About St. Agnes · Concord, California
St. Agnes Catholic Parish is a Roman Catholic parish located at 3966 Chestnut Avenue in Concord, California, in the Diocese of Oakland. According to the parish's own welcome letter and to GCatholic, it was established as a parish in 1964 and today self-describes as carrying on "60 years of history and tradition." The parish describes itself as a vibrant, multicultural community built around prayer, service, hospitality, stewardship and community building, with a well-prepared liturgy at the center of parish life and an associated parish school that continues to offer Catholic education. The current Parochial Administrator is Rev. Fr. Luke Ssemakula, and Mass is celebrated daily in English, with Saturday Vigil and four Sunday Masses, along with Saturday confessions and ongoing Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
- Established
- 1964
- Patron
- St. Agnes of Rome (virgin and martyr, c. 291–304 AD)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Luke Ssemakula (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Oakland
Why belong here
St. Agnes invites Catholics in the Concord area into a multicultural parish community centered on the Eucharist, with daily Mass and four Sunday Masses to fit any schedule, Saturday confessions, and Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Families are supported by a K-8 Catholic school and a parish faith formation program that prepares children for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, while adults can grow through a Stewardship Renewal program, a Parish Pastoral Council, and outreach ministries such as the Giving Tree that serves local agencies and families at Christmas. It is the kind of mid-sized parish where the pastor personally welcomes newcomers and where stewardship, hospitality and service are named as core values.
Mass times at St. Agnes
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM (please be in the church by 3:30 PM)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (sign-up via the parish website)
About St. Agnes Parish
St. Agnes Catholic Parish in Concord, California is a multicultural Roman Catholic community of the Diocese of Oakland. The parish website describes the community as vibrant, welcoming and built on prayer, service, hospitality, stewardship and community building, with a well-prepared liturgy at the center of parish life. In a personal welcome on the website, Fr. Luke greets newcomers to the Concord area and thanks existing parishioners for their stewardship and collaboration, and the parish's stated vision is "To know, to live and to share our faith in Christ."
- Vision: To know, to live and to share our faith in Christ.
- Mission: To know Christ, and to make Him better known by welcoming all, teaching and sharing the Faith, providing worship and spiritual growth opportunities, and serving those in need.
- Parish community carries '60 years of history and tradition'
History
GCatholic records St. Agnes as a parish established in 1964 in Concord, California, within the Diocese of Oakland. Its associated parish school, St. Agnes School, opened in 1967 under Father Edmund Hayburn with the original staff being the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, whose religious community remained present at the school through 2012.
- Parish founded: 1964
- School founded: 1967 by Fr. Edmund Hayburn
- Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet staffed the school from 1967 until 2012
Parish Staff and Leadership
The parish is currently led by Rev. Fr. Luke Ssemakula, listed on the parish website as Parochial Administrator. A Pastoral Council of approximately ten parish members, appointed by the pastor, consults with him on important parish issues and provides two-way communication between parish leadership, the school and volunteer ministries, meeting monthly.
- Parochial Administrator: Rev. Fr. Luke Ssemakula
- Pastoral Council: ~10 members, monthly meetings
- Contact for Father Luke shown on the parish 'people' page
Faith Formation
The Faith Formation program at St. Agnes serves children in grades K through 4, including preparation for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist. The parish states the conviction that parents are the first and best teachers of faith for their children.
- Grades K–4 Faith Formation
- First Reconciliation and First Eucharist preparation
- Parents described as 'first and best teachers of faith'
Stewardship Renewal
Under the ministries listed on the parish website, Stewardship Renewal serves as a facilitating body enabling parishioners to live out their baptismal calling as stewards of their church. The activities are centered on educating parishioners about stewardship.
- Facilitates parishioners' baptismal calling as stewards
- Educates parishioners about stewardship
Outreach and Charity — Giving Tree
The Giving Tree is a seasonal ministry that provides Christmas gifts to vetted community agencies, St. Agnes School and the parish. Volunteers help organize 'stars,' set up and monitor trees, and assist with the distribution of gifts.
- Seasonal Christmas outreach
- Serves vetted community agencies, St. Agnes School, and the parish
- Contact: parish office 925-689-0838
St. Agnes School
St. Agnes School is the parish school, opening in 1967 under Fr. Edmund Hayburn and originally staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (whose presence there continued through 2012). Today it serves approximately 300 students from preschool through eighth grade and maintains the Sisters' mission of serving all students and consistent outreach to the poor.
- Opened 1967 under Fr. Edmund Hayburn
- Approximately 300 students, preschool through 8th grade
- Philosophy continues the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet mission
- Outreach to the poor is a continuing commitment
Visit and Contact
The parish can be reached by phone at (925) 689-0838 and is located at 3966 Chestnut Avenue, Concord, CA 94519. Newcomers are warmly welcomed in a personal letter from Fr. Luke on the homepage, and Mass times, confession times and a link to online giving are published directly on the parish website.
- Address: 3966 Chestnut Avenue, Concord, CA 94519
- Phone: (925) 689-0838
- Website: http://www.stagnesparish.net
- Online Giving link available on the parish site
- Live Stream link available on the parish site
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Edmund Hayburn
Founded/opened St. Agnes School in 1967 under his direction