Mass in Two Languages, Sundays on Alaquinas Drive
Our Lady of Mount Carmel sits at 2020 Alaquinas Drive in San Ysidro, California. The parish is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego and ministers to a community whose prayer life is overwhelmingly in Spanish. Of the seven weekend Masses on the schedule, six are celebrated in Spanish and one - on Sunday at 8:30 am - is offered in English.
Weekday Mass is celebrated Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:00 am in Spanish. Saturday Mass is at 5:00 pm in Spanish. Sunday Masses run at 7:00 am, 10:00 am, 11:45 am, and 1:30 pm in Spanish, with the English Mass at 8:30 am. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 1:00 pm to 4:45 pm, and is closed on weekends.
A Week of Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration
Confessions are heard every Thursday from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm in the church, with two exceptions each year during the diocesan penance services. Eucharistic Adoration is a steady rhythm too: every Thursday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, and on every fourth Saturday of the month through the night, from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am, so that worshippers can keep watch.
These two devotional pillars share the Thursday and form the backbone of the parish's prayer week.
Baptisms, Quinceañeras, and the Other Sacraments
Sacraments are the parish's daily work. Parents requesting Baptism are asked to come to the rectory three months in advance with the child's birth certificate, and both parents and godparents must attend a pre-Baptismal class - English or Spanish, depending on the ritual. Godparents must be practicing Catholics, at least sixteen years old, with copies of their First Communion and Confirmation certificates; married godparents must be married in the Catholic Church.
First Communion and Confirmation preparation is coordinated by Yolanda Osuna, the Religious Education Coordinator. Couples planning to marry are asked to call the office at least nine months before the wedding to meet with a priest or deacon. The parish also celebrates Quinceañeras, Mass Intentions, funerals, and wedding anniversaries - all by appointment through the office.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel School Since 1933
The parish has run a school on its grounds since 1933. Our Lady of Mount Carmel School welcomes students from Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth Grade and has been staffed, in turn, by the Benedictine Sisters and, since 1966, by the Sisters Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, alongside dedicated lay teachers. The principal is Sister Eva Lujano.
The school's mission is to work in partnership with parents, who are the first educators of their children, in an atmosphere of faith, love, and respect. The program is built to develop students spiritually, intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically, forming young people who can make right choices and meaningful contributions to society.
Catequesis Familiar and Sacramental Preparation
Religious education at the parish is rooted in what the parish calls Catequesis Familiar, or Family Catechesis - a model that treats parents as the first catechists of their children. Quoting Pope Francis's Amoris Laetitia, the program invites fathers and mothers to grow in their own faith so they can hand it on at home. Year-one classes meet on Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:30 pm; year-two classes meet on Wednesdays during the same hours.
Alongside family catechesis, the parish runs Confirmation preparation, First Communion preparation, and the Christian Initiation process for adults in both English (RCIA) and Spanish (RICA).
Prayer Groups, Movements, and Ministries
The parish hosts one of the most varied gatherings of lay movements and prayer groups in the area. Marriage is a particular focus: Matrimonios Emmanuel meets Wednesdays at 7:30 pm in the parish hall, prays together, and offers childcare; Matrimonios Comunitarios walks unmarried couples living together through the process of regularizing their marriage in the Church; Marriage Encounter reaches further out.
For prayer and formation, the parish lists Adoradores del Espíritu Santo, Clases de Biblia, the Marian Prayer Group, Guadalupanas, two parish prayer groups (Divina Voluntad and Monte Carmelo), Grupo Re-encuentro con Jesús y María, and Grupo Juan Bautista. Hearts and Hands Working Together is the parish's outreach arm. Other groups include the Knights of Columbus (Caballeros Colón), Al-Anon for families affected by alcoholism, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, the youth ministry (Pastoral Juvenil), and SINE, a marriage and family movement.
Liturgical ministries include the Ministros Extraordinarios de la Eucaristía, who meet on the second Monday of the month, the Proclamadores de la Palabra (lectors), the Hospitality Ministry (Bienvenida), and the Monaguillos (altar servers).
The Carmelite Heart of the Parish
The parish's Marian identity runs deep. The Tercera Orden Carmelita (Third Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel) gathers after the 7:00 am Mass on the first Saturday of each month, then convenes in the parish hall for its meeting. The parish even has its own hymn, Virgen Santa del Carmelo, written by Father José Vicente Wittingham, which is sung at major celebrations and recorded by the parish choir.
Pastoral Staff and Practical Information
The parish is served by a team of priests and deacons. The Pastor is Rev. Ramiro Sanchez Chan, CS. The Associate Pastor is Rev. Vanh Tin To, CS, and Rev. Patrick Murphy, CS, serves in residence. Four deacons share ministry at the parish: Deacon David Gonzalez, Deacon Victor Villagomez, Deacon Jose Luis Medina, T.O.C., and Deacon Raul Gonzalez. Yolanda Osuna coordinates religious education, with Aide Villalobos assisting. Sister Eva Lujano leads the school.
Anyone interested in joining a ministry or group is welcome to attend one of the regular meetings; many, including Matrimonios Emmanuel, are open to newcomers. Donations can be made online through the parish's secure giving page, and announcements, the weekly bulletin, and event photos are shared in Spanish and English on the parish's Facebook and Instagram pages. The parish office can be reached at (619) 428-1415 or by email at olmcsy@gmail.com.