A Catholic Parish on South Broadway
St. Mary Catholic Church sits along South Broadway in Escondido, California, where it serves one of the larger bilingual Catholic communities in northern San Diego County. The parish describes itself as a family that welcomes everyone into God's covenant of love, forgiveness, and healing, following the practice of Roman Catholicism in the Diocese of San Diego. Around that broad mission, daily life at St. Mary is built around Mass in two languages, perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, a parish preschool and elementary school, and a deep roster of devotional and service groups. Visitors are likely to notice the bilingual bulletins, the large Saturday evening crowds, and the steady stream of families who come through the doors on South Broadway seven days a week.
Mass in English and Spanish, Every Day
Mass is celebrated at St. Mary every day of the week in both English and Spanish, making it easy for working families, students, and retirees to find a service that fits their schedule.
On Saturday evening, the vigil schedule includes an English Mass at 5:00 pm and a Spanish Mass at 6:30 pm. Earlier in the day, an 8:00 am English Mass is followed by the Rosary, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed at 3:30 pm.
Sunday Masses fill the day from early morning until evening. In English, the parish gathers at 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 10:30 am, and 5:00 pm. In Spanish, the times are 12:00 pm, 1:30 pm, and 6:30 pm.
Weekday Masses follow a regular rhythm as well. Monday through Friday, an 8:00 am English Mass is followed by the Rosary, and a 12 noon English Mass is followed by the Rosary. On those same days, the Spanish Rosary is prayed at 5:00 pm and the Spanish Mass is celebrated at 6:00 pm. The Divine Mercy Chaplet is recited at 3:00 pm each day. Saturday's daily Mass schedule is limited to the 8:00 am English Mass; there is no noon Mass on Saturdays.
A traditional Latin Mass is also celebrated, but not at the parish itself. The Latin Mass is offered on Sundays at 8:00 am at the San Juan Diego Center at the Pala Mission in Pala, California, rather than at the parish on South Broadway.
Confession, Perpetual Adoration, and the Hour of Great Mercy
St. Mary keeps one of the most visible Catholic devotional rhythms in the area, with Reconciliation several times a week and the Blessed Sacrament exposed for adoration around the clock.
Confession is heard on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:15 am to 7:50 am, again on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:00 pm to 5:50 pm, and on Saturday afternoons from 3:30 pm to 4:45 pm. Priests hear confessions before Mass during the Tuesday and Thursday morning and evening windows, and on Saturday afternoon before the vigil.
Perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is offered twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Adorers are invited to commit to a Holy Hour, and the parish is especially seeking committed adorers from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Access to the adoration chapel between 7:30 pm and 7:00 am requires a FOB key that can be picked up from the Parish Office.
The Divine Mercy devotion runs through the parish day. The chaplet is prayed at 3:00 pm every day and again on Saturdays at 3:30 pm, with a full Hour of Great Mercy observance built around 3:00 pm that includes reflection on the Passion and prayers for unrepentant sinners. A Divine Mercy Ministry, led by a parish coordinator, gathers a cenacle for prayer and offers written prayers of consecration to the Divine Mercy and to Mary, Mother of Mercy.
Baptism, Funeral Liturgies, and Sacramental Preparation
The parish prepares Catholics for the sacraments at every stage of life.
For baptism, the parish teaches that the sacrament is necessary for salvation, frees the recipient from original and personal sin, and confers an indelible character. Parents are encouraged to baptize their children during the first weeks after birth. A child who is seven or older and not yet baptized is enrolled in the Order of Christian Initiation for Children, which meets on Tuesdays from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. A Spanish Community Coordinator and the parish office staff walk families through pre-baptismal interviews and classes.
First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation are prepared through a two-year intergenerational catechetical program. Parents and godparents attend retreats and adult evangelization sessions while the children are in the classroom. Older students who learn at a slower pace are given additional time. Adults who still need to complete their sacraments can join a nine-month formation program.
When a loved one dies, the parish walks the family through the Catholic funeral rite. Funeral Masses and Memorial Masses are scheduled Monday through Friday at 10:00 am. The parish provides a comprehensive list of approved Old Testament, New Testament, and Gospel readings for the liturgy, including the special set of New Testament readings used during the Easter Season. Lectors at funeral Masses are asked to wear church-appropriate attire, with men in a tie and jacket and women in a modest dress or skirt and blouse.
St. Mary also prepares engaged couples for marriage, assists with annulments, and schedules Mass intentions through the parish office.
Religious Education from First Reconciliation Through Confirmation
Religious education at St. Mary is intergenerational and rooted in the home. The parish trains children in the Catholic faith and prepares them to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation in a two-year program. Adults who need to complete their sacraments are served in a nine-month program.
Catechism for school-age children runs throughout the academic year. The Order of Christian Initiation for Children meets on Tuesdays from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Sign-language catechism classes are offered on Tuesdays from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm, followed by adult sign-language instruction from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm. The Religious Education Office is open four nights a week, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, for registrations and questions.
Teenagers meet through the Youth Ministry, which gathers every Friday from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the St. Mary Parish Hall Gym, and from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the St. Mary Small Hall on East 13th Avenue. The Coordinator also runs the parish Confirmation program and oversees a Young Adult group for singles ages 18 to 36.
For adults, several Bible studies meet through the week. On Monday evenings from 6:45 pm to 8:30 pm, a women's Bible study works through Catholic Bible Study materials in the Catechumen Room. A Tuesday morning group studies the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of John in Room 211 of the Parish Center. On Friday mornings from 9:00 am to 10:15 am, another group works through the Bread of Life Bible Study based on the upcoming Sunday readings.
St. Mary Preschool and St. Mary School
St. Mary runs two schools in addition to its religious education programs.
St. Mary Preschool welcomes children in a Christ-centered atmosphere that partners with families in their role as the primary educators of their children. The preschool's approach encourages growth in self-awareness and self-esteem and prepares each child for a successful transition into kindergarten. The Preschool Director leads registration and admissions, and the program maintains a parent handbook, an annual calendar, and the licensing forms required by California state law. Tuition is managed through the FACTS Tuition Management system, and families can complete an interest form online.
St. Mary School is the parish elementary school, with its own principal and faculty. The parish office can connect families with the school's administration for registration and questions.
A Marian Cenacle, the Adorers of the Holy Trinity, and Other Devotions
The parish is home to a remarkable range of small devotional groups, many of them oriented around Mary and the Eucharist.
The Marian Movement of Priests Cenacle meets every Tuesday from 9:30 am to 11:00 am in the Catechumen Room, near the restrooms inside the church. Members pray for priests and seminarians, read messages from the Marian movement, and consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The Adorers of the Most Holy Trinity are a community of lay faithful dedicated to bringing the adoration of the Holy Trinity into family life. A statue of the Holy Trinity with the Virgin Mary moves from home to home each week, with a Sunday meeting at 2:00 or 3:00 pm for an hour of prayer and song. Perpetual Adoration is also observed on the first Friday of each month in the church's cry room.
The Children of Mary, Soldiers for Christ gather on Thursdays and Fridays at 7:00 pm in Classroom 3 to pray the Rosary, then share snacks and conversation. The Divine Mercy Ministry leads the daily 3:00 pm Hour of Great Mercy observance, runs a Cenacle, and offers a nine-day novena to St. Faustina with downloadable PDFs for each day. For women, the parish hosts several ongoing Bible studies, and a St. Mary Youth Choir provides music at the liturgies under the direction of a parish coordinator.
Walking with Moms in Need
St. Mary's Culture of Life Ministry, inspired by the Walking with Moms in Need initiative of the United States bishops, seeks to educate parishioners about the dignity of every human life from conception to natural death and to accompany expectant mothers in and around Escondido.
The ministry partners with several local pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes, including COLFS, Birth Choice, Alternatives, Lamb of God, and Rachel's Hope. It supports these organizations through baby bottle drives and other fundraisers, joins the San Diego Walk for Life and the St. Timothy Life Walk, and takes part in the 40 Days for Life campaigns in both fall and spring. The ministry invites expectant mothers to fill out a survey so that the parish can accompany them during pregnancy, including a Blessing of the Child in the Womb offered through the parish.
The parish also points parishioners to outside resources, including the Respect Life prayer guides published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the bilingual "We Were Born Ready" and "Nacimos Para Esto" campaign that equips Catholics to serve women in difficult and unexpected pregnancies.
Parish Outreach and the One 2 One Mentoring Program
Pastoral care extends outside the parish walls.
St. Mary Parish Outreach serves parishioners with material aid, resources, spiritual support, and encouragement. The Outreach office is open every Wednesday morning from 9:30 am to 12:00 noon. Parishioners in need can contact the parish office to be connected with the coordinator.
A One 2 One Mentoring Program carries the word of God into juvenile facilities in Kearny Mesa and East Mesa. A volunteer Catholic chaplain and his team bring music, presentations, and handouts to young people who are incarcerated, with sessions at the Kearny Mesa facility in the morning and at East Mesa in the afternoon. Volunteers who feel called to this ministry are encouraged to contact the program coordinator.
Liturgical Ministries, the Safety Team, and the Annual Fiesta
A volunteer Safety Team composed of Catholic men and women helps keep St. Mary a safe place to worship. Members are trained in first aid and basic security matters and serve at the Mass they regularly attend. The team has no regular meetings or dues but trains about twice a year.
Liturgical ministries are another core area of parish service. Lectors proclaim the readings, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion distribute the Body and Blood of Christ to the assembly and to the homebound, and Hospitality Ministers greet visitors and parishioners at the door. Altar Servers assist the priests at the altar, and a St. Mary Youth Choir provides music for the liturgies. The parish regularly seeks new volunteers for the Saturday vigil, the Sunday morning English Masses, and the Sunday evening English Mass.
The St. Mary Fiesta is the parish's annual community celebration. Volunteers are organized by a small team of coordinators who recruit adult and youth volunteers through online sign-ups, gather soda and water donations at the parish office during business hours, and welcome Fiesta Queen candidates and their families. Volunteers and parishioners pitch in throughout the weekend to make the celebration possible.
The Pastoral Team
St. Mary is served by a sizable pastoral team. The pastor is Father Scott Herrera. He is joined by two associate pastors, Father Manuel Gutierrez del Toro and Father Raymond Philip Napuli, and by two visiting priests, Father Joseph Khuyen Van Lai and Father Lambert Bakourebe.
The deacons include Mitch Rennix, Amador Duran, Andres Sanchez, Ramon Garcia, and Don Meziere. Deacon Andres Sanchez also serves as the Director of Religious Education, and Deacon Ramon Garcia serves as the Director of Facilities. Vicky Briceno is the parish's Youth Ministry Coordinator and Confirmation Coordinator. Ariana Marquez leads the Preschool as Preschool Director. The parish also relies on a Director of Administration, a Facilities Director, a Special Projects and Communications Coordinator, a Gift Shop coordinator, a volunteer Safety Team Director, and a wide circle of ministry leaders for Bible studies, the Marian cenacle, the Adorers of the Holy Trinity, the Divine Mercy Ministry, and the Children's Liturgy of the Word.
Father Scott has served as a priest at St. Mary for eleven years and is appreciated by the community for his pastoral care.
Planning a First Visit
St. Mary welcomes visitors at 1170 South Broadway, Escondido, California 92025. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 12:45 pm and again from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The main phone number is (760) 745-1611, with a fax line at (442) 248-8600. An after-hours emergency line for the Anointing of the Sick or Last Rites is available at (858) 375-3075.
Parking is available in the lot behind the church near the parish hall. When that lot is full, additional parking is available on the dirt lot directly in front of the main entrance. Ushers are on hand to greet visitors and help with seating.
A family room is located on the left side of the church, near the Altar, for parents with restless children. The room is set up so families can still follow along with the service.
The parish asks visitors to dress modestly for Mass. Shoulders should be covered, necklines should be modest, bottoms should be knee-length or longer, and clothing with offensive images or slogans should be avoided. Those serving in liturgical roles are asked to dress in semi-formal attire.
Non-Catholics are warmly welcomed at Mass and are invited to come forward with arms crossed over their chests to receive a blessing from the priest or deacon rather than Holy Communion. Those with hearing difficulties can request amplified headphones through the assigned Mass sacristan, and low-gluten hosts are available by going to the center line at the end of Communion or by speaking with a sacristan before Mass.
Weekly bulletins and a calendar of upcoming events are available, and visitors can register their households through the parish's online Family Registration form. Online giving is set up through ParishSoft, and the parish livestreams Mass on YouTube and StreamSpot for those unable to attend in person.