Church Of The Immaculate Conception

History of immaculate Conception parish

It was here in Old Town that Saint Junípero Serra celebrated his First Holy Mass in California on July 2, 1769, near the site of the present Immaculate Conception Church, and it was on the hill overlooking Old Town that he planted the cross which marked the site of the Mission and the Presidio.

In 1849, the parish was established with the appointment of Rev. John C. Holbein    as the first pastor.  He laid the cornerstone for the old adobe church in 1851. Masses were celebrated in the homes of residents of Old Town. A chapel dedicated to The Immaculate Conception was dedicated in 1858.  It still stands and is known as the Old Adobe Chapel on Conde Street.  The cornerstone to the present Immaculate Conception Church was laid in 1868 under the direction of Father Antonio Ubach. Due to the populaton swing toward the south, a lack of funding and a devastating fire in Old Town, it was not until July1917  that the church was completed and Masses began to be celebrated. It was dedicatd by Archbishop John J. Cantwell of Los Angeles on July 6, 1919.

In 1998, the church was seismically retrofitted to withstand earthquakes and it was rededicated by Bishop Gilbert E. Chavez. On July 14, 2019, the parish celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the Dedication of Immaculate Conception Church with a Mass officiated by Bishop John P. Dolan.  It now serves over 300 families throughout the San Diego region as well as visitors from around the world.