Friendliest family-friendly Catholic church?
Hi there, we moved from San Francisco several years ago, and I'm still trying to find a church home in the East Bay. I'm looking for a friendly, family-friendly church in Berkeley or Oakland. I'm not looking for a traditional, Latin Mass, and I appreciate good music. We've been going to the same church in Berkeley for several years, and I just don't feel like we've made connections with other families. Looking for more of a community.
Thanks,
Lauren
Jul 12, 2021
Parent Replies
Hi Lauren,
I'm a member of St. Augustine on Alcatraz. We're a very small community which has meant I feel like I know most regulars and have to be involved because the need is great. We have an active "young adult" group of 20-40 year olds, several of whom have toddlers. I'm not connected to the faith formation group, but depending on the age of your kids, that might be a good way to connect more. We're still not singing out of pandemic precautions, but the modern, joyful singing is what drew me to our 6pm evening mass. We would love to have you join us.
Andrea
Hi there. Though a practicing UU I was raised Catholic and went on a similar search two years ago when my mother died because she made me promise to have masses said for her every year and I wanted a parish I enjoyed going to, even if only twice a year. A friend recommended St. Columba's on the Oakland/Berkeley border. https://stcolumba-oak.com/ It is the very warmest and friendliest church I have ever been in and in my strict Catholic childhood I have been in churches all over the country. It is part of the African-American Catholic tradition, which I had not been familiar with. I called the parish office first to ensure that as a white woman I would not be intruding into a black space and was assured I would not be. I found an integrated community that makes a special effort to welcome newcomers. You might like it.
Hi Lauren! We attend The Father’s House Oakland and moved to the bay area about two years ago. We were attending another “branch” of The Father’s House that was huge in Vacaville, but never felt a sense of community there. Now at TFH oakland we truly feel that. The music is wonderful, the people are fantastic, and the sermons all have real world applications. We have enjoyed transitioning here. I’d you are interested in checking it out they meet at 9:30 on Sundays at the Scottish Rite Center near Lake Merritt. Good luck on finding your church home!
Best,
Shaylene
PS: Sorry I totally misread your post and thought you did not want a catholic service. Sorry! The Father’s House is not Catholic, but is a Christian church. best of luck!
We have enjoyed the community at Corpus Christi, particularly Father Leo, in Piedmont.
Hi Lauren,
I had a Catholic upbringing although my wife is not religious. We tried a few Catholic Churches in the East Bay, but the best experience we’ve had is St Joseph’s in Alameda (where we live). It has an affiliated school which makes it family-friendly, and it has a culturally diverse parishioner population. I would encourage you to try mass there… it’s not a bad drive from Berkeley - we make that drive at least once weekly to visit my wife’s grandmother in the Elmwood area. On a Sunday AM I would peg it at 15ish minutes from much of Berkeley if you’re near a freeway.
We miss St Augustine’s in Oakland since leaving the Bay Area. It’s a small congregation, but very warm and down to earth and our kids felt super connected because of the small size. We ended up there after trying a few churches in Berkekey. Good luck!