Berkeley Parents Network: Catholic Churches

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Catholic Churches

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Looking for very liberal Catholic church

May 2006

Hi everyone:
I am originally from Argentina, a mainly but not only Catholic country. So, eventhough I consider myself an agnostic now and I don't agree with religious institutions I am culturally Catholic and I would like to pass that 'culture' to my son. I feel torn, though, because in general I find the religion's principles to be too conservative. Basically, what I need, is a very liberal church, if there is one...:) And, if possible, do you know of a church that is old enough that looks like the century-old European ones? Thanks a lot. Non-traditional Catholic

Recommended:

Corpus Christi Oakland

Our Lady of Lourdes Oakland (3 reviews)

St. Mary Magdalen N. Berkeley

More advice:

I believe Newman Center in Berkeley is fairly liberal. We attend the Church of the Assumption in San Leandro. While I would not call it liberal, we are lucky to have finally been sent a priest who is inclusive with both adults and children. Our experience at our son's recent first communion was great. Another church in town is St. Leanders. The few times I have been there, it seems quite lively. I believe they have mass in Spanish. The church is old but the pews have been turned sideways in an attempt to make it more modern. The place to avoid is Margaret Mary in Oakland - they still have mass in Latin and from what I hear its quite dogmatic. Good Luck Returned to the Church

I am a practicing Catholic in Berkeley. In my experience, most of the Catholic churches in Berkeley are pretty liberal. When I was younger (before kids) I really enjoyed mass at the Newman Center at Dwight and College. That is the most liberal church I have ever attended.

I am currently a member of St. Mary Magdalen parish, at Berryman and Henry, and I love it. I have three kids and there is a very family friendly congregation. We go to 9:30 mass, which is the mass that most of the families with small children attend.

As far as the physical church, St Joseph the Worker on Addison is a beautiful church. They have a mass in Spanish at 11:00 a.m. and a very diverse community. Good luck Joan

I understand your concerns about the institutional Catholic church. I was raised Catholic but drifted for many of the reasons you cite. When I moved to San Francisco, I literally bumped into a wonderful Dominican church and I became very active in its young adults group. Not only did I return to the Catholic church, I returned as an adult who had questions and struggles and some anger too- and found that I was welcome. I still have issues with some Catholic teachings- as do many of my Catholic friends- but it is my spiritual home, and I feel nurtured and fed by the Sacraments, the community and the exceptional lay folks and clergy I have found in many different parishes over the years. I also should mention that there are many teachings of the Church that are in fact, exceptionally progressive - for instance, the social justice teachings on immigration issues. If you are interested in a welcoming community with a brilliant, thoughtful and progressive pastor and the architecture you mention, check out St Dominics in San Francisco - their website is www.stdominics.org.

You need not go as far as SF to find a progressive Catholic church, luckily. If you check the BPN files, you'll see recommendations for several churches in Berkeley/Oakland that sound wonderful. (St Augustine and St Columba sound great- I have never been there but hope someone from there weighs in with more info). It also mentions Holy Spirit Parish/Newman Hall which I have attended - it is affiliated with UC, is Paulist (a very progressive order and community) - but probably not the architecture you are looking for. Their website is www.calnewman.org.

When we moved to the East Bay and became parents, we discovered another Dominican Church called St Mary Magdalene in North Berkeley. (note: the Dominicans are an order of the church known for, among other things, great ''preaching'', i.e. thoughtful homililes!). Their website is www.marymagdalen.org. We have found it to be a very warm and welcoming community. We go to the 9:30 on Sunday a.m. and hang out in the back with other parents of small (semi-noisy!) kids. During the ''liturgy of the word'' (the first half of the mass) they often have a ''children's dismissal'' where you can go with your little one down to the parish hall and they have a more age-appropriate telling of the gospel, some artwork etc.

If you just feel alone in your struggles, you might want to check out a light-hearted but smart website (again, run by Paulists)which has a very contemporary flavor, great articles, forums for actual disagreements among Catholics etc. It's www.bustedhalo.com

Many Catholic churches also have a wonderful, welcoming, lay- run program called ''Landings'' for returning Catholics who have questions, concerns etc.

Wherever your path leads you, I sincerely hope that you find a growth-filled spiritual home for you and your family. Even when our kids are being squirmy or fussy, even when we are late or cranky or work has been nuts, we find that mass provides the one guaranteed time of the week where my husband and I share an authentic moment of catching each other's eye and acknowledging the amazing blessings that we have in our children and each other. It is something that truly sustains me during the wild ups and downs of parenting! Trish

Newman Hall

You might try Newman Hall, the catholic center of the University. It is located on College and Dwight way in Berkeley. It is a very inclusive, welcoming, non-preachy place. You don't have to be Catholic to attend. The choir is amazing! Children are welcome and the parishoners are diverse and open. Margaret

St. Columba Catholic Church

Re: Seeking diverse place of worship (Oct 2002)
I can heartily recommend my church, St. Columba Catholic Church http://www.stcolumbao.com/ on the Oakland/Berkeley border on SPA. The 10:30AM Sunday service is a combination of Catholic tradition with an African American gospel flair. While the other masses: Saturday, 4pm and Sunday, 8AM tend to be more traditional and meditative. The congregation is *very* diverse in all possible ways and there is a true atmosphere of hospitality without being intrusive. Fr. Jayson Landeza (a Berkeley native) works extremely hard and is one of the most sincere, loving people I know. He takes an active, progressive role in community issues and openly challenges the ''old boy network'' of the priesthood. Even though I initially started attending as a non-catholic I felt moved by the lively, spirit filled service from the very beginning (although it took a while to catch on to the stand-up, sit down, call and response parts :) I realize that with the Catholic church's recently exposed scandals and problems it might not be a first choice for some, but the thing that has helped our faith community remain strong is the sense of family and love that exists in places like St. Columba and endures beyond the occasional flaws and humanness of its' leadership. Rue

Mar 2002

Re: Upbeat Church
We attend St. Columba Catholic Church on the Oakland/Berkeley border on San Pablo. I simply love our 10:30am Sunday mass specifically for it's upbeat flavor that moves me spiritually. The format at St. Columba departs from what one may usually find or expect from a Catholic service as it leans toward an African American gospel style of worship. There are lots of ''Amens!'' punctuating parts of the service and the music is loud. Another plus is the congregation is very diverse reflecting the community it serves. Pastor Jayson Landeza was born and raised here in the East Bay and goes out of his way to make absolutely everyone feel welcomed. Drop by anytime! Rue

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