About Sacred Heart · Olema, California
Sacred Heart Parish is a Roman Catholic community serving the rural West Marin region of California's Point Reyes Peninsula. The parish encompasses two churches: Sacred Heart Church in Olema (10189 State Route 1) and St. Mary Magdalene Mission Church in Bolinas (16 Horseshoe Hill Road). It welcomes residents and visitors alike with Masses in both English and Spanish, faith formation classes for children, an open-air shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, a historic cemetery, and a rental center for special events. The current pastor is Father Erick Arauz, and the parish belongs to the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
- Established
- 1891 (as Our Lady of Lourdes; Sacred Heart officially established as a parish in 1940)
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Father Erick Arauz
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Francisco (Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Francisco)
Why belong here
Sacred Heart Parish offers a rare combination of rural Marin beauty and warm Catholic community life, with bilingual Masses in English and Spanish, an active CCD faith formation program for children, and devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe at the parish's open-air shrine. Visitors and residents are welcomed as neighbors, and the parish is home to historic landmarks including the Old Rectory and a historical cemetery. With First Friday Adoration, regular Reconciliation, and ministries serving the Hispanic community, it is a place where long-time parishioners and newcomers to the Point Reyes Peninsula can pray, serve, and belong.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before the Saturday 6:00 p.m. (Spanish) Mass
- Before the Sunday 9:00 a.m. Mass (per older about page; current site notes confessions by appointment)
- By appointment — call (415) 663-1139
- At St. Mary Magdalene Mission: before the Sunday 10:00 a.m. Mass or by appointment
Adoration times
- Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: First Friday of each month, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
History of Sacred Heart Parish
Catholic life in Olema stretches back to the late 19th century, when Our Lady of Lourdes parish was established in 1891 and a frame church was built on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. the following year. The Sacred Heart Fathers of the Belgian province took over in 1909 and for 26 years shepherded a far-flung rural flock — by horse-and-buggy and bicycle — that included Nicasio, Bolinas, San Geronimo, and Pt. Reyes Station. Their 13-room parish house (today's Old Rectory, built 1911) was also a place of rest for visiting missionaries, including some from the leper colony at Molokai in Hawaii.
- 1891 — Our Lady of Lourdes parish established in Olema
- 1892 — Frame church erected on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. under Rev. J. Valentini
- 1909 — Sacred Heart Fathers (Belgian province) assume the parish
- 1911 — 13-room Old Rectory built; serves a wide West Marin mission area
- 1914 — Point Reyes Station church completed under Father Emil Roger
- 1923 — Original Olema church (Our Lady of Lourdes) decommissioned
- 1935 — Sacred Heart Fathers leave the parish
- 1940 — Sacred Heart Church officially becomes a parish under Father Dermody; old Olema altar moved to Point Reyes
- 1968 — Today's Sacred Heart Church dedicated by Archbishop Joseph McGucken with Rev. Richard Barron as pastor
- 1987 — Point Reyes church decommissioned and sold to the Dance Palace Community Center
- 1992 — New priest's house built
- 1994 — Parish library officially opens
- 1995 — Sacred Heart Women's Club disbands to serve on parish event committees
- March 11, 2024 — Father Bruno Gibson O.P., beloved servant of St. Mary Magdalene Mission, passes away
Sacred Heart Church, Olema
The Olema church is the home church for Roman Catholics living in the West Marin communities of Olema, Pt. Reyes Station, Inverness, and the surrounding areas. Visitors are welcomed at Mass, at Sunday coffee hour, for the sacraments, for prayer at the shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, or simply to stop in and pray. The contemporary-style church faces the Bear Valley area of the Point Reyes National Seashore and was dedicated in 1968.
- Address: 10189 State Route 1, Olema, CA 94950
- Mailing: P.O. Box 70, Olema, CA 94950
- Parish offices located at the Old Rectory in Olema
- Statue of Sacred Heart of Jesus near the front of the church
- Statue of St. Francis of Assisi on the grounds
- Open-air covered shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe
St. Mary Magdalene Mission Church, Bolinas
St. Mary Magdalene Mission Church serves Roman Catholics in Bolinas and Stinson Beach, sitting alongside the historic Briones Cemetery. The cemetery is likely the oldest active cemetery in Marin County and contains 170 documented burials plus several unidentified graves. The land was originally donated in 1853 by Don Gregorio Briones after a smallpox epidemic killed members of his family; Pablo Briones organized construction of the church in 1877–1879 with donations from both Catholic and Protestant neighbors. The mission and cemetery were formally deeded to the Archdiocese of San Francisco in June 1878. The bell tower was added in 1908, and the building survived the 1906 earthquake with only minor damage.
- Address: 16 Horseshoe Hill Road, Bolinas, CA 94924
- Sunday Mass: 10:00 a.m.
- Holy Days: call 415.663.1139
- Confession before the 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass or by appointment
- Briones Cemetery (c. 1853; oldest active cemetery in Marin)
- Donated by Gregorio Briones; church built 1877–1879 by Pablo Briones
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Catechism has been a continuous thread in parish life since the early 1930s, when classes were first taught in the Olema Parish House. In the 1940s the program moved to the Red Barn (later Green Barn) in Pt. Reyes Station during the 'release time' era, when public-school children were bussed to religious education during the school day. Today an active CCD program continues to serve the families of the parish.
- Early 1930s — Catechism begins at the Olema Parish House
- 1940s — Classes move to the Red Barn (later Green Barn) in Pt. Reyes Station
- Release-time program: children released from school and bussed to CCD
- Active CCD program serving parish families today
Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine
On the parish grounds stands a covered open-air shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, a gift and ministry of the parish's thriving Hispanic community. Visitors are welcome to stop in and pray at the shrine any time.
- Open-air covered shrine on parish grounds
- Gift of the Hispanic community of Sacred Heart Parish
- Open for prayer to all visitors
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Sacred Heart Parish has long been sustained by lay organizations and committees. The Parish Council and Finance Committee guide the community in ongoing spiritual assistance and aid the pastor in enabling the people of the parish to carry out the work of the Church. A parish library opened in 1994 with an extensive collection of religious and secular books.
- Parish Council — guides spiritual life and parish operations
- Finance Committee — supports the pastor in parish stewardship
- Parish Library — opened 1994
- Helping Hands — bereavement ministry (on hiatus); provided transportation, food, flowers, hospital visits, and written greetings
- Sacred Heart Women's Club — long-time supporters of the parish (disbanded 1995)
- Parish rental center for special events
Clergy & Staff
Father Erick Arauz currently serves as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish. The parish mourned the March 11, 2024 passing of Father Bruno Gibson O.P., who had dedicated part of his ministry to St. Mary Magdalene Mission in Bolinas with great love.
- Fr. Erick Arauz — Pastor (current)
- Fr. Bruno Gibson O.P. — served St. Mary Magdalene Mission (d. March 11, 2024)
Contact & Visiting
Parish office hours are 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, or by appointment. The parish offices are housed in the Old Rectory in Olema. Donations may be made by mail (P.O. Box 70, Olema, CA 94950), online through the parish website, or in person.
- Office hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Phone: (415) 663-1139
- Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
- Donations: by mail, online (www.marinsacredheart.com), or in person
- Activity updates: Sacredheart Parish Facebook page
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. J. Valentini1891–
First pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes, Olema; oversaw erection of the 1892 frame church.
- Sacred Heart Fathers, Belgian province1909–1935
Missionary order that assumed the parish and served 26 years; built the Old Rectory (1911), served missions including Nicasio, Bolinas, and San Geronimo; Point Reyes Station church completed 1914.
- Father Emil Rogercirca 1914
Acting pastor who directed completion of the Point Reyes Station church.
- Father Dermodycirca 1940
Took down the original Our Lady of Lourdes church; moved the altar to Point Reyes.
- Rev. Richard Barron1968
Pastor at the time the new Sacred Heart Church was dedicated by Archbishop Joseph McGucken.
- Fr. Bruno Gibson O.P.
Served the St. Mary Magdalene Mission in Bolinas; passed away March 11, 2024.
- Fr. Erick Arauzcurrent
Current pastor.