A Cosmopolitan Catholic Parish on San Pablo Dam Road
Saint Callistus Catholic Church stands on San Pablo Dam Road in El Sobrante, an unincorporated community in western Contra Costa County. Founded in 1952 and served today by Fr. Dante Biala Tamayo, the parish belongs to the Diocese of Oakland and is one of eight Catholic parishes that have shaped the spiritual life of the area for more than seven decades. The parish's own description of itself says it is "Roman Catholic in faith" and "Catholic also because of our diversity," with parishioners "from all kinds of nationalities under the sun." That mix of heritages, gathered around a single altar, has been the parish's steady identity from its earliest years.
The church building itself was constructed under founding pastor Fr. Michael Ryan in the 1950s. Over the decades the parish has added a parish hall, classrooms, stained glass windows, a new parish office, and a youth group modular building. Mass attendance has remained steady enough that three Sunday Masses, a Vigil, daily Mass, an active Faith Formation program, and several devotional prayer groups continue to share the same campus.
Masses, Reconciliation, and the Shape of the Week
The rhythm of parish life at Saint Callistus begins and ends with the Eucharist. Three Sunday Masses are offered: 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 12:00 Noon. Each is preceded by the Rosary thirty minutes before the opening hymn (7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 AM respectively). A Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 5:30 PM, with Rosary at 5:00 PM. Daily Mass is offered Monday through Saturday at 9:00 AM, preceded by Devotional Prayer at 8:30 AM. On Holy Days of Obligation, Mass is offered at 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM.
A printed notice on the parish's Mass page reminds worshippers that the doors close fifteen minutes after each Mass begins, for the safety of the assembly. Anyone with a wheat allergy is invited to inform the Mass Coordinator before Mass so that a Gluten Free Holy Communion can be prepared. Masks remain welcome in the church for those who prefer to wear one.
The sacrament of Reconciliation is offered on Saturday afternoons from 4:30 to 5:15 PM and thirty minutes before each Sunday Mass. Other times are available by appointment with the pastor. Online resources distributed by the parish include a Guide to making a good Confession, an Examination of Conscience from the USCCB, and a step-by-step guide for the first-time penitent.
Eight Pastors in Seventy Years
The story of Saint Callistus is told most clearly through the eight priests who have served as pastor. Fr. Michael Ryan founded the parish in 1952 and built the present church. He was followed by Fr. Parnell McCarthy, who took over after Fr. Ryan's death in 1964 and served until 1973. Fr. Patrick Kearney was named third pastor in March 1973 and served until his own death in 1984; under him the parish hall was built and the sacristy and church were renovated, including the stained glass windows still in place today.
Fr. James O'Connor served as administrator for six months in 1984 and was succeeded by Fr. Edward Casey, who oversaw the extension of the hall and the building of classrooms. Rosary after daily Mass and the Mother of Perpetual Help devotion became parish habits during Fr. Casey's tenure. Fr. Richard Gagliardi, the sixth pastor, arrived in 1991 and was the first to share the reforms of the Second Vatican Council with the parish; he established the first parish council, built a new parish office, added the church vestibule, and built the youth group modular building. He also hired Sister Angela Burke, SHJM, as Director of Religious Education, succeeding the Holy Family sisters who had served until that point. Fr. Dana Paul Michaels, installed in October 1997, continued the Vatican II work and led Saint Callistus into the new millennium. Fr. James (Jimmy) Thottapally, the eighth pastor, served from November 2006 to the end of 2020 and led a major remodeling of the church. He was born in Kerala, India, was ordained in 1971 for the Diocese of Palai, and received the Oakland Diocese Pastoral Award of Excellence in 2010. The current pastor, Fr. Dante Biala Tamayo, is a priest of the former Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan in the Philippines, ordained in 1993, incardinated in the Diocese of Oakland in 2008, and began his office at Saint Callistus on January 1, 2021.
The Seven Sacraments
Saint Callistus celebrates each of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church and offers a full sacramental preparation program through the parish office and the Faith Formation ministry.
Baptism. Parents must be registered, active parishioners of Saint Callistus for at least six months before requesting the sacrament. Parents and primary godparents are required to attend a preparatory class, held once a month on an as-needed basis. Children over the age of seven who have not been baptized follow a longer preparation that leads to Baptism, First Eucharist, and Reconciliation together.
First Eucharist and First Reconciliation. A two-year Faith Formation program is required. Children receive the sacraments during their second year of classes. Regular Sunday liturgy attendance with the family is required throughout preparation, along with a Sacramental preparation meeting and a sacramental family day.
Confirmation. The Youth Confirmation program is open to candidates aged 14 to 16 who are attending high school. Prerequisites include Baptism and First Eucharist certificates, regular Confession, ongoing Faith Formation, demonstrated knowledge of core prayers, a youth retreat, an overnight retreat, twenty-four hours of service and ministry, faithful weekly Mass attendance, serving at two Sunday Masses per month, a sponsor who is an active confirmed Catholic, two parent meetings, and a donation of $175 for materials. Missing any of the final four sessions means the candidate must repeat the year. A Youth Confirmation Mass is scheduled in cooperation with the Diocese of Oakland.
Matrimony. Couples are asked to make arrangements with the pastor at least six months in advance of the proposed wedding date.
Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and continuing Reconciliation are available through the parish office. Pastoral anointing can be arranged by contacting the parish office during regular hours.
Faith Formation for Children, Youth, and Adults
The Faith Formation program at Saint Callistus serves children from Kindergarten through eighth grade. Classes meet on Sunday mornings from 11:15 AM to 12:30 PM, running from September through May, and are designed so that families can attend the 10:00 AM Mass together before class. The Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered during the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass for children ages four to seven. Children preparing for First Holy Communion complete two full years of Faith Formation; during the second year they are also prepared for and receive First Reconciliation before First Communion.
The youth Confirmation program includes 25 to 27 sessions that resume each September and run alongside the Faith Formation program on Sunday mornings at the same 11:15 AM to 12:30 PM window. Adult formation is offered through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), which meets on Sundays following the Noon Mass and runs from late September through the Easter Vigil. Catechumens and candidates who have not yet received Baptism, Confirmation, or Eucharist are walked through the rites, scrutinies, and sacraments of initiation with sponsors from the parish community.
Faith Formation registration forms and Oakland Diocese parental permission forms are available online and in the church vestibule after weekend Masses. Volunteers working with children are required to complete Virtus online protection training.
Ministries for Adults
The parish maintains a wide range of ministries and welcomes new members to most of them. Liturgical ministries are the backbone of Sunday worship and include Altar Servers (open to children who have received First Holy Communion, generally age ten and older), Art and Environment, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (open to practicing Catholics age 21 and older who have been confirmed and, if married, sacramentally married), Greeters, Lectors, the Music Ministry, and Ushers. The Music Ministry describes its role plainly in the parish's own words: "to serve the needs of the Liturgy and not to dominate it, seek to entertain, or draw attention to itself or the musicians," accompanying the assembly in song rather than performing for it.
Other parish ministries include Apostleship of Prayer, the Block Rosary, Hospitality, Property Maintenance, Respect Life, and the children's and adult catechetical ministries. Two formal service organizations keep a parish-wide presence. The Knights of Columbus Council 10244, led by Grand Knight Arturo Jimenez, carries out educational, charitable, religious, and social welfare works through the parish. The Saint Vincent de Paul Society conference at Saint Callistus serves neighbors in need through the wider Society's network of parish-based assistance.
A Young Adults group invites parishioners and friends between the ages of 18 and 28 to gather on Monday evenings at 6:00 PM at the Saint Callistus Youth Building for talks, spiritual reflection, friendship, and service rooted in Catholic faith, with a particular Marian focus. A weekly Bible study series on The Holy Spirit in the Bible by George Smiga is offered periodically, and parish missions and seasonal seminars are announced through Flocknote.
Devotions: Rosary, Divine Mercy, and the Quiet Mornings
Saint Callistus keeps a daily devotional schedule that frames the morning Mass. Devotional Prayer begins at 8:30 AM, Monday through Saturday. The Rosary is prayed on Mondays, Saturdays, and Sundays (at 9:30 AM on Sundays before the Noon Mass). The Divine Mercy Chaplet and related prayers are recited on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 AM. Mother of Perpetual Help is honored on Wednesdays, and Sacred Heart devotion is offered on Fridays. A daily St. Joseph Prayer and a Daily Act of Consecration to St. Joseph are part of the recurring rhythm.
The parish's Divine Mercy devotion is one of its best-known programs. The Saint Callistus Divine Mercy Novena group began during the Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2016, and each year the novena opens at 3:00 PM on Good Friday, the Hour of Great Mercy, with the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, adoration (in Easter time), or silent meditation. The nine-day devotion follows the intentions dictated by Our Lord to Saint Faustina, ending on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday. Works of mercy are recommended throughout the novena, and the group gathers at 3:00 PM on the first Saturday of Easter for the sacrament of Reconciliation. Devotees may contact Rose Wierenga to receive a prayer pamphlet or to join the group.
Parish Communication and Stewardship
Parishioners are kept in touch through Flocknote, an email and text messaging service that reaches households with announcements, ministry updates, and emergency communications. Newcomers can sign up online or by texting STCALLISTUS2020 to 84576. The parish invites all households to also register with the rectory office so that the sacramental records, Mass intentions, and pastoral care needs of each family are coordinated. Recurring automated contributions and one-time online giving through the Diocese of Oakland are both supported.
What Visitors Can Expect
Saint Callistus welcomes visitors to any service on the schedule above. The church is a single sanctuary where three Sunday Masses and a Saturday Vigil are celebrated each week, with weekday Mass Monday through Saturday. Rosary is prayed before every Mass. The parish office is open from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (closed for lunch from 12:00 to 12:30), and on Wednesday from 8:00 AM to noon. Baptisms are scheduled in advance; weddings are planned at least six months ahead; Catholics in danger of death or facing surgery may call the rectory at any hour for the Anointing of the Sick.
The parish's stated mission is simple: "We, the faith community of St. Callistus Parish, welcome every person to share and celebrate the living of our Christian faith." Visitors, returning Catholics, those who have been away from the Church for a time, and those preparing for the sacraments of initiation are invited to introduce themselves after Mass, to register with the rectory, and to step into the life of the parish at whatever pace feels right.