On Girard Avenue in the village of La Jolla, the white mission-style walls and bell tower of Mary, Star of the Sea have marked the rhythm of Catholic life since 1909. The parish belongs to the Diocese of San Diego and serves a coastal San Diego community with daily Mass in English and Spanish, a parish elementary school, year-round faith formation, and a deep bench of ministries that reach into homes, hospitals and the streets of the neighborhood.
A Mission-Style Church on Girard Avenue
The parish's roots go back more than a century. On January 10, 1909, founding pastor Father Joseph C. Mesny celebrated the first Mass in a newly completed church at the corner of Kline Street and Girard Avenue, dedicating it to the Blessed Virgin under her title of Mary, Star of the Sea. At the time, San Diego was part of the former Los Angeles - San Diego Diocese. Father Mesny stayed as pastor until June 1927.
The current church rose in 1937 under Father Thomas J. McNamara, whose fund-raising efforts convinced the first bishop of the new Diocese of San Diego, Bishop Charles Frances Buddy, to approve a new building. Architect Carleton Monroe Winslow designed it in the spirit of the early California missions, and it was dedicated in December of that year.
The church is known for its artwork as much as for its architecture. A fresco over the entrance titled "Our Lady, Star of the Sea," painted by artist Alfredo Ramos Martinez, suffered irreparable damage from years of sun and salt air; in 1962 an exact replica was fabricated in mosaic tile in Rome. In the lower right corner of the mural an inscription reads: "This mosaic replaces the original fresco by Alfredo Ramos Martinez painted in 1937. - Msgr. J.V. Clarkin, VF Pastor 1962." In 1956 Monsignor Joseph V. Clarkin commissioned John Henry de Rosen, whose works decorate churches around the world, to paint the large arched mural over the back wall of the sanctuary. That mural was restored in 1992 when Andrew Lojszczyk applied a new coat of gold leaf to its background. De Rosen returned in 1957 to paint the background for a statue of Mary with the Infant Jesus by French sculptor Roger de Villers, and a third time to paint the background for the St. Joseph statue, donating that small work as a memorial to his parents with the inscription "In memoriam - Jan and Wanda De Rosen +1936."
Above the parish hall hangs a mission bell inscribed "Jesus 1690 Maria" that Father Mesny brought to La Jolla and that is believed to have traveled from Spain to California with the early Franciscan padres. Ground was broken for the hall - once called The Aula - on St. Patrick's Day in 1952, and it housed a library, music rooms and an auditorium for the growing parish.
Daily Mass, Sunday Mass and the Livestream
Mary, Star of the Sea keeps a steady schedule of public Masses throughout the week. Daily Mass is offered Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM and on Saturday at 9:00 AM. The Saturday Vigil Mass is bilingual in spirit: 5:00 PM in English and 6:30 PM in Spanish. On Sunday, four English Masses are celebrated at 7:30, 9:00 and 10:30 in the morning and at 12:00 noon.
Every Mass - weekday and weekend - is livestreamed and archived for later viewing, making the parish accessible to the homebound, the traveling and anyone who cannot be present in person.
Schedules for Holy Day vigils, Holy Days and holidays vary, and the parish asks visitors to consult the bulletin for the most current information.
Reconciliation, Adoration and Prayer Groups
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered every Saturday from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM inside the church, and priests are also available by appointment through the parish office. After the anointing of the sick, reconciliation is one of the sacraments most directly tied to parish life, and the priests at Mary, Star of the Sea take pains to make it easy to access.
The parish also devotes a substantial slice of its week to Eucharistic Adoration. The adoration chapel is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM and on Friday from 9:00 AM to noon. To enter, visitors pick up a code in person at the parish office.
Several prayer groups gather around these devotions. Alianza meets monthly for a Spanish-language Mass and prayers devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Grupo Carismático is a Spanish prayer community. After each Daily Mass, parishioners stay to pray the rosary together. Knights of Columbus Council #10117 brings Catholic men together around charity and fraternity, and the parish Dad's Club supports Stella Maris Academy through volunteer labor and fundraising.
Faith Formation from Kindergarten Through Adulthood
Faith formation at Mary, Star of the Sea is built around the conviction that catechesis is a lifelong process - "Every year older we become, we should be that much more baptized in the Spirit," as one formation director quotes Father Michael Himes. The parish describes its work as evolving from the old Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (C.C.D.) into a full life-long program rooted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
For children, Elementary Faith Formation serves kindergarten through sixth grade with classes offered in both English and Spanish. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist follows Diocese of San Diego guidelines in a two-year process that involves the whole family. Registration runs $100 and requires a copy of the child's baptismal certificate.
For teens, the parish's Youth Minister, Dorinamae Cueva, leads a two-year Confirmation journey for young people ages 13 to 15, meeting Sundays from 1:30 to 3:30 PM in the parish hall. Teens 17 and older may instead join the adult Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) sessions on Sunday mornings from 10:30 AM to noon.
For adults, the parish offers Adult Faith Formation meetings and Bible Studies throughout the year, Adult Confirmation for baptized Catholics who have received First Eucharist but not Confirmation, and the OCIA process for the unbaptized, those baptized in another tradition, and uncatechized Catholics seeking full initiation. The Order of Christian Initiation for Children (OCIC) walks children age 8 and older, together with their parents and sponsors, through the same journey.
The Seven Sacraments
Mary, Star of the Sea prepares parishioners for each of the seven sacraments in ways that draw on the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the parish's own pastoral practice.
Infant baptisms in English are held on the second Sunday of each month at 1:15 PM; the parish does not perform private baptisms, and families must be registered active parishioners. Children of catechetical age are prepared through OCIC, and adults through OCIA.
First Eucharist and First Reconciliation are prepared in a two-year process beginning with at least one prior year of formal catechesis, either at the parish or at Stella Maris Academy. Teen Confirmation is the two-year program described above; Adult Confirmation is offered for those who have been baptized and received First Eucharist but never Confirmation.
Couples preparing for marriage should plan on a minimum of nine months of preparation, in line with Diocese of San Diego policy. Weddings are celebrated on Saturdays at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM, with rehearsals the day before. The parish cannot accommodate Friday weddings, and weddings are not celebrated during Lent. The offering is $1,000 for registered, supporting parishioners and $2,000 for non-parishioners, with music contracted separately through the parish music director. Couples marrying elsewhere who need only the marriage preparation at Mary, Star of the Sea pay $350.
Anointing of the Sick is available by calling the parish office for a private anointing. The parish also encourages anyone discerning a vocation to priesthood, diaconate or religious life to speak with the pastor and to explore the Diocese of San Diego Office of Vocations.
Liturgical Ministries and the Mass
The parish draws on a wide circle of laypeople to make each Mass possible. Altar Servers, who must have received First Communion, carry the cross and processional candles, hold the book for the celebrant, assist with incense, present the gifts and wash the priest's hands during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion distribute the Body and Blood of Christ and bring the Eucharist to the homebound through the E.M.H.C./Homebound ministry, which trains ministers in the theological, pastoral and procedural aspects of their service.
Greeters welcome worshippers and distribute bulletins after Mass. Ushers circulate the collection, assist those in walkers and wheelchairs with doors and seating, keep the pews clear and facilitate the Communion procession. Lectors proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture (except the Gospel), lead the Universal Prayer, and recite the Psalm between the readings when no psalmist is present. The Music Ministry invites singers and instrumentalists to lead the assembly, drawing on the Church's teaching that "he who sings prays twice." Music Director Shannon Murray, supported by Lupe Ríos, oversees this work.
Stella Maris Academy
The parish school, Stella Maris Academy, has its own history. On Thanksgiving Day 1947, Monsignor Clarkin dedicated the school building and a convent for the Sisters of the Holy Cross who taught there. The original structure held four classrooms, a music room and a principal's office and enrolled more than 200 students. The school was expanded in 1955.
Today Stella Maris Academy continues as the parish's elementary school. The Dad's Club supports school sports and computer improvements, gathering dads on Saturdays to wire computers and to provide equipment and team spirit for athletics. A school Business Manager, Julie Hollis, can be reached at the school's separate line.
Social and Outreach Ministries
The parish's social and outreach arm is anchored by two longstanding ministries. The Culture of Life (Pro-Life) ministry advocates for women, mothers, fathers and children on sanctity-of-life issues, both before and after birth, and connects parishioners with pregnancy resource centers across San Diego and Imperial Counties. The ministry also promotes campaigns such as 40 Days for Life.
The E.M.H.C./Homebound ministry brings the Eucharist to parishioners who are physically unable to attend Mass. Ministers are trained in the theological, pastoral and procedural aspects of their service and find the work spiritually rewarding.
At a more administrative level, the Stewardship and Development ministry, directed by Fran Vargas, frames the parish's call to discipleship around the U.S. Bishops' Pastoral Letter on Stewardship: "As Christian stewards, we receive God's gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord." Online giving is available, and donations support Catholic education, Catholic Charities and retired priests through the Diocese of San Diego's Annual Catholic Appeal.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Father Reynaldo Manahan, who became pastor in 2026, continuing a line of pastors that begins with Father Joseph C. Mesny in 1906. Over the decades, the parish has been served by Fathers Owen Hannon, Francis X. Becker, John Ford and Thomas McNamara; by Monsignors Joseph Clarkin (pastor 1939 to 1969), James M. Gilfillan (1969 to 1993) and Eamonn Lyng (1993 to 2008); and by Fathers James Rafferty (2008 to 2019) and Patrick J. Mulcahy (2019 to 2026). Deacon Jimmy F. Vargas, OFS, assists in parish ministry.
Supporting Father Rey are Director of Catechetical Ministry and Ministerio Hispano Martin Magaña, who also serves as Wedding Coordinator; Director of Stewardship and Development Fran Vargas, who also coordinates funerals; Youth Minister and Social Media Outreach Dorinamae Cueva; Music Director Shannon Murray; Office Administrators Julia Fitzgerald and Anne Noya; and Stella Maris Academy Business Manager Julie Hollis.
Visiting Mary, Star of the Sea
The parish office is at 7669 Girard Avenue in La Jolla, and the main phone line is (858) 454-2631. After hours and in emergencies, callers can dial extension 159 and leave a message to reach a priest promptly. For those who cannot attend in person, every Mass is livestreamed, and bulletins are posted online for each week.
Parishioners and visitors are encouraged to register with the parish either by picking up a form at the office or by registering online, so that the parish can better accompany families on their faith journey.