About St. Brigid · San Diego, California
Saint Brigid Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of San Diego, located at 4735 Cass Street in San Diego's Pacific Beach neighborhood, just three blocks from the Pacific Ocean. Founded in 1940 by Monsignor J.A.C. Van Veggel, the parish is known for its welcoming, beachside Catholic community where roughly half of the parishioners are young adults in their 20s and 30s. The parish carries a strong faith-formation and outreach identity (GIFT, youth/young adult ministry, Eucharistic Revival programs, Home Ministry) and gathers for daily Mass, multiple Sunday Masses, Eucharistic adoration, healing prayer, and a host of small groups in and around the historic 1948 church building.
- Established
- 1940
- Patron
- St. Brigid of Ireland
- Rector
- Father Steve Callahan
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego
Why belong here
St. B's is a casual, family-friendly parish in the heart of Pacific Beach, with daily and Sunday Masses in a building just three blocks from the ocean. Roughly half the congregation is young adults, with a Wednesday-night young-adult group, an active teens and Confirmation program, family GIFT faith formation (Catechesis of the Good Shepherd through 8th grade), and a 40+ volunteer Home Ministry that takes the Eucharist to the homebound. Add in Eucharistic adoration, healing prayer, centering prayer, the Marian home-rosary apostolate, and a robust small-group and C2C evangelization network, and you get the parish's own motto: encounter, love, and serve Jesus, one another, and the world.
Mass times at St. Brigid
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–5:00 pm
- By appointment
- 4th Wednesdays 6:00–7:00 pm (on hold)
- Extra times during Advent and Lent
Adoration times
- Thursdays 8:00 am–11:00 am
- 3rd Mondays 6:00–7:00 pm
- 4th Wednesdays 6:30–7:30 pm
- First Fridays 7:00–8:00 pm (nightWATCH candlelight adoration with music)
- 2nd Thursdays 7:00 pm (nightPRAISE)
Welcome from Saint Brigid Parish
Saint Brigid Parish is a Catholic Church in San Diego, California, located three blocks from the ocean in the community of Pacific Beach. The parish's mission is to encounter, love, and serve Jesus, one another, and the world, and the staff invites visitors and newcomers to join in worship and growth. Roughly half of parishioners are young adults, and the parish is known for being welcoming to families, single adults, returning Catholics, and people new to the area.
- Founded 1940 by Monsignor J.A.C. Van Veggel
- Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego
- Address: 4735 Cass Street, San Diego, CA 92109
- Phone: 858-483-3030
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday 8 am–4:30 pm; Sundays 8:30–12:30 pm (starting August 2026)
Our History and Church Building
The parish timeline traces the story of St. B's from its 1940 founding by Monsignor Van Veggel through the 1948 dedication of the present church (which originally also housed Saint Brigid Academy), to the school's closure, the 1980 demolition of the original church and construction of the parish hall, the 1997 major renovation, and the 2007 building of the new rectory and conversion of the old rectory into a ministry center. A highlight of the 2025 celebration was a 30-minute "Celebrating 85 Years" video featuring archival photos, bulletin announcements, and memories of parish and school life.
- 1940 (March) – Parish founded by Msgr. J.A.C. Van Veggel
- 1948 (December) – Present church and Saint Brigid Academy dedicated
- 1971 – Academy closes; 1972 – K-8 school closes
- 1980 – Original church demolished; current Parish Hall built
- 1997 – Major renovation (altars repositioned, transepts enlarged, seismic retrofit)
- 2007 – New rectory built; former rectory becomes Ministry Center
The Stations of the Cross by Dom Gregory de Wit, OSB
St. Brigid's most distinctive artistic feature is the Stations of the Cross: instead of fourteen discrete scenes, the fresco-style murals run continuously into one another, with life-sized figures and vivid color, allowing worshippers to experience the Way of the Cross as one flowing narrative. The murals were painted in 1948 by Benedictine monk Dom Gregory de Wit, OSB (1892–1978), a friend of founding pastor Monsignor Van Veggel; the vibrant colors come from his own paint-mixing method, and observers say he incorporated the faces of parish children into the compositions.
- Painted in 1948 by Dom Gregory de Wit, OSB
- Fresco-style murals, life-sized figures
- Stations flow continuously rather than in separate scenes
- Color attributed to De Wit's custom paint mixing
Mass and the Sacraments
St. B's celebrates Mass every day of the week. Sunday Masses are at 7:30, 9, and 11 am, and 5:30 pm; the Saturday Vigil Mass is at 5:30 pm; daily Mass Monday through Saturday is at 7:30 am. The parish also offers a special 4th-Wednesday 6 pm Mass as part of its Eucharistic Revival initiative. Reconciliation is heard Saturday 4–5 pm and by appointment, with extra times during Advent and Lent.
- Sunday Masses: 7:30, 9, 11 am, 5:30 pm
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:30 pm
- Daily Mass Mon–Sat: 7:30 am
- 4th Wednesday Mass: 6:00 pm
- Confession: Saturday 4–5 pm and by appointment
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
Saint Brigid is blessed with two priests and three deacons who celebrate the sacraments and lead the parish mission, supported by a broader pastoral staff in faith formation, music, evangelization, business, and maintenance. The parish is also a wellspring of vocations, with many parishioners (including Sr. Sara) having discerned a call to priesthood or religious life.
- Pastor: Father Steve Callahan
- Associate Pastor: Father Sebastian Bukenya
- Deacon Chris Hulburt
- Deacon Mike Daniels
- Deacon Patrick McCay (ordained 2021)
- Pastoral Staff: Julie Colman (Small Groups & Evangelization), Lee Hulburt, Heather Nyamangah (Baptism/Becoming Catholic/Funerals), Julie Misleh (Receptionist/Music Coordinator), Patrick Villa (Sunday 5:30 pm Music), Noreen Domingo (Youth and Young Adults), Greg Espinosa (Maintenance), Debbie Hedley (Business Manager), Gayle Heyman (Children's Faith Formation), Maryanne Russell (Evangelization and Stewardship), Joelie Mackesy (Faith Formation), Katie Cavallo (Funerals and Weddings), Mary Lucena Stevens (Weddings)
Faith Formation — GIFT: Growing in Faith Together
GIFT (Growing in Faith Together) is the parish's family-based faith formation program for preschool through 8th grade, designed around the idea that growing in faith is a lifelong gift best shared with parents and peers. The youngest children (age 3 through kindergarten) use the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) Montessori-style atrium; grades 1–5 follow a mix of monthly family sessions and weekly grade-level classes; grades 6–8 use a youth-group model with twice-monthly Tuesday meetings. Preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion takes place over two years within GIFT, and Confirmation Preparation is offered for high schoolers.
- CGS (ages 3–K): Thursdays 4–5:30 pm
- GIFT 1–5: Sundays 10–11:15 am (monthly family + weekly children's sessions)
- Middle School 6–8: Tuesdays 5:30–7:30 pm, twice a month
- Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion: 2-year preparation
- High School Youth Ministry & Confirmation Preparation
- Registration: $100/child, $200/two, $300/three+ (max per family); scholarships available
Young Adults and Small Groups
Roughly half of St. B's parishioners are young adults in their 20s and 30s. The Young Adult Community meets every Wednesday night, welcoming the curious, the returning, and newcomers to Pacific Beach. Complementing it, the parish runs C2C small groups and a Gifts Discovery / Strengths and Charisms workshop, plus periodic Theology Uncorked evenings.
- Young Adults — Wednesday evenings (20s–30s)
- C2C small groups
- Theology Uncorked adult faith evenings
- Strengths and Charisms (Gifts Discovery) workshops
Home Ministry
The Home Ministry Team brings the parish to its homebound, hospitalized, and assisted-living members. More than 40 parishioner volunteers visit and offer Eucharistic communion alongside the clergy, who also arrange Anointing of the Sick, Viaticum, and private Confessions on request. Donna Young coordinates the team and can be reached at 858.692.6575.
- Donna Young — Administration (858.692.6575)
- Gretchen McQuade — phone calls and visits
- Greg Chapin — Eucharistic coordination
- Contact Fr. Sebastian for Anointing of the Sick or Confession
Eucharistic Revival
Saint Brigid is one of the parishes actively living out the National Eucharistic Revival. The parish team gathers every one to two months to pray and plan, has launched the 4th-Wednesday 6 pm Mass and additional adoration slots, and ran over 30 small groups through the "Jesus and the Eucharist" video series. Other highlights include a Matthew Kelly book giveaway with a 4-week book club and a synod discussion that drew 250+ parishioners.
- 4th Wednesday 6 pm Mass added
- Extra adoration 2nd Mondays 7–8 pm and 4th Wednesdays 6:30–7:30 pm with Confession
- 30+ C2C small groups studied 'Jesus and the Eucharist'
- 800 copies of 'Beautiful Eucharist' by Matthew Kelly distributed at Christmas
- 250+ parishioners in 'Building Eucharistic Communities' synod discussion
Music and Liturgy
Music ministry at St. B's is led by Julie Misleh and includes the Sunday 5:30 pm ensemble under Patrick Villa, along with cantors and choirs supporting the Masses throughout the week. The church also houses a notable pipe organ referenced in the parish's history of its building.
- Sunday 5:30 pm Music ensemble led by Patrick Villa
- Music Coordinator: Julie Misleh
- Notable historic pipe organ
Contact, Parish Campus, and Visiting
Saint Brigid is at 4735 Cass Street between Diamond and Missouri Streets in Pacific Beach, three blocks from the ocean, with restaurants, bars, cafes, and shops within walking distance. The worship area is equipped with a hearing loop (set hearing aids to T-Coil; listening devices are available from ushers), and a Bride's Room in the southwest corner of the church gives parents a quiet space with their children during Mass. The parish campus map is published on the website.
- Address: 4735 Cass Street, San Diego, CA 92109
- Phone: 858-483-3030
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 8 am–4:30 pm; Sundays 8:30 am–12:30 pm beginning August 2026
- Hearing loop installed in the worship area
- Bride's Room (parent/family room) southwest corner past the bathrooms
Holy Orders and Vocations
St. Brigid counts priesthood, diaconate, and religious-life vocations among its fruit. Its three active deacons include Deacon Patrick McCay, ordained in 2021 and now describing himself as a 'toddler' deacon. The parish notes Sr. Sara as one example of a parishioner who has entered religious life.
- Three active deacons: Chris Hulburt, Mike Daniels, Patrick McCay
- Deacon Patrick ordained 2021
- Parish supports vocations discernment — contact Fr. Steve
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor J.A.C. Van Veggel1940–1968
Founding pastor; oversaw the construction and 1948 dedication of the present church plus Saint Brigid Academy.