Saint Clare Parish is a parish in the

Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California The Roman Catholic Diocese of San José in California ( la, Diœcesis Sancti Josephi in California; es, Diócesis de San José en California) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern California regio ...

. It is located in

Santa Clara, California Santa Clara (; Spanish for " Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 census, making it the eighth-most populous city in the Bay Area. Located in the southern Bay Area, the cit ...

. The parish community of St. Clare originated from the

Mission Santa Clara de Asís Mission Santa Clara de Asís ( es, Misión Santa Clara de Asís) is a Spanish mission in the city of Santa Clara, California. The mission, which was the eighth in California, was founded on January 12, 1777, by the Franciscan order. Named for ...

and can trace its history to Jan 12, 1777, when Fathers Tomas de la Pena and Jose Antonio de Murguia celebrated Mass on the west bank of Santa Clara's Guadalupe River. St. Clare Parish was built to take over the parochial functions of the

after it burned in 1925. The parish was built later that same year one block west of the Mission on Lexington Street. Archbishiop Edward Hanna constituted the mission for non-parochial services for college students and the parochial powers of the church pass to St. Clare's Church built by Father George Bulter. Father Bulter ordered a statue of the Blessed Mother from Rome. It was dedicated along with the church in a ceremony where parishioners gathered in front of the Mission and carried the statue in a procession across the street to the new St Clare church on August 15, 1926 (four days after the feast day of St. Clare). The Mission was rebuilt in 1928 and is now used as the chapel for the

Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university's campus surrounds the historic M ...

. The parish also assumed control of the

Saint Clare School Saint Clare School is a Roman Catholic elementary school operated by Saint Clare Parish in Santa Clara, California, in the United States. Founded in 1856, it is the second oldest continuously operating elementary school in California and serves ...

located next door and founded in 1856. St. Clare's church celebrated its 200th anniversary on Sunday, April 17, 1977 with a 12:15 PM mass officiated by Archbishop

Joseph McGucken Joseph Thomas McGucken (March 13, 1902 – October 6, 1983) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (1941–1955), coadjutor bishop and bishop of the Diocese of ...

and a reception dinner and dancing at Santa Clara's Benson Center. Santa Clara City Historical and Landmarks Commission plaque outside the steps of St. Clare Parish contains the following text: "Point of historical interest. St. Clare's Parish. St. Clare's Catholic Parish founded by the Franciscans under Father Tomas De La Pena, in 1777. Parish came under the guidance of the Jesuit Fathers in 1851. Plaque marks the sixth site of parish church. 1777-1977. Placed by the order of the Santa Clara City Council by the Historical and Landmarks Commission."

References

External links

Saint Clare Parish

Saint Clare School
oldest elementary school in Silicon Valley.
A history of the Catholic Church in America
{{coord, 37, 20, 54, N, 121, 56, 35, W, display=title Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California Roman Catholic parishes in the United States

See also

References

External links