About St. Patrick's Mission · Port Costa, California
St. Patrick Mission Catholic Church is a small historic mission church serving the tiny waterfront community of Port Costa, California, on the Carquinez Strait in Contra Costa County. Founded in the 1880s to serve Irish Catholic grain workers and their families, it has been a mission (chapel-of-ease) without a resident priest for its entire history, served successively by Dominican Fathers from Benicia and, since 1955, by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate from neighboring St. Rose of Lima Parish in Crockett. The present Gothic-style church, designed by Dominican priest-architect Rev. Raymond Johns, O.P., was dedicated on October 23, 1898, and remains a beloved, picturesque landmark of the town. As of 2025 the parish is currently facing a proposed closure announced by Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ of the Diocese of Oakland.
- Established
- 1898
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Fr. Leonardo Asuncion (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Oakland
Why belong here
St. Patrick Mission is a living link to Port Costa's Irish-Catholic grain-port heritage and remains a small, close-knit mission community where every family matters. Sunday Mass is celebrated in a lovingly restored 1898 Gothic landmark with beautiful stained glass, and the parish shares its priest-administrator with neighboring St. Rose of Lima in Crockett. Joining or visiting St. Patrick's means supporting one of the smallest and most historic Catholic missions on the Carquinez Strait and continuing the work of generations of Port Costa families.
Mass times at St. Patrick's Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
History of St. Patrick Mission Church
Port Costa in the late 1800s was a boisterous grain-shipping port along the Straits, where as many as 500 railcars of grain arrived daily and up to 3,000 men worked the docks and warehouses. The Catholic population was overwhelmingly Irish — from Galway, Cork and Kerry — and for years Mass was celebrated wherever space could be found, including the dining room of the Crowley and Casey boarding house, where Rev. Fr. Dyson, O.P., of Benicia preached in September 1883. The town's founding was bound up with financier George Washington McNear Sr., who bought 4,000 acres including the Piper Ranch and Bull Valley for $100,000 as the railroad arrived; the first passenger train passed through on September 25, 1877 with Leland Stanford aboard. McNear donated land for a Catholic church, and the first St. Patrick Church was dedicated on February 3, 1884, seating 200 people at a cost of $1,500. That structure appears to have burned or blown down, and by July 1893 a newspaper noted the repair or rebuilding of a church structure. On July 2, 1898 the Contra Costa Gazette reported that the old church was being torn down for a new and larger edifice, which was dedicated October 23, 1898.
- First church dedicated Feb. 3, 1884; seated 200; cost $1,500
- Current Gothic church dedicated October 23, 1898; cost $7,000
- Designed by Dominican priest-architect Rev. Raymond Johns, O.P.
- Dedication by Dominican Provincial Rev. Pius Murphy, O.P.
- Solemn High Mass sung by Rev. Francis Sadoc Welch, O.P., pastor of St. Dominic, Benicia
- George Washington McNear Sr. donated the church land
St. Patrick's Altar Society and Parish Life
The St. Patrick's Altar Society has played an important role in the parish since the earliest days and continues to do so. For decades the church's major financial support came from parishioners' contributions supplemented by community festivities — bake sales, carnivals, a memorial fund, and the well-known corned beef dinners that became a hallmark of Port Costa parish life. These efforts kept the small mission viable through lean years and laid the groundwork for later restoration campaigns.
- St. Patrick's Altar Society (ongoing)
- Bake sales, carnivals, and corn beef dinners (historic fundraisers)
- Memorial fund
- Young Men's Institute (YMI), Leo Council #86 (founded by 1914; led the 1914 operetta benefit at the Port Costa school house)
The 1916 Basement Assembly Hall
When first built, the 1898 church had only a 'bare bones' area underneath and nothing in the way of a real hall for parish functions. After discussion between Crockett and Port Costa parishioners, Fr. E.B. Kenny, O.P., pushed forward a plan to remodel and add a basement hall. Leo Council #86 of the YMI staged a two-night benefit on October 30, 1914, including an operetta performed by public-school children at the Port Costa school house. By March 24, 1916, the basement had been fitted up as an assembly hall and was dedicated shortly after Lent under YMI auspices, giving the mission a permanent social space beneath the Gothic church.
- Fr. E.B. Kenny, O.P. — directed the basement project
- Leo Council #86, YMI — staged the 1914 benefit
- Two-night benefit and operetta at Port Costa school house, Oct. 30, 1914
- Basement assembly hall dedicated March 24, 1916
The 1980s Restoration
By 1980 the 1898 church, more than eight decades old, was badly in need of repair and parishioners feared it might be closed. A massive restoration was undertaken under Fr. Jerry Gottenbos, O.M.I., pastor of St. Rose of Lima in Crockett and St. Patrick Mission. The Oakland Diocese authorized a grant, historical architect Tom Butt was consulted for authenticity, and local contractor Joe Garavaglia directed the work, with community craftsmen replacing the roof and providing carpentry expertise. Family members of the original donors of the church's beautiful stained-glass windows paid for their restoration — preserving one of the mission's most treasured features.
- Fr. Jerry Gottenbos, O.M.I. — led the restoration as pastor
- Tom Butt — historical architect
- Joe Garavaglia — local contractor
- Diocese of Oakland grant authorized
- Stained-glass windows restored by descendants of original donors
Clergy and Pastoral Care
St. Patrick Mission has never had a resident priest. For its first century the mission was served by Dominican Fathers from St. Dominic Church in Benicia, who crossed the Carquinez Strait by ferry, rowboat, train, or the 'Snake Road' each Sunday to celebrate Mass. Since 1955 the mission has been served by priests of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I.) based at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Crockett. Today the administrator is Fr. Leonardo Asuncion.
- Rev. Fr. Dyson, O.P. (1883) — celebrated Mass at Crowley and Casey's boarding house
- Rev. Raymond Johns, O.P. — architect of the 1898 church
- Rev. Francis Sadoc Welch, O.P. — pastor of St. Dominic, Benicia; sang at the 1898 dedication
- Fr. E.B. Kenny, O.P. — directed the 1915-16 basement project
- Fr. Jerry Gottenbos, O.M.I. — led the 1980s restoration
- Fr. Leonardo Asuncion — current Administrator (2025)
A Chapel-of-Ease Without a Resident Priest
For many years St. Patrick's was a chapel-of-ease served by the Dominican pastor of St. Dominic in Benicia. Each Sunday a Dominican priest crossed the straits — usually on the ferry Solano or by rowboat, sometimes by train or the new 'Snake Road' — to say Mass in Port Costa, and then continued on to Crockett for a second Mass in available space for pioneer families until Crockett built its own church in 1892.
Mass and Worship
St. Patrick Mission offers Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM, served by Fr. Leonardo Asuncion, Administrator, who also serves as pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Crockett. The mission shares its parish website, bulletin, and online giving platform with St. Rose of Lima.
- Sunday Mass: 11:00 AM
- Administrator: Fr. Leonardo Asuncion
- Shared parish website and bulletin with St. Rose of Lima, Crockett
Online Giving
Online donations to St. Patrick Mission can be made through the Diocese of Oakland's online giving portal. Donors select 'St. Patrick Mission, Port Costa' in the Parish Name box so the gift is directed to the mission; gifts are processed by the Diocese.
- Online giving through the Diocese of Oakland
- Select 'St. Patrick Mission, Port Costa' in the Parish Name box
Proposed Closure of St. Rose of Lima and St. Patrick Mission
Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ, of the Diocese of Oakland has announced the proposed closure of both St. Rose of Lima Parish in Crockett and St. Patrick Mission in Port Costa, and the parish community is organizing to respond. The website hosts the bishop's letter and a 'Save Our Parish' campaign asking parishioners to register with the parish, sign an online petition, write to the bishop, attend update meetings, and continue regular collection-plate support.
- Official letter from Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ, regarding the proposed closure
- Online petition in opposition to the closure
- Letter-writing campaign to the bishop and diocese leadership
- Update meetings for parishioners (next announced meeting: July 6, 7:00 PM in the Parish Hall)
- Diocese of Oakland contacts listed: Attila Bardos (CFO), Lisa Oberempt (Parishes Controller), Fr. Lawrence D'Anjou (Vicar General), Helen Osman (Director of Communications), John Pluth (Controller)
Visiting Port Costa
St. Patrick Mission sits at 287 Prospect Ave., Port Costa, CA 94569, on the Carquinez Strait in Contra Costa County. The shared parish website provides a 'St. Patrick Map Location' link for visitors driving in. Mass is celebrated on Sundays at 11:00 AM. Parish phone: (510) 787-2052.
- Address: 287 Prospect Ave., Port Costa, CA 94569
- Phone: (510) 787-2052
- Map link available via the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Fr. Dyson, O.P.
Dominican priest from Benicia who celebrated an early Mass at Crowley and Casey's boarding house in 1883
- Rev. Francis Sadoc Welch, O.P.
Pastor of St. Dominic Church, Benicia; sang the solemn High Mass at the dedication of the 1898 church
- Rev. Raymond Johns, O.P.
Trained Dominican architect who designed the present Gothic church; dedicated October 23, 1898
- Fr. E.B. Kenny, O.P.
Directed the 1915-16 basement assembly-hall addition under YMI auspices
- Fr. Jerry Gottenbos, O.M.I.
Oblate pastor of St. Rose of Lima in Crockett and St. Patrick Mission who led the major 1980s restoration