website) carries seasonal schedules for Holy Week, Christmas, and other feasts.
- Parish office phone: (650) 726-4674
- Email: [email protected]
- Religious Education email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00 PM–4:30 PM (except holidays)
- Weekly parish bulletin carries Holy Week and Christmas schedules