Mission San Buenaventura Mass Reopening Plan

Weekday Mass M-F: 7:30 AM beginning Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Weekend Masses beginning Saturday, June 6, 2020:
     Saturday: 5:30 PM English and 7:30 PM Spanish
     Sunday:   English: 7:30 AM/9:30 AM;  Espanol: 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM

(Presently the Mission church is open only for the Mass schedule)

Gift Shop is open M-F: 10 AM to 3 PM, and Weekends: 10 AM to 4 PM.

Parish Office remains closed to the public until further notice.

1. This plan is presently for Mass celebrated in the Mission church with a capacity of 83 persons according to County of Ventura guidelines and approved by Archbishop Jose Gomez and Bishop Robert Barron.

2. All Faithful in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles remain dispensed from any obligation to attend Mass on Sunday (per Archbishop Jose Gomez) because of the continuation of restricted attendance and for concern for those over the age of 65 years or who have health concerns and need to avoid larger gatherings. No one should feel compelled to attend Mass in person and especially if not feeling well or potential symptoms of COVID19.

PROTOCOLS:   Click here for English Guidelines      Haga clic aquí para ver el video de pautas en español

1. Mission website online registration required for each individual and copy of registration presented to the usher at the door to the church. (App will be availalbe by June 1) If you have no computer or iPhone, please call the parish office, and speak in person with staff, no messages for registration will be honored.

2. Parishioners requested to arrive 15 minutes prior to Mass using the upper parking lot access via Palm Street.

3. Lower parking lot on Main Street to remain closed (until attendance numbers are increased)

4. Main Street garden gate will be closed 30 minutes prior to Mass.

5. Face Masks Required on premises at all times.

6. Directions for all attending Mass to keep social distance and enter the garden by the restrooms. 6’ Social Distance markers and arrows posted on the ground throughout the garden to lead parishioners to the back (garden door) of the Mission church.

7. Restrooms open only during Mass and will be sanitized as needed or in short intervals by employed maintenance staff.

8. Staff/Volunteers to check that each parishioner wears a mask, temperature check and hand sanitizer use at entry to church.

9. Ushers escort parishioners to pews (every other and alternated side-to-side)) to maintain 6’ social distance:
a. Families from single house may occupy a pew up to six persons.
b. Individuals will be seated two per pew, opposite ends, as designated by seat sticker.
c. All designated pews will be filled from the front of the church to the back.

10. During Mass:
a. Congregational singing suspended until further notice. Missalettes removed from the church.

b. Parishioners who desire to receive Eucharist should use personal hand sanitizer before exiting the church.

c. Priest/Deacon/Extraordinary Minister to sanitize hands at the end of Mass.

d. At the end of the Mass, Ushers will dismiss parishioners by pew exiting the side double doors:

i. The back half of the church to be dismissed first with those sitting in the front of the second half and then others sitting behind.
ii. The front half of the church starting with the pews nearest the double side doors and then those sitting in pews in front to maintain social distance.
iii. Parish support offertory baskets are located at the exit doors.

e. Priest/Deacon/Extraordinary will distribute Holy Communion (in the hand only) to persons at the side garden double doors at the end of Mass as they exit the church.

f. Parishioners requested to not congregate in the garden and to exit the premises.

Church sanitization:
Once all parishioners have vacated the church the doors will be locked to allow employed maintenance staff and volunteers to sanitize the pews, etc. using the proper cleaning supplies. We have purchased a spray gun with sanitizer to quickly spray the pews and wipe drive after 10 minutes.

Given the continuing limitation on large public gatherings, and to allow people who are not well or otherwise at risk the ability to stay home, the following provisions will remain in effect until further notice:

• The general dispensation from the Sunday obligation to attend Mass remains in place.
• People in vulnerable populations are encouraged to stay home.
• Parishioners are reminded of the need for smaller congregations.
• Live-streaming of Mass remains available.
• No social sharing of food or drink before or after Mass or any other gathering.

Click here for family prep for weekly Sunday Mass at Home / por su familia preparandose cada semana for la misa casa

Click here to preprare for Mass at home.   Click here por preparandose para la misa en casa

Click here: Daily Mass at the Mission is now livestreamed on Facebook at 8:00 AM and downloaded to YouTube by 10:30 AM

Click here: Saturday Spanish Vigil is livestreamed on Facebook at 5:30 PM and downloaded to YouTube by 8:00 PM

Click here: Sunday English Mass is livestreamed at 7:30 AM and downloaded to YouTube by 10:30 AM.

Click here to view Mass at the Mission on YouTube.  

Click here to see schedule of livestream Masses throughout the Archdiocese. 

Click here for online Baptism Prepration Classes

Click here to learn latest STAY AT HOME orders from the County of Ventura

Click here for an Act of Spiritual Communion Prayer/Acto de comunión espiritual

Click here for Prayers and Spiritual Resources

If you cannot go to confession...Pope Francis.

RESOURCES FOR IMMIGRANTS IMPACTED BY THE COVID-19 CRISIS  
If you, or someone you know, is an immigrant living in Los Angeles, Ventura or Santa Barbara, the LA Archdiocese's Office of Immigration Affairs has gathered a list of resources to help you and your family this coronavirus crisis. Services and public benefits are available to you, some regardless of immigration status.

Financial Resources: The Governor of California announced disaster relief assistance for working Californians and will include financial support to non-citizens with valid work authorization impacted by COVID-19.
Pandemic unemployment assistance (eligible for non-citizens with valid work authorization)
Unemployment services
Disability benefits
Paid family leave
Small business assistance 
Instructional videos from on how to file a claim
English | Spanish | Cantonese | Mandarin | Vietnamese

Food Services: The LA Archdiocese Hearts to Serve hotline can help people in need of food or supplies by calling 855-423-6780 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
Hearts to Serve

Additionally, this tool can help you find food banks and other types of food assistance programs in your county.
Find a food bank near you 

Renter's Rights and Eviction Assistance: California issued a statewide moratorium on residential evictions for renters who cannot pay their rent because of COVID-19 related economic hardships. The moratorium went into effect on March 27 and is valid through May 31, 2020.​
L.A. County Housing Resource Center 
County of Los Angeles tenant resources 
County of Santa Barbara Eviction Moratorium
Sample Letter to Landlord 
Sample Letter Spanish – carta de muestra al dueño de la propiedad
File an eviction complaint with the City at (866) 557-7368

Health Services: Even if you are undocumented and/or don’t have insurance, you can get necessary testing and treatment for COVID-19 through Medi-Cal emergency services, even at a local clinic. Medi-Cal care for COVID-19 related testing or treatment does not count under the public charge rule because it is the treatment of an emergency medical condition.
Get testing and treatment in Los Angeles
Testing in Santa Barbara or call 833-688-5551
Ventura county 
My Health LA or call 844-744-6452

Immigrant Rights: During this unprecedented pandemic, organizations are assisting the most vulnerable with legal advice and guidelines. 

California Immigrant Guide 
Bet Tzedek Legal Services or calling 323 - 939 - 0506
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles -800 -399 - 4529

County updates on COVID-19: 

Los Angeles County 
Ventura County 
Santa Barbara County 

Additionally, the Office of Immigration Affairs can help direct you to additional resources. For help or questions, send an email to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Welcome to the Old Mission San Buenaventura!...the Mission by the Sea! 

We are open 361 days of the year!

At Mission San Buenaventura we often sing the hymn "In This Place" composed by Trevor Thompson that reminds us of the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ among us. One verse goes like this:

We are gathered at table as one in the Lord.
We are gathered as people who are living the Word.
Our hearts and our spirits are nurtured by grace.
It is Jesus who fills us. He is here in this place.

You are cordially invited to join us for our liturgies. We celebrate Mass daily at 7:30 AM (9:00 AM on Monday during the school year). We have six Masses every weekend. Since the Lord's Day begins at sunset, we celebrate the Saturday Vigil at 5:30pm in English and 7:30pm in Spanish in the Old Mission Church. We celebrate three Sunday Masses in English at 7:30am, 9am and 12:15pm. We have a hugely attended Mass in Spanish at 10:30am in O'Brien Hall, the three story building behind the Mission church.  Join us, won't you?

Click here to take a tour of the Mission with Fr. Tom and Joe Estevez as seen on "All Things Catholic" NETNY.TV Brooklyn, New York Television

Amgen Cycle Tour 2019 in Beautiful Downtown Ventura!

The Thomas Fire, December 2017 is the largest in the state of California history. Mission San Buenaventura welcomed and hosted World Central Kitchen, founded by Chef Jose Andres.  Coordinated by L.A. Kitchen, Chef Jason Collis and Chef Tim Kilcoyne with hundreds of volunteers served 36,000 meals and prepared 90,000 dishes for Thomas Fire evacuees, First Responders and young children in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. 

To help sustain the legacy of our historic Mission: please remember Mission San Buenaventura in your Will or Trust planning.

"Siempre Adelante: United in the love of God as a Mission Family."  Shalom, Fr. Tom Elewaut, Pastor.