Choir members sing during the closing liturgy.

St. Alphonsus boundaries
added to neighboring parishes

By Voice staff
With the closing of St. Alphonsus Liguori Parish, the boundaries of three neighboring parishes have been expanded to include portions of the former parish. The new boundaries are as follows:

The residential area east of I-580 will be incorporated into Our Lady of Grace Parish in Castro Valley. This new area extends to the north as far as Manchester, bordering the Alameda County property.

The residential area west of I-580 to East 14th Street will be incorporated into St. John Parish in San Lorenzo. This new area extends south to Mattox Road and North to 159th Avenue.

The residential area north of 159th Avenue to 150th Avenue and west to East 14th Street as well as the areas east to the county property (including Fairmont Hospital, the juvenile detention facilities) and George Mark Children’s House will be annexed to Assumption Parish in San Leandro.

The three parishes will assume responsibility for pastoral care at the major health care facilities within their new boundaries — Eden Medical Center to Our Lady of Grace; Fairmont Hospital, George Mark Children’s House, and Kindred Hospital to Assumption; and Kaiser Permanente Assisted Care to St. John.

All sacramental records from St. Alphonsus will be kept at Our Lady of Grace Church.

Gathered for the closing liturgy are clergy who served the parish, from left, Deacon George Peters, Father Terry Tompkins, Father Tom Lester, Father Ray Troik, Father Patrick O’Brien, Father Kevin Mullins and Father Paul Quante..

History of St. Alphonsus Liguori Parish

Parishioners follow the Mass prayers during the June 29 liturgy.

1955: San Francisco Archbishop John J. Mitty establishes St. Alphonsus Liguori Parish and enters into an agreement with the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer to administer the new parish. Redemptorist Father Raymond Troik is named first pastor. A building that once housed a restaurant and a nightclub is transformed into the church.

1956: St. Alphonsus Liguori School opens with all lay teachers.

1957: Four Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Monroe, Mich. arrive to take responsibility of the parish school. The average Sunday Mass is about 600 adults.

1961: Redemptorist Father Bernard Tobin is appointed second pastor. Construction of the new rectory building is completed at a cost of $129,577.

1962: Sunday Mass attendance is 1240 adults and 599 children.

1964 – 1967: Redemptorist Fathers Cor-nelius Leehan, Mark McInerney, and Raymond Lassall serve as pastors.

1968: A personnel shortage forces the Immaculate Heart Sisters to withdraw from the parish school in June. The San Rafael Dominicans agree to administer the school for the 1968-69 school year. Sunday Mass attendance: 1106 adults, 320 children.

1972: Redemptorist Father Victor Zabelle becomes pastor.

Denise Ronay and Joseph Mello were among those saying goodbye to the parish.

1975: Redemptorist Father Thomas Lester is appointed pastor.

1977: Sunday Mass attendance is about 500.

1979: Holy Names Sisters Geralda Jaubert and Margaret Kennedy open The Bridge Home in the former convent to help “troubled girls.” The facility moved in 1985.

1981: Redemptorist Father Joseph Elliott is named pastor.

1983 – 1997: Father Joseph Ferreira serves as pastor. Father Raymond Sacca succeeds him in 1997 as administrator.

1998: Deacon George Peters is named parish life director.

2005: Father Terry Tompkins is named parochial administrator.

2007: Augustinian Father Kevin Mullins is named temporary parochial administrator.

2008: Bishop Allen Vigneron announces the parish will close on June 29.

Current and former parishioners attend the concelebrated liturgy marking the end of the parish’s 53-year history.

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