St. Gabriel Catholic Church sits on seven and a half acres at 13734 Twin Peaks Road in the southern reaches of Poway, a community northeast of San Diego. From this campus the parish carries out what its mission statement calls making present the Church of Christ in Poway through Liturgy, the Word, Mission, and Action. Today the parish of more than 2,500 families gathers for daily Mass, sacramental preparation at every age, youth and young adult outreach, and a thriving Hispanic community that celebrates the parish's only Sunday Mass in Spanish.
A Parish Born from a Middle School Gymnasium
St. Gabriel Roman Catholic Church was established on the feast of Corpus Christi, June 15, 1973, when an early census identified nearly two hundred families in the southern part of what is now Poway. The parish was carved out of St. Michael's, with Monsignor Charles J. Dollen as its founding pastor. Mass was first celebrated at Twin Peaks Middle School, while Holy Day Masses were held in the homes of parishioners. The first Benediction on the new property was held in 1976, the first Mass was said on the seven-and-a-half-acre site in September 1977, and groundbreaking for the parish hall took place on September 18, 1977.
Formally dedicated on September 16, 1978, by Bishop Leo T. Maher, the hall served as the parish's worship space for more than three decades. Carillon bells were installed in December 1980 and a new organ dedicated in September 1981. The mortgage was burned in February 1982 after years of community fundraising. The 1983 master plan outlined five buildings (Maintenance, Education, Office, Church, and Rectory); the maintenance, education, and office buildings were all completed by 1988.
Monsignor Dollen retired in 1996. Father Joseph (Fr. Jay) Brady succeeded him that July, cleared the parish debt in 1998, and was followed in 1999 by Father Michael Froidurot, the parish's third pastor. Six adjacent acres were purchased from the Hubert family in 2004, a new rectory on Budwin Lane was acquired, and on August 14, 2005, the land was blessed. Bishop Robert Brom celebrated the new church's cornerstone on March 13, 2010. The first official Mass in the new worship space was celebrated on June 24, 2011, with the Mass of Dedication on July 8 of that year. In 2015 the reception hall was renovated and rededicated as Monsignor Charles Dollen Hall in honor of the founding pastor.
Mass, Reconciliation, and the First Saturday Devotion
The schedule gathers the parish five times on Sunday and six times during the week, alongside two regular Confession slots and a monthly First Saturday devotion. Sunday Masses are celebrated at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 5:00 p.m. in English, with a 12:30 p.m. Mass in Spanish. Weekday Masses are at 9 a.m. on Monday and Wednesday, 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, 12:10 p.m. on Friday, and 5 p.m. Saturday Vigil.
Reconciliation is heard on Saturdays from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. On the first Saturday of each month the parish gathers at 7:30 a.m. for Confessions and the Rosary, followed by a 9 a.m. Mass, part of the First Saturday Devotion to Our Lady introduced by Father Brad Easterbrooks.
The celebration of the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith and the encounter that sends the parish out into the wider community to care for the hungry, the stranger, the sick, and the imprisoned.
Faith Formation from Kindergarten through High School
Faith formation at St. Gabriel is organized in three tracks aligned with the academic year. The K-5 program welcomes children from kindergarten through fifth grade in grade-level classes of no more than twelve, meeting weekly from October to May. Using the Alive in Christ workbooks from Our Sunday Visitor and supplemented by the parish's subscription to the FORMED video library, the program frames the family as the domestic church and supports parents as the primary catechists of their children. Catechists and class aides are parish volunteers who complete background checks and diocesan Safe Environment training.
Middle schoolers in grades six through eight find their place in EDGE, a Catholic middle school youth ministry program within the Life Teen network that meets on Sundays from 3:00 to 4:45 p.m. during the school year. EDGE is open to all middle schoolers regardless of faith background and aims to be a safe, fun place where young people can find solid Catholic community and answers to their questions about faith. A separate middle school Bible study gathers on Thursdays from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
High school youth ministry meets teens in grades nine through twelve with weekly sessions, Bible studies, sacrament preparation, retreats, works of mercy, and a Youth Discipleship Team designed to train older teens as leaders. Preparation for Confirmation can begin as early as ninth grade and includes scripture study, weekly Mass participation, parent and teen retreats, Adoration nights, and family sessions at home. The high school Bible study meets Wednesdays from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. in Room C2.
Welcoming Children through Baptism
Parents presenting an infant or young child for Baptism begin with the parish Registration Form, sign up for a monthly baptism class with Deacon Ricardo Elizondo, and submit a Godparent Verification Form along with a copy of the child's birth certificate. Baptisms are scheduled once all paperwork is complete and at least one practicing Catholic godparent, at least 16 years old and confirmed, has been verified. The Rite of Baptism at St. Gabriel includes the gathered assembly welcoming the child, the parents' and godparents' signing of the cross on the forehead, two anointings (with the oil of catechumens and the oil of chrism), the pouring of water, the white baptismal garment, and a baptismal candle lit from the parish's Paschal candle.
Children seven and older who have not yet been baptized go through the Order of Christian Initiation for Children, a two-year preparation that includes sacramental formation and the reception of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.
Becoming Catholic and the Young Adults
Adults who want to explore the Catholic faith or complete their Sacraments of Initiation are invited into OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults. OCIA follows the four classical stages: Inquiry, the Catechumenate, Purification and Enlightenment (typically during Lent), and Mystagogy after Easter. The parish stresses that this invitation carries no obligation and that the Inquiry stage is a time to ask questions about Catholicism without committing to anything further.
Young adults between 18 and 39 find their own home in the Young Adult Ministry, with a monthly Theology and Grub dinner and talk at the Hop Stop on Midland Road, a young adult Bible study on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in Room C2 currently working through the Acts of the Apostles, a Women's Second Saturday coffee at Idego in Poway, and a Moms' Group for parents with little ones meeting Tuesdays from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in Room C5. For mothers and grandmothers whose children have drifted from the faith, the parish hosts two weekly gatherings of Millions of Monicas, one Wednesday morning from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. and the other Wednesday evening from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., both held in the church itself, in prayer for the joyful return of their children to the Catholic Church.
Servers, Lectors, Ushers, and Music
Sunday Mass is supported by a wide range of liturgical volunteers. Altar servers must have made their First Communion and be at least ten years old; they assist the priest and deacon during weekend and Holy Day liturgies. Lectors proclaim the readings at Mass; Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion distribute the Eucharist and bring Communion to the sick, the homebound, hospitals, and prisons. Ushers welcome worshippers, take up the collection, and respond to any medical or other needs in the pews. A separate Communion to the Sick and Homebound ministry has been visiting parishioners in Poway-area homes and assisted living facilities since 1986.
The Music Ministry is dedicated to helping those at Mass enter into deeper communion with God and welcomes new musicians. The parish also maintains a Sunday Cafe that serves coffee and doughnuts after Sunday Masses to build community between services.
Men's, Women's, and Hispanic Communities
Men's Ministry centers on a Friday morning Bible Study held on Zoom year-round, including holidays, offering working men a prayerful start to the day. Women's Ministry, led by a board chaired by Debbie Hibbs, brings the women of the parish together for spiritual growth, fellowship, and outreach. The Sewing Group meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 9:45 a.m. in Room C6, working on prayer quilts, baby blankets, and other projects; a sewing machine is not required, as the group also needs help cutting, ironing, and tying.
Hispanic Ministry is organized around three communities. Divina Misericordia gathers to celebrate Divine Mercy through prayer. Matrimonios strengthens the faith of married couples and prepares new couples for the Sacrament of Marriage. Visitadores por Cristo provides hospitality and outreach to parishioners and to anyone who walks through the parish's doors, supported by a team of bilingual volunteers.
Works of Mercy across Poway
Beyond Sunday Mass the parish maintains several ministries that respond to local needs. The Bereavement Support ministry offers prayer and a listening ear to those grieving the loss of a loved one. Coping with Cancer meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. to pray with and support people facing a cancer diagnosis. The Pro-Life ministry is dedicated to respect for life from natural conception until natural death, supporting prayer, education, and outreach that includes partnership with the 29:11 Maternity Home in El Cajon. Rosary Makers meet Monday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. to handcraft rosaries that are donated to parishioners, OCIA, and other groups.
Helping Hands directs the parish's outreach to those in greatest need in the broader Poway community through donations and volunteer service, complemented by the parish's collaboration with diocesan outreach programs.
Weddings and Monsignor Dollen Hall
St. Gabriel welcomes engaged couples into a nine-month marriage preparation process that begins with a meeting with the Director of Weddings and the Pastor, moves through six monthly meetings with a mentor couple (a practicing Catholic couple married at least five years and not immediate family), and culminates in a liturgy planning meeting with the presider. The program includes the diocesan FOCCUS inventory and either a Celebrating Your Love retreat day or an Engaged Encounter weekend.
Receptions can be hosted in Monsignor Charles Dollen Hall, a 4,500-square-foot ballroom with wood flooring, vaulted ceilings, and a grand entry way; a 450-square-foot stage; a 500-square-foot lit patio with cocktail tables; a full outdoor bar and barbecue; a commercial kitchen; 71-inch round tables for up to 300 guests banquet style, 250 with a dance floor; theatre style for up to 400; and an on-site parking lot with elegant limousine circle. The hall, which requires a minimum of 100 attendees and is also available for parish and community events, is named for the parish's founding pastor.
Clergy and Parish Office
Father Christopher Tozzi was appointed pastor of St. Gabriel beginning July 1, 2026. Father Patrick Murphy, who arrived at the parish in 2015, continues as senior associate pastor and offers pastoral counseling and spiritual direction. Father Bradley Easterbrooks, ordained a priest at St. Gabriel and now serving as a Spiritual Associate, served a year as parish administrator following the retirement of Father Michael Froidurot and oversaw a year of administrative, financial, and spiritual renewal that included new images of the angel greeting Mary and Joseph, a Garden of Gethsemane olive grove on the hillside overlooking the parish grounds, and the launch of the Theology and Grub young adult gathering. Deacon Ricardo Elizondo, ordained for the parish in 2012, supports the liturgies and pastoral care of the community. Angela Cunningham directs middle school ministry and the altar servers. Ashely Ibarra coordinates the K-5 faith formation program. Kierstin Rowell oversees high school youth, young adults, and OCIA.
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (closed for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m.). The faith formation office is open Monday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. St. Gabriel Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego.