Archbishop visits Our Lady of the Pillar Parish

April 17, 2015

1st chief shepherd to celebrate Mass at St. Anthony Mission since 1968

Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone visited Our Lady of the Pillar Parish April 11-12, celebrating the Saturday vigil Mass at the rural church of St. Anthony Mission in Pescadero, confirming 13 teens at Our Lady of the Pillar Church on Divine Mercy Sunday and taking part in three receptions with parishioners.

Mass at the packed St. Anthony chapel was the first celebrated by an archbishop since the mission’s centennial in 1968, parish administrator Father Shouraiah Pudota told Catholic San Francisco.

“For me the experience was like Jesus and his disciples, praying with him, dining with him and talking one-on-one as truly a father and good shepherd bringing his care and concern for all of us,” Father Pudota said.

The administrator said most people had received their impressions about the archbishop from the media. “It’s amazing to me how people changed their opinions so fast, knowing him,” Father Pudota said, calling the archbishop “a great listener.”

He added, “I believe the archbishop went away with a positive impression of our priests and our parish.”

A highlight of the archbishop was his homily during confirmation Mass, where he explained the meaning of the bishop’s miter and crosier to the teenage confirmands, Father Pudota said.

Our Lady of the Pillar is the geographically largest parish in the archdiocese, serving 5,000 families in six communities – Half Moon Bay, Pescadero, El Granada, La Honda, Moss Beach and Montara – on the San Mateo County coast.