San Carlos Cathedral

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.

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.

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.

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.

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’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!

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.

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.