San Jose Igbo Catholic Community is a vibrant Christian community based in San Jose, California. We profess the Catholic religion and worship our Lord in Igbo language. Our church, Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, is a welcoming environment where all Igbos and friends across the Bay Area and beyond gather in service to God. Our monthly worship and gathering allows us to cultivate a lasting fraternal Igbo Catholic community, and in the process, promote and foster our Christian values.
The San Jose Igbo Catholic Community is a chapter of the Igbo Catholic Community, USA (ICCUSA), with branches throughout the United States of America. Under diocesan guidelines, each chapter serves the pastoral needs of members and through liturgy, promotes the Igbo Christian culture, traditional values, and religious faith. We provide a caring village for our children and young adults to grow and learn through positive interaction with their peers under the guidance of parents, dedicated laity, and our Igbo priests. Children experience and develop Christian attitudes and behaviors of self-discipline, respect and responsibilities expressed by the community.
Our activities include Baptismal services, youth education for Mass servers, adult and youth retreats, and support for the bereaved. We invite you to come and worship with our community at our monthly Sunday Mass!
The Igbo mass is celebrated on the second Sunday of each month at 12:30pm at Church of the Transfiguration. God's words are proclaimed in Igbo language during our services, which also feature Igbo liturgical hymns and charismatic songs accompanied by authentic Nigerian instruments.
A potluck follows every monthly mass service.
The Nigerian-Igbo Catholic Community of San Jose grew out of the large Igbo Catholic Foundation of San Francisco. Igbo Catholic Foundation of San Francisco was established to address through cultural and religious celebrations; especially Eucharistic celebration and other liturgical activities the spiritual needs of Igbo people from the Eastern part of Nigeria, now living in San Francisco Bay Area. The Igbo Catholic Foundation of San Francisco community was inaugurated on Christmas day, December 25, 1998, at the Sacred Heart Church, San Francisco. Through the support of Monsignor John Sandersfeld, the then pastor of St. Francis of Assisi, these founding families- Sunny & Ukamaka Offorjebe, Adolph (First Chairman) & Ngozi Obilor, Emeka & Molly Uzor, Aidan & Celine Ogamba, Val & Onyii Nwogu, Charles & Fidelia Ndekwe, Silva Emodi, George & Vicky Awuzie, Emma & Tonia Onuegbe played outstanding roles in the initial formation and growth of Nigerian-Igbo Catholic Community of San Jose.
The Nigerian-Igbo Catholic community of San Jose through the support of the mother community, the Igbo Catholic Foundation of San Francisco, was inaugurated on Sunday, June 12, 2005. Nigerian-Igbo Catholic community of San Jose like a mustard seed has continued to grow and has become a spiritual home for all the Nigerians and their friends in San Francisco Bay Area. The mission of the community is to foster the propagation of Igbo culture and language through sacramental celebrations and devotional activities. Also, the community strives to transfer its cultural and religious richness to their children and to spiritually nurture their children to reach their full potential in all areas of life and to become strong moral and compassionate leaders who will help to build a more compassionate and just society both here in the United States, Nigeria and the whole world
The members of the community work cooperatively to support and promote the spiritual growth of one another and to collaborate with other national ethnic communities within the parish and the diocese. The community through the years has witnessed the presence and participation of non-Igbos and non-Catholics who attend and share in the community events. Nigerian-The Igbo Catholic Community of San Jose is part of the national body, the Igbo Catholic Community of USA (ICCUSA), which is supported by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops through the Office for the Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees, and Travelers. The community successfully hosted the annual convention of Igbo Catholic Community of USA (ICCUSA) on April 25-27, 2014.
The Igbo Catholic Community of San Jose in continuation of living out its mission has continued to celebrate these liturgical activities: Monthly Mass at 12.30pm on every Second Sunday at home parish- St. Francis of Assisi Parish, San Jose, Corpus Christi Celebration with the Corpus Christi Procession, reception and welcoming of children after their first communion through their participation as flower girls and boys during our Corpus Christi procession and celebrations, Lenten prayers and devotions- Stations of the Cross, children Baptism during our Sunday Mass as requested, leading the 12:30 pm masses of our home parish as Presiders, lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, and Ushers on Christmas Day, Palm Sunday, and Easter Sunday, weekly Friday online prayer from 8.00pm to 9.00 pm, annual weekend retreats for parents, grand parents, children, youths and young adults for Igbo Catholic communities of Bay Area (San Francisco, Hayward and San Jose), food and clothing drive for the Advent and Lenten days of service, visitation of sick members and wake-keeping prayers for bereaved families and funeral masses for the deceased; and annual Christmas carol and visitation of senior citizens to sing along with them.
The Igbo Catholic Community of San Jose in continuation of living out its mission has continued to celebrate these liturgical activities: Monthly Mass at 12.30pm on every Second Sunday at home parish- Church of the Transfiguration, San Jose, Corpus Christi Celebration with the Corpus Christi Procession, reception and welcoming of children after their first communion through their participation as flower girls and boys during our Corpus Christi procession and celebrations, Lenten prayers and devotions- Stations of the Cross, children Baptism during our Sunday Mass as requested, leading the 12:30 pm masses of our home parish as Presiders, lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, and Ushers on Christmas Day, Palm Sunday, and Easter Sunday, weekly Friday online prayer from 8.00pm to 9.00 pm, annual weekend retreats for parents, grand parents, children, youths and young adults for Igbo Catholic communities of Bay Area (San Francisco, Hayward and San Jose), food and clothing drive for the Advent and Lenten days of service, visitation of sick members and wake-keeping prayers for bereaved families and funeral masses for the deceased; and annual Christmas carol and visitation of senior citizens to sing along with them.
In addition, to encourage full and active participation of all the members of the community, the men and women members of the community were divided into five groups/zones. These small spiritual communities of men and women have contributed so much to the growth of the community. The names of these groups are: For men- St. Joseph, St. Patrick, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Anthony of Padua and St. Christopher. For Women- St. Rita, St. Monica, St. Theresa of Child Jesus, Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mother of Perpetual Help. The community has continued successfully to organize the following social events: Father’s Day Celebration, Mother’s Day celebration, Children, Youths and Young Adults week celebration and bi-annual Harvest Thanksgiving and Bazaar, which have also great spiritual and cultural impact on the community.
The Igbo Community of San Jose will continue to be grateful to the Diocese of San Jose. We thank the bishop emeritus, Patrick J. McGrath for all the pastoral support he gave to our community. He visited the community twice. First was on June 10, 2008, the third anniversary of the inception of the community, which was also the first pastoral visit of the Bishop to the community and second was on September 13th, 2015, the 10th anniversary of the founding of the community. Also, we thank Bishop Oscar Cantu´, the bishop of San Jose for his pastoral support, especially for his first pastoral visit to our community on Sunday, September 22nd, 2019.
The community is grateful to Monsignor John Sandersfeld, the first pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, San Jose and the founding pastor of NICSSJ. The community remains grateful to all the clergy who have sacrificed so much towards the formation and the growth of the community: Fr. Charles Onubogu (the founding chaplain of Igbo Catholic Community of San Francisco Bay Area), Fr. Edward Inyanwachi (First Chaplain of Igbo Catholic Community of San Jose), Fr. Anthony Iromenu, Fr. Bede Inekwere, Fr. James Okafor, the current chaplain and Deacon Sunny Offorjebe.
Through the years the community has seen and believed in the presence of God among them and hopes to continue to be generous with the gift of their time, talent, and treasure for the continuous growth of the community and the entire Church. The community prays that the good Lord who started the good work among them will bring it to completion. Amen.
Our mission is to establish, nurture, and promote a thriving Igbo Catholic community in San Jose and neighboring cities in Northern California Bay Area. We share the richness of our culture within the parish and the diocese at large, and strive to pass on our Catholic Igbo culture and values to our children so that they can reach their full potential in life and become strong moral leaders.
Our host parish, St. Francis of Assisi, belongs to the Diocese of San Jose which is coterminous with the boundaries of Santa Clara County and includes fifteen cities/townships and some un-incorporated areas under county jurisdiction. The Diocese of San Jose belongs to the Ecclesiastical Province of San Francisco.
The Igbo Catholic Community of San Jose is a chapter of the Igbo Catholic Community in the United States of America (ICCUSA). Under diocesan guidelines, ICCUSA serves the pastoral needs of its members and promotes Igbo Christian culture, tradition, values, and religious faith through our liturgy.
