PARISH STAFF

Parish Office Hours:   Monday – Closed – Tuesday–Friday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (closed between Noon and 1:00 pm)

Father George Aranha, Pastor of Santa Teresa Parish

PASTOR

Reverend George Aranha

(408) 629-7777 Ext. 104 | Pager (408) 236-2038

Fr. George Aranha has been Pastor of Santa Teresa parish since July of 2014. He was born and raised in Bombay, India and came from a family of 8 siblings.  He joined the seminary in Bombay but ended up completing Philosophy and Theology in Rome, Italy. He became a Deacon in Germany and was ordained a priest in Bombay. Since 1983 Fr. George has served the Diocese of San Jose getting his Masters in Religious Studies from Santa Clara University and Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco.  He has a love for languages, travel, movies, music, preaching, and celebrating Sacraments. Father George loves being a priest.

 

Deacon Steve Herrera

 

 

 

 

Pastoral Associate/RCIA Coordinator

Lynda DeManti

(408) 629-7777 Ext. 105

 

Office Manager

Donna Ingoglia

(408) 629-7777 Ext. 102 

 

 

Parent Faith Formation
& Sacramental Prep Coordinator

   Renee Brotherston

  (408) 629-7777 Ext. 103

 

                           Children’s Faith Formation
                     & Sacramental Prep Coordinator

                                    Denise Fulton

                             (408) 629-7777 Ext. 103

 

Faith Formation Administrative Assistant:

Sherri Butler

(408) 629-7777 Ext. 103

 

 

Administrative Assistant: 

Rae Almeida

(408) 629-7777 Ext. 110

 

 

                                           Facilities

JoJo DeGuzman

408-439-8928 (Cell)

 

 

HISTORY OF THE DIOCESE OF SAN JOSE

The Diocese of San Jose is coterminous with the boundaries of Santa Clara County which includes 15 cities/townships and some unincorporated areas under county jurisdiction. The Diocese of San Jose belongs to the Ecclesiastical Province of San Francisco, consisting of the Metropolitan See of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Dioceses of Honolulu, Las Vegas, Oakland, Reno, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Jose, Santa Rosa, and Stockton.

Beginning with the famous California missions, more than two centuries of Catholic life prepared Santa Clara County for its own diocese. Blessed Junipero Serra founded the first of California’s historic Franciscan missions, San Diego de Alcala, in 1769. In 1777, the Franciscan Fathers founded Mission Santa Clara de Asis, which later became Saint Clare Parish. Before his death at San Carlos Borromeo Mission, Carmel, in 1784, Father Serra established eight more missions and laid the groundwork for the whole chain of 21 missions.

Upper California was part of the Diocese of Sonora, Mexico, during the early days and, after 1840, it was under Bishop Francisco Garcia Diego, the first bishop of Alta and Baja (Upper and Lower) California. Spanish Dominican Joseph Sadoc Alemany, OP, was bishop of Monterey when it was established in 1850, then became Archbishop of San Francisco when it was created in 1853. At that time dioceses were not divided along county lines; Gilroy and Morgan Hill remained part of the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles.

In 1922 Rome accepted county lines as diocesan boundaries, and Gilroy and Morgan Hill became part of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. When the dioceses of Oakland, Santa Rosa and Stockton were divided from the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1962, Santa Clara County remained part of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Archbishop John R. Quinn implemented the final plans for the erection of the new Diocese of San Jose and Santa Clara County was established as the Diocese of San Jose by Pope John Paul II on January 27, 1981.

Most Rev. Pierre DuMaine was named as the first bishop of the Diocese of San Jose and Saint Patrick Church in San Jose was named the Cathedral. On the evening of March 18, 1981, during the solemn celebration of the First Vespers of the Feast of Saint Joseph, Archbishop Pio Laghi, Apostolic Delegate to the Church in the United States, and Archbishop Quinn, the Metropolitan, formally installed the first bishop of the new church and canonically erected the Diocese. In 1987 historic Saint Joseph Church was designated the Cathedral to replace the proto-cathedral, Saint Patrick Church. After extensive renovation Saint Joseph Church was dedicated as a Cathedral in 1990. In 1995 Pope John Paul II designated the cathedral to be a Minor Basilica and it became Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph.

In 1997, Vicar for Clergy Rev. Richard Garcia was named by Pope John Paul II to become Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento, the first priest in the Diocese of San Jose to be so chosen.

On June 30, 1998, Most Rev. Patrick J. McGrath, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, was named by Pope John Paul II to become the Coadjutor to the Bishop of San Jose. Bishop McGrath was formally received into the Diocese at a Mass of Welcome, September 17, 1998. Upon the retirement of Bishop Pierre DuMaine on November 27, 1999, Bishop McGrath became the second Bishop of San Jose.

July 1, 1999 Saint Patrick Proto-Cathedral Parish becomes the personal parish for the Vietnamese Catholics in the Diocese, while also remaining as a territorial parish for the Spanish and English-speaking communities that surround it.

Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs Vietnamese Mission is joined with and becomes Saint Patrick Proto-Cathedral Parish, Territorial and Vietnamese Personal Parish.

November 27, 1999 Evening Prayer is offered to mark the official retirement of Bishop DuMaine and his succession by Bishop McGrath as the second Bishop of San José.

3,000 young people and their families attend a Diocesan Confirmation Mass, celebrated by Bishop McGrath at the HP Pavilion (now SAP Center) for young people from every parish in May 2000.

In 2001, The Deacon and Advanced Lay Leadership Formation begins under the guidance of Father Jack Bonsor and Anne Grycz and in collaboration with Santa Clara University. The first deacon class is ordained in 2005.

Bishop McGrath initiates the process leading to the Diocesan Pastoral Plan. The process involves consultation with members of every parish in the Diocese as well as with parish and Diocesan staffs. The mission statement of the plan calls the Diocese “a church that is not afraid to dream, where all are welcome, that answers real questions that real people are asking.

Bishop McGrath establishes the Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults and appoints Bernard V. Nojadera as director, in response to the national clergy sex abuse crisis in  2002

Bishop McGrath joins with other bishops from the United States in Dallas, Texas, to adopt the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

2006 marked the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Diocese of San Jose. On March 18, Bishop McGrath was the principal celebrant and Bishop DuMaine was the homilist at the Jubilee Mass that was celebrated at Saint Joseph Cathedral Basilica. Representatives of every parish were present, along with many of those who were „founders‟ of the Diocese, a large majority of our diocesan clergy, and fifteen visiting bishops. In addition to this liturgy, Bishop McGrath made a Jubilee Visit to each of the Diocese‟s parishes and missions. During the Mass that is part of the visit, a tessera, or tile, engraved with the name of the parish was transferred from the parish Jubilee Cross and become part of the diocesan Jubilee Processional Cross. This Cross memorializes the 52 parishes and missions that were in existence at the time of this Jubilee.

2006 also marked the beginning of a $100 Million endowment and capital campaign, Rooted in Faith ~ Embracing Our Future. The funds raised by this campaign are dedicated to ensure that the Church of tomorrow will be able to be responsive to the pastoral needs of the Catholics of this Valley.

After taking place in San Francisco in 2004 and 2005, the annual Faith Formation Conference (a collaboration with the Archdiocese of San Francisco and other Bay Area dioceses) moves to San José from 2006 – 2014. In 2015, the conference becomes known as the California Catholic Ministry Conference and continues until 2020, when it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2011 marked the 30th anniversary of our Diocese. It was commemorated with a simple Mass of celebration on March 19, 2011. On May 25, Most Rev. Thomas A. Daly became the first Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of San Jose.

The purchase of a church and adjoining buildings in East San Jose was made possible by funds generated from the Capital Campaign and in the custody of the Catholic Foundation of Santa Clara County. This parish, the first established in the Diocese in over a decade, was dedicated as Our Lady of Refuge Parish on February 19, 2012.

On July 8, 2012, the Chinese Catholic Community was elevated to the status of Mission by Bishop Patrick J. McGrath, becoming the San Jose Chinese Catholic Mission.

On August 30, 2012, a three-alarm fire devastated Saint Patrick Proto-Cathedral, destroying its sacred worship space and rendering it unusable. Planning began in early 2013 to rebuild the church to meet the needs of its growing and ethnically diverse community. On April 28, 2013, Bishop McGrath signed a decree to rename the parish after Our Lady of La Vang to reflect the church’s status as a personal parish for Vietnamese Catholics. The thriving parish continues its historic commitment to full ministry to all of its parishioners, in Vietnamese, Spanish, and English.

In 2013 Bishop McGrath signs a decree renaming Saint Patrick Parish, now under the patronage of Our Lady of La Vang, to reflect the church’s status as a personal parish for Vietnamese Catholics.

The Oratory of Our Mother of Perpetual Help is suppressed, replaced by the Oratory of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

In November 16, 2014, following Mass, a four-alarm fire destroys most of Holy Cross Church, sparing its historic altar cross.

Bishop Daly was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Spokane in Washington on March 12, 2015.

On May 25, 2018, after nearly four years of reconstruction, the new church for Holy Cross Parish is dedicated by Bishop McGrath.

Saint Nicholas Parish and Saint William Parish in Los Altos merge, becoming Saint Nicholas and Saint William Parish in July 2018.

Bishop Oscar Cantú of the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, is appointed Coadjutor Bishop of San Jose on July 11, 2018.

Bishop McGrath retires on May 1, 2019, and is succeeded by his Coadjutor, Bishop Oscar Cantú
Bishop Cantú celebrates the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

The Most Reverend Pierre DuMaine, first Bishop of San Jose, dies at age 87 on June 13, 2019.

In March 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic closes churches and schools, prompting the clergy and the faithful to find new creative ways to worship and celebrate the Sacraments, including virtual Masses, outdoor Masses, parking lot Masses; and drive-through Confessions.

Catholic Schools begin distance learning, with teachers teaching to students via videoconferencing.

Bishop Emeritus McGrath celebrates the 50th year anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood on  June 7, 2020/

In August 2022, Catholic Schools move to a hybrid of in-person learning in which parents can choose to send their children to school in person or continue to learn virtually from home.

January 27, 2021, Bishop Cantú presides at the Opening Mass of the Diocesan 40th Anniversary Jubilee at Our Lady of Peace Parish, with Bishop Emeritus Patrick J. McGrath and Bishop Carlos Sevilla, Bishop Emeritus of Yakima as concelebrants and Monsignor Michael J. Mitchell (the last surviving founder of Diocese) as homilist. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mass takes place outdoors and is limited to 100 participants. The auspicious date marks 40 years since Saint John Paul II’s creation of the Diocese.

Bishop Cantú celebrates the 40th anniversary Mass of the Diocese of San José at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph on March 19, 2021.  The Diocese of today numbers The Diocese celebrates 40 years of ministry to the people of God, reflecting on the lessons of our past, rejoicing in the realities of our present, and looking forward to our future, journeying together in hope.