Our Diocese of Oakland
The Diocese of Oakland reflects our region’s cultural diversity. More than 25 percent of our parishioners are immigrants. To accommodate their needs and serve as a force for social integration in the East Bay, we hold Mass in 17 languages, including Nigerian, Polish, Filipino, Guatemalan, Portuguese, German, Chinese, and more. Plus our unique feast days – the Martyrs of Vietnam, St. Patrick, Our Lady of Guadalupe, for example - invite all to recognize the human dignity of each person. In addition, the Catholic Church is the largest private provider of social services across Alameda and Contra Costa counties, offering shelter, meals, counseling, education, and other critical services free of charge to over 400,000 people of all faiths each year.
Because there has been no central place for us to gather since the loss of St. Francis de Sales to the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, many of the distinct cultural liturgies that could strengthen our faith and our society have often been consigned to obscure times and places, making it difficult to observe inherited traditions together. As we unite in our Cathedral to worship God in a shared home, we can celebrate together such occasions as Chautauqua and the St. Peter Claver Society, and the special feasts such as St. Nicholas, San Lorenzo Ruiz, and particularly our Diocese’ patroness, Our Lady Queen of the World.
The Diocese of Oakland is comprised of 85 parishes, serving more than 500,000 Catholics in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. It is also home to 11 pastoral centers, four specialized service centers, two homes for the aged, five specialized homes, nine high schools and 47 elementary schools. The schools enrolled 19,000 students in Fall 2007.
