TRADITIONAL LATIN MASSES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Disclaimer:

Christ the King Law Center (CKLC) is not a part of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX). We take no official position regarding the SSPX and/or so-called independent chapels other than what we state on our web and facebook page. Nevertheless, some have questioned our decision to list Traditional Latin Masses (TLMs) administered by the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) and other priests that do not operate under the control and approval of the local diocese or its bishop. However the purpose of this TLM list is to provide Catholics with information on where they can find Traditional Latin Masses in southern California. The list would be incomplete if we were to exclude the Masses provided by the SSPX and so-called independent priests. A validly ordained priest always possesses the power to consecrate the Eucharist, and thus to celebrate a valid Mass. As one canon lawyer put it: "Therefore, even when a priest says Mass against the wishes of the diocesan bishop in whose territory he is, the Mass is valid, as the Eucharistic sacrifice really does take place.  The power to consecrate the Sacred Species can never be taken away from a priest by anyone on earth!  Logically, then, the Hosts which are consecrated at an SSPX Mass are truly the Body of Christ—so anybody who receives Holy Communion at such a Mass does so validly." Although in fairness this same canon lawyer stated the following: "with the rare exception of absolution in danger of death... priests of the SSPX do not administer any of the sacraments licitly to the people who approach them. Their sacramental ministry is illicit, or illegal. Period."

However, canon 844 § 2 of the current code of canon law states: "Whenever necessity requires it or true spiritual advantage suggests it, and provided that danger of error or of indifferentism is avoided, the Christian faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister are permitted to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose Churches these sacraments are valid."  In light of canon 844 the same canon lawyer who had previously stated that "priests of the SSPX do not administer any of the sacraments licitly" later stated in April 2020-during the shutdown of many Catholic parishes during the Covid-19 pandemic-in an article entitled "Can I Attend an SSPX Church, Since My Parish is Closed?" that "Catholics can now approach SSPX clergy and receive all three of the sacraments mentioned in canon 844.2: penance, the Eucharist, and the anointing of the sick."

Commenting on this section of canon law an associate member of the Canon Law Society of America stated: 'The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) surely has valid sacraments and is within the Catholic Church, albeit in a canonically irregular status. Furthermore, Pope Francis has extended indefinitely the Year of Mercy mandate that allows Society priests to hear the confessions of and grant absolution to all Catholics. As far as receiving the Eucharist from priests of the SSPX, we can refer to the venerable Regulae iuris (Rule of Law) of Boniface VIII: Cui licet quod est plus, licet utique quod est minus. (He who may do the greater may do the less.) Reg. 53 R.I in VI[.] In application, if a Catholic may receive the Eucharist from a minister who is not in communion with the Church (greater), one could receive [from an] "irregular" minister (less).' Furthermore, Article 2 of Pope Benedict XVI's motu proprio Summorum Pontificum states that without people present, a priest can say a Tridentine Mass according to the 1962 Missal without the permission of the Apostolic See or his own Bishop. Pope St. Pius V declared in his Apostolic Constitution Quo Primum that the Traditional Latin Mass always had to be available for all Catholics and that no priest could ever be punished for offering the Traditional Latin Mass. The decision to attend and/or support the SSPX, diocese, or independent Masses is up to the prudent discretion of each individual depending on the circumstances but always being ready to submit to the judgement of the Church.
​
Regarding the SSPX's lack of "full communion" I invite others to read this article which provides a different view.

Furthermore this list of TLMs in Southern California does not include those ceremonies administered by priests who subscribe to the thesis of sedevacantism, a term derived from the Latin phrase for “empty seat”. The proponents of the sedevacantist thesis generally agree that all the popes after Pope Pius XII cannot be true popes. This thesis is a serious error as shown here, here, and here. Furthermore there is no guarantee that the ceremonies administered by priests who subscribe to the sedevacantist thesis are valid because we do not know if they are validly ordained. 


Key:

Diocese: These are Traditional Latin Masses (TLMs) administered by priests that operate under the control and/or approval of either the local diocese or its bishop. These priests accept Vatican 2 and the New Mass or otherwise do not publicly criticize them. [1]

FSSP: TLMs administered by priests of the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP). These are similar to TLMs administered by priests of the local diocese in that they are approved by the local bishop. Furthermore FSSP priests accept Vatican 2 and the New Mass or otherwise do not publicly criticize them.  

Independent: TLMs administered by priests that are validly ordained but do not operate under the control and/or approval of either the local diocese or its bishop. The Mass however is valid and their other sacraments (i.e. confessions, marriages) may be considered valid through supplied jurisdiction. [2] These priests also accept Francis as the current Pope. In many cases these independent priests publicly reject Vatican 2 and the New Mass. Also, please note that some of these priests might not say Mass using the 1962 Missal. Instead they might use prior editions of the Missal.  

SSPX: These are TLMs administered by priests of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). These are similar to TLMs administered by independent priests in that they are not under the control and approval of the local diocese and bishop. Yet even the Vatican has, more than once, acknowledged that their Masses are valid and that no sin is incurred in merely attending them, and that you can fulfill your Sunday obligation by attending a Mass celebrated by a priest of the SSPX. [3] Furthermore in a document from the Holy See dated September 1, 2015, Pope Francis wrote that "those who during the Holy Year of Mercy approach these priests of the Fraternity of St Pius X to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation shall validly and licitly receive the absolution of their sins." And on November 20, 2016, the Pope extended this decree by stating that "(f)or the Jubilee Year I had... granted that those faithful who, for various reasons, attend churches officiated by the priests of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, can validly and licitly receive the sacramental absolution of their sins.15 For the pastoral benefit of these faithful, and trusting in the good will of their priests to strive with God’s help for the recovery of full communion in the Catholic Church, I have personally decided to extend this faculty beyond the Jubilee Year, until further provisions are made, lest anyone ever be deprived of the sacramental sign of reconciliation through the Church’s pardon." Furthermore in a letter dated March 27, 2017, the Vatican stated that "the Holy Father... decided... to authorize local Ordinaries the possibility to grant faculties for the celebration of marriages of faithful who follow the pastoral activity of the Society [of Saint Pius X], according to the following provisions. Insofar as possible, the local Ordinary is to grant the delegation to assist at the marriage to a priest of the Diocese (or in any event, to a fully regular priest), such that the priest may receive the consent of the parties during the marriage rite, followed, in keeping with the liturgy of the Vetus ordo, by the celebration of the Mass, which may be celebrated by a priest of the Society. Where the above is not possible, or if there are no priests in the Diocese able to receive the consent of the parties, the Ordinary may grant the necessary faculties to the priest of the Society who is also to celebrate the Holy Mass, reminding him of the duty to forward the relevant documents to the Diocesan curia as soon as possible." The other sacraments administered by priests of the SSPX may be considered valid through supplied jurisdiction. They also accept Francis as the current Pope. SSPX is currently on record as publicly rejecting the New Mass and parts of Vatican 2. [4]


Directory:

Archdiocese of Los Angeles 

St. Therese Church (Diocese)
1100 East Alhambra Road
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 282-2744
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. (Sung High Mass)

Our Lady of the Angels Church (SSPX)
1100 West Duarte Road
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 447-1752
Sunday: 7:30 a.m. & 10:00 a.m.
Monday-Friday: 7:15 a.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m.
Holy Days: Contact church for schedule

Saint Mary Magdalen Chapel (Diocese)
2532 Ventura Blvd.
Camarillo, CA 93010
(805) 484-0532 
Sunday: 10:00 a.m.

St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church (Diocese)
710 East Grand Avenue
El Segundo, CA 90245 
(310) 322-4392
Sunday: 1:30 p.m.

Holy Innocents Catholic Church (Diocese) 
425 E. 20th Street
Long Beach, CA 90806
(562) 591-6924
Sunday: 9:00 a.m.
Monday-Friday: 7:00 p.m.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Church  (Diocese)
4018 E. Hammel Street
Los Angeles, CA 90063
(323) 261-8051
Sunday: 10:30 a.m. 

St. Vitus Catholic Church (FSSP)
9710 White Oak Avenue
Northridge, CA 91325
(323) 454-1002
Sunday: 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., & 6:00 p.m.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 6:15 a.m.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 12:00 p.m.
Thursday: 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday & Friday: 7:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:30 a.m.

Maria Stella Maris Mission (SSPX)
3600 S. Gaffey Street
San Pedro, CA 90731
(310) 548-4706
Sunday: 8:00 a.m.

St. Thomas Aquinas College Chapel (Diocese)
10000 N. Ojai Road
Santa Paula, CA 93060
(805) 525-4417
Sunday: 7:15 a.m.
Monday-Friday: 7:00 a.m.
Wednesday: 5:00 p.m.
Saturday: 7:15 a.m.

Saint Joan of Arc Mission (Independent)
Ventura, CA (Information regarding the exact address is unavailable to the public. In order to attend and obtain the address an individual must contact the priest here.)

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Diocese)
515 W. Opp Street
Wilmington, CA 90744
Monday-Friday: 12:00 p.m.
Saturday: 6:00 a.m.
Sunday: 9:15 a.m.

Diocese of Orange

Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church (Diocese)
1015 Baker Street 
Costa Mesa, CA 92626  
(714) 540-2214  
Sunday: 12:30 p.m.

Our Lady Help of Christians (SSPX)
9621 Bixby Avenue
Garden Grove, CA 92841
​View the Our Lady Help of Christians website for Mass times here. 

Serra Chapel, San Juan Capistrano Mission (Diocese)
26801 La PLZ
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Sunday: 7:00 a.m.

Father Cedrik Starbuck's Chapel (Independent)
Santa Ana, CA (Information regarding the exact address is unavailable to the public. In order to attend and obtain the address an individual must email the priest here: [email protected].)

Saint Michael's Abbey (Diocese)
27977 Silverado Canyon Road
Silverado, CA 92676
Sunday: 12:00 p.m.

John Paul II Polish Center (Diocese)
3999 Rose Drive
Yorba Linda, CA 92886
(714) 996-8161
Sunday: 7:15 a.m.

Diocese of San Bernardino 

St. Joseph's & Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (SSPX)
1090 West Laurel Street
Colton, CA 92324
(909) 824-0323
Sunday: 7:30 a.m. & 10:00 a.m.
Monday: 8:00 a.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m.

San Secondo d'Asti (Diocese)
250 North Turner Avenue
Guasti/Ontario, CA 91761
(909) 390-0011
Sunday: 10:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Saturday: 6:30 a.m.

Sacred Heart Church (Diocese)
43775 Deep Canyon Road
Palm Desert, CA 92260
(760) 346-6502
Sunday: 2:30 p.m.

Saint Joan of Arc Mission (Independent)
County of Riverside (City Unknown), CA (Information regarding the exact address is unavailable to the public. In order to attend and obtain the address an individual must contact the priest here.)
Sunday: 10:00 a.m.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: 7:00 a.m.
First Friday: 10:00 a.m.
First Saturday: 9:00 a.m.

Diocese of San Diego

San Juan Diego Center (Diocese)
3015 Pala Mission Road
Pala, CA 92059
Sunday: 8:00 a.m.

Saint John Bosco Mission (SSPX)
4805 Mercury Street, Suite J
San Diego, CA 92111
858-449-3677
Sunday: 4:00 p.m.

Saint Anne Catholic Church (FSSP)
2337 Irving Avenue
San Diego, CA. 92113
(619) 239-8253
Sunday: 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. (Sung High Mass) , 11:05 a.m. (Chant), 12:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m.
Monday-Saturday (except Friday): 7:15 a.m. & 9:00 a.m.
Friday: 9:00 a.m. & 6:30 p.m. 
Holy Days: Contact church for schedule


Footnotes:

[1] Pope Benedict XVI's introductory letter to his motu proprio Summorum Pontificum (whereby the Pope outlined his official policy regarding the Traditional Latin Mass) states: "there is the fear that the
document [Summorum Pontificum] detracts from the authority of the Second Vatican Council, one of whose essential decisions-the liturgical reform-is being called into question. This fear is unfounded."
 
With regard to the New Mass the Pope's letter also states: “Needless to say, in order to experience full communion, the priests of the communities adhering to the former usage cannot, as a matter of principle, exclude celebrating according to the new books. The total exclusion of the new rite would not in fact be consistent with the recognition of its value and  holiness.” (the bold is mine). 

And article 5 section 1 of Summorum Pontificum states that the pastor will assent to a priest offering the TLM for the faithful in his parish if he is sure “that the welfare of these faithful harmonizes with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, avoiding discord and favoring the unity of the whole Church.” 

Furthermore #19 of the Vatican's Universae Ecclesiae (instruction on the application of Summorum Pontificum) states: "The faithful who ask for the celebration of the forma extraordinaria must not in any way support or belong to groups which show themselves to be against the validity or legitimacy of the Holy Mass or the Sacraments celebrated in the forma ordinaria [Novus Ordo] or against the Roman Pontiff as Supreme Pastor of the Universal Church." See: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_commissions/ecclsdei/documents/rc_com_ecclsdei_doc_20110430_istr-universae-ecclesiae_en.html. 

However, when he was a Cardinal and Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, Pope Benedict XVI had written that the "[the Novus Ordo Mass is] a fabrication, a banal on-the-spot product.” See: http://iteadthomam.blogspot.com/2010/07/card-ratzinger-novus-ordo-reform-was.html. We have found no evidence that the Pope ever rewrote or otherwise expressly renounced what he had written and the book wherein the Pope's statement is contained is still in print. See: http://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Liturgy-Joseph-Cardinal-Ratzinger/dp/0898707846.

​After the Vatican issued the document Universae Ecclesiae (UE) a bishop submitted two dubia to the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei (PCED), regarding the interpretation of "legitimacy" in UE, n. 19.  One of the two dubia was the following: 

"1. Whether legitimitas in UE, article 19, is to be understood as meaning:

(a) duly promulgated by appropriate procedures of ecclesiastical law (ius ecclesiasticum); or

(b) in accord with both ecclesiastical law and divine law (ius divinum), that is, neither doctrinally unorthodox nor otherwise displeasing to God."

Rome's response was: "[L]egitimas is to be understood in the sense of 1(a)." See: http://wdtprs.com/blog/2012/08/important-pced-response-to-two-dubia-about-legitimacy-in-universae-ecclesiae/

Shortly after the New Mass was prepared in 1969, Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani, who served as head of the Holy Office (known today as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) under three Popes, wrote that "the Novus Ordo Missae .... represents a striking departure from the Catholic theology of the Holy Mass as it was formulated in the Council of Trent," and that there are "implicit denials of Christ's Real Presence and the doctrine of Transubstantiation." See: http://www.faithfulanswers.com/ottaviani-intervention/. 

In the Papal Oath of Coronation, which originates at least as far back as Pope St. Agatho in 678 A.D. (and which was set aside by Paul VI), every Pope swore to change nothing of the “received tradition.” The Second Council of Nicea also declared: “We declare that we defend free from any innovations all the written and unwritten ecclesiastical traditions that have been entrusted to us”; “If anyone rejects any written or unwritten Tradition of the Church, let him be anathema.” See: http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Councils/ecum07.htm.

In the Seventh Session of the Council of Trent (1545-1563) on the Sacraments in General the Canon 13 reads: "If anyone says that the received and approved rites of the Catholic Church, accustomed to be used in the administration of the sacraments, may be despised or omitted by the ministers without sin and at their pleasure, or may be changed by any pastor of the churches to other new ones, let him be anathema." (My emphasis). 

​Pope Pius IV’s Tridentine Profession of Faith, which is binding on the souls of all Catholics, likewise expresses this principle by requiring adherence to the “received and approved rites of the Catholic Church used in the solemn administration of the sacraments.” See: http://cklc.weebly.com/what-we-believe.html. 

On July 14, 1570, Pope St. Pius V issued his bull Quo Primum Tempore, which stated that "its most becoming that there be in the Church only one... rite for the celebration of Mass... and let Masses not be sung or read according to any other formula than that of this Missal published by Us. This ordinance applies henceforth, now, and forever...."

[2] For an argument in favor of supplied jurisdiction for independent Traditional Catholic priests see:http://archives.sspx.org/miscellaneous/supplied_jurisdiction/supplied_jurisdiction.htm.  

For two opposing views on this topic see: http://www.scripturecatholic.com/feature-articles/SSPXPriestValidlyHearConfussionsJohnSalzavsJamesAkin.pdf. 

[3] In a letter to the Vatican an individual wrote: "Can I fulfill my Sunday obligation by attending a Pius X Mass"? On January 18, 2003 the Vatican's Ecclesia Dei Commission responded by stating: "you may fulfill your Sunday obligation by attending a Mass celebrated by a priest of the Society of St. Pius X." (the bold is mine).

The individual also asked: "Is it a sin for me to attend a Pius X Mass"? The Vatican responded by stating: "We have already told you that we cannot recommend your attendance at such a
Mass and have explained the reason why. If your primary reason for attending were to manifest your desire to separate yourself from communion with the Roman Pontiff and those in communion with him, it would be a sin. If your intention is simply to participate in a Mass according to the 1962 Missal for the sake of devotion, this would not be a sin."

The final question was: "Is it a sin for me to contribute to the Sunday collection at a Pius X Mass"? To 
which the Vatican responded: "It would seem that a modest contribution to the collection at Mass could be justified." See http://www.cfnews.org/page88/files/fdeaee6c86176da4383bebc192b8caa6-350.html.

The same Ecclessia Dei Commission had previously stated in a letter dated September 29, 1995 stated: "[t]he Masses they [the Society of St. Pius X] celebrate are also valid, but it is considered morally illicit for the faithful to participate in these Masses unless they are physically or morally impeded from participating in a Mass celebrated by a Catholic priest in good standing (cf. Code of Canon Law, canon 844.2). The fact of not being able to assist at the celebration of the so-called "Tridentine" Mass is not considered a sufficient motive for attending such Masses." See http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CEDSSPX.HTM.

In a May 28, 1996 letter and repeated in Protocol No. 236/98 of March 6, 1998 the then Secretary of the Ecclesia Dei Commission stated the following:

"In the strict sense you may fulfill your Sunday obligation by attending a Mass celebrated by a priest of the Society of Saint Pius X. ...If your intention is simply to participate in Mass according to the 1962 Missal for the sake of devotion, this would not be a sin. It would seem that a modest contribution to the collection at Mass could be justified."
 
And in Protocol 539/99 dated September 28, 1999 the Ecclesia Dei Commission stated that "the faithful... may attend Mass there [at chapels of the Society of Saint Pius X] primarily because of an attraction to the earlier form of the Roman Rite in which case they incur no penalty."

That same commission gave a similar response to a letter from a Catholic in 2008 whereby the response was that "Catholics who frequent the chapels of the Society of St. Pius X do not incur any sin or canonical delict by doing so."

On March 28, 2012 the Vatican gave the following responses to a letter: 

"1) Strictly considering the aforementioned canon [1248§1], would a Catholic be able to fulfil his Mass obligation by assisting at Holy Mass at this "Friends of the Society of St. Pius X" chapel, called Roman Catholic Church in ? Responsum: Negative. 

2) Upon the condition that the answer to the first question is in the negative, does a Catholic sin by assisting at Holy Mass at the aforementioned chapel? Responsum: Negative, unless the Catholic substitutes it for his Sunday obligation."

Following a request for clarification the Society of Saint Pius X stated 'the chapel mentioned in the letter...... is not a chapel of the Society and that, while its specific name was expressly mentioned by the sender in the deleted data, it is NOT included in the public list of chapels, including those other chapels identified by the Society publicly as 'Friends of the Society of St. Pius X'. It is very possible that this information, easily researched online on the website of the U. S. District, might have led someone in the Commission to believe that this specific chapel, which is not listed by them and not one of the "Friends of the Society of Saint Pius X" or "other traditional (non-SSPX) venues", is a venue with no affiliation whatsoever with  the SSPX and led to this different appraisal by the Commission.' 
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2012/05/for-record-new-pced-letter-on-sspx.html.

On October 1, 2012 another letter was written to the Vatican which asked two questions. The first question was: 
Is it possible to fulfill the Sunday obligation by participating in a Mass celebrated by a priest from Society of St. Pius X, if the participant is not "against the validity or legitimacy of the Holy Mass or the Sacraments celebrated in the forma ordinaria or against the Roman Pontiff as Supreme Pastor of the Universal Church" and this is the only opportunity in the local area to participate in the Mass in forma extraordinaria (which the participant is highly devoted to)? 

On November 6, 2012 the Vatican responded by stating: 'In response to your first question this Dicastery would limit itself to referring you to the letter of 10 March 2009 written by Pope Benedict XVI to his brother Bishops in which he stated: "As long as the Society does not have canonical status in the Church, its ministers do not exercise legitimate ministries in the Church. There needs to be a distinction, then, between the disciplinary level, which deals with individuals as such, and the doctrinal level, at which ministry and institution are involved. In order to make this clear once again: until doctrinal questions are clarified, the Society has no canonical status in the Church, and its ministers-even though they have been freed of the ecclesiastical penalty-do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church. (Pope Benedict XVI, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church concerning the remission of the excommunication of the four Bishops consecrated by Archbishop Lefebvre, 10 March 2009).' See  http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2012/11/pced-letter-on-attendance-in-sspx-mass.html. 

[4] With regards to the New Mass the SSPX states: "The correct definition of evil—lack of a due good—clearly shows that the New Mass is evil in and of itself regardless of the circumstances. It is not evil by positive profession of heresy. It is evil by lacking what Catholic dogma should profess: the True Sacrifice, the Real Presence, the ministerial priesthood." See http://archives.sspx.org/news/is_new_mass_legit/is_the_new_mass_legit.htm.

With regards to the SSPX's position on Vatican 2 see: http://archives.sspx.org/SSPX_FAQs/q6_vatican_ii.htm.