A Daly City Parish with Marian Heart
Tucked into the residential blocks of Wellington Avenue in northern San Mateo County, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish has served Daly City for a hundred years. The parish is Roman Catholic in faith, multicultural in character, and unmistakably devoted to the Blessed Mother. The mission statement reads, "We at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, are a multi-cultural faith community; we welcome all who come to our parish and commit ourselves to direct others to Jesus through a meaningful liturgical celebration and devotion to Mary." That description fits what one sees inside: a parish where English, Spanish, and Filipino traditions each have a place at the altar and at the parish hall.
From Mission on the Hill to a Daly City Parish
Our Lady of Perpetual Help was originally a mission of Holy Angels. It was established as an independent parish in 1925 with Father James Donohoe as the first pastor and was known at that time as St. Maximus Parish. In 1929, the name was changed to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, reflecting a grassroots movement among the parishioners who wanted the church to bear the title of the icon they prayed before at home. Remodeling came in 1969 and again in 2010, and a fire in 1992 destroyed the church's interior, which was rebuilt in the years that followed.
The Rites of the Seasons
Parish life at OLPH follows the rhythm of the Catholic year, and several Filipino traditions have settled into the calendar. Advent is ushered in with lights, banners, lanterns, and nativity scenes, but the centerpiece is Simbang Gabi, the well-attended pre-dawn novena of Masses leading up to Christmas Eve. After the 5:30 a.m. Mass, parishioners gather to share bibingka (rice cakes) and puto bumbong (steamed purple rice pastries) in the parish hall, keeping the ways of home alive in Daly City.
Spring is the season of Lent, and Easter Sunday begins with the Salubong, the Tagalog word for the dawn re-enactment in which Mary is reunited with her Risen Son. The liturgical year closes with the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in early summer. After novenas marked by reflectiveness and prayer, the parish processes around the block, then gathers in the school hall for a family feast of singing and dancing that runs late into the night.
Mass Schedule and Languages
Weekday Masses are offered Monday through Thursday at 7:30 a.m. On Wednesdays an additional Mass is celebrated at 8:30 p.m., known as the evening Mass following Vespers, Rosary, and Novena to OLPH. Friday brings a 7:30 a.m. Mass and a 6:00 p.m. Evening Mass. Saturday Masses are at 7:45 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., with the 4:00 p.m. Mass serving as the Vigil for Sunday.
Sunday Masses are celebrated at 7:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 6:00 p.m. The 1:00 p.m. Sunday Mass is celebrated in Spanish, making OLPH one of the Daly City parishes where both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Catholics can attend Mass in their own language every week.
Confessions, Adoration, and Devotions
Reconciliation is heard on Saturdays from 3:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and can also be arranged by appointment through the parish office. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is offered on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the day, beginning after the 7:30 a.m. Mass; on Sundays, Vespers and Benediction are prayed at 5:30 p.m. First Fridays add all-day Adoration.
Friday afternoons carry the rhythm of the Sacred Heart Devotion: Adoration at 5:00 p.m., Vespers and Benediction at 5:40 p.m., and the evening Mass at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays are given over to Devotions to Our Lady of Perpetual Help: Adoration at 5:00 p.m., Vespers and Benediction at 5:40 p.m., the Rosary at 6:00 p.m., and the Novena to OLPH and evening Mass at 6:30 p.m. During Lent, the Stations of the Cross follow the 7:30 a.m. English Mass, and the Estaciones de la Cruz or Via Crucis are prayed at 6:00 p.m. in Spanish.
Sacraments for Every Season of Life
OLPH celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Baptisms are scheduled every Sunday at 3:00 p.m. in English on the first, second, and fourth Sundays and in Spanish on the third Sunday, with no Baptisms during Lent. Parents and godparents attend a Baptismal Preparation Class offered on the first Monday of the month in English or the second Monday in Spanish. First Communion is a two-year process beginning in first grade, and Confirmation is likewise a two-year program for young people; for adults, both sacraments are reached through the RCIA.
Couples preparing for Matrimony are asked to call the parish office at least six months in advance and to submit recent baptismal and confirmation certificates (the baptismal certificate must be less than six months old). The Anointing of the Sick is available to anyone who lives within the parish's borders and cannot easily come to church; families can call the rectory to arrange a visit. Funerals are coordinated directly with the funeral home, and the church will take care of the rest once OLPH in Daly City is given as the location. Memorial and Anniversary Masses can also be arranged through the parish office, and Mass Intentions are accepted using the envelopes at the church vestibule.
Religious Education and RCIA
The Religious Education Program (CCD) meets on select Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and is coordinated by Renaeleen Ricasata. Registration is handled online or by submitting the parish enrollment form, and tuition can be paid through OSV Hub. The parish philosophy places parents at the center of faith formation, with catechists serving as volunteers who echo the Catholic faith to children and youth in age-appropriate ways. Children in grades 3 through 6 are invited to sing in the Children's Choir; students in grades 7 and 8 serve at the altar; and ninth graders serve as lectors, commentators, projectionists, and ushers. Financial assistance is available for families who qualify.
Adults who want to learn about the Catholic faith, become Catholic, or complete their sacraments join the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. The OLPH RCIA runs for one year, beginning in September and ending during the week of Pentecost, with sessions that meet Sunday afternoons. The journey includes study of Scripture, learning about Catholic tradition and prayer, and preparation to celebrate Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist at Easter.
Youth, Music, and Marian Devotion
The parish maintains an active Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and an Altar Server program that invites boys and girls who have made their First Communion to serve at the altar. Volunteers are also recruited to run the PowerPoint projections at the 4:00 p.m. Saturday Mass and the 6:00 p.m. Sunday Mass, and to serve as back-up livestream operators for First Fridays, Holy Week, Easter, novenas, and funerals.
Music Ministry at OLPH is led by Music Ministry Coordinator Cynthia Marquez. The parish choirs sing at the Sunday Masses and other liturgies, giving the parish what the parish calls "the melodic chorus of voices" that lift the assembly. With the consecration of its Marian Shrine, OLPH has also become a center for devotees of the Blessed Mother, and the parish hosts an annual Thanksgiving dinner hosted by Father Augusto Villote for the parish ministries.
St. Vincent de Paul Society
The parish's St. Vincent de Paul Society is part of the San Mateo County chapter and lives out the society's motto, "No work of charity is foreign to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul." Vincentians provide person-to-person assistance, including help with food, rent, utilities, homeless shelters, summer camp, emergency transportation, back-to-school supplies and uniforms, furniture, education, disaster relief, and elder visits. The conference meets every second Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in OLPH Jubilee Hall; the meeting includes prayer, scripture reading, faith sharing, reports on home visits, and planning. Anyone who needs help can call (650) 343-4403 during business hours; volunteers can sign up by calling (650) 373-0620 or by contacting the county society.
OLPH School
Adjacent to the parish, OLPH School serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and can be called at (650) 755-4438. The school joins the parish for liturgies, processions, and the major feasts of the year, and the Jubilee Hall doubles as the gathering space for the parish's biggest celebrations.
Parish Office, Giving, and Visiting
The rectory and parish office sit at 60 Wellington Avenue in Daly City and can be reached at (650) 755-9786, with email at olphrectory@gmail.com. Office hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; the office is closed on Monday. Parishioners and visitors can support the parish by mailing a check, giving online through OSV Hub, or using the parish drop box at the church.
Each year OLPH also participates in the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, contributing its share toward the broader ministry of the local Church. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of San Francisco, under Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, and worshipes according to the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.