Celebrating the Only Fully-traditional Pre-Vatican II
Traditional Latin Mass in the Bay Area (since 1992) Not the New Order Service of 1969
Not the Half New Order Service of 1962
But the Fully Traditional Roman Catholic Latin Mass (1950)
At the Fishermen's & Seamen's Memorial Chapel
Pier 45-B, Next to the Bell-tower
One Block Northeast of Jefferson & Taylor
Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco
You can take a virtual tour of the chapel
and its surroundings on Pier 45-B
adjoining the picturesque Fisherman's Grotto
by clicking on Pier 45 Virtual Tour.
St. John's Oratory
At the Historic Fishermen's & Seamen's Memorial Chapel
And Its Campanile (Bell-tower)
The Bells Are Rung Traditionally for the Angelus of the Blessed Virgin Mary
And for the Consecration of Holy Mass
NOT THE NEW ORDER SERVICE OF 1969
NOT THE HALF NEW ORDER SERVICE OF 1962
BUT THE FULLY TRADITIONAL ROMAN CATHOLIC LATIN MASS (1950)
"Some Things in Life Should Never Change"
St. John's oratory is the only location in the Bay Area that has preserved the real, valid, Traditional Latin Mass (1950) and Roman Catholic rites before they were changed into a Half New Order (Novus Ordo) service in 1962, when Vatican Council II began, and a Full New Order service in 1969. A couple of new "Latin Masses" have popped up recently, but these are associated with Half Novus Ordo service of 1962 or the Full Novus Ordo service of 1969. They are most assuredly NOT the Traditional Latin Mass, even though they may be falsely advertised as such.
St. John's Oratory did not come only recently to this Apostolate, but has offered, with experience, knowledge, and commitment, the Traditional Latin Mass and Divine Office every Sunday and Holyday since 1992. St. John's Oratory is also known as a center for promoting the traditional Latin Gregorian chant of the traditional Roman rite. Gregorian chant is sung every Sunday and Holyday by the St. John Gregorian Schola of San Francisco.
For general information about the times and nature of the Society's services, click on Services at the Oratory.
If you wish to receive our weekly E-mail bulletin containing information on Oratory schedules and activities, please send your name, mailing address, and E-mail address to the Society. If you have any questions, you may send them as well.
The Oratory's Annual Advent Donation Request 2012
Relying upon your continuing generosity, we do not send out numerous fund-raising communications throughout the year, but only one at Advent and one at Holy Week. We ask you, therefore, before secular Christmas preparations intrude upon your spiritual Advent preparation, to consider sending a tax-deductible donation to support the Oratory's work as the only site in the San Francisco Bay Area making available the fully-traditional (pre-Vatican II) Roman-rite Latin Mass, Sacraments, and Sacred Chant. See the "Donations to the Society" section below. Contributors become Benefactors of the Oratory and share in the fruits of all the Divine Offices and Holy Masses that we offer here.
Christmas Schedule 2012
In the darkness preceding the dawn of Christmas Day, at 11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve, December 24, the traditional Matins of the Divine Office for the Nativity of Our Lord, consisting of ancient antiphons, hymns, psalms, and the commentary of Pope St. Gregory the Great on the census proclamation of the Roman emperor that brought the Holy Family to Bethlehem, the commentary of St. Ambrose on the significance of the shepherds, and the commentary of St. Augustine on the Incarnation of the Word will be chanted by our St. John Schola.
The Matins will be followed by the procession to the creche and the High Mass of Christmas at Midnight, which will be chanted by our St. John Schola. The fully traditional Latin Matins and Midnight High Mass are available only at this location in the Bay Area. Therefore, you are encouraged to arrive before the time that Matins begin. There will be no other Mass at the Oratory on Christmas day.
New Gregorian Chant CD Issued in Our St. John Schola Series
Volume IX: Holy Week and Easter
Support This Effort by Making Each Volume of This Unique Traditional Set Part of Your Personal CD Library
A small traditional Catholic schola sings part of the sacred liturgy from Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Holy Week and Easter include some of the most ancient chant and the most elaborate ceremonial in the Roman rite. This recording follows the fully-traditional rite, before modernizations were introduced in 1956. This CD includes the Procession of the Palms to the tolling of the carillon and the Gloria laus, alternating inside and outside at the closed door of the church; the polyphony Popule Meus for Good Friday by Vittoria, sung a duetto by the cantors; the Pro-Vespers from the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday morning; the Kyrie Eleison, troped by the cantor in the mediaeval style; the special Paschal Gradual Haec dies, sung by the cantors; the Easter Sequence Victimae paschali laudes; and the Paschal Ite, missa est with distinctive doubled Alleluia.
Our St. John Schola is recording this CD series entitled A Traditional Chapel Sings Gregorian Chant. For descriptive and ordering information on our CD series and to hear excerpts of our Gregorian chant, click on St. John Schola for Gregorian Chant.
Amateurs Wanted to Sing Gregorian Chant
Additional men are invited to add their voices to the St. John Schola Cantorum (small choir) to sing Gregorian plainchant in an authentic setting. No previous knowledge of the chant or musical notation is required; most of our participants have had little or no music background. We can teach you all that you need to know by ear if you have just a basic ability to sing. No auditions. You do not have to be Catholic. We are a small, friendly group, no pressure, just enjoyment, but we are led by a highly-experienced praecentor (leader).
For sixteen years our group has been chanting in the intimate setting of St. John's Oratory at the historic Fishermen's & Seamen's Memorial Chapel at Fishermen's Wharf in San Francisco. We practice 9:00-9:30 a.m. Sundays and then chant the traditional Catholic Hour of Terce 9:30-10:00 a.m and chant monthly for the only fully-traditional Missae Cantatae (Sung Masses) in the Bay Area.
We are currently producing live recordings of our chant for the ChantCD label. You will receive a free copy for family and friends of any CD in which you participate. We make no pretense to being anything but amateurs (lovers of the chant) and to demonstrating merely what is achievable over time by an amateur small chant choir.
For further information about the St. John Schola for Gregorian Chant, click on St. John Schola for Gregorian Chant.
If you have any questions, you may address them to the Society.
Altar Server Needed for Traditional Latin Mass
An additional altar server is needed to serve the Traditional Catholic Latin Mass. No experience or knowledge of Latin is necessary. We will teach you what you need to know. If you would like to serve at the altar or have any questions, you may address the Society.
Donations to the Society
If you wish to support the work of the Society, click on the box above to make a donation easily, securely, and confidentially by bank account or credit card through PayPal (note in the PayPal message field: "Donation to the Society of St. John Apostle"). By doing so, you will be part of the habitual intentions of Benefactors specially commemorated at Traditional Latin Masses. Using PayPal reduces our administrative burden considerably, but if you need to use a paper check, you may send it to P.O. Box 2121, Castro Valley, CA 94546-2121.
Society's Visitor Counter
Since July 8, 2001, the Society's ninth anniversary, you are site visitor number:
From October 23, 1991, through October 2011, the Oratory of St. John has experienced Traditional Latin Mass visits totaling:
