Sacred Heart Parish
Sacred Heart, Olema
and
St. Magdalene, Bolinas
Sacred Heart, Olema
and
St. Magdalene, Bolinas
Sacred Heart Church • St. Mary Magdalene Mission Church
SACRED HEART CHURCH
History of Sacred Heart Church and Parish
by Lucille Phelps 1998
In 1860, the U.S. Federal Census listed 40 persons as residents of Olema. The first settlers were mostly Mexican, followed by the Swiss-Italians, Irish and, later, Portuguese.
The Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, Olema, was established in 1891 and, in 1892, a frame church was erected on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Olema under the pastorate of Rev. J. Valenti.
The Sacred Heart Fathers, Belgian Province, took over the Olema parish in 1909 and served for 26 years.
The 13-room Parish House, known today as The Old Rectory, was erected in 1911 with two priests in residence who, traveling by horse and buggy or bicycle, served a wide area including Nicasio, Bolinas, and San Geronimo.
The House was often full. It was also used as a place of rest for visiting missionaries, some of them from Molokai, the leper colony in Hawaii.
Its stately palms tree and old rose bushes are quaint remains of its rich history.
In 1914, the Pt. Reyes Station Church was completed under the direction of Fr. Emil Roger, Acting Pastor.
Both the Olema and the Pt. Reyes Station churches existed for a time until the Olema church was decommissioned.
Long considered a mission church, Sacred Heart Church officially became a parish in 19 WHAT.
In 1940, Fr. Dermody was given permission to tear down the old Our Lady of Lourdes church in Olema and the altar was transported to Pt. Reyes.
In 1987, the Pt. Reyes church was decommissioned and sold for the Dance Palace Community Center.
Today's Sacred Heart Church in Olema was dedicated in 1968 by Archbishop Joseph McGucken and Rev. Richard Barron, Pastor.
Contemporary in style, it faces the Bear Valley portion of the Point Reyes National Seashore.
A new Priest's House was built in 1992 and The Old Rectory today serves as the Parish's offices.
In the 1930s, catechism was taught after school in the Olema Parish House, moving to the Red Barn in Point Reyes in the 1940s. Today, there is an active CCD program serving the parish.
Sacred Heart's Woman's Club, long supporters of the parish, disbanded in 1995 so its members could better serve on parish event committees.
The Parish and Finance Advisory Council Committees were established in the mid-1980s "to assist the pastor in enabling the people of the parish to carry out the work of the Church."
There is a thriving Hispanic community that has, among many contributions, provided a grotto on the parish ground. A parish lending library officially opened in 1994 featuring an extensive collection of religious and secular materials.
Helping Hands is the most recently organized group of volunteer parishioners, assisting with the bereavement process and providing transportation, food, flowers, hospital visits and written greetings for those who are ill.
10189 State Route 1
Olema, CA
415-663-1139
Masses:
Saturday 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 6:30 p.m. Espanol
Sunday 8:30 a.m. (followed by Coffee Hour)
Weekday Masses:
Wednesdays and Thursdays at
9 a.m.(except for Feast Days) in the Freitas Family Center.
Weekday Masses are subject to change; please confirm with the Parish Office in advance.
Confessions are heard from 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. each Saturday and by appointment.
• Restrooms
• Easy Parking
• Handicapped-accessible except for The Old Rectory
• Cell Phone Reception
near the Freitas Family Center and the Old Rectory
Directions
THE OLD RECTORY
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE GROTTO
Located at Southwest corner of the church property, the Grotto is open year-round.
It was hand built in one week in WHAT YEAR by WHO as a replica of the shrine near Mexico City dedicated to the Lady of Guadualupe.
It is there, on Dec. 9, 1531, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in the Spanish tradition, that a peasant named Juan Diego saw a vision of a young girl surrounded by light, on the slopes of the Hill of Tepeyac.
The Lady asked for a church to be built at that site in her honor, and from her words Juan Diego recognized her as the Virgin Mary.
Diego told his story to the Spanish bishop, Fray Juan de Zumárraga, who told him to return with a miraculous sign from the Lady to prove her claim.
The Virgin Mary told Juan Diego to gather some flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill.
And, although it was winter and there were no flowers on the hilltop, Diego found a wide assortment of flowers and the Virgin herself arranged them in his tilma, or cloak.
When he opened the cloak for Zumárraga, the flowers fell to the floor and revealed the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe miraculously imprinted on the fabric.
The faithful are encouraged to visit the Grotto. Bring your own candles and pray for the Lady of Guadalupe's intercession.
The Parish celebrates her Feast Day on December 12 with Mass, a procession and a fiesta with parishioner-made tamales and a live mariachi band.
Any background, prayer or better instructions on how to use the Grotto?
Photo of the Freitas Center here?
FREITAS FAMILY CENTER
Olema, CA
415-663-1139
Masses:
Saturday 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 6:30 p.m. Espanol
Sunday 8:30 a.m. (followed by Coffee Hour)
Weekday Masses:
Wednesdays and Thursdays at
9 a.m.(except for Feast Days) in the Freitas Family Center.
Weekday Masses are subject to change; please confirm with the Parish Office in advance.
Confessions are heard from 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. each Saturday and by appointment.
• Restrooms
• Easy Parking
• Handicapped-accessible except for The Old Rectory
• Cell Phone Reception
near the Freitas Family Center and the Old Rectory
Directions
THE OLD RECTORY
Located at the Northeast side of the property, it houses the offices for the parish and the parish lending library of spiritual and secular books, videos and audiotapes.
Offices is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Offices is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE GROTTO
Located at Southwest corner of the church property, the Grotto is open year-round.
It was hand built in one week in WHAT YEAR by WHO as a replica of the shrine near Mexico City dedicated to the Lady of Guadualupe.
It is there, on Dec. 9, 1531, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in the Spanish tradition, that a peasant named Juan Diego saw a vision of a young girl surrounded by light, on the slopes of the Hill of Tepeyac.
The Lady asked for a church to be built at that site in her honor, and from her words Juan Diego recognized her as the Virgin Mary.
Diego told his story to the Spanish bishop, Fray Juan de Zumárraga, who told him to return with a miraculous sign from the Lady to prove her claim.
The Virgin Mary told Juan Diego to gather some flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill.
And, although it was winter and there were no flowers on the hilltop, Diego found a wide assortment of flowers and the Virgin herself arranged them in his tilma, or cloak.
When he opened the cloak for Zumárraga, the flowers fell to the floor and revealed the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe miraculously imprinted on the fabric.
The faithful are encouraged to visit the Grotto. Bring your own candles and pray for the Lady of Guadalupe's intercession.
The Parish celebrates her Feast Day on December 12 with Mass, a procession and a fiesta with parishioner-made tamales and a live mariachi band.
Any background, prayer or better instructions on how to use the Grotto?
FREITAS FAMILY CENTER
Located at the North end of the church property, the Freitas Family Center is available for small receptions, parties and meetings.
The space contains a small kitchen and hall, dressing rooms, tables and chairs.
Please contact the Parish Office for rental information.
The space contains a small kitchen and hall, dressing rooms, tables and chairs.
Please contact the Parish Office for rental information.
