About St. Anne · Union City, California
St. Anne Catholic Church is a large, multicultural parish of the Diocese of Oakland serving Union City, California and the surrounding Tri-City area. Its roots stretch back to 1862, when a small wooden chapel was established as one of the first mission churches formed from Mission San José. After decades as a mission of St. Edward (Newark) and then Our Lady of the Rosary, St. Anne was erected as its own parish in 1973 under founding pastor Fr. Eladio Pascual. A new church at the corner of Dyer and Cabello Streets was built in 1983 to accommodate explosive growth, and today St. Anne is recognized as one of the largest parishes in the Oakland Diocese, celebrated locally as the "Little Church by the Wayside" turned vibrant community of "Faith, Service and Joy."
- Established
- 1862 (mission); 1973 (parish)
- Patron
- St. Anne (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Joseph Nguyen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Oakland
Why belong here
St. Anne is one of the largest and most diverse parishes in the Diocese of Oakland, with Mass celebrated in English, Spanish, and Indonesian, and a parish motto of "Faith, Service and Joy." Worshippers find a full sacramental life — daily Mass, Saturday confessions, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, First Friday devotions, and a parish-wide CYO athletics program for Grades 3–8 — alongside robust Faith Formation for children, a two-year Confirmation program for teens, Adult Confirmation and RCIA, and outreach through St. Vincent de Paul. Generations of parishioners have shaped this community with their time, talent, and treasure, and newcomers are welcomed into a parish that has, in the words of its own history page, been built and sustained by ordinary people offering their gifts to worship God and serve one another.
Mass times at St. Anne
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM (please proceed to the reconciliation room in the church)
Adoration times
- Friday (except First Friday): Exposition and Adoration following the 8:00 AM Mass until 12:00 noon
- First Friday: Exposition and Adoration following the 8:00 AM Mass until 6:45 PM; Benediction and reposition at 6:45 PM, followed by Mass at 7:00 PM
Parish History: From Mission Chapel to Largest Parish in the Diocese
St. Anne began in 1862 as one of the first mission churches formed from Mission San José. The original wooden chapel was replaced in 1926 by a Spanish mission-style church with stained glass windows — widely regarded as one of the finest examples of rural church architecture in California. After decades as a mission of St. Edward (Newark) and then Our Lady of the Rosary, St. Anne was erected as its own parish in 1973 with Fr. Eladio Pascual as founding pastor. The phenomenal growth led to construction of the present church at Dyer and Cabello Streets in 1983, and today St. Anne is recognized as one of the largest parishes in the Diocese of Oakland.
- 1862 — original wooden chapel founded as a mission of Mission San José
- 1926 — Spanish mission-style church built (old wooden chapel demolished 1935)
- 1973 — St. Anne erected as a parish; Fr. Eladio Pascual named first pastor
- 1983 — current church built at the corner of Dyer and Cabello Streets
- Today — one of the largest parishes in the Diocese of Oakland
Faith Formation and Religious Education
St. Anne's Faith Formation program supports parents as the primary educators of their children and offers year-round classes for grades 1 through 8, sacramental preparation, and continuing formation beyond First Communion.
- School of Religious Education — Grades 1–8 (classes held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays after school hours)
- Year 1–2 Communion — Grades 1–4 (Tuesdays)
- Post-Communion — Grades 3–5 (Wednesdays)
- Year 1–2 — Grades 5–8 (Wednesdays, 5:00 PM)
- First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion preparation — two-year journey, typically beginning in 1st Grade
- Middle School Faith Formation (Grades 6–8) emphasizes the Catechism of the Catholic Church, prayers, the Bible, and applying Catholic teaching to daily life
Youth Ministry and Confirmation
Open to youth entering the ninth grade (and high schoolers without prior youth ministry experience), St. Anne Youth Ministry builds community through faith sharing, service, and spiritual growth. The first-year high school program also serves as Year 1 of the two-year Confirmation program.
- Youth Ministry meetings on Monday evenings during the school year (2nd, 3rd, and 4th Mondays)
- Two-year Confirmation preparation for high school students
- Adult Confirmation for Catholics who have not yet been confirmed
- RCIA for adults seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church
- Youth Mass celebrated every 2nd and 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM
CYO Athletics: Boys Basketball and Girls Volleyball
St. Anne sponsors a Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) program as one dimension of its total ministry to youth. Open to children in Grades 3 through 8, the program emphasizes Christian sportsmanship over winning, and is open to Catholics and non-Catholics residing within parish boundaries.
- Boys Basketball and Girls Volleyball, Grades 3–8
- Eligibility via Faith Formation enrollment, parish boundaries, or petition for exception
- $250 fee per player; volunteer coaches required to complete diocesan certification, Safe Environment training, and Live Scan fingerprinting
- Recent champions: 8th-grade Boys Basketball and 8th-grade Girls Volleyball (2025), 6th-grade Boys Basketball (2025), 8th-grade Girls Volleyball three-peat
Outreach and Service
The parish's mission statement commits its members to evangelization, service to the homeless and hungry, and care for the dignity of every human person. The St. Vincent de Paul conference carries this work forward in concrete ways in Union City and beyond.
- St. Vincent de Paul conference — direct outreach to neighbors in need
- Parish mission: 'We, the people of Saint Anne Parish, are called to be witnesses transformed by the saving power of Christ… to evangelize the message of Jesus and serve the homeless, hungry, and underprivileged.'
- Time, talent, and treasure stewardship — parishioners contribute as lectors, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, ushers, musicians, and more
Sacraments and Parish Life
Beyond the Sunday and weekday Mass schedule, St. Anne prepares parishioners for all the major sacraments of the Catholic Church, with dedicated ministry coordinators overseeing sacramental preparation for children, youth, and adults.
- Baptism — infant baptism preparation for parish families
- First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion — two-year preparation beginning in Grade 1
- Confirmation — two-year high school program, with Adult Confirmation available
- RCIA — process for adults seeking initiation into the Catholic Church
- Marriage and Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office for preparation
Contact, Location, and Office Hours
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM for both phone calls and in-person visits. The church sits at 32223 Cabello Street in Union City, with directions available on the parish website.
- Address: 32223 Cabello Street, Union City, CA 94587
- Phone: (510) 471-7766; Fax: (510) 487-6540
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.saintannecatholic.org
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/saintanneuc
- Parish Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Eladio Pascual1973
Founding pastor when St. Anne was established as its own parish.
- Fr. Joe Proknow
Pastor during the era when the old church's parish hall was famously built by parishioner volunteers.