About St. Thomas More · San Francisco, California
St. Thomas More Church in San Francisco serves a diverse, multilingual community through its vibrant liturgical life and pastoral ministries. Founded in 1950, the parish has a rich history of growth, closure, and reopening, now functioning as a university parish serving San Francisco State University and surrounding neighborhoods. Masses are celebrated in English, Arabic, Portuguese, Burmese, and Tagalog, reflecting its multicultural congregation. The church is known for its strong commitment to faith formation, sacramental life, and community outreach.
- Established
- 1950
- Patron
- St. Thomas More
- Rector
- The Reverend Richard Van De Water (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of San Francisco
Why belong here
Join a parish that welcomes people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds, offering Masses in five languages and serving the San Francisco State University community through the Newman Club. Experience a vibrant liturgical life with daily Mass, adoration, healing Masses, and sacramental formation for all ages.
Mass times at St. Thomas More
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before all English Masses on Saturday and Sunday
Adoration times
- 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Silent Adoration)
- All Other Fridays 8:00 PM – 12:00 AM (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Silent Adoration)
History
Founded in 1950 with a temporary storefront church, St. Thomas More Parish moved to its current location in 1967 after a new church was built. It was suppressed in 1994 but reopened in 1996 as a campus ministry center for San Francisco State University. In 2002, it was elevated to a University Parish. The parish has served multiple ethnic communities and continues to offer Masses in five languages.
Ministries
The parish offers a wide range of ministries including Faith Formation, Sacramental Life, Parish Life, School, and the SFSU Newman Club. These ministries serve the spiritual and educational needs of the community, especially students and families.
- Faith Formation
- Sacramental Life
- Parish Life
- School
- SFSU Newman Club
Sacraments
The parish offers all seven sacraments: Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick. Sacramental preparation is available for all ages.
- Baptism
- Reconciliation
- Eucharist
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick
Mass and Devotions
Masses are celebrated daily, including weekday Masses at 8:00 AM (except Friday at 8:30 AM), and weekend Masses in multiple languages. Special devotions include First Fridays, First Saturdays, Healing Masses, and Holy Days of Obligation.
- First Fridays 7:00 PM (Novena)
- First Saturdays 10:00 AM (Burmese)
- Healing Mass 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM
- Holy Days of Obligation 8:30 AM and 7:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- The Reverend John J. Scanlan1950-1954
First pastor; began building school and church.
- The Reverend Monsignor Vincent I. Carroll1954-1985
Second pastor; oversaw school opening and church relocation.
- The Reverend John M. Ring1985-1993
Third pastor; served until parish suppression.
- The Reverend Donald S. D’Angelo1993-1994
Last pastor before closure.
- The Reverend Jerome P. Foley1996-2002
Campus minister after reopening.
- The Reverend Monsignor Labib Kobti2002-2015
Served until 2015; focused on Arab-American Catholics.
- The Reverend Marvin-Paul Felipe2015-2021
Served until 2021.