Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph

My now husband and I recently got married at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph and I cannot give enough praise to our music coordinator Oswaldo and his wife for making our day just feel so magical. The music during the ceremony was everything we had hoped for, thanks to his communication and collaboration. Along with my praises for him and his wife, I also wanted to thank the wedding coordinator Mary for all of her help and for Msgr. Fr. Francisco for coming back to preside over the nuptial mass. His words of encouragement during the mass touched us, and Mary’s guidance was a comfort. One thing I will comment on was that there were some times the mic on Msgr. Fr. Francisco would be hard to hear due to the echo/ reverb, so the sound system may need work. Overall, I adore this cathedral and our wedding was everything we hoped for thanks to them all ♡

Beautiful interior. Small and cozy with warm and welcoming atmosphere. Mass was great. There is no unpaid parking.

I was in town for a few days, and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph was the first place I visited for some peace. The moment I walked in, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. The stunning stained glass windows and intricate details in the architecture were mesmerizing. It’s a quiet, spiritual sanctuary in the middle of the city, perfect for reflection and admiring the beauty of historic craftsmanship. If you’re looking for a peaceful retreat or simply a beautiful space to take in, this basilica is a must-visit.

Beautiful wedding Jacques and Ada Chua!! Absolutely breathtaking! What an amazing place to see two become unity with christ in holy matrimony! God is so amazing! Thank you lord for your blessings, your Grace is new everyday! Thank you father God!

Beautiful, up lifting, romantic and blessed please go and pray there

Gorgeous church and beautiful arts.

The Cathedral of San Jose offers daily Mass at 12:00 pm. Sundays Masses offered in Spanish, and English.

Great architecture with lots of lighting. Very positive vibe

Positive experience. I prayed for the end to gang violence, bloodshed, murder, robbery and theft. This prayer is practiced here by me for my heroes. Thanks to San Jose for making my vision for Justice possible. San Jose is the only quiet place to say prayers and follow my heart and deep in this system no man can change without it. Sacrifices I have made only seem worth it because of the good memories I have of everybody.

Beautiful church! Attended Sunday mass at 11:30 am and wasn't too packed. Was able to grab a seat near the front. The Priest was welcoming and lead a good mass. Also enjoyed this mass as it wasn't interrupted by people coughing or clearing their throat. Though there are kids screaming or crying. Since the church is less than a mile from me, I decided to walk as I knew parking would either be on the street or the parking garage.

It's not that only Europe has beautiful cathedrals...our very own San Jose has one too. We come here around Christmas almost every year and it's beautiful with amazing acoustics.

I've noticed that people attending weddings are concerned about the iconography of Christ in crucifixion. When I was young, "everyone" had seen Jesus on a cross. We studied the stations, the apparent rationale for why an extremely wealthy empire such as the Romans would use such a public display. In the modern, post-COVID era, it looks like the guy on the street you pass while Starbucks, bleeding out, shot multiple times while wearing a skirt. Such displays seem a little hedonistic in the modern era. They lead to some passive-aggression: I still have conversations with people who practice Judaism about whether I think "they did that to Jesus". I don't know. I don't want to be an accessory to that conversation. These are the types of things that wedding invitees go through. Apparently San Jose is expensive enough where people consider it a "destination wedding". I'm sure they'll clean up San Jose at some point. I really don't want to hear that I'm at fault for any of these things anymore, simply for being an ex-Catholic, an atheist, and knowing many types of people.

Beautiful cathedral right in the heart of San Jose. Very calm and peaceful. There's a 12:10 pm service everyday.

Love this cathedral, well mostly a big church (for the ones that have been the the huge European cathedrals) but not less charming and welcoming. It is a really welcoming church, open doors, beautiful, love the circle seating and the overall architecture, art and glass work. I used to attend the singing mass during Jazz festival because was unique, cool and inspirational. I am not sure if they do that nowadays (I should know better as I volunteered this year at the festival:). In any case, this time I visited because a friend from my hometown requested a favor: to light a candle for her health. So I went the Sunday of the Day of the Dead and, to my surprised, they had a Dia de los Muertos altar superbly decorated and they were ready to start a mass in Spanish, so I stayed. To my surprised, the church was packed, everybody composed, wearing masks and social distancing. The priest from Congo was someone very dynamic and I would say 'cool'. He was really engaging and loved his accent when speaking Spanish with a subtle French flair. He was very inspirational and actually was my first time at a catholic church with an African spiritual leader and in Spanish! So triple cool.

Absolutely stunning. If you're in town, definitely take time to enjoy the treasure that is so unique to San Jose California.

Loved this church! Mass was held outside. Plenty of chairs on the lawn. A bit hot and sunny but I loved my chair to partial shade. Priest is welcoming, smiling, and made a few jokes! Make a reservation online in advance. Parking is very tough so allow yourself plenty of time to find a spot. Go down courtyard to the left of the church to access the garden in the back. Airplanes landing at SJC made it hard to hear at times. Also very loud motorcycles setting off car alarms. But it's downtown in a bustling city so it's to be expected. Lots of people of all ages and ethnicities. I really enjoyed the service.

Took my mom here. It's a beautiful church with a calm ambience. It's right in the heart of downtown, so there's a good mixture of people. In warmer or colder months there are homeless people who find refuge in the church pews during mass. There was one time I recall where a homeless guy fell asleep in front of me. The church volunteer wanted to say something, but I'm glad she just let him rest. Church is for everyone. We all bleed the same. Parking is an issue here if you go to the later services. I suggest the 0830 mass.

What a gorgeous church. I didn't stay for a service just wanted to be inside. No holy water in the front, because of Covid I'm sure.

I recently moved to California and have been looking for a new Catholic church and community to call home. While the building itself is beautiful, I felt as though the times I've attended mass here, I feel cold. The homilies are vague and don't do well in reflecting on what the scripture truly means for our lives. And the ambience is very serious, sad, and forced. It's as if you only witness the "administrative bs" part of celebrating the faith. I hope someday things are different

One of the most beautiful cathedrals in California. I'm a newly converted Catholic, but I'm looking into joining this parish. Haven't spoken to anyone yet on attending. I just wish they had latin mass. :)

Great cathedral. Came here to ask blessings, good health, and guidance for my grandfather who has fallen ill and is fighting a Stage 3 Lymphoma. Stage 3 on the neck & currently Stage 1 on the stomach. :( Lè sigh! Upon arrival for the 12pm noon mass, the cathedral was peaceful located at the heart of downtown. The mass that was held was the shortest mass Ive ever been to. Yet, the mass was meaningful and didn't felt rushed at all for a 30-40min mass. I will definitely be back to ask many more blessings and prayers. Thank you. Currently, I hope everyone prays for my grand father. He has less than 6months to live without treatment as of now. Doctor says with chemo, he has a 25% chance survival and side effects is terrible and he may not be able to handle it with his righteous age of 86. And another treatment for radiation, its only done in the local area, but won't take as much of the cancer out, so its out of the equation either. :( Ugh!

Stunning church/terrible acoustics! After a Sunday Mass my husband said; "I could not hear a word they said." With that said, I would give it five stars for its stunning beauty, fantastic gift and book shop too!!!

Our 2nd stop during our Visita Iglesia 2014. I think most of the churches are closed in the morning and only open by noon... The church was closed when we arrived. There were alot of people (vagabonds and street dwellers alike) waiting outside when we arrived. I think they were waiting for something when we arrived. After a couple of minutes we saw them lining up getting free food from the church's office window. It is not my first time to come here so I have seen how grandiose the inside is. However we were still able to marble the outside structure while we recited 2 stations of the cross and then left afterwards. (to understand what we were doing revert to my Visita Iglesia List)

Passed by here after a little adventure at The Tech Museum. I was intrigued because of all the uniformed individuals *coughs* (men) *coughs* so after my Daughter and I got acquainted w/ a few policemen and their horses.. we got in to see the inside of the church, to see the massive crowd lined up (it was so packed that a lot were outside) to listen to the pastor and to pay tribute to those effected by 9/11 which in reality we were all effected by that horrific day in one way or another. The inside is very elegant... a sense of unity and peace when you walk in which is a great sign no matter which religion you practice. I am not Catholic but I do respect other aspects of religions so it was important that I express that w/ my Daughter so she can understand that religion.. faith comes in many forms and though there are no absolute right or wrong, it is good to accept and be open-minded. The church is very spacious.. very open and not cramped like some others that I've been to. Unlike Jubilee (Christian church I went to once), there are no digital media. Unlike St. Victor's Church... this church is well ventilated and will not have you feel claustrophobic. There is a gift shop next to the church which I find odd but that's just me. I'm not used to place of worship selling for profit but then again I think that Buddhist temples do that by selling food on certain days so in a way it's the same! If I was Catholic, or if my husband to be later is Catholic, this church might be the church I want to be married in because.. one word: beautiful!!!

I tend to treat churches as museum's as they are more a part of history to me than anything else as I am not religious. In the grand scheme of things this place is amazing and beautiful and a real sight to behold. My friend decided to get married here and he couldn't have chosen a better church. It has a sense of grandeur and awe that will pull you right in. It's a huge place and the staff were all very friendly. Today is the big day, so we will see how it stand up, but in the end it's a sight to behold.

The Basilica is beautiful but the sound system is horrible. How is it that the diocese can maintain such a beautiful basilica and not figure out how to upgrade the sound system so that we can tell what language the priest is speaking.

I baptized my son 15 years ago, my daughter 7 years ago and my niece a year ago. I LOVE this Basilica, I feel so much peace. I've had my bad luck with passer biers but once in the Basilica all is forgotten and their Gift shop ....oh wow....lots of beautiful options.

My wife and I went to this church for the first time last Sunday and we loved it. They put 4 baskets up front so you can put your donate in. Pros: Clean Very beautiful church Feels so lively. They even have a music sheet for use to take to sing along.

This is such a beautiful church . The first time I walked in here I cried. It's that gorgeous! We baptized our son here and it was such a beautiful occasion. I must say, that the acoustics in this church are wonderful! I took my children to watch the Season of Hope performance series last night and it was such a wonderful experience. We watched the Santa Clara Chorale sing thier hearts out. Looking around at the beauty that surrounded me almost brought me to tears at one point. The Season of Hope Performances are free and will be going on each night until December 23rd and are scheduled at 7:00p.m. and 8:00 pm.

This church is undeniably beautiful. Modest on the outside but breath taking inside. This church has magical powers: - It'll make you want to go to church - It'll make you convert to Catholicism (if you're not already) - It'll make you want to pray - It'll make you day dream about your wedding Come see it for yourself. If anything, just swing by and say "whassup" to God. =)

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph is a large Roman Catholic church located in Downtown San Jose. This minor basilica is the cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose and is named for Saint Joseph, patron saint of the universal church. This building is also listed as a California Historical Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. I wandered into St. Joseph yesterday afternoon to take a look. A Spanish Mass was about to begin, and I was immediately awestruck by the central dome and the egalitarian worship in the the round configuration. The copper water receptacle at the entrance was also pretty cool, as was the community energy both inside and outside the Church.

I forgot how beautiful this church is and how comforting a Sunday mass can be to my soul. http://www.angryasianlady.com/archives/75/your-god-is-not-better-than-my-god/

Beautiful! amazing! one of my favorites! Don't mind the homeless they don't bite! I would love to get married there just a little too much $$$

This is a beautiful church. It's grand, yet intimate. The details in the church are really pretty and it just feels special here. We did pay to park but it was a weeknight, so it was a flat fee of $6 in the closest lot. We will return for mass and I can't wait!

This cathedral is absolutely gorgeous. There are so many beautiful details. I have attended services here on various occasions. You could say the whole cycle of life, Baptisms, Weddings, & Funerals. I am a wedding & lifestyle photographer and have been commissioned to shoot a wedding here. As a photographer it was a great experience! The wedding coordinators were easy to work with , very nice and helpful. If you do shoot a wedding here I highly recommend going to the rehearsal and introducing yourself to the St. Joseph's staff. Also remember that even though you were hired to photograph the wedding, you should respect the ceremony as well. Hope this review helps both photographers and future wedding couples.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph is one of the most beautiful Catholic Churches in the area. The music of the pipe organ fills the sanctuary with sound that almost seems to come from the heavens. I've had the privilege to photograph a few weddings here, and I can say that it is also an amazing place for a wedding, and provides so many opportunities for making great photos. There is a whole collection of photos from a Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph wedding here: http://www.expressiveblog.com/blog/blog1.php/2011/02/21/saint-joseph-cathedral

Visited here for Christmas mass and was wowed by both the exterior and interior of this beautiful basilica. The clergy and the congregants were very welcoming and it was a lovely mass. I'd like to visit here again to learn more about the history and mission of this church.

This place is beautiful! It's open to the public. I was hesitant to go in at first, but I'm glad I did. They do tours as well. I need to come back for this.

The nice place is in San Jose downtown near by the art museum That's so awesome!I visited here on Wednesday noon,it's so quiet and the staff introduced the history of this church for me when I got here ,some people sat there and prayed，I feel happy when I just sat and chatted with god ,hopefully god bless everyone!

Sitting in the back row of this church is a very powerful place. You hear cars behind you but see the past depicted on every part of this wonderful place. Stories are told through work of Art. Ironically the San Jose Museum of art is right across the street. A must visit for anyone who loves Classic church architecture. We visited churches around the USA and love this place. Waiting for the tour makes me want to visit a Visitor center for more information. But it might be closed on Monday. We will be back to visit in October

I was told by a few people that this was one of the most beautiful churches in the area. They weren't wrong. What began with me sitting on one of the benches for 10 minutes unsure of whether I could take pictures ended with me asking one of the church 'overseers' about photography. He then gave me a 90 minute private tour and discussion of the church history and the materials inside. It was really cool to know that the current church is the fourth one rebuilt in the same spot. I simply learned a lot and it was a great experience. Adjacent to the church is where many of the homeless and destitute get meals, and can find peace. The interior of the church is so pretty you can just sit down for a few and take it all in. I really enjoyed my time and experience here and felt that I understood Christianity a little more.

This is a gorgeous cathedral located in the heart of downtown San Jose. It's worth a visit even just to check out the architectural and artistic elements to it. The ceilings are extremely high with a stained glass dome in the center that has an intricate design on it. There are also plenty of stained glass windows and rows and rows of pews to sit at as well as religious statues and paintings throughout the cathedral. We came here on a Saturday for a baptism that had about 5 babies total. The entire service took a little less than an hour. Unfortunately, since the building is so large, the acoustics tend to be a bit echo-y so it's hard to make out what the priest is saying. If you're looking for a local church that has a "wow" factor, this church is it!

Went by on Sunday, there is a gift shop next door and vendors for churros and ice cream after the service.

The interior is beautiful. The staff isn't helpful and borderline rude when dealing with people. I called to get info about catechism, and I was told the fee was $220. When I arrived, I was told that the "donation" was $300 per child!!! This parish completely takes advantage at the fact that they are the only parish in the area that offers a 1 year program. Every other place charged less than $100. Is the bishop himself teaching the classes? It is outrageous and completely ridiculous to charge that much for one child especially since the kids aren't allowed to have a godparent during the ceremony. Such a shame that the church takes advantage of people. Smh.

Definately a beautiful and historical church however the acoustics make it challenging to really hone in to the liturgy. Very well organized liturgy for such a large church accomodating so many Catholics for Sunday mass. The music ministry is definately astounding and the handy sheet music provided inside the church bulletins makes it easy to follow along. I've attended a baptism and confirmation here as well as some Sunday liturgies. Love how the pews are arrange in a full circle around the altar, very cool. Parking can be a major problem during the week for daily mass and confessions since it's right in the heart of downtown San Jose, but for the weekends street parking is ample. A little disappointed in the confession times - although it says 12:30pm on the first Friday of the month on the website, be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes before a priest can hear your confession. What it doesn't say on the website is that they do have a benediction before their confession hours start - so always double check.

Love this Cathedral! This is the church I have attended since I was little girl. I have seen it change and I love coming to mass here. The inside is beautiful, clean and well kept. The Sunday morning, english mass at 8:30am is great! Street parking is free because its Sunday. Homeless people are usually outside but they do no harm. I look forward to Sunday mornings because I know I will be in here.

One of the most beautiful churches in the Bay Area. Remodeled back in 1990. It has been in San Jose for more than a 100 years and has lots of history. I love attending mass at St. Joseph because of how beautiful everything sounds with their vaulted ceilings and their beautiful organ. I also love how their choir sings, it's like listening to an opera. It is that beautiful.

I attended a wedding rehearsal and ceremony here. They are very organized and on top of things from what I could see. The Cathedral is amazingly beautiful!

I'm not a religious person but I was in awe at this cathedral's beauty. There is art work starting from the ceiling to walls. Being there was kind of awkward. It was so quiet and you can feel the faith that the people have in thier beliefs. If you like art, you may want to pop your head in for a second and believe me, it will only take a second. =)

The Cathedral is #5 on my top 10 list of FREE places to visit while here in San Jose. Just walk right in, go under the giant dome, and look UP. Nothing else needs to be said.

By far one of the most beautiful cathedrals I've ever seen. I've been to a couple in my lifetime for weddings, including the one at Stanford University and this one takes the cake. It looks painstakingly authentic. Whatever team of hundreds or thousands put in the time to make this masterpiece of a building needs a pat on the back! I was here to attend my friend's son's baptism. Like a reviewer stated earlier, the audio system there has a few bugs. I was only able to understand every third or fourth word when the pastor was speaking. The pastor was on a headset which was not that effective but the hand microphone used earlier sounded more clear. This place was packed as lots of families and friends attended to baptize their kids that day. It was an honor just to be invited here and witness one of the baptism ceremonies.

First, I do like this church the handful of times i've been here. And of course, the intereior is quite stunning. Today for the Good Friday/Stations of the Cross Service I was very disappointed, unfortunately. We have a group that goes during our work lunch hours to service (like many people in downtown). We checked the website, even today, for services. The website very clearly says "The Stations of the Cross will be set up, there will be no mass". Our group elected to go at noon, say our individual prayers at the stations, and depart. Unfortunately, this was very very far from the truth. Upon arrival we found we were already "late" for the "Reflection" service. (12:00 start). Our group leaves at 12:50 to get back to the office and at the time we left, there was JUST a full mass starting with the Bishop. We missed everything. The mass, the holy cross, the communion, everything. We would have rearranged our schedules had the website provided these details. Also, during the reflection, the piano and drums were very very loud - couldn't hear the band singing nor when the woman was speaking during reflection could we hear at all, and we were in the third row. Todays experience was definitely out of the norm so of course we'll continue to go, however, it would be nice if the website was accurate so the workers could plan accordingly.

Well, San Jose ain't Paris -- but this is a pretty cool old church nonetheless.

The best church in San Jose!!! The nicest looking one too.. I had my Wedding ceremony here and everything went really well. You should book to reserve the date and time for your Wedding a year in advance. If you don't get a call back from their Coordinator, keep calling as this church is known to get booked early. Their coordinators are really easy to work with also... Great place to have a Wedding!!!

ACOUSTICS DISASTER. The building is beautiful, and its downtown location is very convenient for anyone on foot. (Parking is predictably tough.) However, the acoustics are disastrous. I attended a concert here and found the music impossible to listen to...it was buzzy, blurred, indistinct. I've never heard anything remotely like it before. I only understood why when the person introducing the singers stood up in the middle to speak. His voice echoed strongly from all 4 arms of the basilica, with different delays from each. One of the audience, shouted, "We can't hear you!" And that came back as wweecccaaweeecannnnweaannnttwehecawhecannnntwecayoheeaarcannnntttyouuuuuuuuu Approximately. Ironically, the best way to be heard is to speak (or sing or play instruments) as softly as possible, so the repeated bounces will perhaps be below the threshold of perception. Anyhow, very unfortunate design.

Please keep in mind that I am not a church go-er. We came here for a wedding ceremony and thought this place was beautiful. From the floor to the ceiling, this place looked like it should be in Europe. Every part of the church was breathtaking and it looked like something from a movie. Even if you do not go to church, you have to check this place out. 4 stars... Enjoy!

Some of my friends were in awe when visiting the basilica, doesn't look too aesthetic from outside though. The painting and statues are great. Unique parish and the center of DSJ. Consider supporting them https://www.mercywallet.com/portal/give/52