On a quiet block of Mt. Abraham Avenue in the Linda Vista / Clairemont area of San Diego, a parish founded in 1964 has grown into a community of more than seven hundred households shaped by its patron, St. Catherine Labouré, the French sister to whom the Virgin Mary appeared in 1830. The parish that bears her name welcomes newcomers, returning Catholics, single adults, married couples, single parents, seniors, and a growing Spanish-speaking population, and it ties all of those stories to the Eucharist celebrated several times each week in its church and chapel.
A Parish Welcomed in the Spirit of St. Catherine Labouré
The parish's mission statement is short and direct. It begins with the saint's example of welcome, especially of the marginalized and those seeking their place in life or in the Church, and it carries that welcome through every age, race, background, and family configuration. The parish centers its life on the Eucharist and on the unity it gives with Catholics worldwide, and from that celebration it sends its members out to live Christ's teaching of compassion, understanding, and unity in the neighborhood and beyond.
Fr. Brian Hayes serves as pastor. He is joined in residence by Fr. Benjamin Chinappan, and by Deacon Jim Keeley. Other priests who help with Masses include Fr. Eddie Samaniego, SJ, Fr. Dennis Mikulanis, and Fr. Miguel Romero. The parish staff includes Kathy Keith, who coordinates Religious Education; Marivel Castillo, who coordinates Youth Catechesis; and Melanie Duran, who directs Youth Ministry. Receptionist Melania Martinez and Office Manager Amy Griffith keep the parish office running, and Gilbert Baca serves as the maintenance person.
Mass Times, Confession, and Adoration on Mt. Abraham
The Sunday schedule offers four Masses in the morning, beginning with an 8:00 AM Mass and continuing at 9:30 and 11:00 AM, plus a 1:00 PM Mass celebrated entirely in Spanish for the growing Latino community. A Vigil Mass is celebrated on Saturday evening at 5:00 PM. Daily Mass is offered Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM, and on Tuesdays the Mother of Perpetual Help Devotion follows that Mass.
Confessions are heard every Saturday from 4:00 to 4:45 PM, and priests are also available by appointment through the parish office. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is held in the chapel on Fridays in two blocks, from 8:30 to 10:00 AM and again from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, giving visitors and parishioners two windows each week for prayer before the exposed Eucharist.
First-time visitors who arrive during the 9:30 AM Sunday Mass will see the Children's Liturgy of the Word in action. Children ages six through twelve are invited forward after the opening prayer and led by a Shepherd of the Word to the chapel, where they hear the readings discussed in a child-friendly way before rejoining their families for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. There is no fee for this program.
Sacraments for Children, Teens, and Adults
The parish walks with families through each of the seven Catholic sacraments. Baptism is offered for infants and children under seven on a bi-monthly schedule outside of Lent; parents and godparents are required to attend a baptismal seminar, usually held the week before the celebration. Children age seven and older who have not been baptized are directed into the religious education program and receive the sacraments accordingly.
First Communion and First Reconciliation are the destination of a two-year preparation, ordinarily begun in first grade and completed in second grade. Children in higher grades are placed according to their grade level for the first year and then join a Communion 2 class for their sacrament year. The coordinator for both is Kathy Keith, whose Religious Education Office can be reached at (858) 278-0587 or kkeith@stcatherinelaboure.net.
Confirmation is prepared through the youth program. Reconciliation is celebrated every Saturday afternoon; Anointing of the Sick is arranged through the parish office; Holy Orders inquiries can be directed to the Diocese of San Diego's priest vocation page. For weddings, couples are asked to contact Fr. Brian through the parish office. The parish has assembled an extensive library of planning documents for weddings, anniversaries, and funerals, including a Wedding Music Guide, Anniversary Music Planning Guide, Wedding Guidelines, and Funeral Mass program templates.
A Two-Year Path to the Sacraments for Children
The parish's school of religion, Religious Education Pre-K through 5, treats the family as the first teacher of faith. The program describes that domestic church - prayer, Mass attendance, Bible reading, and love of neighbor - as the soil in which catechesis takes root, and then offers parish classes to support parents, godparents, and grandparents.
Three levels meet at parish facilities. Preschool classes for ages three, four, and five meet during the 9:30 AM Mass from late September through late May with a $20 supply fee. Children's Liturgy of the Word serves ages six through ten during the same Mass and is free. Children in grades one through five attend religious education on Sundays from 10:45 AM to 12:00 PM in the Parish Hall. Tuition is $100 for the first year, $125 for the second (sacrament) year, and $50 for the post-sacrament year, and the 2026-2027 program year opens on Sunday, September 27. Registration is available online and in printable English and Spanish forms.
Youth Ministry and a Two-Year Confirmation Journey
Youth Ministry at St. Catherine Labouré is built around the conviction that middle and high school years are exciting but also challenging, and that a parish community can be a stable place in the middle of them. The ministry welcomes teens in grades six through twelve and is dedicated, in the words of its patron, to bringing young people into the loving hearts of Jesus and Mary.
The Youth Group meets twice weekly. The High School Youth Group gathers on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, and the Middle School Youth Group gathers on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. A roster of named youth leaders - Calvin, Erika, Jose, Mia, Jacob, Diego, Jacquelyn, and Maritza - share brief testimonies about why the group matters, with words like family, friendship, support, and faith appearing again and again. The youth program keeps an active Instagram presence at @sdcatym, and the Youth Ministry Office can be reached at (858) 277-3738.
Confirmation preparation follows a two-year path of prayer, reflection, learning, and spiritual growth, with retreats, service hours, and active family and sponsor involvement woven through it. Classes are held bi-monthly on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. First Communion preparation for both middle school and high school students who have not yet received the Eucharist follows the same two-year shape; first-year classes meet on Tuesdays from 4:30 to 5:45 PM, and second-year classes on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 5:45 PM. A parallel OCIA process adapted for youth welcomes middle and high school students who have not been baptized or who come from another tradition; the second year culminates in the Rite of Election with the Bishop and full reception of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion at the Easter Vigil.
Becoming Catholic: OCIA in English and Spanish
Adults who wish to become Catholic, or baptized Catholics who have not yet received Confirmation and First Communion, are welcomed into the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. English-language OCIA classes meet on Sunday mornings at 10:45 AM in the St. Francis Room of the Religious Education Building behind the parish office, with Peter Rodriguez as the parish contact. The parish is explicit that there is no obligation or commitment while taking the inquiry classes; full commitment comes only at Easter, when those who have been preparing receive the sacraments of initiation.
The Spanish-language equivalent, the Rito de Iniciación Cristiana para Adultos (RICA), gathers on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 PM in the Religious Education building. Josefina Rosas coordinates the Spanish OCIA process and can be reached at (858) 349-9137. The parish offers all of its sacramental preparation - baptisms, quinceañeras, first communion, confirmation, and marriage - in Spanish as well as English, with Spanish-language Mass celebrated every Sunday at 1:00 PM.
Music Ministry and the Parish's Three Groups
Music carries a large share of the parish's liturgical life. Three groups serve the Sunday schedule. The 9:30 AM Music Group rehearses on Wednesdays at 5:30 PM and sings on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, under the direction of Ami Villanueva. The Children's Choir, also under Ami Villanueva, rehearses on Thursdays at 5:00 PM and sings on the first, third, and fifth Sundays. The 11:00 AM Music Group is led by Debbie Higdon. Couples preparing for weddings and families preparing for anniversaries can find separate music guides, and the parish maintains a Funeral Music Planning Sheet to help families select hymns for a Funeral Mass.
Bereavement, Healing Prayer, and the Funeral Ministry
The parish's Bereavement Ministry responds to the Church's call to console those who mourn. Members assist the priest at the funeral or memorial Mass, help families plan the readings and the homily, and run a two-hour reception in the Parish Hall with coffee, lemonade, cookies, and paper products after the liturgy. Each November the ministry sponsors an All Souls Remembrance Mass at which the names of deceased loved ones are entered in the Book of Remembrance and parishioners carry lit candles into Mass. The same ministry sponsors Seasons of Hope, a Christ-centered bereavement support group for those grieving the death of a loved one, meeting Wednesday mornings from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM in the Education Building. Belle Grubbs coordinates the ministry.
The Healing Prayer Ministry meets on the fourth Sunday of each month, gathering in the chapel following the 11:00 AM Mass. Team members pray one-on-one with anyone seeking healing of body, mind, or spirit, in the conviction that Christ commissioned his followers to heal the sick. Kathy and Mike MacCarthy lead the team.
Funerals can be celebrated in the church or at a mortuary chapel, with burials arranged at Miramar National Cemetery through the parish. The Catholic preference is that the body be present at the Funeral Mass and properly buried, though cremation is allowed. When cremated remains are present, the Funeral Mass may still be celebrated in the church; only a Funeral Liturgy without Mass may take place in a funeral home. A Memorial Mass is offered when the body is not available. The parish has prepared five printable program templates - Funeral Mass with Body Present, Funeral Mass with Cremains Present, Funeral Service with Body or Cremains Present, Memorial Mass, and Memorial Service - for families to fill in and copy. Receptions in the Parish Hall are limited to two hours and are not catered with outside food, and the parish does not allow alcohol at funeral receptions.
Prayer Quilts, the Ladies' Guilds, and the Men's Association
The Prayer Quilt Ministry, Prayers & Squares chapter 1204 "The Kwiltin Krew," is an interfaith outreach that combines a hand-tied lap quilt with intentional prayer. During weekend Masses the whole congregation is invited to tie a knot and say a silent prayer for the recipient; when complete, it is given to someone of any age in physical, emotional, or spiritual crisis, with no judgment made about the need. Smaller Prayer Squares are available when time is short. Jeanne Frater receives requests.
Two women's guilds anchor the social and service life of the parish. The Santa Teresa Guild, established on January 19, 1965, is one of the seven original guilds formed when the parish was founded; it hosts an annual baby shower for Birthline and the Community Christian Service Agency, supports all parish bake sales, stocks the food pantry, and hosts a Veterans Appreciation Day. Members meet in homes on the first Tuesday of each month, July and August excluded, at 2:00 PM; Phyllis Sexton welcomes new members. St. Anne's Guild, formed in 2000, supports parish activities and runs the twice-yearly food drives that supply the parish Food Pantry, in addition to bake sales and Christmas food baskets. Caroline Werden and Barbara Alexander are the parish contacts.
The Knights of Columbus council at St. Catherine Labouré welcomes men eighteen and older and describes itself as the "fighting arm" of the Church in defense of faith, Church, and clergy. Members support seminarians, run parish fundraisers, and award scholarships, organized around the order's four principles of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. Steve Innis serves as Grand Knight. The parish also maintains a Men's Association that meets for a monthly breakfast after the 9:30 AM Mass.
The Food Pantry, the Interfaith Shelter, and Parish Outreach
The St. Catherine Labouré Food Pantry is one of the largest ministries of the parish, providing food to more than 950 families and 1,200 people experiencing homelessness each year. Donation baskets sit at the back of the church and in the parish office, and a list of most-needed items is published regularly: cereal, canned meat, tuna and chicken, peanut butter, Vienna sausages, soup, canned vegetables, canned beans, granola and protein bars, spaghetti sauce, pasta, rice, mac and cheese, cup of noodles, peanut butter and crackers, canned fruit and fruit cups, small chip bags, single-serve coffee, and small bottles of water. Easy-open cans and single-serving items fill the bags given to those experiencing homelessness; full-size items go into family bags. Monetary donations can be made online with "Food Pantry" in the memo line or dropped in the offertory basket in a marked envelope. The pantry is coordinated by Jan Cortez.
The parish is part of the Interfaith Shelter Network, which provides food and lodging to individuals and families experiencing situational homelessness. St. Catherine Labouré houses twelve to fourteen guests for a two-week period during the cold months, providing a hot meal, comfortable sleeping space, breakfast, and a sack lunch each day. Six to eight weeks before each shelter rotation, volunteers are recruited and donations of food and toiletries collected; Nancy Starr coordinates the rotation.
The Homebound Eucharistic Ministry brings Communion to parishioners who cannot attend Mass in person; arrangements are made through the parish office. A yearly fundraiser ties the larger community to Birthline, a pregnancy resource nonprofit. The parish also supports Birthline through the Santa Teresa Guild's annual baby shower.
Adult Faith Enrichment and Family Life
The Adult Faith Enrichment Committee meets six to eight times a year to plan parish-wide opportunities for growth in faith and knowledge. Its offerings include DVD study series, Taizé Prayer in Advent and Lent, book studies, Advent and Lent Little Blue Book sales, women's retreats, and guest speakers on religious topics. Recent programs include a five-week book study with Deacon Jim on Tuesday mornings, a fall book study with Kathy Keith, Debbie Higdon, and Terrie Teegarden in both morning and Zoom sessions, and Theology Uncorked evenings that bring in a speaker from the wider San Diego Catholic adult community. Ginger Infantino coordinates the committee.
The Family Life and Spirituality Committee grew out of the 2016 Diocesan Synod on the Family. Its mission is to lift the life and spirituality of the parish's diverse families by offering family-friendly activities and resources for building faith at home. The committee organizes a Labor Day Mass and picnic, a Care for Creation event, and a Night in Bethlehem, and it collaborates with other parish ministries to help create an environment that invites, nurtures, and evangelizes. Debbie Higdon is the parish contact.
For adults in the eighteen-to-mid-thirties range, the Young Adults Ministry meets on Sundays after the 9:30 AM Mass in the Guardian Angel room of the Education Building behind the parish office for fellowship and activity planning. Visitors can look for Tyler at the information booth before Mass.
Parish Registration, Giving, and Getting in Touch
The parish asks everyone who attends Mass regularly to register so that the office can stay in touch and so that families are properly enrolled in the parish for sacramental sponsorship and preparation. Registration forms are available online and in the parish office, with English and Spanish versions side by side.
The parish office sits on the parish grounds at 4124 Mt. Abraham Avenue, with entrance from the west on Mt. Abraham. Office hours are Monday from 10 AM to 4:30 PM and Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The main phone line is (858) 277-3133. The Religious Education Office can be reached at (858) 278-0587, and the Youth Ministry Office at (858) 277-3738. For after-hours anointings for someone who is actively dying or gravely ill, the pastor can be reached by text at (858) 945-0058 or by email.
Online giving is available through the parish's Vanco giving page, and bulletins, ministry updates, and reflections on the Sunday readings are posted regularly so that parishioners who are traveling or homebound can stay connected to the life of the parish. Daily Mass readings from the USCCB are linked from the parish site, and the parish maintains an active presence on Facebook and Instagram, with the youth ministry running its own Instagram feed at @sdcatym.
St. Catherine Labouré is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of San Diego, founded in 1964, named for the humble French sister to whom Our Lady appeared, and still marked by the same welcome that has defined it from the beginning: the doors open wide, the Eucharist is at the center, and there is a place at the table for whoever walks in.