About St. Augustine · Oakland, California
St. Augustine Catholic Church is a welcoming parish at 400 Alcatraz Avenue in Oakland, California, in the Diocese of Oakland. Tracing its origins to 1907, the parish describes itself as known for hospitality, with good preaching, strong music, and a commitment to social justice that puts faith into action. St. Augustine's serves a diverse mix of cultures, ages and families — including many non-Catholics — and is part of a three-parish East Bay cluster alongside St. Joseph the Worker and St. Ambrose in Berkeley. The parish runs an on-site food pantry through St. Vincent de Paul, supports Oakland Elizabeth House's transitional housing for women and children, and is deeply involved in Faith In Action East Bay and the Oakland Ceasefire gun-violence-prevention movement.
- Established
- 1907
- Patron
- Saint Augustine of Hippo
- Rector
- Rev. John C. Prochaska (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Oakland
Why belong here
St. Augustine is a parish that blends robust, traditional Catholic liturgy with a deep commitment to social justice — including an on-site St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, long-standing support for Oakland Elizabeth House, and active participation in Faith In Action East Bay and the Oakland Ceasefire movement. Parishioners of every background, including many non-Catholics, are welcomed into a community noted for hospitality, strong preaching, and music that runs from a traditional Adult Choir to a contemporary Sunday-evening liturgy. With Family Faith Formation for children, RCIA/OCIA for adults, and dozens of lay-led liturgical and outreach ministries, it offers an unusually broad table of ways to belong, serve, and grow.
Mass times at St. Augustine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays at 4:00 p.m.
About St. Augustine Parish
Saint Augustine's is a Catholic parish described by its members as a church known for hospitality, with good preaching, great music, and worship that reflects faith in action. Although Catholic, it welcomes many non-Catholics and ministers to a diverse mix of cultures, ages and families. Its mission is to strengthen parishioners' relationship with God through Jesus Christ while reaching out to the broader Oakland community and bringing God's Kingdom of love and justice to the world. The parish sits at 400 Alcatraz Avenue and is one of three churches in an East Bay cluster that includes St. Joseph the Worker and St. Ambrose in Berkeley.
- Founded 1907
- Diocese of Oakland
- Part of a three-parish cluster with St. Joseph the Worker (Berkeley) and St. Ambrose (Berkeley)
- Parish motto: 'A Place to Belong, A Way to Believe, A Path to Become'
History
St. Augustine's was established in 1907, making it more than a century old. Its most prominent church-grown son was Bishop John S. Cummins, who grew up in the parish and went on to become the founding Bishop of Oakland, shepherding the local Church for 26 years. The parish continues to honor him at its annual feast-day Mass. In modern decades St. Augustine's has built a distinctive social-justice identity — running an on-site food pantry, sponsoring transitional housing for women and children through Oakland Elizabeth House since 1994, and walking alongside interfaith partners through Faith In Action East Bay and the Oakland Ceasefire movement.
- Parish founded 1907
- Bishop John S. Cummins is a St. Augustine alumnus
- Has supported Oakland Elizabeth House since 1994
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Rev. John C. Prochaska, Parochial Administrator, who also serves the sister parish of St. Joseph the Worker. April McNeely serves as Liturgy Director (also Director of Music Ministries), Neo Collett as Bookkeeper-Secretary, and Robert Valentine as Maintenance Technician. The Faith Formation Coordinator (Michelle Florendo) oversees children's religious education.
- Rev. John C. Prochaska — Parochial Administrator
- April McNeely — Liturgy Director / Music Director
- Neo Collett — Bookkeeper-Secretary (Office Manager)
- Robert Valentine — Maintenance Technician
- Michelle Florendo — Faith Formation Coordinator (children)
- Jay Mitchell — RCIA Team Leader
- Maureen Wikander — St. Vincent de Paul chapter chair
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Family Faith Formation welcomes children ages 5 through 12 on Sundays from 9:00 to 9:50 a.m., held in the St. Augustine school cafeteria. The two-year Sacramental Preparation program leads children (age 7+) to First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. A separate Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered during the 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass for younger children, including a dedicated class for ages 2–4.
- Family Faith Formation Sundays 9:00–9:50 a.m.
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist sacramental prep (2-year program)
- Children's Liturgy of the Word during 10:00 a.m. Mass
Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA / OCIA)
Adults seeking full communion with the Catholic Church enter through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (called RCIA at St. Augustine), which meets on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The Inquiry phase is open-ended and welcomes anyone exploring the faith. Catechumens typically receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil.
- Wednesday evenings 6:00–7:00 p.m.
- Open Inquiry phase
- Sacraments typically received at the Easter Vigil
- Team Leader: Jay Mitchell ([email protected])
Liturgical Ministries
Lay liturgical ministers form the backbone of the parish's worship life. The Music Ministry, led by April McNeely, includes an Adult Choir that rehearses Wednesdays 7:00–8:30 p.m., smaller choirs and cantors for the 5:00 p.m. Saturday Vigil, 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Sunday liturgies, and a contemporary ensemble for the 6:00 p.m. Mass. Instrumentalists — guitar, percussion, strings, winds — are welcomed.
- Altar Care
- Altar Servers
- Eucharist for the Homebound
- Eucharistic Ministry
- Greeters & Ushers
- Hospitality After Mass
- Lectors
- Liturgy Committee
- Liturgical Art & Environment
- Sacristans
- Music Ministries — Cantors, Adult Choir (Wed. 7:00–8:30 p.m. rehearsal), Instrumentalists, Concerts
Social Justice & Outreach
St. Augustine's Social Justice Ministry is organized around three local priorities: affordable housing and homelessness prevention, public safety and gun-violence reduction, and environmental justice including illegal dumping and coal transport through the Port of Oakland. Working through Faith In Action East Bay, parishioners join the Oakland Ceasefire Night Walks in neighborhoods across East Oakland. The parish has also held climate-justice mini-retreats featuring the Laudato Si' Movement film The Letter, with Pope Francis and frontline voices.
- Faith In Action East Bay affiliation
- Oakland Ceasefire Night Walks (Friday evenings)
- Climate Justice / Laudato Si' ministry
- Affordable housing & homelessness prevention
- Illegal dumping & Port of Oakland coal transport advocacy
St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry
St. Augustine's St. Vincent de Paul chapter operates a food pantry out of the parish garage (basement of the rectory), distributing grocery boxes to low-income neighbors on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. The conference also covers furniture delivery costs, makes home visits, and provides transportation vouchers.
- Grocery boxes distributed 2nd and 4th Wednesdays
- Home visits
- Furniture and transportation support
- Chaired by Maureen Wikander
Oakland Elizabeth House
Since 1994, St. Augustine has supported Oakland Elizabeth House, a women-and-children's transitional housing program based in the parish's former convent next door to the church. Elizabeth House offers residents shelter, financial-literacy training, advocacy, and a path to stability as they transition out of poverty, homelessness, violence, or addiction. Parishioners volunteer Monday nights with homework help, administrative support, and Christmas gift drives.
- Transitional housing for women and children in the former convent
- Supported since 1994
- Volunteer opportunities: homework help, office support, holiday gifts
- Contact: www.oakehouse.org, (510) 658-1380
Heritage & International Mission
Beyond Oakland, St. Augustine's social-justice tradition has reached internationally. The parish has provided financial support to missionary groups, signed petitions with Amnesty International, helped build an orphanage in Kenya, and built houses in Mexico. Locally, parishioners have donated school shoes, Easter and Christmas gifts, and food to the poor, and walked alongside a refugee family with time and financial resources.
- Missionary financial support
- Amnesty International letter-writing and petitions
- Orphanage construction in Kenya
- House-building in Mexico
- Refugee family sponsorship