St. Barnabas

Parish History — A Century on Sixth Street

St. Barnabas was created on July 1, 1925 by the Archdiocese of San Francisco to serve the west end of Alameda, carved out of St. Joseph's Parish (which had served the whole island since 1885); the same day St. Philip Neri was created for the east end. The new parish was rooted in Italian truck-farming families along Fourth Street, with Neptune Beach — once the 'Coney Island of the West' — dominating the bayfront. The first Mass was celebrated in a five-room cottage at 1446 Sixth Street that also served as the first rectory. The parish rented a store on Webster Street for Sunday worship, and its first Easter was celebrated in the garden of the Rich family at 1833 Fourth Street.

• Founded: July 1, 1925
• First pastor: Father Patrick McGrattan
• Church architect: John J. Donovan
• General contractor: Barrett and Hilp
• First Mass in the new church: August 15, 1926 (pews not yet installed)
• Dedication: December 13, 1926 by Archbishop Edward J. Hanna
• Dedication choir of 20 voices under Miss Rebecca Rich, organist Joseph Hollings; soloists Mary Cappa and Lucia Ferrero; Archbishop confirmed 24 children

Early Struggles and Growth

The young parish was hampered in its first three decades by two persistent problems: the ill health of its pastors and a heavy construction debt. Father McGrattan retired to Ireland in 1931 (he died March 5, 1932); his brief successor Father Edgar Boyle also fell ill; Father Timothy Galvin arrived November 26, 1931 and brought some stability. The parish held about 200 families in 1927. Boundaries were expanded in 1929 to all of Alameda west of Ninth Street — just as Neptune Beach closed and the Great Depression hit. The imminent opening of the Alameda Naval Air Station and the wartime shipyard boom later drove rapid parish growth and population expansion west of the parish's original footprint.

Mission Statement and Identity

The parish shares a mission with its merged partner, St. Joseph Basilica: 'We the family of St. Joseph and St. Barnabas, invite all people into our spiritual home to encounter Jesus Christ through an authentically Catholic experience of worship, learning, gathering, and service.' The community welcomes visitors and returning parishioners to its worship, faith formation and outreach ministries.

• Welcomes all into an authentically Catholic experience of worship, learning, gathering, and service
• Currently shared-pastoral relationship with St. Joseph Basilica

Sacraments

St. Barnabas celebrates all seven sacraments with the schedules and preparation norms of the Diocese of Oakland. Parents begin baptism preparation by contacting the Parish Office; engaged couples begin marriage preparation at least six months ahead as required by the diocese; the Anointing of the Sick is arranged by calling the office; the RCIA process welcomes adults 18 and older seeking Baptism, Confirmation or First Eucharist; and Communion can be brought to the homebound on request.

• Baptism — scheduled basis; contact the Parish Office to arrange a meeting
• First Eucharist & Confirmation — prepared through parish Faith Formation
• Marriage — six-month preparation; contact the Parish Office to schedule with the priest
• Anointing of the Sick — for serious/chronic illness or pre-surgery
• RCIA — adults 18+ preparing for Baptism, Confirmation or First Eucharist
• Communion to the Homebound — by request
• Order of Christian Funerals — coordinated with the family's funeral home

Faith Formation & Religious Education

The parish Faith Formation program (formerly CCD) assists parish families in handing on the Catholic faith to their children. While sacramental milestones are key moments, the program's heart is weekly prayer at home and at the parish. Adult Confirmation preparation classes meet on Thursday nights beginning in September, jointly with St. Joseph Basilica. The parish also participates in SPRED (Special Religious Education) for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

• Children Faith Formation (formerly CCD)
• First Communion and Confirmation preparation
• Adult Confirmation Preparation — Thursday evenings beginning in September, joint with St. Joseph Basilica
• SPRED — Special Religious Education Department (Femy Visperas)
• Faith Formation Director: Agatha Leong

Parish School

St. Barnabas operates a parish Catholic elementary school on the same Sixth Street / Taylor Avenue campus as the church. The school entrance off Taylor Avenue also serves as the main parking entrance for Mass and parish events.

Ministries and Outreach

Parish life at St. Barnabas is carried by a named roster of lay coordinators who keep the ministries running. The parish's outreach includes the local conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — which assists people without jobs or money, those facing utility shut-offs and those in need of a home visit — and a dedicated HIV/AIDS outreach. Parishioners serve at Mass as altar servers, lectors and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and gather for prayer in the Legion of Mary, the Apostleship of Prayer, and the Knights of Columbus Council #9089.

• St. Vincent de Paul Society — (510) 995-9475, contact Cath Sullivan; Kim Murphy coordinator
• Knights of Columbus Council #9089 — Grand Knight Jon G. Murphy
• Legion of Mary — Gloria Maldonado
• Apostleship of Prayer — Nora Fanning
• Altar Servers — Cath Sullivan
• Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion / Lectors
• HIV/AIDS Outreach — Cath Sullivan
• Altar Linens — Letty Villanueva
• Social / Fundraising Committee — Delia Farrales (co-chair)
• Maintenance Liaison — Jun Laron

Music and Liturgy

The Music Ministry at St. Barnabas continues the parish's century-old choral tradition — the 1926 dedication Mass featured a twenty-voice choir under Miss Rebecca Rich, organist Joseph Hollings, and soloists Mary Cappa and Lucia Ferrero — and supports the parish's sung English liturgy today under Director of Music Bernadette Baria.

Parish Staff and Coordinators

The parish is led by Parochial Administrator Rev. Mario Rizzo (shared with St. Joseph Basilica), with Parochial Vicar Rev. Kenneth Nobrega, Deacon David Young, Parish Office Secretary Gloria Maldonado, Faith Formation Director Agatha Leong, Director of Music Bernadette Baria, and St. Vincent de Paul Society contact Cath Sullivan. A long list of lay coordinators maintains parish ministries; the Pastoral Council Chair is currently vacant, with Jon Murphy serving as Vice-Chair.

• Rev. Mario Rizzo — Parochial Administrator (510) 995-9421, [email protected]
• Rev. Kenneth Nobrega — Parochial Vicar (510) 522-8933 ext. 12, [email protected]
• Deacon David Young — (510) 332-2883, [email protected]
• Gloria Maldonado — Parish Office Secretary (510) 995-9401
• Agatha Leong — Faith Formation Director
• Bernadette Baria — Director of Music (510) 522-8933
• Cath Sullivan — St. Vincent de Paul Society (510) 995-9475
• Pastoral Council Chair: vacant; Vice-Chair: Jon Murphy

Office Hours, Contact and Parish Information

The Parish Office is open in person Wednesday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with a lunch break from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. On Mondays and Tuesdays the office is staffed remotely — calls and emails will be returned as soon as possible. The parish main office number is (510) 522-8933, with the secretary reachable directly at (510) 995-9401.

• Office hours: Wednesday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (closed 12:00–1:00 PM)
• Mondays & Tuesdays: remote; phone (510) 995-9401 / email [email protected]
• Main office: (510) 522-8933
• Online Giving available via the parish website

Recent News — Diocesan Mission Alignment Process

In a letter dated April 28, 2025, Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ announced that St. Barnabas is one of twelve parish sites in the Diocese of Oakland to be closed under the Mission Alignment Process (MAP), a diocesan-wide effort begun in 2021 to address declining Mass attendance, falling participation in the sacraments and Catholic-school enrollment, an all-time low of priests assigned to the diocese's 80 parishes, and rising financial pressures. Bishop Barber pledged to work with the pastor, pastoral council and finance council of each affected parish to ensure affected parishioners are welcomed at a nearby parish. The parish had recently reached its centennial year, roughly 100 years after its 1925 founding.