16 Marian Shrines

With the blessing of the Archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone, Star of the Sea parish has built 16 shrines to Our Lady along the east and west walls of our church. These shrines portray the most important apparitions of Our Lady throughout history. Each features a 48-inch statue or image of that apparition, candles and kneelers for devotions, and a pamphlet describing not only the facts of the apparition but also the most vital words of Our Lady’s message at that time. 

BOOK A TOUR TO VISIT THE 16 APPARITION SHRINES AT STAR OF THE SEA. For more information contact: Mariella Zevallos: mariella@starparish.com or call the office: (415) 751-0450.

16 Apparition shrines of our Lady at Star of the Sea

We invite you to visit our church, located five minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge, at 4420 Geary Blvd in San Francisco. Parking is available and the church is open from 6am to 7pm each day, with the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the main altar. At night Eucharistic adoration continues in the side chapel, accessible by code for those who sign up for one hour of prayer a week. The priests offer three Masses daily, at 7am (traditional Latin), noon (English) and 6pm (English, or Latin for greater feasts). Confessions are available 15 minutes before each Mass, and a public rosary is recited after each Mass. Fr. Joseph Illo, pastor, welcomes all pilgrims in the name of God and on behalf of the other priests and parish community. You may call the parish office for further information at 415-751-0450.

MARIAN FEAST DAYS

• Fatima (Portugal, 1917), May 13
• Lourdes (France, 1858), February 11
• Akita (Japan, 1973)
• Guadalupe (Mexico, 1531) December 12
• Champion (Wisconsin, 1859) October 9
• Knock (Ireland, 1879) August 21
• Miraculous Medal (Paris, 1830) November 27
• La Salette, September 19
• Lady of China (China, 1868) Day May 24
• Manaoag (Philippines, 1610), Month of May
• La Vang (Vietnam, 1798), November 22
• Czestochowa (Poland, 1655), August 26
• Good Success (Ecuador, 1594) February 2
• Kibeho (Rwanda, 1981, November 28
• Banneux (Belgium, 1933)May 31
• Mt. Carmel (Israel, 1251), July 16

IMAGES OF THE 16 MARIAN APPARITIONS AT STAR OF THE SEA

LEARN ABOUT BASIC FACTS AND THE MESSAGE OF EACH APPARITION. DOWNLOAD A PDF COPY OF THE TITLE OF YOUR CHOICE (BELOW) PREPARED BY THE STAR OF THE SEA PASTOR FR. JOSEPH ILLO.

WE FOSTER MARIAN SPIRITUALITY

We pray the Rosary after each Mass: Monday to Friday 7:00am, 12noon, 6:00pm; Saturdays 8:30am, 12noon; Sunday 1pm (Latin).

HOW TO PRAY THE ROSARY

“On May 13, 1917, the shepherd children (Lúcia dos Santos, Francisco and Jacinta Marto) reported seeing a woman “brighter than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and stronger than a crystal goblet filled with the most sparkling water and pierced by the burning rays of the sun.” The woman wore a white mantle edged with gold and held a rosary in her hand. She asked them to devote themselves to the Holy Trinity and to “pray the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war”

WE INVITE THE CHILDREN TO BRING FLOWERS TO OUR LADY

With the desire to welcome our parish young families, and to foster devotion to Virgin Mary, on Sundays after the 9:30am Family Mass, we invite the children to gather in front of the sanctuary to listen to the priest talk about one of our Marian apparitions, then each child gets a flower provided by the parish staff, then the children place the flowers at the designated shrine. Seeing the children’s eagerness to participate is joyful!

Enjoy this short video clip recorded at Star of the Sea Church

CHILDREN’S FLOWERS TO OUR LADY OF LOURDES

UPCOMING MARIAN EVENTS

TO JESUS THROUGH MARY

Join us for our Walk to Mary on May 3, at 12pm meet in the parish yard!

ABOUT THE WALK TO MARY

THE HAIL MARY

Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee;
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. 
Amen.

SALVE REGINA. Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope!

Gregorian chant notation from the Liber Usualis (1961), p. 279. Latin lyrics sung by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos.

Light a Candle!

We have 16 candle racks for each of the Apparitions of Virgin Mary’s shrines in our church. We invite to light a candle for someone in need of your prayers, for your prayer intentions, or In gratitude to our Lady for her intercessions.

SCHEDULE A TOUR OR A DAY PILGRIMAGE

If you are interested in having a docent tour or if you would like to bring a group for a Day Pilgrimage to visit the shrines, please contact: MARIELLA ZEVALLOS, Director of Communications and Parish Life: mariella@starparish.com or call the office (415) 751-0450.

THANK YOU FOR VISITING OUR SHRINES!

Ⓒ2024 Shrines photography courtesy of Mariella Zevallos