‘From Mission to Mission’: Saint Clare Parish and Mission Santa Clara Mark a Dual Anniversary

Parishioners carry the “From Mission to Mission” banner from Mission Santa Clara de Asís toward Saint Clare Parish, retracing the 1926 procession route. A statue of Mary follows behind. (Elaine Zhang/The Santa Clara)

Members of the Saint Clare Parish community retraced a hundred-year-old path on Saturday, August 15th, processing from the Mission Santa Clara de Asís at Santa Clara University to Saint Clare Church in celebration of their anniversaries: 100th for the parish, and 250th for the Mission Santa Clara.

Parishioners sing and pray during the procession, following along from printed hymn sheets. Many carried roses, a traditional offering to Mary, whose Assumption the day's feast honored. (Elaine Zhang/The Santa Clara) 

Altar servers carry the processional cross and incense at the head of the procession. (Elaine Zhang/The Santa Clara) 

“What we’re celebrating today is the dedication, the building of the new church across the street, and its roots in Mission Santa Clara, which turns 250 years old in January,” said Elyse Raby, a religious studies professor at the University, who serves on the Parish Council and helped plan the event. 

The two Missions share the same community and history. 100 years ago on August 15, 1926, the Saint Clare Church was built to house a growing Catholic community when they outgrew the shared space at Mission Santa Clara. 

The procession is a reenactment of the original dedication walk in 1926, according to Raby. At the original dedication, the new church building was consecrated by the bishop after parishioners carried a statue of Mary from the Mission at the University, to the new church that is now Saint Clare Parish, located on Lexington street across the street from Adobe Lodge. 

In addition to the procession, the event also held a special mass and involved the color guard, University representatives, and the Knights of Columbus. “Today, the pastor emphasized that we are an even bigger community, because here you have seen people from the Portuguese, from the Spanish community, the American community” said Carlos Olivera, S.J., pastor of the San Jose Chinese Catholic Mission. “We are such a big family.” 

The procession concludes with Holy Mass inside Saint Clare Church. (Elaine Zhang/The Santa Clara) 

For Ron Del Rosario ’91, a main volunteer organizer of the parish's 250th anniversary celebration, Saturday’s reenactment carried personal weight. “It meant a lot to be able to reenact that procession from one of my homes, SCU, to my other home, Saint Clare Parish,” he said.

“It is important to recognize that, across Lafayette Street from the University campus, the Jesuits shepherded Saint Clare Parish for about 75 years,” Rosario said later in an email. “We at Saint Clare Parish look forward to continued strong relations with SCU, the Mission Santa Clara Church staff and worship community, and the Santa Clara Jesuit Community.”