In 1925 the town of Mayfield merged with Palo Alto and there were two Catholic parishes within thenew city’s limits; St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Aloysius. As the city grew, two Catholic schools were built. St. Thomas Aquinas School opened in 1950 on Channing Avenue and St. Aloysius School opened in 1954 on Cowper Street. With the continued population growth in the area, the original churches were both overflowing and Masses were being held at the school auditoriums. It was decided to make new parishes and Our Lady of the Rosary parish was created in 1959 and St. Albert the Great parish in 1961. (See the Parish History for full details)
On October 15, 2010, the church of St. Albert the Great began its 50th year as a dedicated Catholic church for the Catholic Community of Palo Alto. The St. Albert Site Committee designated that this 50th Anniversary Year be one of special celebrations and special focuses on traditional events. A committee chaired by Jerry Martinson planned ongoing events, the first of which was December’s second annual Creche Exhibit. St. Albert the Great Church celebrated its 50th Anniversary in November 2011.
The Church is located at: 1095 Channing Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Succession of Pastors:
Rev. Henry A. MacEnery, 1961-1964
Rev. Edwin W. Casey, 1964-1972
Rev. William R. Lowery, MA 1972-1980
Rev. Stephen Perata, 1980-1986
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Succession of Pastors
Rev. Alexander C. Larkin, 1987-1992
Rev. Dennis Browne, 1992-1994
Rev. John P. Cooper, CSSp, 1994-1996
Rev. Bernard Freyne, 1996-2002
Rev. George Aranha, 2002-2010
Rev. Matthew Stanley, 2010-2018
Rev. Estanislao Mikalonis, 2018-