Saint Athanasius Parish

Saint Athanasius Parish is a territorial parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California. The parish was established June 19, 1959, by John J. Mitty, D.D., Archbishop of San Francisco, to serve Catholics of Mountain View and Palo Alto. The parish is named for Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria.

St. Athanasius Church
Front view, sign, and shrine of St. Athanasius Church
St. Athanasius Church Show map of Mountain View, California St. Athanasius Church Show map of San Francisco Bay Area
37°24′16″N 122°05′49″W
Location	160 N. Rengstorff Avenue, Mountain View, California
Country	USA
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	stathanasiusparish.com
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	June 19, 1959 (1959-06-19)
Founder(s)	Rev. Fr. Leonard W. Bose
Dedication	Athanasius of Alexandria
Events	Feast Day of St. Athanasius of Alexandria, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church (May 2)
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Administration
Deanery	Deanery 2
Archdiocese	Archidioecesis Sancti Francisci
Diocese	Dioecesis Sancti Josephi in California
Province	Ecclesiastical province of San Francisco
Clergy
Bishop(s)	The Most Rev. Patrick Joseph McGrath
Vicar(s)	Rev. Fr. Estanislao Mikalonis
Dean	Rev. Fr. Matthew D. Stanley (St. Thomas Aquinas Parish)
Pastor(s)	Rev. Fr. Oscar D. Tabujara
Deacon(s)	Rev. Mr. Leonel Mancilla
Laity
Lay member(s) of chapter	Knights of Columbus St. Sebastian Council #4926
Youth ministry coordinator	Eleanor Sullivan
Parish administrator	Jennifer Garlit

Parish History

St. Athanasius parish was established June 19, 1959, at the direction of His Excellency John 1. Mitty, D.D., Archbishop of San Francisco to serve Catholics of Mountain View and Palo Alto. The founding pastor, Father Leonard W. Bose, was born January 16, 1917, to William A. Bose and Babete C. Schimmel- Bose, of San Francisco. After attending Saint Joseph's Seminary, Mountain View he went to Saint Patrick's Seminary Menlo Park, and was ordained March 20, 1943, by Archbishop Mitty in Saint Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco. Father Bose was first assigned to Burlingame. He served as associate pastor of Saint Catherine's Church until June, 1954. He also taught theology there. Two of his students were Sisters of Mercy who would aid him years later in Saint Athanasius. From Burlingame Father Bose went to Saint Brigid's in San Francisco and then to St. Mary's parish, Vacaville. He came to Saint Athanasius in June 1959. Father Bose celebrated the first Mass in Saint Athanasius on the first Sunday of Advent, November 29, 1959. He said the Mass in Latin with his back to the people, so they used missals, and those who happened to be sitting by the walls rested their missals on exposed two-by-fours. There was no kneeling, for the pews, beautiful old oaken benches that Father had salvaged from a warehouse in Burlingame, were too close together. They were filled, and people were standing. No heat, and there wouldn't be for several weeks. As Christmas drew near, it got cold, so when a heater was installed the same heater that now hangs in the corner of the multi-purpose room) there were many appreciative comments. With the cold came rain, and the onetime orchard, still unpaved, was churned into a sea of mud. Mass was offered in that modest structure for sixteen months.

A very detailed parish history of the first quarter century can be read at the Our History link.

Succession of Priests

Priest	Years of Service	Years Served	Role	Ordination
Fr. Leonard W. Bose	1959 - 1969	11	Pastor (founding)
Fr. John J. Reilly	1969 - 1976	8	Pastor
Fr. Kevin McArdle, C.S.Sp.	1976 - 1979	4	Pastor
Fr. Joseph S. Prendergast, C.S.Sp.	1979 - 1988	10	Pastor
Fr. John P. Cooper, C.S.Sp.	1988 - 1994	7	Pastor
Fr. Diarmuid Casey, C.S.Sp.	1994 - 2009	16	Pastor
Fr. Oscar D. Tabujara	2009 - Present	10	Pastor	Ordained December 22, 1975 as a Missionaire du Sacre Coeur. (MSC) by Bishop Antonio Fortich[1]
Rev. Paul-Cuong Phan	? - Preset		Parochial Vicar

Several of the priests who served St Athanasius have been from the Congregation of the Holy Spirit religious order, more commonly known as Holy Ghost Fathers.

Parish Website

http://www.saintathanasius.com/ was used starting approximately May 2002 and spanning until roughly August 2016 at which point the website was hosted under domain http://stathanasiusparish.com/

References

1. "Sunday Bulletin September 9, 2018" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-11-23.