St. Albert the Great Church

1095 Channing Avenue

Completed in 1961, St. Albert the Great Church sits on a two-acre campus about a mile east of downtown Palo Alto. On Channing Avenue the church is five blocks south of University Avenue in the Crescent Park neighborhood. The site also includes St. Elizabeth Seton School, an extended day care center (managed by the school), a parish center and a parish hall. As the school auditorium offers the largest gathering place for the parish, it hosts events such as the annual St. Patrick's Day parish dinner.

All are welcome to weekly Mass services on Saturday at 5:00 pm (Vigil service) and on Sunday at 9:00 am.


	St. Albert the Great Church

Below are some pictures of facets of the church's interior.

St Albert mosaic

The Franciscan niche. The statue is St. Anthony and the windows commemoriate the friars' visit to Palo Alto with the Portola party in November 1769.

Our Lady mosaic

A note on the patron saint of the church

St. Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus) born in Swabia (now Germany) c. 1206 and died in Cologne in 1280. Called "the Great" and "Doctor Universalis" in recognition of his extraordinary genius, he was a leader in the development of the Scholastic philosophy, synthesizing Aristotelian philosophy with revelation. His writings and interest in Aristotle caused a revival of interest in the writings of the ancient philosophers and was a precursor the Renaissance. His most famous student was St. Thomas Aquinas.

St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Pastoral Center
3290 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Tel: 650-494-2496