San Carlos Cathedral

My review is not for the active San Carlos Cathedral church services. Instead it's for the Royal Presidio Chapel historic federal landmark. They are both the same building. Currently the San Carlos Cathedral Catholic Church uses the Presidio Chapel. When services are not occurring, visitors can explore the interior and outside facade. There is no charge to walk about, it's free. The present sandstone chapel construction was completed in 1795. The native Americans labors built the chapel. The Monterey Presidio was founded in 1770 as the second of four Spanish Presidios. At that time, the presidio's chapel served for the Spanish soldiers and dignitaries. It's the oldest stone building in California. When walking about the exterior of the chapel take note of the marked lines to the right of the building. Those lines indicate chapel construction (where, what, and when). Directly in the back there is a plaque memorializing where the Oak tree stood in 1770 where Father Junipero Serra broke ground for the chapel construction. The tree was removed in 1905 when it was damaged. But the tree holds important place in Monterey history. In 1602, it is said that Spanish explorer Vizcaíno followed the creek from the Bay and noticed this majestic oak tree. Under that tree he and with the friars, traveling in his expedition, held Mass under the tree and claimed the area for Spain. Father Serra followed Vizcaino's directions to the site in 1770 to establish a mission and presidio. But a year or two later he decided to build the mission in Carmel instead. But the presidio continued with building the chapel. Pieces of the grand tree have been preserved and are located in various local museums. Now let's talk about out the interior. The church doors are left open during the day welcoming all inside. Inside there are paintings and statues including are originals such as the Stations of the Cross, St John, Sorrowful Mother, and Spanish Madonna. As you enter the church, look up and the exterior and take notice of the Our Lady of Guadalupe statue; it's still the original making it the oldest non-indigenous statue in California. Also throwing it out there that there are cameras all over and everything is monitored. So don't be a doofus. Just enjoy and soak in the history.

Such a beautiful historic church. The grotto and surrounding prayer gardens were so awesome. We were able to enter for a daily rosary. Highly recommend this outing if you're visiting.

This Cathedral was a treat to visit. It reminded me of European travels. It is amazing to have something of such age and significance in the United States. I'm grateful that it has been preserved in the Monterey Community. There are several benches outside and beautiful statues.

This Church is very historic and Mass was incredible and spiritual, thanks for the Priesst and services. God bless you 🙏🙏🙏

Wonderful church, and wonderful school community. We love being parishioners of San Carlos and sending our children to San Carlos school. The priests are all kind and forgiving, perfectly representing the teachings of Catholicism. 😊

Gorgeous, fully renovated chapel with a great priest during Christmas services. Beautiful vintage decorations, really lovely grounds and popular school.

Wonderfull and Beautiful 253 years old Cathedral in downtown Monterey CA

A lovely Mass to celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. I was very impressed with the quality of historical renovations, a restoration and enhancement of the cathedral's original beauty!

My review is not for the active San Carlos Cathedral church services. Instead it's for the Royal Presidio Chapel historic federal landmark. They are both the same building. Currently the San Carlos Cathedral Catholic Church uses the Presidio Chapel. When services are not occurring, visitors can explore the interior and outside facade. There is no charge to walk about, it's free. The present sandstone chapel construction was completed in 1795. The native Americans labors built the chapel. The Monterey Presidio was founded in 1770 as the second of four Spanish Presidios. At that time, the presidio's chapel served for the Spanish soldiers and dignitaries. It's the oldest stone building in California. When walking about the exterior of the chapel take note of the marked lines to the right of the building. Those lines indicate chapel construction (where, what, and when). The current building is shaped as a cross. Directly in the back there is a plaque memorializing where the Oak tree stood in 1770 where Father Junipero Serra broke ground for the chapel construction. The tree was removed in 1905 when it was damaged. But the tree holds important place in Monterey history. In 1602, it is said that Spanish explorer Vizcaíno followed the creek from the Bay and noticed this majestic oak tree. Under that tree he and with the friars, traveling in his expedition, held Mass under the tree and claimed the area for Spain. Father Serra followed Vizcaino's directions to the site in 1770 to establish a mission and presidio. But a year or two later he decided to build the mission in Carmel instead. But the presidio continued with building the chapel. Pieces of the grand tree have been preserved and are located in various local museums. Now let's talk about out the interior. The church doors are left open during the day welcoming all inside. Inside there are paintings and statues including are originals such as the Stations of the Cross, St John, Sorrowful Mother, and Spanish Madonna. As you enter the church, look up and the exterior and take notice of the Our Lady of Guadalupe statue; it's still the original making it the oldest non-indigenous statue in California. Also throwing it out there that there are cameras all over and everything is monitored. So don't be a doofus. Just enjoy and soak in the history.

The homilies are introspectively conducted. It is a beautiful Cathedral in a beautiful, small town.

Amazing service. Recommend this church when visiting or making it your own parish. Very friendly and inviting.

San Carlos Cathedral was a great site to visit if you like seeing churches or architecture. Street parking right in front. Beautiful small historical church. Great detail on the building itself. Inside is pretty tiny, not many rows. Clean and peaceful area.

Very beautiful! Walked through the doors and felt an overwhelming spiritual recharge. Enjoyed the various sculptures and spiritual history of this cathedral. Doors were open on Father's Day! If you have time on your hands and in the area, come here!

When we go on trips, we love to check out any historical landmarks. What made this special was that this cathedral is the first cathedral in California. Easy to get to and lots of parking available for a short visit. We didn't attend mass since we stopped by on a Friday afternoon. It's a small cathedral and you are able to get through it all within 30 mins. There are free docent tours if you ask but we didn't have the time. There's a small museum to the right that I highly encourage people to visit. Lots of history here. Definitely go inside the cathedral. It's been restored and the paint is colorful and the inside is beautiful. Very nicely restored. There are people who come to visit, pray or light a candle. Candle is a donation should you decide to light one. Historic and majestic. Must see if you're in Monterey.

San Carlos Cathedral, a church with history and character. I had the opportunity to attend Mass at this church while on vacation in Monterey. This church is much smaller than what I'm use to, but definitely more intimate. Yes, it's smaller and during Communion, it can get congested down the aisles. But I wouldn't change a thing. At this church, you'll find your local parishioners and vacationers. I just happen to be one of the many vacationers here. The parishioners here are all friendly and I even got the opportunity to speak to a few. I learned some facts about this church from one of them. For one, this church was built in the 1700's. Two, San Carlos Cathedral is the first cathedral in California. And Three, it's one of the oldest running churches in California. This church was originally built by stone and even with their recent remodel, they managed to keep some of the original stone structure visible for you to see. I never got the names of the parishioners that took the time to school me with some history, but I do appreciate it. I'm sure I will be back if I'm in the area looking to attend Holy Mass. God Bless.

Ash Wednesday 2020: we had a beautiful service today. Our kids mentioned how friendly the priest was and all of the people (compared to our home church). They even wanted to come here on Sundays or move here to be able to come (we live in San Diego area). Very friendly atmosphere and lovely old church.

Lovely church! Stopped by on a Saturday around noon, and got a wonderful tour by the docents. A Quicenera was in progress with a full Mariachi band playing for the service. At noon, we got to ring the church bells. Awesome! Next morning we celebrated mass at 9:00-a very nice mass with children included. Just a beautiful historic church with very welcoming parish.

I had no idea this place existed 18 hours previous. The woman who sold me a sensor cleaning kit at Carmel Camera after I was done with Carmel Mission told me about it after I told her about my road trip. By happy coincidence, I had already planned to shoot the Marsh Buliding across the street, so it was convenient to hit both places on my way out of town. This was the original mission that Serra relocated to Carmel after two years for better water and fewer soldiers, after which it was designated with its current moniker. The 1794 replacement building is currently undergoing the final phase of exterior renovation. The interior is pastel bright, with a beautiful yet refreshingly uncluttered altarpiece. The wall cutaways are very clever, allowing views of the original wall art. The two ladies manning the museum in the small building next door were full of information.

Cute little Catholic Church we went to on a recent trip to Monterey. The place was packed, and you could tell the people were really "into" the Mass by the volume of participation. I've been to some places where people mutter and look disinterested, but I got a good, warm vibe from this place. The priest gave a very interesting homily about the history of the church, and how the founder, Junipero Serro, can be an inspiration to us modern-day folk. The church is mission-style. It is long and narrow, which make communion lines interesting to stay the least, but I think it definitely adds to the charm of the place. I'd go back here again for Sunday Mass if I were staying in Monterey.

Amazing church built in the late 1700's. So simple yet so beautiful on the inside. Take the short walk around the outside to see a couple statues. Also right next door is a small two room museum run by a sweet and very knowledgeable woman. The encourage walking around inside and out.

This is a beautiful church. My husband and I attended noon mass here after spending the weekend in nearby Pacific Grove, we'd also been here on at least one other occasion when visiting the aquarium on a Sunday. The priest was friendly and we enjoyed his homily. He ended the mass which reminded me of the priest at St. Gabriel in San Francisco, since he too ends mass with a joke or two. It was easy to find parking on the grounds and seating indoors.

Went to Palm sunday for mass. It was just what I wanted a church that participate and sings and I felt at home here. We received palms made into crosses and after we walked the grounds and saw it's lovely garden. It's a great spiritual place.

My sister lives within walking distance and it is such an honor to attend holy Mass there. I always leave feeling full of Jesus' love and joy and always look forward to returning.

My wife and I came here to do some ancestral research on my wife's side of the family. We ended up staying for the 12:15 mass and were able to visit Royal Presidio Chapel Heritage Center and was hosted by one of the docents. We also met with the Dioceses Archivist to help with our research. A visit to Monterey should never go without a trip to the original Presidio and the oldest continually used house of worship in California.

Beautiful church! I had my convalidation ceremony here even though I live in another state and had to do all the planning via e-mail. The church wedding coordinator, Teri Dawn, was wonderful and very helpful. Tim Bennett, one of their approved musicians, did my music, and he played piano beautifully. Father Ommar performed my ceremony, and he was great. San Carlos Cathedral was perfect for our small wedding ceremony.

So you know where I am coming from when I am writing this review from my perspective: I am a military member who just transferred here, and am shopping for my new church in the area. I am a lifelong Catholic. I am from the east coast, and prefer the traditional, conservative, REVERENCE of the mass. I even enjoy the latin mass. I do not believe a Catholic mass is a stage for personal improv, entertainment, or new age folksy "do what you feel"-ness. I try to look for a church that will challenge and encourage me to be a better human being. I would love to ind a church that also has an active young adult (25-35) group and is overall WELCOMING to people. Here is what I observed at SCC: The good: --It is a very beautiful historic church. The not so good: -- Way to liberal. Was this even a mass? What is this "we are the church-- clap clap" song? This is a mass not a campfire sing along. The only way children learn self control and respect is to actually get to practice it and sit through a mass. Not to get herded off and sequestered halfway through. -- No young adult organization. (just kids and seniors focused) -- Not a reverent mass observance. Many people didn't bother to stand never mind kneel. They just sat the entire time. It was just way too casual and nonchalant for me. -- Not welcoming. at all. I actually experienced some of the very bad 'stereotypical Catholic wives group" snobbery here. Very disappointing. If I could rate this zero stars I would. If it helps you decide to attend here, then best wishes and God bless!

Being a Catholic, I always love to visit churches wherever I go for vacation. What a privilege to join with the parishioners for 7:45AM Holy Mass! I was truly moved by the the vibrance of the community who continued the work of the founder who was inspired by work of The Almighty.

We had our wedding at San Carlos and loved it! The wedding coordinator, Teri, took care of every detail and made our ceremony truly memorable. The music director Elaine played exactly the music we selected and her voice is angelic. This church and its staff are truly special and we would recommend our experience to anyone for their special day. There are limited bathrooms and no rooms for the bridal party to prepare.

I went to this church five years ago. The cat there roams the aisle at mass. I loved how casual this cat was while the priest was doing his homily. Gave me a chuckle.

We're new to the area and love the mass at this church. It is a very warm atmosphere. However, I gave it four stars because it is impossible to get a call back from the person in charge of high school confirmation classes. She doesn't call back nor e-mail you. Good luck if you have a high schooler who needs to complete confirmation!

The Heritage Center should be your first stop - the well informed docents are quite interesting and helpful. There is a small museum also. This church is lovely and the grounds are gorgeous. Anyone interested in this historical site should take the docent tour.

When I find myself in Monterey this is my 'go to church'. Last night was one of the reasons why. The officiating priest was very relevant to the times esp. in this times of uncertainty in the state of America yet he was inspiring. This is why I go to Church ... to hear messages n reminders of how to make our world a better place . Thank you n may God give us more people who are such messengers .