About Queen of All Saints · Concord, California
Queen of All Saints is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Catholic parish in downtown Concord, California, in the Diocese of Oakland, whose mission statement is 'To Love and Serve through Jesus Christ.' The parish traces its roots to a 1867 mission founded by the Benicia Dominican Province and today serves a diverse community with eight weekend Masses, daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays, and a robust formation program for children, teens, and adults. It is closely tied to Queen of All Saints School, the first Catholic school in Contra Costa County, and runs an active St. Vincent de Paul food pantry and outreach program on Bacon Street.
- Established
- 1873
- Patron
- Queen of All Saints (Our Lady, Queen of All Saints)
- Rector
- Fr. Neal Clemens
- Diocese
- Diocese of Oakland
Why belong here
Queen of All Saints is a genuinely bilingual parish where almost every ministry — Mass, faith formation, First Communion, Confirmation, outreach — runs in both English and Spanish, making it a natural fit for bilingual families and for anyone who wants to worship in a culturally rich community. Daily Mass is offered six days a week, Friday Eucharistic Adoration runs all day in the church, and there are eight weekend Masses including a dedicated Youth Mass on Sunday at 4:30 PM. With an active St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, EDGE middle school ministry, OCIA (RCIA), SPRED ministry for persons with developmental disabilities, and a parish school that has been a downtown Concord fixture since 1948, the parish offers concrete ways for newcomers to get involved in sacramental life, service, and youth formation.
Mass times at Queen of All Saints
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 4:00 PM – 6:15 PM (Español)
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (English)
- Saturday 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM (Español)
Adoration times
- Every Friday 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM in the church (Adoración al Santísimo: todos los viernes 9am-6:30pm en la Iglesia)
Our Story & Heritage
Queen of All Saints traces its roots to 1867, when priests of the Benicia Dominican Province began riding out from St. Catherine's in Martinez to say Mass for Catholic families in Pacheco. After years of flooding, the community relocated uphill in 1869 onto land donated by Don Salvio Pacheco, Fernando Pacheco, and Francisco Galindo, who named the new town 'Todos Santos.' A wood-frame church was built in 1873 at Salvio and East Streets — the first church of any kind in Concord — and the mission took the Spanish name 'Regina Todos Santos,' Queen of All Saints. For the next 50 years it remained a mission of St. Catherine's. In 1923, Queen of All Saints was formally established as an independent parish with its own resident pastor. As the congregation grew, a new Spanish mission-style church was built a few blocks away at Grant Street and Almond Avenue and dedicated in 1953. Stained-glass windows in the present church honor the founding families and depict Mount Diablo, the 17,921-acre land grant that Pacheco received from the Mexican government in 1834.
- 1867 – St. Michael's Mission founded in Pacheco by the Benicia Dominican Province
- 1869 – Mission relocated to higher ground; settlement renamed 'Todos Santos'
- 1873 – First church built at Salvio and East Streets (first church in Concord)
- 1923 – Becomes an independent parish, no longer a mission of St. Catherine's
- 1953 – Current Spanish mission-style church dedicated at 2390 Grant Street
- 1998 – 125th anniversary of the religious community and 50th anniversary of the school celebrated with a Jubilee Mass
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs a comprehensive formation program for children, teens, and adults in both English and Spanish, coordinated by Pastoral Associate Nancy Tomsic (English) and Anabella Romero (Spanish / Catecismo). Children in Grades 1–6 meet either Sunday morning, between Masses, or Tuesday afternoon; First Communion is a two-year family program; middle-schoolers join EDGE; high-schoolers prepare for Confirmation over two years. The parish also runs an OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults / RCIA) process for adults 18 and older seeking Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion.
- Faith Formation Grades 1–6 — Sunday 9:00–10:15 AM, Sunday 11:30 AM–12:45 PM, or Tuesday 5:15–6:30 PM
- First Communion preparation — 2-year program for grades 1+; parents attend with children
- EDGE Catholic Middle School Ministry — Grades 6–8, Sunday 9:00–10:15 AM (pre-Confirmation)
- High School Confirmation — Grades 9–12, Sunday 2:30–4:15 PM followed by 4:30 PM Mass
- OCIA (RCIA) — adult initiation process; contact Nancy Tomsic 925-685-8707
- Catecismo en Español — contact Anabella Romero 925-566-8380 / [email protected]
Ministries & Outreach
Parish life at Queen of All Saints is organized around several umbrella areas — Charitable Ministries, Liturgy, Music, Outreach, and Parish Councils. The most visible outreach is the parish's St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, which operates from a building on Bacon Street (the side of the rectory) every Wednesday morning and on the third Saturday of the month, distributing free groceries and helping with utility and rent assistance. The parish has actively called for additional volunteers in SPRED (a ministry with persons with developmental disabilities), Hospital Ministers of Communion, and the food pantry itself. Other longstanding groups include CYO athletics, a Senior Luncheon and Senior Bingo, a Music Ministry, Priest-In-Aisle ministry, and parish (Pastoral and Finance) Councils.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — pantry on Bacon St., Wednesdays 9:30–11:30 AM and 3rd Saturday 10–11 AM; phone 925-609-5944
- SPRED — ministry with persons with developmental disabilities (Morena Grimaldi 925-676-6494)
- Hospital Ministers of Communion — contact Patty Stice
- Music Ministry — Director Enrico Banson ([email protected])
- CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) athletics
- Senior Luncheon / Senior Bingo
- Parish Councils (Pastoral and Finance) and Priest-In-Aisle ministry
Sacraments
Information about the seven sacraments is available through the parish website's Sacraments menu, with dedicated pages for First Communion, Confirmation, and the OCIA process. Infant Baptism is prepared through the parish office; First Communion is a two-year family-based preparation; Confirmation is a two-year high-school program; Reconciliation is offered weekly (see schedule). Couples preparing for marriage and families preparing anointing of the sick are asked to contact the rectory directly.
- Baptism — preparation for infants and children (school catechism includes Baptism if child is unbaptized)
- First Communion — 2-year program; must be in at least 1st grade
- Confirmation — 2-year High School program; Sundays 2:30–4:15 PM plus 4:30 PM Mass
- Reconciliation (Confession) — see weekly schedule
- Matrimony / Marriage — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the rectory
Queen of All Saints School
Queen of All Saints School (qasconcord.org) sits on the parish grounds and is rooted in downtown Concord near Todos Santos Plaza. Founded in 1948 under the leadership of Father (later Monsignor) Laurence Hennessy, it holds the distinction of being the first Catholic school in Contra Costa County. The school originally opened on September 13, 1948, with 250 students in Kindergarten through sixth grade, taught by four Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet — Mother Therese Cecile Pratt (Superior and Principal), Sister Naomi Masten, Sister Bernadine Marie Newman, and Sister Elizabeth Ann Martin. Archbishop John J. Mitty performed the official dedication on October 31, 1948. By 1950 a second wing was added, the IDES Hall was relocated to the school grounds as a lunchroom/auditorium, and enrollment grew to 300 students in grades K–8, producing the school's first eighth-grade graduation in 1951.
- Founded 1948 — first Catholic school in Contra Costa County
- Founding pastor: Father (later Monsignor) Laurence Hennessy
- Opening staff: 4 Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, including Mother Therese Cecile Pratt
- Dedicated October 31, 1948 by Archbishop John J. Mitty
- Expanded to K–8 by 1950–51; first 8th-grade graduation 1951
Parish Staff & Directory
The parish is led by Pastor Fr. Neal Clemens and Parochial Vicar Fr. Filiberto Barrera, supported by a lay staff that includes a Pastoral Associate, Business Manager, Secretary, Youth Minister, Spanish Faith Formation Coordinator, and Music Director. The full directory is printed in every weekly bulletin, with direct email addresses for each member of the team.
- Fr. Neal Clemens — Pastor ([email protected], 925-825-0350 x105)
- Fr. Filiberto Barrera — Parochial Vicar ([email protected], 925-825-0350 x104)
- Nancy Tomsic — Pastoral Associate ([email protected])
- Debra Smith — Business Manager ([email protected])
- Mayte Lavazzi — Secretary ([email protected], 925-825-0350 x101)
- Edelyn Baldonado — Youth Minister / Office Support ([email protected], 925-825-0350 x103)
- Anabella Romero — Coordinator of First Communion in Spanish ([email protected], 925-566-8380)
- Enrico Banson — Director of Music ([email protected])
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
The parish office is located at 2390 Grant Street, Concord, CA 94520, next to the school and steps from Todos Santos Plaza in downtown Concord. Office hours are Monday and Thursday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (closed 1:00–2:00 PM for lunch), and the office is closed on Tuesdays. Main phone: 925-825-0350.
- Address: 2390 Grant Street, Concord, CA 94520
- Phone: 925-825-0350
- Office hours: Mon & Thu 9 AM–6 PM; Wed & Fri 9 AM–5 PM (lunch 1–2 PM); closed Tuesdays
- Nearby: Queen of All Saints School, Todos Santos Plaza, St. Vincent de Paul pantry on Bacon Street
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Neal Clemens
Current pastor; also referenced in the parish bulletin as 'O. Clemens'
- Fr. Filiberto Barrera
Current parochial vicar (listed as 'Fr. Filiberto Berrera' on some parish pages)