NATIONAL CITY — St. Mary Church was dedicated on Nov. 14, 1926.
On the same date, one century later, the parish will gather at 10 a.m. for a 100th Anniversary Thanksgiving Mass.
Raymond “RG” Porciuncula, who is coordinating the work of St. Mary’s Centenary Planning Committee, said this Mass will be the “spiritual highlight” of the centennial celebration, an opportunity “to offer thanksgiving for a century of faith, blessings and service.”
The Thanksgiving Mass will be preceded by a series of Centenary Novena Masses, beginning at 6 p.m., Nov. 5, and continuing through Nov. 13.
The community will welcome both Bishop Michael Pham and Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Pulido during that week. The latter will preside at the 5 p.m. Sunday Mass on Nov. 8, and the former at the Centenary Novena Mass on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
The Centenary Vigil Mass, to be celebrated at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, will be followed by a solemn candlelight procession to the parish’s Fatima Grotto.
The festivities will continue on Sunday, Nov. 15, with an all-day fall festival – the first to be held since the annual event was canceled six years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, St. Mary Parish is home to about 2,000 active registered parishioners shepherded by the current pastor, Father Nemesio Sungcad, who celebrated his 50th anniversary of priestly ordination earlier this year.
St. Mary Church opened its doors on Oct. 1, 1926, about a month and a half before it was dedicated by Bishop John J. Cantwell, of what was then known as the Diocese of Los Angeles-San Diego. Initially, it was a mission church, whose assigned pastor lived in neighboring Chula Vista.
Due to the parish’s growth, the Mass schedule in 1940 expanded from one to three Masses every Sunday and in 1963 to seven Sunday Masses.
In 1962, St. Mary Parish underwent its first major remodeling since its founding. This included installing new pews, two exit doors and a “cry room.” In 1965, the church added a new wing with 166 seats, and the former tower was replaced with the current one.
Further campus upgrades took place between 1976 and 2001, when the parish celebrated its Diamond Jubilee. Among these was construction of the parish center in 1983 and the parish office in 1997. In late 2023, then Auxiliary Bishop Ramón Bejarano blessed a new Eucharistic adoration chapel.
Though no longer in operation, the parish also had a school from 1948 through 1972.
Porciuncula, who serves on the parish staff as coordinator of music and liturgy, recalled joining the community in 2007 as a pianist for one of the choirs and “immediately (feeling) a sense of belonging.”
“The warmth, hospitality and welcoming spirit of the parishioners reminded me so much of my home parish in the Philippines,” he said of the community, which is predominantly Filipino and Hispanic but includes parishioners of other backgrounds, all of whom “come together as one family in Christ.”
“Buildings may change, generations may pass, and traditions may evolve,” said Porciuncula, “but the heart of St. Mary Parish must always remain the same: a community centered on Christ, strengthened by the Eucharist, guided by our Blessed Mother, and united in love and service.
“Our centennial reminds us that we are not simply celebrating 100 years of history,” he said. “We are celebrating 100 years of living faith, and it is now our responsibility to continue that legacy for the next century.”
