Saint Joseph Cathedral is one of my favorite churches. I feel so blessed and grateful to attend our Sunday Holy Mass at this beautiful Cathedral. I started going to this church during the time of Father Escalante, whom I have so much respect for him. The cathedral staff are amazing. Can feel the solemnity of the Holy Mass. Thank you Saint Joseph Cathedral for uplifting us. God bless read more

Very hospitable for everyone, great location and parking structure across the street, would recommend to anyone seeking help or advice or is just lost read more

Saint Joseph Cathedral - a very beautiful sight, was taken during december - Churches Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

The cathedral is beautiful. Mass is always pleasant here. The cathedral is a pretty far drive from my home, but this is where my husband has gone since his childhood and this is where it feels we belong so we come here I will be eternally grateful to this cathedral, they went above and beyond to accommodate my sick niece during catechism and even did her first communion on my nieces timeline. Whereas another church literally turned her away for not being able to attend catechism classes (bc she is in and out of hospital) the cathedral got her a personal teacher to work on her schedule. I am however heartbroken and do not feel welcomed by them. I started OCIA in September, and have been denied my sacraments with no communication as to why. Office is non responsive, no one replies to their emails, and no one seems to know what is going on. I keep getting the "I will check with Father Peter and get back to you" Easter vigil has come and gone and I am left out in the cold. I really wanted to be in a state of grace before giving birth, but seems I have wasted a year on OCIA at this location and will have to move parishes if I want to get anything done. read more

I went to this church years ago in my early journey with the Lord and I still get there once in a while for the noon mass. One thing I love about the Catholic Church is that you can find a mass going on a different times of the day which makes it so different and unique from Protestant churches which only worship as a group on Wednesday and Sunday's I encourage you to go to this church and get blessed. I truly believe that when we attend mass everyday that there are graces and blessings for you but I also understand that not everyone has the freedom to attend daily. Please come and experience fellowship and the beauty of the church. It's important to get fed daily Jesus is Lord read more

This beautiful cathedral is located on the outskirts of downtown. There is plenty of parking nearby, there is a lot right across the street that you can park for free. The staff is helpful and the church offers ample seating. There are a variety of mass times on top of a 5:15pm on Saturday and a 12pm Spanish mass on Sunday. Whether you are visiting or a local San Diegan, St. Joseph Cathedral is a well known landmark with beauty all around. read more

So incredibly beautiful!! I had no idea churches like this existed in San Diego. I can't wait to go back.

Glory to the lord. Thank you for such a beautiful cathedral. The organ and music ministry is moving and restoring. The respect for ceremony is apparent and appreciated by the parishioners. Come be filled. read more

Wonderful church in downtown San Diego I felt at peace here and noticed the other members were very devout Catholics! I'll be back if ever in the area again read more

Wonder people, clergy, staff. A truly uplifting experience. Confessions 2x/week and by appointment -- very convenient.

BEAUTIFUL CATHEDRAL What an experience... - best Ave Maria vocals ever (silent standing ovation necessary) - expect random commotions in downtown churches (its normal) - clean, peaceful, and gorgeous Any cathedral downtown offers unique beauty. If that be with the architecture of the church or the people attending. Sometimes I don't always feel comfortable going to churches in neighborhoods because they are family oriented and I always feel alone. And prefer downtown churches because downtown has a mix of people (family, individuals, couples, etc) and you feel more welcomed. Infact, this church welcomes anyone. Even some random from the street running making a commotion and a security guard ready to tackle. It's downtown, expect it! And the live choir... amazing. One of my favorite "church" songs is Ave Maria. Not always sang but it's always beautiful. BUT HANDS DOWN, the best "Ave Maria" I have ever heard was in this cathedral today. When I heard the lady sing this, I wanted to give her a standing ovation in the middle of mass (that would have been awkward but it was that amazing). I was just blown away by her vocals. I am not the best Catholic and I don't go to church every Sunday but I do have religion and I do believe in faith. I have not been to church in over a year because I haven't settled in a location since I moved away from home. But I think I've found my SD church. Whenever I am hurting deeply inside I turn to my faith for strength. After mass, I felt restored knowing that everything is going to be okay. When prayers are sent up, blessings come down! read more

The church is extremely gorgeous! I went for a 2pm mass- the mass itself wasn't the best but I did feel an amazing energy as I was sitting right next to the statue of st Therese. If you are considering going to this church make sure you arrive early for parking and it's 5$! That's something I wish I knew before hand and also the parking takes debit/credit. read more

Saint Joseph Cathedral - St Therese - Churches Near Me - San Diego, California

Wonderful church! I was in San Diego attending a conference and was very blessed to have the opportunity to attend Sunday mass at this beautiful cathedral. The service was very spiritual and the church members were very welcoming. I will definitely attend mass here again next time I am San Diego! read more

Fr. Peter Escalante is excellent. My mass experience is enhanced because of his leadership. But if you're new to the downtown area specifically where St. Josephs is, you might notice the amount of homelessness in the area. Subsequently, homeless people are often in and around the parish grounds as well. While there is nothing wrong with that, it is important to note that fact. As for the church, I love its wooden interior and sense of history (it's been around for a while/dedicated in 1941). Beautiful stained glass windows are there for you to enjoy. read more

Happy Divine Mercy Sunday! This was our 2nd visit for mass at this gorgeous Catholic Cathedral, while on vacation. Ca'm on Cha Pham for a beautiful homily today. Hopefully, my family of 4 children weren't too rambunctious during mass. May the Lord Holy Spirit bless you, your parish and all of San Diego! We'll be back again soon. :D read more

Came here for the 10:30 Mass recently, and really liked it! Good choir, sort of a shady area, but overall a very picturesque church in the heart of downtown. The design is classically European, although the decor is not as dark. I liked the energy and vibe of the church, and I really had no complaints at all! I've been to downtown Cathedrals in other cities, and the experience is usually similar overall. It's the sort of church that's fine for a Sunday visit, but I doubt if I lived here it would be my parish, just because I didn't get the sense that families come here on a regular basis, but I could be wrong! The steps leading up to the church entrance on 3rd Ave are very steep, so if you have anyone in your party that has trouble with that, be aware of it. Decent street parking in the area within walking distance too read more

I attended mass here today on All Souls Day. The church is beautiful inside and out! I loved the statues: Saint JPII and Mother Theresa, the Little Flower, Saint Bakhita, Our Lady of Guadalupe and more:) The homily was on point and I was warmly welcomed by a group of people praying the rosary after mass. read more

Gorgeous church! I've been here twice already. The first time I went was a few years ago for SD YAM's adoration and praise night. It was followed by a reception in the parish hall. I went most recently on Sunday for noon mass with Maridel A. See...we're good girls! The homily was long but good. I was somehow able to pay attention LOL I usually get ADD during mass and I forget to pay attention ha ha This church would be a nice place to get married in! I'm gonna try to see if I can get my baby daddy to seal the deal! PROPOSE TO ME ALREADY! read more

I've had the privileged of attending St. Joseph's for the past 5 1/2 years. I had originally been a parishioner at San Diego De Alcala and since I lived downtown this was my neighborhood parish. When I first started attending mass at St. Joe's it was at 515pm Sundays. This church at that time had the most available masses. Can you believe one as late as 630pm on Sunday. Back then the head pastor was Father Balio(god rest his soul). His sermons were good and at times very uplifting. What I noticed about this Church was the lack of participation from the parishioners. It was just too quite and even when we were to respond the response was barley audible, basically it seemed as if the audience was mute. Attendance seemed low most likely because of the total number of available masses. Still you left feeling good to have heard the word of god. Father Balio passed away after an illness and Father Rex. from Africa became the temporary head pastor. It was then that the audience became alive. Father Rex brought with him the enthusiasm of the charismatic movement with inspirational and thought provoking sermons. Not only that, but he brought music back to the church in the form of guitarist and singers. The church came alive and the audience began to participate not only in song but most importantly in the responses and profession of faith. It was at this point that my wife and I decided to make St. Josephs our main parish. After about 1 yr Father Rex was reassigned by the church to serve at another location. In came the new head pastor Father Peter Escalante. From the moment we heard Fr. Peter give a sermon.. we knew we would always leave the church after mass feeling total rejoiced and blessed. Music stayed and Fr. Peter and his associates layed down the foundation to make sure that St. Josephs became a strong community church. Parishioner participation is evident and with zeal. All the pastors who give mass provide the audience with uplifting sermons. As a catholic I've always felt that one should leave the mass feeling closer to god each time and that is how we feel now. We now attend the 1030a Sunday mass and afterwards we go to the basement where they serve coffee and donuts. We have made many friends and truly feel that we have a strong church community. Finally and probably the least important is that... inside the cathedral it is a very much looking church inside. On both walls are wonderful stained glass images of Saints etc. The acoustics is wonderful with an awesome pipe organ on the second level. It is very spacious with very high ceiling typically found in Cathedrals. The parking can be a pain at times but we have never had any problems. In all St. Joseph's serves the community well. It is an alive church with alot of opportunities to serve. Visually appealing but most importantly spiritually uplifting. read more

I moved into town this month & started my first visit at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Little Italy. I wanted to crawl out of there so fast but felt so bad for Father Grancini. My eyes opened widely as I noticed a walker in front of the dude. How do you dis a Father in a walker still serving God? The Deacon did the homily. Though he's probably passionate about the faith, speaking isn't his forte. I was just uncomfortable there. It was small and tight. Its the kinda place where people know your business. I had to look for a new place and up the street was St. Joseph's. This place reminded me somewhat of my other church, Our Lady of Angels (in downtown LA). The families of dedicated Filipinos representing the faith. Awkwardly, that made me a little more at ease. The building wasn't as colorful as Lady of the Rosary, but a bit bigger so that I could blend in to the crowd. They don't sing the Our Father prayer, which I'm totally cool with. I'm a "struggling to know" Catholicism person. So, I think I found a Church to go to regularly. read more

Over a year ago, my Fiancè and I went on a search to find our Parish in San Diego. We visited a new church every Sunday, hoping to find one that resonated. We went to a mass with Father Pat and were immediately inspired to become parishioners. My fiancé just completed the adult RCIA program which is led incredibly. We are now a couple months out from celebrating our marriage there! This is a great church to be a part of :) read more

This is a beautiful cathedral right in the middle of downtown San Diego. I was in the city for a conference and just walked in this morning. The parishioners were friendly and made me feel welcome. The music was traditional and the homily was good. I'm so glad I decided to skip a poster session and got Jesus instead:) read more

Saint Joseph Cathedral - I especially liked the altar dedicated to our newest saints John Paul and Teresa. - Churches Near Me - San Diego, California

My husband and I regularly attend mass, got married, and baptized our baby at St Joseph's. We love this Parrish because of the leadership and worship Fr Peter provides. There is a youth group and multiple gatherings to dive deeper into your faith. The music at mass is lead by a wonderful tenor vocalist. The church is stunningly beautiful with vaulted ceilings, statues, and stained glass windows. Plenty of parking is another plus! read more

Saint Joseph Cathedral - Baptism during advent season. - Churches Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

It's a ok Church. There are others churches in the area that are so much better. The Priest seemed like he was just another run of the mill Priest. The sermon was very boring. read more

My favorite church. Its bigger than the church I used to attend. Never crowded (except on Easter Subday) always a place to sit. Very diverse, the priest is funny and gives good advice. Its the only church where I sing along knowing that I can't sing but its so big no1 can hear me haha. Amen! read more

It is so darn Beautiful here, I enjoy coming here and seeing all the kind people, praising the Lord and enjoying a nice Sunday with no work only friends and family. God is good all the time and all the time God is good. AMEN read more

My family and I go here just about every Sunday. I enjoy coming here because now that Father Peter is the Head Pastor...things flow much better. However, I must say that had I written this review just (2 1/2) months ago...I would have given it a 5 Star. Here's why... There used to be a tenor by the name of Josh that blew my mind. Every time he sang, goosebumps took over me. His hearty, melodic, and angelic voice carried through the church. Sadly, he left to pursue his singing career. Quite bittersweet...but all good things must come to an end, I guess. I certainly wish him all the best. Vaya con Dios! :O) read more

What an absolutely BEAUTIFUL church, and so very welcoming and airy. What a blessing to be able to attend Sunday mass here while we were in town for the July 4th holiday weekend. I hope I can visit this place again. Love, love, loved it!!! read more

I started attending mass here because the people in my old church are really rude and inconsiderate. The cathedral is huge with plenty of pews, mass always starts on time and there are usually guest priests from all over. This is in downtown so once in a while you have a few characters making a scene, but the staff is more than prepared for them. On Sundays there's free parking at the lot right next to the church. If you're looking for a quiet place to worship, come by! read more

I absolutely adore coming to Mass here. I live right down the street from it and it is very convenient. Whenever I got to Mass I hope that Father Peter is giving the Mass. I must admit that listening to his homilies made me want to attend more frequently. One thing that I absolutely love about this parish is that on weekdays, they offer Mass everyday at 12:07, which gives people who work downtown (like me) a few minutes to walk over there. The Mass is about 25-30 minutes long. I also love the interior of it. I would hope to get married here one day. read more

I sometimes go to the Sunday 5:15 p.m. Mass here and have mixed feelings about this parish. On one hand it is awesome because it reminds me of the Church universal..meaning it isn't all white anglo saxon surburbanites. Here you may see an Indian, Phillipino or African family along with young couples, urban dwellers, homeless people, tourist, old, young, or deranged....you pretty much get it all. On the other hand, it doesn't seem to have a strong church community here. Father Peter is there now, and at his previous parishes he was good at building strong community, so it may change over a period of time. read more

This church was like a dreary, neglected barn throughout the 80's and into the early 2000's, and, no offense, but most of the priests were very old and tired. Thanks to better leadership and changing demographics of downtown San Diego, it's become a vibrant parish. Lots of good restoration work in recent years. I'm not the most devoted Catholic, but I still like to come here once in a while to attend one of their masses. Fr. Pat Mulcahy, the pastor, gives great sermons and is definitely passionate about his Catholic faith. He is a great asset to this church. read more

While I have not been to St. Joseph's in many years, at least 5, I was a member at St. Brigid's church in Pacific Beach under Fr. Peter and have been at masses with Bishop Chavez. So, I ditto David's hopes about the sense of community growing under his "shepherding". He is a wonderful priest/pastor. Having gone through many difficulties these past years, I have come to appreciate him as someone who continues to care for his flock in need, even when he has moved on to new parishes. One rarely finds such great hearts these days, but he has one. As for Joe's note about mass with Bishop Chavez-- while I cannot explain why he chose not to sing at mass one day, I do assure you he is a lovely, warm, and even holy priest. Something that modern Catholics need to understand is that music-- while good and wonderful for getting one more in a spiritual mood and focused on an attitude of holiness and response to faith-- is not "the mass". Nor are the homilies whether good, bad or indifferent. The heart of mass is our recognition that God who created all somehow cares for us-- his mudpie creation. And His care is not that of a kind of "pet" owner, which even that would be an honour for us. No, He cares for us so deeply, He became incarnate in the human flesh of Jesus and so integrated us humans into His Divine essence. Because of this incarnation we are made brethren with Jesus, a part of God Himself. Because of this we are raised up with the angels, so glorious that we would not be able to look upon them, save that God allows us to. But even this was not enough. Our sin, darkness, violence (the effects of original sin) were so great that God had to go one step further-- He had to hand over his human self to suffer the punishments awaiting humankind, in order to free us from those punishments. Although this punishment was due to OUR disobedience and arrogance, selfishness, greed, etc., God took it on for us in order that we might be freed from this state of slavery and be enabled to come home to Him in Heaven. So, next time you find yourself annoyed or bored or bothered at mass, focus your eyes instead on the cross. No matter what is going on, that is the real meaning of mass. That is what people come together to celebrate: "For God so loved us, He sent His only son (to teach us the way)." God Bless, Sharon read more

Attended 5:15pm mass on Saturday . I was a visitor . The sermon was right on, Knowledgeable pastor with a beautiful living message. I will come back to this parish next time I'm in San Diego . There was good energy in this church. read more

Just participated in a wedding a couple of days ago with Father Peter Escalante, who was very nice and totally helpful (reading in front of people... not always easy). His homily was pleasant and all, but my lack of one star is that this place is like 90% gorgeous. The ceilings were off putting - I know that's the style but the little European inside me wanted something more ornate! Yay St. Joseph's! read more

We came across this church on Easter Holiday Weekend while visiting San Diego. The cathedral was packed but was able to find plenty of seats left because we came 15 minutes early. The patrons at this church are very diverse, which is great. People were dressed appropriately for church and some even wore suits. What really made my visit quite nice was due to the great sermon by their parish priest. I don't remember his name but he was great. His delivery was great and entertaining but not too preachy. I would probably go again if I'm around the area. read more

Loving Christian leadership of Fr. Pat has revitalized the Cathedral, not only physically with the many improvements, but also, and mostly by his dedication to the Catholic Church and Her spirit. Listening to his homilies, you will be inspired; you will be moved; and you will be motivated to act to secure your place in the church. The homilies are always thematic and tie into the gospel readings; reflection will be forthcoming from within. Travel to the cathedral is worth the effort! read more

When I first attended a Sunday mass in this church, the Pastor was Father Peter Escalante who gave a very good homily. Also, my husband & I were approached to serve wine and bread for the offertory; we were asked to serve on two different occasions. Wow, it felt good to be able to do this; I came out of church fresh and felt reborn. I found a Catholic Church that I love. read more

This Cathedral is more of a quicky place to go if you need to get to mass in a hurry such as if you have a 13 hour flight the next morning and you doubt you will be able to get to mass the next morning. I like how the mass is 5:15PM for those of us who end up missing morning Mass. With the 90 something Roman Catholic churches in San Diego, St.Josephs makes sure that no one has the chance to miss mass. True that there is not Christ blood during communion, but on the waffer, his body, but all us Catholics know that Christ is present under both species of either bread or wine. Another great aspect is that there is the before mass confessions in the chapel. Many Catholics go to communion forgetting to confess, or they do not have the opertunity to do so because their church either does not offer before mass confessions, or that the person is just to lazy to go to confession.....The music isnt there other than some of the masses. But we know that mass is all about receiving Christ, and not about the music.....God Bless! read more

This is a great church....Father Peter is amazing and you will be truly inspired by his sermons.

Hi Joe! :), My name is Fred. I would just to say somethings and all that I say I mean in a caring manner. I have had my share of masses that I labeled as boring, too short, ill performed, etc. This accumulated until I wanted to leave the Faith. But then I thought about all that priests have been saying in homilies (even the boring ones), all God wants is our trust. If I am judging this Church by how things are carried out by the servants (emphasis on servants of Jesus in discipleship fashion), then is my Faith on God, or conditional to the surroundings? Just something you should think about since it helped me realize that God is God no matter where mass is, the Eucharist will never change, recieveing the Body alone is no different receiving the Blood and Body, and Jesus is Jesus no matter where we celebrate mass. My brother I do not know you but I do strongly relate to you through your post. What we get out of Mass is determined by what we bring into Mass, not just what is going on in the Churchly environment. And also one more thing, I am a worship leader of various Catholic organizations and parishes, I would just like to emphasis what God speaks in Lamentations, our God is a God of song and praise, but also the God of worshiping in silence and meditation. Well, I am glad you and your girlfriend go to mass! That is awesome! Feel free to talk to me brother! Hope to run into you at a mass here or there. God Bless you and take care. Frederick Valdez read more