St. Mary Star of the Sea

Our History

Founded in 1881 as Sausalito's first Catholic parish, St. Mary Star of the Sea has served four successive church buildings on the Marin waterfront. The present Harrison Avenue church was consecrated in 1959, and the parish's two 1909 bells — 'Virginia G' and 'Edward' — were rehung in its bell tower in 2004.

• 1877 — first attempt to organize a Catholic parish fails
• 1881 — Archbishop Alemany creates Sausalito's first Catholic parish; Fr. Patrick Cummins named first pastor
• 1881 — first timber church built at Litho & Bonita Streets
• 1888 — first Holy Ghost Festival held, linking Portuguese families to the parish
• 1908 — Holy Family Hall completed as a second worship space
• 1909 — bells 'Virginia' and 'Edward' arrive by train from Missouri; dedicated December 12, 1909 by Fr. John Valenti
• 1919 — fire destroys Holy Family Hall
• 1920 — original Litho & Bonita church demolished after 40 years
• 1940s — WWII shipyard boom increases Sausalito's population
• 1954 — ground broken for the present Harrison Avenue church
• 1959 — current church completed and consecrated under Fr. Deitch
• 2004 — historic bells rehung in the present bell tower
• 2014 — parish begins comprehensive deferred-maintenance renewal
• 2018 — CYO athletics reaches 130 youth participants

Liturgical Ministries

Lay parishioners serve at the altar and in the sanctuary as Altar Servers, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Sacristans, and Ushers/Greeters. These ministries make the Sunday and weekday Masses possible and extend the Eucharist to the homebound.

• Altar Servers — boys and girls from grade 3 and above
• Lectors — proclaim Sacred Scripture, Prayers of the Faithful, and announcements
• Eucharistic Ministry — present Communion at Mass and bring the Eucharist to the sick and homebound
• Sacristan — prepares and cleans the altar for Mass
• Ushers / Greeters — seat parishioners, take up collections, and direct in emergencies

Music Ministry

Music at Star of the Sea is led by Music Director Heléna Tietze, Cantor Gwyneth Varn, and organist Robin Olive. Heléna is a classically trained pianist, cellist, and vocalist who grew up singing for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, attended the Kodály Summer Institute at Holy Names University, and studied music therapy at Loyola University New Orleans. Robin Olive, originally from England, replaced the church's original organ with what many consider the finest organ of its type in Marin County, and has performed as a guest organist with orchestras and on live radio.

Parish Life & Hospitality

Beyond the sanctuary, the parish fosters community through the Hospitality Committee, which coordinates a once-a-month rotation of pastries and coffee after the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass. The Flowers and Grounds team beautifies the church environment for the liturgical seasons, while Offertory Counters support parish finances by counting weekly collections.

• Hospitality Committee — monthly post-Mass coffee and pastry rotation
• Flowers and Grounds — seasonal beautification of the church
• Offertory Counters — counts weekly collections, about once per month

Parish Organizations

Two flagship organizations anchor adult parish life: the Men's Group and the Catholic Women's League. The Men's Group meets the first Wednesday of every month at 6:15 p.m. with dinner provided, and the Catholic Women's League offers all women of the parish a venue to promote faith and social interaction in a caring environment.

• Men's Group — first Wednesdays, 6:15 p.m., dinner provided (contact Mike Barsul, [email protected])
• Catholic Women's League — open to all women of the parish

CYO Athletics – Marin

St. Mary Star of the Sea sponsors eleven CYO teams for boys and girls in fourth through eighth grades, playing in the San Francisco Archdiocese CYO league that serves Marin County. Teams wear uniforms proudly displaying 'ST. MARY'S' and are guided by coaches who foster physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual strength under the motto 'We Work Together, We Play Together, We Pray Together, We Stay Together.'

• 11 parish-sponsored CYO teams, grades 4–8
• League: San Francisco Archdiocese CYO – Marin
• Motto: We Work Together, We Play Together, We Pray Together, We Stay Together

Sacraments

Baptisms and weddings are arranged by appointment. Parents preparing for a child's Baptism are supported through the parish's Baptism Preparation ministry. The Anointing of the Sick and Communion for the homebound are coordinated through the Eucharistic Ministry.

• Baptism — by appointment, with Baptism Preparation for parents
• Weddings — by appointment
• Anointing / Communion of the Sick — coordinated through Eucharistic Ministry to the homebound

Finance & Stewardship

The Finance Council represents the faith community and advises the pastor on both operating and capital finance decisions, approves proposed budgets, and monitors the parish's financial performance in line with Archdiocese of San Francisco policies. Finance Administrator Gwyneth Varn, a retired IT and nonprofit professional with an MBA from Dominican University (2015), supports the parish's stewardship alongside the council.

• Finance Council — approves budgets and monitors financial performance
• Compliance with Archdiocese of San Francisco financial policies

Visit & Contact

Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday (closed Fridays) with a mix of in-person, phone, and email hours. From US-101, take the Alexander Avenue exit along the shoreline, turn left on San Carlos Avenue, then left on Harrison Avenue.

• Office phone: (415) 332-4962
• Email: [email protected]
• Address: 180 Harrison Ave, Sausalito, CA 94965
• Monday — phone and email, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
• Tuesday — phone and email, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
• Wednesday — in-person, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
• Thursday — phone and email, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
• Friday — closed
• Directions: US-101 → Alexander Ave exit → left on San Carlos Ave → left on Harrison Ave