About St. Charles · San Carlos, California
St. Charles Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in San Carlos, California, belonging to the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The parish serves the faithful of the mid-Peninsula through St. Charles Church on Tamarack Avenue in San Carlos and the affiliated St. Matthias Church in neighboring Redwood City. Its mission statement — 'People of Faith, Community, and Service, centered in Jesus' — describes a community that worships through traditional Roman Catholic liturgy and serves others through outreach and social justice.
- Established
- 1929
- Patron
- St. Charles Borromeo
- Rector
- Rev. Allan Roy E. Remo (Fr. Roy Remo)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Francisco
Why belong here
St. Charles is a mid-Peninsula parish that openly welcomes all cultures and walks of life into Roman Catholic worship. Daily and Sunday Masses are offered in a traditional setting with livestream access, along with a weekly Reconciliation hour and First Friday Eucharistic Adoration. The parish runs a parish school (K–8), a Faith Formation program for K–4, Middle School Youth Ministry, Confirmation preparation, RCIA for adults, a Music Ministry, and a Ministry to the Sick and Elderly. Outreach and social-justice efforts, together with a strong lay community of lectors, eucharistic ministers, choir and pastoral staff, make St. Charles an inviting place to belong.
Mass times at St. Charles
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30–4:00 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- First Friday, 9:00–10:00 AM, Parish Center Chapel
History of St. Charles Parish
Established in 1929 by Archbishop Edward Hanna of San Francisco to serve the Catholic families of newly incorporated San Carlos, St. Charles grew steadily through the twentieth century. The first Mass was celebrated on June 23, 1929 in the Walnut Street church by founding pastor Father Harold Crampton. The parish moved to its current Tamarack Avenue campus in 1951, opened its grade school in 1950, and dedicated the present-day church in 1966.
- 1929 — First Mass in Walnut Street church (now Casa de Flores)
- 1948 — Land purchased on Tamarack Avenue
- 1950 — St. Charles School opened
- 1951 — Parish moved to the 'new' church on Tamarack Avenue
- 1952 — St. Charles Rectory built
- 1959 — Convent built (now Parish Center)
- 1966 — Current St. Charles Church dedicated
- 1994 — Borromeo Hall completed
- 2011 — Church re-dedicated after roof repair and interior renovation
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Charles is led by a small clergy team and a robust lay staff who coordinate liturgy, formation, music, and outreach. The parish shares leadership with the twinned St. Matthias community in Redwood City.
- Rev. Roy Remo — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Samuel Musiimenta — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Deacon Ernie von Emster
- Deacon Tom Kramer
- Deacon Rich Foley — RCIA/OCIA Coordinator
- Adriana Benitez — Parish Secretary (ext. 404)
- Sandi Trembley — Bookkeeper (ext. 408)
- Colleen Langridge — St. Charles School Principal & Middle School Youth Ministry
- Alison Spong — Coordinator of Faith Formation (K–4)
- Billy & Kristin Byrnes — Confirmation Coordinators
- Bea Martin — Ministry Director
- Joey Gutierrez — Faith Formation Coordinator
- Kathy Fagliano — Minister to the Sick and Elderly (ext. 402)
- Lorrayne Murphy — Director of Music Ministry
- Elizabeth Marko — Teacher, Second Grade & Sacramental Preparation
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Charles begins in kindergarten and continues through the elementary years, with a parallel Confirmation track and a Middle School Youth Ministry.
- Faith Formation K–4 — Alison Spong (ext. 407)
- Middle School Youth Ministry — Colleen Langridge
- Confirmation — Billy & Kristin Byrnes
- Sacramental Preparation — Elizabeth Marko (Second Grade)
- RCIA / OCIA for adults — Deacon Rich Foley ([email protected])
RCIA — Becoming Catholic
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults walks inquirers through five phases of formation, with no fixed timetable. It welcomes adults from other denominations, the unbaptized, and baptized Catholics seeking Confirmation and Eucharist. Journey components include Scripture study, proclamation of the Word, exposure to the Church's traditions, personal and liturgical prayer, and fellowship with the parish community.
- Five-phase journey with no fixed length
- Open to non-Catholics, the unbaptized, and lapsed Catholics
- Contact: Deacon Rich Foley, [email protected], or the parish office at (650) 591-7349
St. Charles School
St. Charles School has educated Catholic children on the mid-Peninsula since opening on the Tamarack Avenue campus in 1950. It is run from the parish campus and shares its leadership with the parish's Faith Formation team.
- Address: 880 Tamarack Avenue, San Carlos, CA 94070 (parish campus)
- Phone: (650) 593-1629
- Principal: Colleen Langridge (ext. 203)
Music Ministry
A Music Ministry supports the sung liturgy of the parish under the direction of Lorrayne Murphy.
- Director of Music Ministry — Lorrayne Murphy
Outreach & Social Justice
In keeping with its mission to be a parish of 'Service' as well as 'Faith' and 'Community,' St. Charles supports outreach and social-justice work, including a Ministry to the Sick and Elderly that brings Communion and pastoral visits to parishioners who cannot attend Mass in person.
- Ministry to the Sick and Elderly — Kathy Fagliano (ext. 402)
- Parish-wide outreach and social-justice initiatives
Twinning with St. Matthias Church
Since Fr. Roy Remo's July 1, 2024 appointment, St. Charles Parish has been twinned with St. Matthias Church at 1685 Cordilleras Road in Redwood City. The two parishes share a pastor and operate as a single pastoral team while each maintains its own Mass schedule and worship sites.
- St. Matthias Church — 1685 Cordilleras Road, Redwood City
- Phone: (650) 366-9544
- Shared pastor and staff (Deacon Rich Foley based at St. Matthias)
Parish Facilities
The parish campus includes the present-day church (dedicated 1966, re-dedicated 2011 after renovation), the rectory (1952), Borromeo Hall (1994), the Parish Center (originally the 1959 convent), the school, and the Parish Center Chapel used for Eucharistic Adoration.
- St. Charles Church (1966 / re-dedicated 2011)
- Borromeo Hall (1994)
- Parish Center / Chapel (former 1959 convent)
- St. Charles Rectory (1952)
- St. Charles School
Support & Giving
Parish support comes through weekly collection envelopes, online giving (one-time or recurring weekly/monthly/semi-monthly/annual), Capital Campaign donations, Christmas and Easter offerings, planned/estate gifts, and the Archdiocese Annual Appeal.
- Online giving (one-time, weekly, monthly, semi-monthly, or annual)
- Capital Campaign and Easter/Christmas offerings
- Estate gifts / stock / life-insurance beneficiary
- Archdiocese Annual Appeal
Contact & Office Information
Parish office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, reachable by phone at (650) 591-7349 or by email at [email protected]. Online weekly bulletins and the livestream broadcast link are available from the parish website.
- Office Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Parish office: (650) 591-7349 — [email protected]
- St. Charles School: (650) 593-1629
- Livestream Mass link on stcharlesparish.org home page
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Harold Crampton1929
First pastor; celebrated the first Mass in the original Walnut Street church (now Casa de Flores).