Our Lady of Peace Shrine
Encyclopedia
Our Lady of Peace Shrine is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of San Jose
located in Santa Clara, California
. The most notable feature of the parish is the 32 foot statue of Our Lady, Queen of Peace which is viewable from U.S. Highway 101.
The parish was founded on June 24, 1961 when Father Joseph G. Sullivan was appointed pastor. In 1969 Fr. John Joseph Sweeny
took over and worked to pay down the parish's $500,000 debt. After Monsignor Sweeny's retirement in accordance with the age requirements in canon law, Fr. Walter Mallo, IVE was appointed pastor. The parish had two Associate pastors while Fr. Mallo was the pastor, Fr. Jeffrey Obinski, IVE and Fr. Joseph LoJacono, IVE, as well as many frequent visiting priests who often say Mass and hear confessions. In the summer of 2010, Father Walter Mallo was reassigned to a church in Dallas, Texas; and Father Jose Guinta, IVE from a parish in The Bronx, NY was brought in as pastor. Father Joseph LoJacono was reassigned to a church in Mankato, Minnesota; and the newly ordained Fr. Gerardus Hauwert, IVE now currently resides in his place. Father Jeffrey Obinski was reassigned to a church in New Bedford, Massachusetts and was replaced by Fr. Esteban Soler, IVE who now resides at a new foundation in Florida. Fr. Samuel Leonard, IVE from Mankato, Minnesota currently resides in his place.
The parish is well known in the area for orthodoxy and traditional practice, and many of the people who attend Mass at Our Lady of Peace do not live in its territorial parish. The more traditional practices there include the use of altar rails to receive the Communion
, Confession
available daily before Mass, several Masses offered on weekdays, perpetual adoration of the Eucharist
, and the presence of many solidly orthodox priests. All the altar server
s are boys, and the Eucharist
is distributed only by priests. These practices are quite a contrast to most neighboring parishes, which are usually much less traditional, and thus serve to attract many additional people to the parish.
The IVE (Instituto del Verbo Encarnado or Institute of the Incarnate Word) is a religious institute to which the parish has been entrusted. Our Lady of Peace is also home to a convent of sisters, the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara (SSVM), the feminine branch of the IVE. The SSVM sisters are very active in religious education at the parish, with a very large catechism program in place. Additionally, they hold an annual summer oratory, where children ranging from 5 to 15 years of age are taught about the bible in a format based on Don Bosco's oratory.
Our Lady of Peace shrine has a large gift shop which sells books, rosaries, tapes and compact disks, movies, statues and icons, and other assorted religious goods. The parish also has a library, a community center with assorted facilities for sports and recreation, a convent located in the former rectory, and large, well kept grounds, especially around the large statue. Parishioners and others can often be seen walking in the gardens or in fair weather enjoying the sun on the grass. The grounds are quite large, and form somewhat of an oasis in the midst of a busy industrial area.
Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San José; in California is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. It comprises Santa Clara County, and is led by a bishop. Its patron saints are Saint Joseph and Saint Clare of...
located in Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
. The most notable feature of the parish is the 32 foot statue of Our Lady, Queen of Peace which is viewable from U.S. Highway 101.
The parish was founded on June 24, 1961 when Father Joseph G. Sullivan was appointed pastor. In 1969 Fr. John Joseph Sweeny
John Joseph Sweeny
The Reverend Monsignor John Joseph Sweeny was born April 3, 1924 in San Francisco, California to parents John and Norma Sweeny. Sweeny was ordained to the priesthood for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco on December 18, 1948, along with his brother Louis, by Archbishop John Joseph Mitty...
took over and worked to pay down the parish's $500,000 debt. After Monsignor Sweeny's retirement in accordance with the age requirements in canon law, Fr. Walter Mallo, IVE was appointed pastor. The parish had two Associate pastors while Fr. Mallo was the pastor, Fr. Jeffrey Obinski, IVE and Fr. Joseph LoJacono, IVE, as well as many frequent visiting priests who often say Mass and hear confessions. In the summer of 2010, Father Walter Mallo was reassigned to a church in Dallas, Texas; and Father Jose Guinta, IVE from a parish in The Bronx, NY was brought in as pastor. Father Joseph LoJacono was reassigned to a church in Mankato, Minnesota; and the newly ordained Fr. Gerardus Hauwert, IVE now currently resides in his place. Father Jeffrey Obinski was reassigned to a church in New Bedford, Massachusetts and was replaced by Fr. Esteban Soler, IVE who now resides at a new foundation in Florida. Fr. Samuel Leonard, IVE from Mankato, Minnesota currently resides in his place.
The parish is well known in the area for orthodoxy and traditional practice, and many of the people who attend Mass at Our Lady of Peace do not live in its territorial parish. The more traditional practices there include the use of altar rails to receive the Communion
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
, Confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
available daily before Mass, several Masses offered on weekdays, perpetual adoration of the Eucharist
Eucharistic adoration
Eucharistic adoration is a practice in the Roman Catholic Church, and in a few Anglican and Lutheran churches, in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed to and adored by the faithful....
, and the presence of many solidly orthodox priests. All the altar server
Altar server
An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian religious service. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell and so on....
s are boys, and the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
is distributed only by priests. These practices are quite a contrast to most neighboring parishes, which are usually much less traditional, and thus serve to attract many additional people to the parish.
The IVE (Instituto del Verbo Encarnado or Institute of the Incarnate Word) is a religious institute to which the parish has been entrusted. Our Lady of Peace is also home to a convent of sisters, the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara (SSVM), the feminine branch of the IVE. The SSVM sisters are very active in religious education at the parish, with a very large catechism program in place. Additionally, they hold an annual summer oratory, where children ranging from 5 to 15 years of age are taught about the bible in a format based on Don Bosco's oratory.
Our Lady of Peace shrine has a large gift shop which sells books, rosaries, tapes and compact disks, movies, statues and icons, and other assorted religious goods. The parish also has a library, a community center with assorted facilities for sports and recreation, a convent located in the former rectory, and large, well kept grounds, especially around the large statue. Parishioners and others can often be seen walking in the gardens or in fair weather enjoying the sun on the grass. The grounds are quite large, and form somewhat of an oasis in the midst of a busy industrial area.
External links
- Our Lady of Peace Shrine
- Our Lady of Peace: one American parish's successful formula
- Parish has many ministries San Jose Mercury News
- Beloved priest of the Latin Mass dies San Jose Mercury News