Our Lady of Peace Shrine

Our Lady of Peace Church & Shrine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of San Jose located in Santa Clara, California. The most notable features of the parish are the 32-foot statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart, which is visible from U.S. Highway 101, and that the church itself is open 24-hours, 365 days a year for Eucharistic Adoration or Holy Mass.

Located at the intersection of Freeway 101 and Great America Parkway, the parish of Our Lady of Peace is rich in local history and tradition. Established in 1961 in a rural community surrounded by acres of orchards and fields, today the church and shrine are flanked by Silicon Valley’s corporate giants, Mission College, an ethnic variety of restaurants, Great America Amusement Park, and Levi Stadium—home of the San Francisco 49ers. Often referred to as an “oasis of peace” in a very busy Silicon Valley, it is a peaceful place of worship, inspiration, hope and prayer for over one million visitors each year. Many of these visitors travel distances to tour and pray at the church and shrine.

Building the Church & Shrine

Our Lady of Peace church was founded on June 24, 1961. Fr. Joseph G. Sullivan, the founding pastor, oversaw construction of the church, hall, and rectory. In 1969, the Archbishop McGucken of San Francisco asked Fr. Sullivan to transfer to another parish in need of his leadership, and sent Fr. John Joseph Sweeny to serve as pastor at Our Lady of Peace Church. This was the beginning of Fr. Sweeny’s 32-year stay as pastor of Our Lady of Peace Church.

In the late 1960’s as proposed city planning developed in the City of Santa Clara, Fr. Sweeny recognized the church’s strategic location as an opportunity for spiritual outreach to the already-increasing population. He also envisioned a shrine to Mary, the Mother of God, as a “forthright expression of faith” for the times. As he explained, “What child hasn’t responded to the open arms of a mother? Even the adult, if we take time to think back a little bit to our first experiences—experiences of trust, the open arms of a mother—I guess there’s nothing more endearing, and it is next to God.” Drawn to the Shrine by the welcoming statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart, he hoped visitors would then visit the church. In 1976, Fr. Sweeny and a team of supporters established 24-hour Eucharistic adoration. Since then, the church has remained open round-the-clock for prayer.

Establishing the Shrine and creating the statue proved to be more complicated. To support this endeavor, Fr. Sweeny solicited prayers (one million rosaries). Though he never asked for funds, faithful who shared his dream for the shrine began to mail in unsolicited donations.

After years of prayers and searching for a sculptor, in 1980 Fr. Sweeny contracted Charles Parks to construct the 32-foot steel Madonna. The statue was completed in 1982, on display in multiple cities for several months, and arrived by flatbed truck at Our Lady of Peace in 1983. On October 7, 1983, the Feast of the Holy Rosary, Bishop Pierre DuMaine of the Diocese of San Jose (established in 1981) dedicated the statue and Shrine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Fr. Patrick Peyton of the Rosary Crusade was present for the dedication.

A Place of Prayer

Under Fr. Sweeny’s leadership and the support of his associate priests and congregation, Our Lady of Peace flourished into one of the busiest Catholic churches in the United States. Pilgrims began to arrive as visitors to the Shrine, thousands attended Fatima Masses and processions from May through October on the month’s 13^th day, as well as attended Masses with overflowing capacity (overflow outdoor seating is a common sight at Our Lady of Peace), attended the Sacrament of Confession, classes, study groups, conferences, and family events. In 1996, a Family Learning Center was built to accommodate the increasing attendance and request for faith-based activities, yet space continues to be a constraint to the present day.

In 2002, Pope John Paul II thanked Fr. Sweeny for his leadership and recognized him as a Prelate of Honor, addressing him as Monsignor Sweeny. Later that year, Bishop McGrath asked Monsignor Sweeny to retire (due to health concerns) and invited the priests of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE) to assume pastoral leadership at Our Lady of Peace. They continue to staff a flourishing church and shrine today, supported by the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara (SSVM or “Servidoras”), the feminine branch of the IVE. The Servidoras are very active in religious education, an annual summer oratory where children are taught about the Bible in a format based on Don Bosco's oratory, and many other activities supporting the ministries at Our Lady of Peace.

Visitors

In addition to the church and Shrine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, visitors to Our Lady of Peace Church and Shrine also enjoy the John Paul II memorial, outdoor Stations of the Cross, various smaller shrines, a large gift shop which sells books, rosaries, media, movies, statues, icons, and other assorted religious goods, a library, and well-kept grounds. Despite the busy location and number of visitors, it is a quiet place where visitors the the gardens, enjoy the grassy lawn, or pray the rosary as they walk around the shrine. The rosary is also prayed inside the church every hour, on the hour, unless the Holy Mass is being celebrated. Tours are available upon request.

Our Lady of Peace Church and Shrine is truly an oasis of peace in the busy industrial area of Silicon Valley, California.

37°23′22″N 121°58′38″W / 37.38931°N 121.97729°W / 37.38931; -121.97729

Building the Church & Shrine

A Place of Prayer

Visitors

Links