About Us
Our History
The Mission
Our Lady of Guadalupe began as a mission of Our Lady of the Angels Parish in San Diego. During the Mexican revolution, many fled north across the border and settled in the southern boundary of the parish. As the number of exiles grew, the pastor requested that a special mission be created for them. La Purisima was founded in 1917.
The Mexican National Parish
In June 1921, the Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles converted La Purisima Mission into the Mexican national parish of San Diego. It was named “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” As a national parish, it could offer pastoral care to any Catholic born in Mexico. Almost all the Masses as well as the other sacraments and programs of faith formation were conducted in Spanish. Consequently, Mexican Catholics from all around San Diego started attending her services. That same year, Father Juan Coma was appointed rector, and was responsible for the construction of a church located at 1704 Kearney Avenue. Construction of this small structure was completed around September 5, 1922.
Around 1923, OLG came under the administration of the Spanish Augustinian Recollects, who tended to the neighborhood for about 15 years. They built the current church structure, which was dedicated in December 13, 1931. With the Mexican Church still under persecution, they received help from exiled priests from 1926-1929. In 1932 the Society of Charity of Saint Rita was founded, which helped a vast majority of the community during the Great Depression.
The Jesuits Arrive
In 1939, the first Bishop of San Diego, Charles Buddy, decided to replace the Augustinians over an extended controversy involving the hierarchy and the parish. The next year, two Mexican Jesuit priests arrived: Benjamin P. Silva, SJ, who served as pastor and Father Julio Vertiz, SJ, as his assistant. Shortly after, Jesuits of the California Province came to minister under the direction of Father Silva. On December 8, 1954, the Centennial of the Immaculate Conception, with great effort from the entire Mexican community, the marble altar and communion rail were put up, the church was redecorated and the statue of the Virgin was placed in the garden.
Our Lady’s School
In 1946, the Franciscan Tertiary Mothers founded an elementary and junior high school. It served the neighborhood well for several years; but in the 1950s and 1960s the neighborhood degraded due to post-war industrial zoning, the construction of Interstate 5 (which tore through the heart of the community) and the construction of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge. School enrollment suffered. Highway 94 later came through nearby Golden Hill, causing many homeowners to move. These demographic shifts negatively affected Our Lady of the Angels school. In the 1970s, the OLG pastor, Fr. Brown, and the pastor of Our Lady of the Angels decided to merge their schools, calling it Our Lady’s School.
1967
The Legacies of Frs. Brown and Rasura
In 1958, Fr. Jaime Rasura, SJ started his 52-year ministry at the parish. During that time he baptized thousands of babies and celebrated hundreds of marriages and funerals. He was devoted to the Guadalupanas, the men’s prayer group, the hospital and home-bound and was a second father to the altar boys. In addition to the people of his parish, he also was involved in religious education for high school students outside the parish and in prison ministry. He maintained long time affiliations with the Knights of Columbus and the Kiwanis Club.
In 1968, Fr. Richard Hyatt Brown, SJ, started his 50-year ministry at OLG. Between him and Fr. Rasura an estimated 60,000 baptisms were celebrated. Given his extensive ministry with youth in Mexico, Fr. Brown founded the Christian Youth Organization. The CYO had dedicated Sunday masses, which caused rapid growth in membership.
In addition to his deep involvement with his sacramental ministry and Our Lady’s School, Fr. Brown blessed motorcycles and lowriders and counseled gang members. He also worked with various civic and church organizations in the barrio to keep his young parishioners out of gangs. He was affectionately known as "Brownie" to many and "El Padrecito del Barrio" to others.
“Su Casa en el Barrio”
The Diocese was changing throughout this period. With every new parish opening, ministries in Spanish were developed. More masses and programs were being conducted in Spanish in dozens of parishes in San Diego. With each passing year, it became less necessary for OLG to function exclusively as a Mexican national parish.
In 2010, the pastor, Robert Fambrini, SJ, requested that the Bishop grant the parish specific territory jurisdiction in order to better focus on its mission. Since then, Our Lady of Guadalupe has been serving the neighborhoods of Barrio Logan and Logan Heights. It however has always remained “the home in the Barrio” for thousands of San Diegans.
