Ethnic Ministries

Make Disciples of All Nations

We follow Jesus’ command to “make disciples of all nations” by supporting the Catholic ministries of unique cultural groups within the archdiocese.

Jesus was clear in sending out his first disciples that they were to go to the ends of the earth to share the Good News.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you,” he told them.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Ethnic  Ministry department encounters today’s disciples in faith communities representing more than 20 different ethnic groups. It helps sustain each Catholic community’s unique cultural and traditional expressions of faith while offering a sense of unity with all Catholics in the archdiocese.

Please contact us if we can be of assistance in finding a ministry or creating a new one. 

Ethnic Ministries
One Peter Yorke Way
San Francisco, CA 94109 
415-614-5574

Ethnic Ministry Contacts

African-American Ministry

Fr. Tom Martin (Moderator/Spiritual Advisor)
Kathryn Parish-Reese (Coordinator)

Church of the Epiphany
827 Vienna St,
San Francisco, CA 94112
415-333-7630
[email protected]

Arab-American Community/ Ministry

Rev. Richard H. Van de Water

St. Thomas More Church
1300 Junipero Serra Blvd., San Francisco 94132
415-452-9634
[email protected]

Brazilian Ministry

Glaucia Ajisaka

St. Thomas More Church
1300 Junipero Serra Blvd., San Francisco 94132/
1972 Bamboo Ct., Hayward, CA 94545
650-458-1982
[email protected]

Burmese American Catholic Fellowship & Myanmar Ministry

Elizabeth Law & John Lee

St. Thomas More Church
1300 Junipero Serra Blvd., SF 94132
Elizabeth Law
415-971-5721
[email protected]
John Lee
415-308-1307
[email protected]

May Lye/Felix Chin
St. Finn Barr Parish
415 Edna St., San Francisco 94112
[email protected]

Chinese Ministry

Rev. Peter Zhai, SVD

One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco 94109
415-614-5575
[email protected]

Filipino Ministry Vicar

Rev. Angel N. Quitalig

St Mark Catholic Church
325 Marine View Ave, Belmont, CA 94002
415-614-5690
[email protected]
Edgar Estonino
415-370-9879
[email protected]

Hispanic Ministry Vicar

Rev. Moises Agudo

St. Peter Parish 
1200 Florida St., San Francisco 94110
Socorro Aragon
415-282-1652
[email protected]

Igbo Catholic Foundation (Nigeria)

Rev. Charles Onubogu

St. Paul of the Shipwreck Parish
1122 Jamestown Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94124 
415-468-3434
[email protected]

Indonesian Ministry

Iwan Soegiharto

St. Cecilia Parish
415-359-4843
[email protected]

Irish Ministry

Rev. Brendan McBride/Celina Kennelly

Irish Immigration Pastoral Center
5340 Geary Blvd., #206
San Francisco, CA 94121
415-752-6006
[email protected]

Italian Ministry

Rev. Al Mengon SDB

Ss. Peter & Paul Parish 
666 Filbert St., San Francisco 94133
415-421-0809
[email protected]

Japanese Ministry

Shizue Mortensen

St. Benedict – St. Francis Xavier Church
1801 Octavia St., San Francisco, 94109
415-255-5768
[email protected]

Korean Ministry

Rev. Thomas Kim/Evonne Kim

St. Michael Church
32 Broad St., San Francisco 94112
415-333-1194/408-202-5554
[email protected]

Native American Ministry

Andy Galvan 

Mission Dolores Basilica
3321 – 16th St., San Francisco, 94110
415-621-8203
[email protected]

Polish/Croatian/Slovenian Ministry

Rev. Eugeniusz Bolda, SCHr

Nativity of Our Lord
245 Linden St.
San Francisco, 94102
(415)252-5799
[email protected]

Samoan Ministry

Fr. Andrew Ibegbulem, OSA / Louise C. Winterstein

Our Lady of Lourdes Parish 
1715 Oakdale Ave., San Francisco, 94124
415-285-3377
[email protected]

Louise C. Winterstein
415-810-6211
[email protected]

Tongan Ministry

Rev. Kapiolani Kakala / Rev. Sione M. Katoa

St. Timothy Church 
1515 Dolan Ave., San Mateo 94401
650-342-2470/650-249-0315
[email protected]

Rev. Sione M. Katoa,
[email protected]

Joe Penitani
[email protected]

Vietnamese Ministry

Rev. Thuan V. Hoang

Church of the Visitation
655 Sunnydale Ave., San Francisco 94134
415-494-5517 ext. 4
[email protected]