The church is kept In impeccable condition, the street parking is just ample, but the Catholic Mass is on point, traditional Roman Catholic service with an amazing Catholic community to support it. read more

ST MONICA CATHOLIC COMMUNITY @ SDSU Parking is available for street, it can get extremely packed so i'd recommend coming 15-20 minutes beforehand. They have a coffee next door which is adorable as most catholics come after mass. Walking in, the people are SO KIND and very welcoming! It is such a beautiful place, with high ceilings, architectures, and lots of incredible designs on each of the windows. I loved the priest, the music, and the people. The one thing is that if you sit in the middle main rows, you will be going last, this church does eucharist for those upstairs and outside first, then the sides, from middle sections back to front, so be sure to be patient! Overall, i'd recommend coming here, it was a far drive since I'm from San Diego, but overall great if you live near or around the area! read more

St Monica Catholic Community - Churches Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Beautiful Catholic Church. The priests are lovely, including Monsignor Jorgensen. A joyful Chorir on Sundays or feast days. A quiet 12 noon mass every day. read more

I have been a member of this parish since 1989. In the early 1990s had the pleasure of discovering and joining Young Ministering Adults (YMA). I met a wonderful group of people; straight, gay, single, engaged (now long married), kids, nuns, priests... all united by our common faith (though we certainly practice it differently!). The beauty of this parish is the diversity, on all levels... there are ministries for women, men, couples, parents w young children, YMA is still going strong, Habitat for Humanity, annual Thanksgiving Feast that feeds many in the community, Prison Ministry, Adopt-a-family for Christmas, Bereavement Ministry, Faith Formation Programs and so much more. If you're looking for a Catholic home in the LA area, you might find it here. read more

Pastor was very nice & wise & clearly walks with The Spirit, however the community as a whole & the governed system that they use & operate is VERY flawed & not what the word tells us to do. First of all to be a part of the church & or the community you HAVE to fork over a lot of money & go through a selection process & they really only want families (or at least couples) & the ceremony took up more than have the whole service (Sunday Mass). Also the only prayer necklaces (rosaries) they have are $50 a piece which is just ridiculous & unheard of. That's all, so unless you got money coming out your ears & or have extreme amounts of time to waste, AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Thank you. read more

St Monica Catholic Community - How the church looks from an spiritual standpoint. - Churches Near Me - Santa Monica, California

St. Monica is our home parish. I discovered this parish over 15 years ago while attending a family friend's baptism of their baby boy. I promised myself that day that I would baptize my future child at St. Monica. Well my heart's desire was realized, 2 years ago today. My baby girl was baptized at St. Monica. The experience was amazing. The staff were very accommodating and made the entire process seamless. The perfect holy place for Sacraments to take place. Highly recommended to others in the community. This isn't your grandmother's stuffy parish and we are welcoming to everyone. Come to St. Monica, you won't regret it. read more

I don't know how you compose a review of a faith or church. All I will say is that this place is one of great public service, volunteerism and putting that sense of obligation above self. Newly renovated, it is a wonderful place to observe your faith and the people are caring as well as the staff and priests who manage this special place. At Saint Monica, all are welcome. read more

This place of worship welcomes everyone! Unlike most Catholic Churches this one is beautiful and inspiring. Every priest has amazing energy and really celebrates the mass. The choirs are the best I've ever heard. The 5:30pm mass on Sunday has the most upbeat choir and it feels like a celebration and it really makes you want to be there. They fundraise a lot which can be overwhelming but it comes from a good place and they make a huge impact in the community and over in Africa (the sister parish) This parish offers many groups and activities so there is always something nice happening. I highly recommend to anyone of any religion the 5:30pm mass. Located right next to the beach! Great parking and nice coffee shop on site. read more

St Monica Catholic Community - Churches Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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My home parish even though we live in Torrance. My husband did RCIA here. This has been my church for the past 8 or so years. The choir is top notch. You can catch the 530pm Sunday mass on live stream. I have also participated in 4 YMA spring retreats at the Serra Retreat center in Malibu. Very transformative retreats and a great church community all around. read more

Best church community in LA. Whatever age you are and no matter where you are from you will feel welcome here. The Sunday 5.30pm mass has great a great crowd and choir. The parking structure is always available for parking but for the Sunday 5.30 try and get there before 5.15pm for a spot in the structure and the church If you're new to LA and wanna meet people this is a great place especially their Young Adult community(YMA). You will not regret it. read more

St Monica Catholic Community - Palm Sunday 5.30pm Mass - Churches Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I'm so glad I found St. Monica's. As a Catholic, I fail. I barely make it out to church..but for Easter and Christmas, those are the two days that I absolutely cannot miss. To be honest, although I've been in LA for over 6 years now, I've never found a perish that I can truly say I feel comfortable returning to. During my undergrad years, I went to the UCC while attending UCLA and that was fine. However, after graduation, I've been on the search for a church that would make me feel like home, and i think I finally found it. St. Monica's was beautiful and Easter service was amazing. I actually don't have many friends that are Catholic (most of them of another denomination) so I normally resort to going to a Christian church. Fortunately, this year, a friend of mine (non catholic) decided he would accompany me to mass since I've been yearning to go. I'm very happy I made the decision to do so. Right away, upon entering the space, you feel welcomed. Everyone was so kind, so helpful, and definitely did everything in their power to make you feel like you belonged. Unlike your typical catholic mass, St. Monica's offers a more modern, current interpretation of what it is to celebrate your faith. If you can only feel the energy that resonated with the community here, you would understand how great a perish St. Monica's truly is. The choir, OMG was phenomenal. I can't believe the voices that I heard, they were so amazing. The entire service was fun, energetic, and definitely very upbeat. The sermon was relatable and everyone around you welcomed you regardless if you were a newcomer, non-christian, of different ethnicity or sexual orientation. I would advise that you check out their mass schedule. I attended the 1:15pm youth mass...hence the awesome choir.. but perhaps for a more quiet experience check out the ones listed as family mass. Get there early because parking can be difficult to find. read more

As a practicing Catholic, the Lenten season is a very special time of reflection and betterment for me. I was in the area for Ash Wednesday mass. I had the blessing of hearing Msgr Torgerson. He has such a tender and wise spirit. His additional reflection enriched the experience and delivered a sense of humility and inspiration. The homily was not long-winded but to the point and rich. read more

St Monica Catholic Community - Churches Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Beautiful church, friendly and welcoming, thank you st Monica for being the patron saint of wayward children. You heard my prayers, thank you for going to our Heavenly Father on our behalf as parents to ask our Lord for help. read more

I love this church. If I'm not able to attend the mass at Saint Paul the Apostle, I always go to St. Monica's website https://stmonica.net/media-resources/watch-live and look for their uploaded video of the mass. I'm able to hear and watch the mass. I love that the audio and video are both clear. Everywhere I go, I know I'm not going to miss my mass because of their live feed and their uploaded video for each Sunday. read more

I grew up going to church with my mom every Sunday and when I left for college at UCLA, the University Catholic church was within walking distance so it was convenient to attend church. However, since I graduated and moved a little farther from the UCC and with life happening so fast, I stopped going to church altogether. I recently felt like I wanted to reconnect with my faith and did a little research and found this church. This church is BEAUTIFUL!! The inside has so much space that finding a seat during mass shouldn't be an issue. I usually attend the Sunday morning mass at 730 am and feel so welcomed every time. There are always people outside the church greeting you "good morning" as you walk in. The community here that attend church is very friendly as well; everyone greets one another before church begins. I feel like mass itself is very easy to relate. The sermon is given, and then the priest finds a way to connect it to your own life and gives you something to think about as you leave for the week. Mass means more to me when it is something you can relate to and practice in your everyday life. I definitely recommend this place for someone who's finding a new church community. It is welcoming and not intimidating at all! read more

Awesome Sunday evening Mass. Great Choir, and livestreamed should one miss.

How could a church receive fewer than five Stars? Saint Monica's parish community is the most diverse and engaged church that I have ever experienced!! Their theme is 'ALL ARE WELCOME!' The mass is not only the most inspirational, uplifting and musical experience ever, but it also provides an extremely relevant message through the gospels and sermons. The community is very blessed to have Msgr. Torgerson helm over the most amazing, diverse parish community in LA! The best young adult group (YMA) ever and offers an amazing GLO (Gay & Lesbian outreach). I can only enthusiastically recommend this amazing church and parish community! I am blessed to be part of such an engaging, diverse Catholic community! read more

St Monica Catholic Community - Churches Near Me - Santa Monica, California

New to Santa Monica and Catholic? St. Monica Catholic Church has gotten national (so I'm told) that they are known for their strong young adult community. Such an incredible welcoming community led by the Mgsr. ToBeing part of the Young Ministering Adults for the past three years has been an incredible blessing. I've connected with so many good hearted people with passion and strength. And! Many of those same people have become my best friends. Being part of the Vespers committee and attending evening Vespers regularly every Tuesday (during the "YMA academic year") has been a retreat mid-week for me, a time I look forward to. Open yourself to great love. Attend mass (5:30pm has most of the young adults in attendance). Join YMA, attend Vespers, attend the Fall and/or Spring Retreat. Go on a Cornerstone Retreat. Fall in love with your faith all over again. read more

Been coming to church here for two years now and I have to say that it's the best community I've ever been to and it's wonderful to be part of so many ministries (Music, YMA, GLO, Cornerstone, Kenya) and have so many people to know and share life with. The young ministering adults or YMA consists of A group of 50 or more young adults ages 20s to 30s. We have two retreats a year and I have to say that the spring retreat was by far one of the best and most authentic spiritual encounter's I've experienced with so many close friends. It was in Malibu at the Junipero Sarah retreat center and it also happened to be my birthday. Our music ministry is also fantastic and every single mass has versatile and unique choirs who expand the mass experience with large and touching voices. Each Our Father and Gloria are heartfelt and full of joy and the Holy Spirit. The Gay and Lesbian Outreach or GLO ministry establishes a wonderful place for like-minded individuals to meet and converse in a Catholic environment. Hands-down they have the best Thanksgiving dinner and each party has delicious food and is very well put together. The group itself is very welcoming and an overall a really fun time. Cornerstone involves testimonies and there is one retreat for men and one retreat for women each year. It's definitely been one of the most unique experiences I've ever been to and really helped me with self realization and a nurturing environment to express oneself and become closer to God. Currently I'm also training for the LA Marathon and it's all in part with Veronika's Place. The funds we raise cover the cost of food to help keep over 300 men and women fed and also to guy medications in Dandora, Kenya. Saint Monica's Catholic Community is my home church and I am proud to go to mass every day and to write this Yelp. :) read more

St Monica Catholic Community - With the choir at St. Monica's - Churches Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I'm not Catholic but after coming to this beautiful church, it feels like it welcomes all congregations. Unfortunately, I came here for a funeral. It was very quaint , yet elegant. This place is small enough that you can hear music and talking very clearly. The downside of coming here is the parking maids are very strict in Santa Monica. The meters here aren't cheap either. I don't have recommendations for parking but just to make sure you have enough coins. I believe there's a small public park across the street if you have small kids that just need to stretch their legs. read more

I went here yesterday for my friend wedding ceremony. This church is near by the Pier and many hot spots in Santa Monica. The parking wasn't too bad. I got there and the usher show me where to sit. The ceremony lasted for an hour or so. During the ceremony, the bride got teary and cried during the reading to her vows to her husband, awww it was very touching and afterward the husband wiped her tears away. The ceremony was good and also the choir and singers were very good. Afterward, we went out to chit chat with others and took some pictures with the bride and groom. The church is beautiful where it antique style not the modernize as the current one. I'm guessing this church is been around for a long time. This church isn't too big nor too small. I will go back if ever I'm in the area. read more

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I am not Catholic- I am not unfriendly to the church but I have never been a fan of organized worshiping. But my girlfriend is, and I respect her and want her to be happy. So we decided to visit this beautiful church on Easter last year. Unfortunately, we were late for Mass (due to the notorious dreaded unpredictable LA traffic) so the cathedral was already full... No space to drop a needle. We were disappointed- we drove from far away, and to both of us Easter is a very special holiday. We were just about to turn our backs and leave, when somebody came and invited us to the nearby gym, where they set-up a second Holy Mass specially for the hundreds of people that weren't able to get inside. My mood was still quite down- I am a bit of an "exclusive" guy, I prefer the real thing- not a Mass at the gym! But when the Mass began, I was very pleasantly surprised. Even in this envirnoment, we had a great spiritual experience with a lot of energy, a good choir, a band with real instruments, a few priests who were young, spoke great English- very nice and energetic people. I am very difficult to please... So... if I felt really satisfied even with an improvised Mass inside a humble school gym (with all the ugly stuff hanging from the wall) and if I am able to actually forget where I am and think of other more important things in my life... then they really did a fine, excellent job- and deserve full 5 stars. I can only imagine what the other Mass (inside the real church) was like! read more

Beautiful Church--wild music. But if you are attending a church to worship--you might want to think twice. Think many who attend here might really find their niche in a Baptist church!! (Not much difference). Strange that so many Protesants are converting now to Catholic religion-hoping to find Church tradition and more meaning--it won't be this church! read more

I've only been to the evening liturgies, as I'm not a big fan of getting my lazy ass out of bed early on a Sunday morning. They have both a Sat. and Sun. 5:30pm mass. The Sunday evening mass is pretty crowded, standing room only, where as the Sat. eve. mass is sparsely attended. The music all times has been very good, even the low attendance Sat. mass had a piano player and very excellent singers. I prefer the late Sun. mass in that they get funky with the music, almost Jazz but definitely not church choir. I like it. They even once had interpretive dancers prancing about on the alter and up and down the isles during the procession. I guess that has to do with the fact that the church supports GLO (Gay and Lesbian Org.) which I think is great, I hate the fact that the RC church is being seen as bigoted and exclusionary. I never get there in time to use the church parking lot, but it's usually not too hard to find street parking. Mass Times M-F 6:30,8:00,12:10 Sat. 8:00,5:30 Sun 7:30,9:30,11:30,1:15,5:30 read more

Love this church! I've gone to several now, trying to find "the one" and this is it. Others have priests who, while I'm sure they are great people, have such thick accents that I have a very difficult time understanding them. I have gone to the 5:30pm on Saturday's at St. Monica's and have absolutely loved it. The priest is a very cool guy, an excellent speaker, has great sermons, and brings a really wonderful energy into the building. The church itself is beautiful. The music is amazing, and the other readers/speakers are just as eloquent and well-spoken. There is free parking in the garage (just enter the church driveway and go around the corner to go down into the underground garage). So happy I've found this great church! read more

How could I forget the day I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver with all their kids at the 5.30 mass, back in 2000/2001 when he was campaigning for governor? St. Monica was my parish while I was attending SMC. Now that I live in a different county, I'd still go for the 5.30pm mass whenever I'm in the area. The highlight of my experience in this church is when everybody holds hands and sings "Our Father". I love their rendition of this song. It brings me to tears, every time. You'd just feel so miniscule in His great and powerful presence. St. Monica, you'll always have a special place in my heart. =) read more

A great community and they truly embrace the idea of "ALL are Welcome". A very loving community no matter what what your background. The Sunday 5:30 Pm mass is always so uplifting and great to feed the soul. Gives you just what you need to get you through the week. Also a great place to meet great quality people who are very caring and great spirits. read more

BEFORE I PROCEED - I am the worst Catholic ever. The standard twice a year Catholic... Christmas & Easter Catholic. But recently decided I'd make more of an effort... so I yelped and found St. Monica's and WOW. Typically, I didn't exactly "love" going to mass. I'd usually fall asleep, or yawn incessiantly and get teary eyed. Most ppl thought I was just REALLY into the sermon. However, St. Monica's is LOUD and ENERGETIC. The Priest/Father/ Montsemor or whatever they call them are really charismatic and they are very engaging with the audience. People of all ages, can connect with them. But what "sealed the deal" for me was the CHOIR. It's like American Idol up in there!!! Their lead singer girl, she attends St. Monica's HS and has the voice of an angel. LITERALLY. I am awe-inspired when I hear her voice. The choir is just upbeat, and captures your attention and makes you want to get up, clap/dance. I'm always HAPPY and EXCITED when leaving here. OH but one thing I could do without - right after communion they spend the last 15-20 minutes (or longer) talking about the amazing stories of people who attend their school, and basically.... try to get you to donate money. As do all Churches. But they REALLY dedicate a loooootttt of time talking about it here. read more

This place is a must for Easter mass services. It is a very progressive church; they openly accept gays, lesbians, divorced parents, etc. The church is beautiful! It's actually painted in colors and on Easter they really outdo themselves with the flowers. WARNING: Get here EARLY EARLY EARLY. This place fills up very quickly. There will be a line to get in and once the cathedral is full, they will direct the overflow to their large gymnasium. Cool, but not the same thing. Get there in time to make it in the main mass. Parking can be a problem, especially on holidays. So plan ahead on your arrival time! read more

Beautiful Church. If you're in the area, you have got to check it out read more

St Monica Catholic Community - Churches Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I've been to St. Monica's many times and came to mass there or in South Pasadena when I lived in California. Masses are lively and often challenging. The priests are sincere and try to put together a good homily (others I've seen elsewhere seem to replay what they've done in the past). There are a lot of faith groups you can participate in and you'll feel welcomed as a newcomer. I do think they need to be wary of their popularity and reflect on whether they've done too much entertaining and not enough challenging and converting. read more

Beautiful church! My friend's wedding was here, and it was perfect for the ceremony. Everyone in the choir was AMAZING. No joke. Only downside was that there was no room available for the bridal party to leave our personal items. We had to keep our purses at the back of the church and have the wedding planner keep an eye on them. The church is across the street from a park, so a lot of random people walk by. Also, we had to rush out after the ceremony since there was another wedding right after. But that's not uncommon, so no biggie! read more

I summarily reject all criticism of this wonderful Church. Any Yelpers who complain about the entertainment factor here are way off base. St. Monica's has managed to take what could be a boring, tedious, tiresome antiquated Catholic service and rejuvenated it. Instead of yawning parishioners, you have an energized and lively congregation. I am not criticizing the Catholic services I grew up attending, but this beautiful Church-so damaged and mangled in the 1994 earthquake has resurrected itself in a BIG WAY. What a beautiful sanctuary-full of flowers, pious stained glass windows, and an altar shrine that looks like it's carved out of the whitest snow! The frescos of the Saints and Apostles and Virgin Mary are faithfully and lovingly done. As far as the message and the liturgy-it was sort of done off-the-cuff but still managed to make it's biblical points. Father David looked like a Phillip Seymour Hoffman clone and I loved his kelly green priestly robe. I really was curious about this church because I remember reading that Tom Brady and Giselle Bundchen got married here-I know-a superficial reason, but I can see how this great church would reflect properly the joy and happiness that one celebrates in a wedding or other happy life festivity. If I lived in the area-I would certainly become a congregant and I would say to anyone in the vicinity to check St. Monica's out for sure. It is not your USUAL Catholic Church service, and there is nothing wrong in proclaiming that. If more declining parishes would seize the mantle of modernity and musical innovation-who knows what would happen to church-going today? read more

I have to admit, being a non-Catholic, I think some of the things I love about St. Monica's are its most non-traditional features. I have stayed on the fringe of the community since I went to high school here, and it has always been very welcoming, loving, and contemporary. The people here really do help each other out, and celebrate and mourn together as a family. It is a beautiful community to be a part of. read more

This is a remarkable parish. I felt at home the minute I stepped back to church-it had been a while. ALL are welcome here. No matter your walk of life, your people are here. read more

I can't really comment on the school but I attended a wedding here and it is just one of those really nice old school churches people like to get married in, especially Filipino people. You should definitely go check it out yourself. All of my cousins have gotten married in the old school cathedral type churches and they all look like this one on the inside. They have one of those huge organs in the back and all sorts of nice Catholic art work on the cieling. parking in and around the location is a pain but not impossible take some time to observe the trees right outside the church. they look very old and are quite beautiful. read more

Attended this location for a wedding. This church is not to far from the beach, Pier, 3rd St. Promenade, and Main St. Plenty of seating inside to fit a large service. Priest was nice. Decor inside was impecable. read more

St Monica Catholic Community - Beautiful interior! - Churches Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I absolutely love coming here... I'm always amazed at the standing room only crowds this church draws. Proof positive there is a thirst for faith in this little corner of Los Angeles. Monsignor is not only entertaining, but I enjoy his food for thought. I always leave with something to apply to life after mass has ended. The choir is a very talented lot of singers and musicians, but I'd expect no less from a church in LA with access to some of the world's best! You do get the occasional 'star' sighting, though that's not the reason to go here. A dynamic, beautiful community with with a message anyone can apply to life is the reason to go. read more

God is not boring... so why should church be boring? Imagine praising God in heaven with uncountable numbers of angels. How can it possibly be boring!? It's a big riotous party up there! As someone who went to the high school, sang in the choir for a bit, and appreciated all progressive aspects of St Monica's, I adore this church. During my first year in the US, the church's theme was "All are welcome". That's the way the church should be -- open, accessible, connecting with people while building a community to do God's work. About entertaining, Catholicism has a very long history of music which borders on entertainment anyway. Why do you think so many churches have such huge organs? And large choirs? And singing monks and priests and nuns? These are God given talents, and the ways of praise God is limitless. If you get a chance, catch the Christmas midnight mass, but go early to get a seat. By the way, many churches ask visitors to stand, and sometimes even call out where they are from. read more

I love this church. They are so welcoming of everyone regardless of your religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social economic status, whether you are divorced etc. I am Catholic and although I do not attend mass regularly when I do make the trek to St. Monica's I never feel judged for being absent from the church for any length of time. I always feel welcomed here. The church is very progressive and I like that they try to connect their lessons to today's current events. I also love the music here, it's so uplifting! I grew up going to a very strict Catholic church where the music was mostly Gregorian chant, so I was surprised that a Catholic church could actually add some fun to mass! Easter and Christmas Day mass here are very popular and those services are always good. I was last here on Christmas and not only was that service amazing, it was a great reminder of what the holiday is all about--something that is often lost in all the holiday commercialism that surrounds us. read more