About St. Raymond · Dublin, California
St. Raymond Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Oakland serving Dublin, California and the surrounding Tri-Valley community. Established in 1961 to meet the explosive post-war growth of the San Ramon Valley, the parish built its current church on Shannon Avenue in 1977 and continues that legacy of worship, formation, and outreach today. The parish runs a full faith-formation program (children, teens, adults), a music ministry with multiple choirs, a parish school (St. Raymond School), a daily adoration chapel, and Mass celebrated in both English and Spanish, with a wide range of ministries for every age and stage of life.
- Established
- 1961
- Patron
- St. Raymond (of Peñafort, celebrated with Mass on January 7)
- Rector
- Father Mark Ruiz, Parochial Administrator (2025–)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Oakland (Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ)
Why belong here
St. Raymond is a vibrant, mid-sized parish with daily Mass, a daily-open adoration chapel (7 AM–7 PM), and confession several times a week in both English and Spanish — making Catholic life easy to fit into a real schedule. It offers a full Catholic life cycle: OCIA for adults becoming Catholic, religious education and sacramental preparation K–12, EDGE middle school youth group, high school Confirmation, a vibrant music ministry with English, Spanish, youth, children's, and handbell choirs, and outreach through the St. Vincent de Paul conference and other parish ministries. With its own parish school (St. Raymond School) and a clear succession of pastors since 1961, it is a stable, family-friendly home for Catholics in the Tri-Valley.
Mass times at St. Raymond
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30–4:30 PM (except Saturday before Easter Sunday)
- Tuesday 11:30 AM–12:00 PM
- Thursday 11:30 AM–12:00 PM
- First Friday 6:00 PM
- First Tuesday 6:00 PM (before Spanish Mass)
- Confessions in Spanish: 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, 3:30–4:30 PM
- Confessions in Spanish: 1st Tuesday of the month, 7:00 PM
Adoration times
- Daily 7:00 AM–7:00 PM in the Adoration Chapel
- First Friday 1:00 PM–6:45 PM (Benediction resumes in June)
Parish History
St. Raymond has two layers of history: the pioneer church of 1860, and the modern parish of 1961. The original St. Raymond Church was dedicated on April 22, 1860, on four acres donated by Michael Murray and Jeremiah Fallon — Irish brothers-in-law who settled in Dublin in the early 1850s — and served originally as a mission by a priest who rode out from Oakland on horseback. The 1961 parish was created to serve the new San Ramon Village housing development that opened in 1960. The first pastor, Fr. John C. Murphy, celebrated Mass in the Camp Parks chapel until the parish hall on Shannon Avenue was ready, with the first Mass there offered on Thanksgiving Day 1966. A permanent church building was constructed beginning October 1976, with the first Mass in the new church on July 16, 1977, and formal dedication by Bishop John S. Cummins on September 18, 1977. The interior was renovated through a campaign launched in February 2001 and completed in November of that same year. The original pioneer church is still standing on Donlon Way and is the oldest Catholic church building in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.
- 1860 — Original St. Raymond Church dedicated; first wedding in 1865; belfry added 1880; repairs 1922.
- 1960 — San Ramon Village housing development opens; Catholics begin attending St. Augustine's and St. Isidore's.
- 1961 — Modern parish established; Fr. John C. Murphy named first pastor.
- Thanksgiving Day 1966 — First Mass offered in the new parish hall on Shannon Avenue.
- October 1976 — Construction begins on the permanent church.
- July 16, 1977 — First Mass in the new church.
- September 18, 1977 — Formal dedication by Bishop John S. Cummins.
- November 2001 — Interior worship-space renovation completed.
- 2021 — 60th Anniversary celebrated with Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ.
Clergy, Staff & Councils
Day-to-day pastoral leadership is provided by Fr. Mark Ruiz, Parochial Administrator, alongside Fr. Mark Hoc (Parochial Vicar) and Deacon Robert Falco. Lay staff include the Business Manager (Victor Martinez), Parish Secretary (Blanca Lara), Bookkeeper, Director of Religious Education (Maggie Ringle), Faith Formation Administrative Assistant (Susy Cano), Youth Program Coordinator (Loremae Hom), Maintenance Technician (Cristobal Ponce), Communications Specialist (Celina Santos), Webmaster (Dorothy DeMonteverde), Music Director (Chris Choate), and School Principal Greg Peterson. Parish councils include a Finance Council (chaired by Geri Cooney) and a Facilities Committee (chaired by Vincent Borgese). The Most Reverend Michael C. Barber, SJ serves as Bishop of Oakland.
- Pastoral Emergencies: (925) 828-2460, then press 8
- General info: [email protected]
- Liturgy & Music: liturgy&[email protected]
- Fr. Mark Ruiz — [email protected]
- Music Director Chris Choate — (925) 574-7447 — [email protected]
- Faith Formation Director Maggie Ringle — (925) 574-7413 — [email protected]
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's Faith Formation department, led by Maggie Ringle (Director) and Susy Cano (Administrative Assistant), recognizes faith as a God-given gift and seeks to assist families in nurturing it. Programs span Pre-K Sunday School, weekly Religious Education for grades 1–5, Sacramental Prep for 6th–12th graders (RCIT), Middle School EDGE/JUMP, two-year High School Confirmation, and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly RCIA) for adults. The parish previously ran SPRED (Special Religious Education for the Developmentally Disabled) but it is currently paused pending resources. Vacation Bible Camp is offered each summer (June 22–26, 2025 in the latest schedule).
- Religious Education (grades 1–5): Tuesdays 4:00–5:30 PM, Wednesdays 4:00–5:30 PM and 6:00–7:30 PM
- Sacramental Prep for Teens (RCIT, grades 6–12)
- Middle School EDGE / JUMP Youth Group
- High School Confirmation — two-year program
- OCIA — Adult Faith Formation (Contact: Rich Vivrette, [email protected], 925-852-3453)
- Pre-K Sunday School
- SPRED — currently paused pending resources
- Vacation Bible Camp (summer 2025: June 22–26)
- Always seeking catechists for grades 1–5; teacher workshops available
Sacraments
Baptism for children is offered with a dedicated preparation program. First Eucharist and First Reconciliation follow a two-year preparation policy for children. High School Confirmation is a two-year program. Teen sacramental preparation (grades 6–12) is handled through RCIT. Adults seeking baptism, reception into the Catholic Church, or the sacraments of Eucharist and/or Confirmation go through OCIA. The Anointing of the Sick is celebrated at the First Saturday 8:30 AM Mass.
- Baptism for Children — see parish baptism preparation
- First Reconciliation and First Eucharist — two-year child preparation
- Confirmation — two-year High School program
- OCIA — for unbaptized adults, baptized Christians, or Catholics needing Eucharist/Confirmation
- Anointing of the Sick — First Saturday 8:30 AM Mass
Music Ministry
Music Ministry is led by Director Chris Choate ([email protected], 925-574-7447) and invites singers and instrumentalists of all skill levels to lead the liturgy as 'first fruits' offered to God. The parish supports a striking number of distinct ensembles covering English, Spanish, youth, children, handbell, and devotional contexts.
- English Choir — Thursdays 7:00 PM (Music Room); usually sings at the 10:30 AM Sunday Mass
- Spanish Choir — Wednesdays 7:00 PM (Music Room); sings at the 12:30 PM Sunday Mass
- Children's Choir — 1st and 3rd Sundays, 3:30 PM rehearsal; sings at the 5:00 PM Mass; ages 4 through 5th grade
- God's Flash Mob (Youth Choir) — Sundays 3:30 PM rehearsal; sings at the 5:00 PM Sunday Mass; 6th grade and above
- Handbell Choir — Wednesdays 5:00 PM (Music Room); plays the first Sunday of the month at the 8:30 AM Mass
- Men of the Morning
- The Lord's Flock
- Simbang Gabi choir
Outreach & Other Ministries
Beyond worship and formation, St. Raymond supports parish life through outreach and organizational ministries including a St. Vincent de Paul conference (helping neighbors in need), parish councils guiding finances and facilities, and a children's choir serving the parish school community.
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference
- Finance Council (Chair: Geri Cooney)
- Facilities Committee (Chair: Vincent Borgese)
- Communications Specialist (Celina Santos — [email protected])
- Hospitality/communion ministry and other parish ministries accessible via the parish office
Parish Office & Contact
The parish office is located at 11555 Shannon Avenue, Dublin, California 94568 (telephone 925-828-2460; fax 925-828-8610). New Parish Office Hours starting January 1, 2026 are Monday–Thursday 9 AM–4 PM (with Wednesday closings possible 9 AM–12 PM on the 1st Wednesday of each month due to a Staff Meeting) and Friday 9 AM–12 PM. Appointments are strongly advised; walk-ins are accepted but may involve a wait, and only one person is allowed per appointment. Pastoral emergencies are handled by calling the main number and pressing 8.
- Address: 11555 Shannon Avenue, Dublin, California 94568
- Phone: (925) 828-2460; Fax: (925) 828-8610
- Pastoral Emergencies: (925) 828-2460, press 8
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish Office Hours (from Jan 1, 2026): Mon–Thu 9 AM–4 PM; Fri 9 AM–12 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John C. Murphy1961–1970
Founding pastor who started the mission at Camp Parks and oversaw construction of the parish hall, first Mass Thanksgiving Day 1966.
- Msgr. Bernard J. Moran1970–1981
Built the permanent church dedicated in 1977 by Bishop Cummins.
- Fr. Ronald J. Lagasse1981–1986
- Fr. Richard Matgen1986–1994
- Fr. Patrick Goodwin1994–2003
- Fr. Robert McCann2003–2011
- Fr. Neal Clemens2011
Parish Administrator.
- Fr. Lawrence D'Anjou2011–2020
- Fr. Erick Villa2020–2025
Parochial Administrator.
- Fr. Mark Ruiz2025–
Parochial Administrator; held the 60th Anniversary Mass in 2021.