About St. Leo the Great · Oakland, California
St. Leo the Great is a Roman Catholic parish in the Piedmont Avenue neighborhood of Oakland, California, founded in 1911 by Archbishop Patrick Riordan to serve the Italian, Irish, and German Catholics of the growing Piedmont community. The parish was named in honor of Pope St. Leo the Great (pontificate 440–461), and its present church — an Italian Romanesque Revival building of reinforced concrete designed by architect George McCrea — was opened in 1926. Today the parish retains its own canonical identity while sharing a single priest-administrator with the Cathedral of Christ the Light and St. Patrick's in a diocesan cluster led by Fr. Brandon Macadaeg. A parish school has been part of the mission since 1948, and a historic parish hall with gymnasium, offices, meeting rooms and a hall was dedicated in 1962.
- Established
- 1911
- Patron
- Pope St. Leo the Great (pontificate 440–461)
- Rector
- Rev. Brandon E. Macadaeg (priest-administrator, shared with the Cathedral of Christ the Light and St. Patrick's)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Oakland
Why belong here
St. Leo the Great offers a historic, tight-knit Catholic community in Oakland's Piedmont Avenue neighborhood, with weekday and Sunday Masses, Saturday confessions, and active lay groups such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the WINGS women's spirituality group. As a clustered parish sharing an administrator with the Cathedral of Christ the Light, St. Leo's also benefits from the wider Cathedral's ministries and sacramental services while keeping its own parish identity and its own K–8 Catholic school.
Mass times at St. Leo the Great
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 pm
Parish History
St. Leo the Great was established in 1911 by San Francisco Archbishop Patrick Riordan to serve the Italian, Irish and German Catholics of the growing Piedmont community. Named for Pope St. Leo the Great (440–461), the parish grew under founding pastor Rev. Owen Lacey, who arrived from Ireland and celebrated the parish's first Masses in a grocery store on Piedmont Avenue. Father Lacey served nearly four decades and died on January 9, 1951.
- Founded 1911 by Archbishop Patrick Riordan
- Territory taken from Sacred Heart and St. Frances de Sales parishes
- Named for Pope St. Leo the Great
- First pastor Rev. Owen Lacey, an Irish-born priest
- First Mass held in a Piedmont Avenue grocery store
The Church Building
The present church opened in 1926: an Italian Romanesque Revival structure of reinforced concrete designed by architect George McCrea. Its exterior features a prominent bell tower; inside worshippers find soaring vaulted ceilings, a traditional altar, stained-glass windows, and traditional sacred art, with an adjoining garden. The church was extensively renovated in 1951 and given a structural and seismic retrofit after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, with restoration work completed in 2010.
- Opened 1926
- Italian Romanesque Revival style
- Designed by architect George McCrea
- Reinforced concrete construction
- Prominent bell tower and vaulted ceilings
- Extensively renovated 1951
- Seismic retrofit and restoration completed 2010
School of St. Leo the Great
Under the direction of Father Lacey, the first request to build a parish school was made in 1947, and the School of St. Leo the Great opened in October 1948 with kindergarten through fifth grade. A grade was added every year until the school incorporated eighth grade. The first teachers were the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters (American Congregation of the Most Holy Rosary), who served the school until 1989. Today the School of Saint Leo the Great is a pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade Roman Catholic elementary school serving Oakland and surrounding communities and is open to families of any faith who accept its philosophy and mission.
- Opened October 1948
- Expanded to grade 8 within a few years
- Original faculty: Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters (until 1989)
- Today: Pre-K through 8th grade
- Welcomes students of various ethnic, racial and religious traditions
Parish Hall and Campus
The parish campus extends beyond the church itself. The Parish Hall, dedicated in 1962, sits across from the rectory at the corner of Ridgeway Avenue and Howe Street and houses a gymnasium, parish office space, meeting rooms, and a parish hall. Parking for Mass is available at the school, along the street, and in a small lot beside the church.
- Parish Hall dedicated 1962
- Located at Ridgeway Avenue and Howe Street
- Contains gymnasium, offices, meeting rooms and a hall
- Parking at school, on street, and in small lot beside church
Mass and Sacramental Schedule
Effective August 1, 2023, the parish publishes a streamlined weekly Mass schedule: Saturday Vigil at 5:00 pm, Sunday at 9:00 am, and weekday Masses on Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00 am. The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is offered on Saturdays at 4:30 pm. The parish office is administered by the Cathedral parish staff and is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00–11:30 am and 1:00–2:00 pm.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 pm
- Sunday: 9:00 am
- Tuesday: 9:00 am
- Thursday: 9:00 am
- Confessions: Saturday 4:30 pm
- Parish office: Mon–Thu 9:00–11:30 am and 1:00–2:00 pm
Cluster with the Cathedral of Christ the Light and St. Patrick's
In a diocesan restructuring, St. Leo's is now part of a 'cluster' — two or more parishes that maintain their own identity and name while sharing a single administration — together with the Cathedral of Christ the Light (the mother church of the Diocese of Oakland) and St. Patrick's. Each parish remains a distinct canonical parish; together they share a single priest-administrator, Fr. Brandon Macadaeg, who also serves as Rector of the Cathedral of Christ the Light.
- Cluster includes Cathedral of Christ the Light, St. Leo's, and St. Patrick's
- Each parish retains its own canonical identity and name
- Shared priest-administrator: Fr. Brandon E. Macadaeg
Parish Ministries and Groups
Long-standing lay groups at St. Leo's include the St. Vincent de Paul Society, which serves local neighbors in need, and the Homebound Ministry, which brings Communion and pastoral care to parishioners who cannot attend Mass. The WINGS (Women in God's Spirit) spirituality group gathers women from many local parishes for prayer, presentations, and faith-sharing. Music at Mass typically includes organ, cantors, and choir.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Homebound Ministry
- WINGS (Women in God's Spirit) spirituality group
- Music: organ, cantors, and choir
Contact and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish through the Cathedral of Christ the Light parish office. The mailing address for the office is 2121 Harrison Street, Suite 130, Oakland, CA 94612, located on Level 1 of the Cathedral; the entrance is accessible through the main Cathedral doors or via the parking garage elevators. The parish email is [email protected] and the office phone is (510) 832-5057. The church itself stands at 176 Ridgeway Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611, in the Piedmont Avenue neighborhood.
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (510) 832-5057
- Parish office: 2121 Harrison Street, Suite 130, Oakland, CA 94612
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:00–11:30 am and 1:00–2:00 pm
- Church address: 176 Ridgeway Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Owen Lacey1911 – 1951
Founding pastor; born in Ireland in 1868. Arrived with no church or rectory, lived at St. Mary's College and held first Mass in a Piedmont Avenue grocery store. Served the parish nearly four decades; died Jan. 9, 1951.