About St. Anthony · Oakland, California
St. Anthony (formally St. Anthony – Mary Help of Christians) is a Roman Catholic parish in East Oakland, California, belonging to the Diocese of Oakland. The parish traces its roots to 1871, when San Francisco Archbishop Joseph S. Alemany erected St. Anthony's to serve the growing Catholic community in Brooklyn Township (East Oakland). Today the unified parish operates two worship sites — St. Anthony Church at 1535 16th Avenue (on the corner of East 15th Street and 16th Avenue) and Mary Help of Christians Church at 2611 E. 9th Street in the Jingletown neighborhood — following their 2014 merger. The parish is notably multilingual, celebrating Mass in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and (at Mary Help of Christians) an Eritrean community liturgy, and runs a K–8 parish school.
- Established
- 1871
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua (patron saint of lost things)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Oakland
Why belong here
St. Anthony – Mary Help of Christians welcomes one of the most liturgically and linguistically diverse congregations in the Diocese of Oakland, with weekly Mass offered in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and (at the Mary Help of Christians site) for the local Eritrean community. The parish sustains a K–8 Catholic school, a long-running RCIA process for adults seeking initiation, ongoing Faith Formation / Confirmation and First Communion programs for children and teens, daily recitation of the Rosary (Monday–Friday at 6 p.m.), an annual San Antonio Festival with community raffle, Triduum and feast-day Masses, and frequent opportunities for the Sacrament of Matrimony through community weddings. It is a place where immigrant communities — particularly Latino, Vietnamese, and Eritrean — gather as one parish family across two historic East Oakland worship sites.
Mass times at St. Anthony
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM (Spanish, San Antonio)
- Saturday 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM (Vietnamese / Bí Tích Hòa Giải, St. Anthony Church)
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Spanish, Mary Help of Christians)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Spanish, San Antonio)
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Spanish, Mary Help of Christians)
- Wednesday 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Exposition of the Holy Sacrament — historically listed at the parish)
Parish Identity & Two Worship Sites
St. Anthony – Mary Help of Christians is a single Roman Catholic parish in East Oakland formed in 2014 by the merger of St. Anthony's (founded 1871) and Mary Help of Christians (parish 1915). Both historic church buildings remain active: St. Anthony Church at 1535 16th Avenue (corner of East 15th Street and 16th Avenue) and Mary Help of Christians Church at 2611 E. 9th Street in the Jingletown neighborhood. Mass and the sacraments are celebrated at both sites in multiple languages, with each community retaining its own devotional and cultural life within the unified parish.
- St. Anthony Church – 1535 16th Avenue, Oakland, CA 94606
- Mary Help of Christians Church – 2611 E. 9th Street, Oakland, CA 94601
- Parish office: [email protected] | (510) 534-2117
Founding and 19th-Century Roots
The parish dates to 1871, when San Francisco Archbishop Joseph S. Alemany erected St. Anthony's to serve Catholics in Brooklyn Township (East Oakland). Father William Gleeson, the parish's long-serving rector from the mission era, established a school that opened as Our Lady of Lourdes School in 1877 with about fifty students and was staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. The cornerstone of the present St. Anthony Church was laid in 1885 and the building dedicated in 1886.
- Founded 1871 by Archbishop Joseph S. Alemany, O.P.
- Cornerstone 1885; church dedicated 1886
- Rev. William Gleeson — rector for approximately 30 years until his death in 1903
- Sisters of Mercy staffed the original school
Mary Help of Christians in Jingletown
Mary Help of Christians Church began in 1911 as a mission of St. Joseph's Portuguese in West Oakland, gathering first in a rented garage near the Fruitvale train station. The community purchased a lot at 23rd Avenue and East 9th Street for $6,000 and dedicated a new building on December 15, 1915. In 1924 the structure was moved and raised to add a ground floor at its present 26th Avenue / East 9th Street site. During the late 1960s and 1970s the parish became a center of the Chicano Movement — hosting the Brown Berets' headquarters, holding the first Día del Barrio in 1971, and running the Chicano Revolutionary Party's breakfast program for children and families in Jingletown.
- Mission founded 1911
- Church building dedicated December 15, 1915
- Building moved and raised 1924 to present 26th Ave / E. 9th St. location
- Center of Chicano Movement organizing in 1960s–70s
- Host of Día del Barrio (first held 1971)
2014 Merger into One Parish
In 2014 St. Anthony's and Mary Help of Christians were formally combined into the single parish of St. Anthony – Mary Help of Christians, as reported by the Diocese of Oakland's Catholic Voice (March 10, 2014) and confirmed by GCatholic. The two worship sites are maintained, and Mass is celebrated at both locations, allowing the distinct linguistic communities to continue gathering in their familiar churches.
- Parishes combined 2014
- Both worship sites retained
- GCatholic designation: 'parish 1871; combined 2014'
Devotions and Feast Days
The parish sustains several regular devotions. The Rosary is prayed every weekday (Monday–Friday) at 6:00 PM at St. Anthony Church. A Triduum in honor of St. Anthony begins on June 11 with Mass at 6:00 PM, leading to the Solemnity of St. Anthony on June 13 — celebrated with Mass at 6:00 PM followed by a procession around the neighborhood. The Solemnity of Mary Help of Christians is observed on June 24 with Mass at 6:00 PM at Mary Help of Christians Church, including the Anointing of the Sick.
- Daily Rosary — Mon–Fri 6:00 PM, St. Anthony
- Triduum in honor of St. Anthony — begins June 11, 6:00 PM
- St. Anthony Feast Day — June 13, 6:00 PM Mass and procession
- Mary Help of Christians Feast Day — June 24, 6:00 PM Mass with Anointing of the Sick
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs age-appropriate preparation for the sacraments of initiation, with registration typically opening each summer and classes beginning in early September. Adults who still need Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation are welcomed into the parish RCIA program.
- First Communion (CCD) — registration by early September
- Confirmation — youth ages 14–18; classes begin around September 7
- RCIA — for adults preparing for Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation
St. Anthony Catholic School (K–8)
St. Anthony Catholic School is a religious and educational ministry of St. Anthony – Mary Help of Christians Parish. Originally founded as Our Lady of Lourdes School in 1877 by Father Gleeson and staffed by the Sisters of Mercy, the school today serves K–8 students with a 21st-century blended-learning curriculum and a strong Catholic identity. It is part of the Lumen Christi Academies network across the Diocese of Oakland.
- Founded 1877 as Our Lady of Lourdes School
- Established by Rev. William Gleeson; staffed by Sisters of Mercy
- Grades K–8
- Member of Lumen Christi Academies (Diocese of Oakland)
- Address: 1500 E 15th Street, Oakland, CA 94606
- Main Office: (510) 534-3334
- School website: https://stanthony-oakland.org/
Community Life, Festival & Outreach
Each fall the parish hosts its San Antonio Festival / St. Anthony's Annual Festival (typically in early October), which serves as a major fundraiser and gathering point. Raffle tickets have historically been sold at $5 each with prizes for the top five winners (e.g., $500 / $300 / $200 / $100 / $100). The parish also coordinates Community Weddings each September for couples preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony, and supports ongoing parish fundraising through donations of supplies for the festival.
- Annual San Antonio Festival (early October)
- Festival raffle — $5/ticket, with five prize tiers
- Community Weddings coordinated each September
- Festival donations of sodas, water, plates, cups, forks, and spoons welcomed
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors are warmly invited to celebrate Mass at either worship site. The parish office can be reached by phone at (510) 534-2117 or by email at [email protected], and the official website is https://stanthonymaryhelp.org/. St. Anthony Church is located on the corner of East 15th Street and 16th Avenue in East Oakland; Mary Help of Christians is at 2611 E. 9th Street in the Jingletown neighborhood.
- Website: https://stanthonymaryhelp.org/
- Parish office: (510) 534-2117
- Email: [email protected]
- St. Anthony Church — 1535 16th Avenue, Oakland, CA 94606
- Mary Help of Christians — 2611 E. 9th Street, Oakland, CA 94601
- Parish school — 1500 E 15th Street, Oakland, CA 94606
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William Gleeson1873–1903 (long-serving rector)
Founded the parish school (originally Our Lady of Lourdes School, 1877) staffed by the Sisters of Mercy; led the parish approximately 30 years until his death in 1903.