卅多年前，我們只是一群台灣出來的教友，在蓬勃發展的矽谷求學就業。為了想在異文化中繼續保持信仰，於是就成立了讀經小組，邀請過往的神父不定期地為我們主持彌撒。當時並沒有要成立自己教會的想法，因此我們大都仍在住處附近堂區參加主日彌撒，偶而教友聚會，也不覺得再需要什麼。直到天主安排了美籍耶穌會士Fr. Ed Malatesta馬愛德神父來到我們當中，我們才嘗試把團體正式組織起來，在教區登記，並以St. Clare 做為本堂。聖荷西第一任主教杜緬任命已經從台灣輔仁大學退休多年的陶雅谷神父來做我們的輔導。之後,由顧光中神父輔靈指導跨過二十多春秋, 團體日漸壯大。期間,各功能性組織包括有各區組讀經班，兒童道理班，高中及大専青年組，聖詠團，禮儀組，信仰講座，聖城通訊月刊，中文學校等等也蓬勃發展, 除了舉辦過聖神同禱會，聖母軍，基督活力運動，夫婦懇談會，更新運動（Renew) 等等, 我們也參與矽谷華人社區的活動, 包括灣區華運會，抗癌接力，還有教區舉辦的Catechetical Convention。聖荷西華人天主教會的名字因此傳開。之間我們也辦了幾次對外大型佈道，有些失聯的教友也因此回到羊棧。在梵諦岡二次大公會議以後雖然教會鼓勵教友積極參與堂區事務，但是像我們團體這樣落實運作，以教友為領導中心，以神父為靈修輔導的堂區管理模式還是少見。這樣運作方式我們持續了廿九年，直到二零一二年教區提升我們團體為 mission 之後，才轉回教會法典要求的模式，那就是由本堂神父帶領 Pastoral Council來管理整個教會的運作。自此,由阿根廷籍歐維禮神父為首任本堂,繼續帶領灣區華人天主教友盡福傳牧靈之本份。

Thirty years ago, we, a group of Catholics from Taiwan, came to this booming Silicon Valley. We studied and settled down here. In order to keep our faith, we established our Bible study group and invited priests from time to time to our group. While most of us went to local churches for Sunday Mass regularly, we did get together once a while. At that point, we didn’t have further thoughts about the future until God sent us Fr. Ed Malatesta, an American Jesuit. We then tried to organize the community and officially registered with the Diocese. St Clare became our parish. Bishop Duman of San Jose Diocese assigned Fr. Tao, who retired from Fu Jen University in Taiwan years ago, to be our spiritual director. Then Fr. Matthew Koo was assigned to be our Chaplain and guided us for over twenty years. The community grew every day. Functional ministries were gradually established: bible study groups, catechetical ministry, youth group (Watermark group), choir, liturgical group, seminars/retreats, Holy City monthly magazine, Chinese school, as well as Legion of Mary, prayer group, etc. We not only held programs like the Cursillos in Christianity, Marriage encounter, Renew program, we were also involved in various local Chinese community activities, i.e. Silicon Valley Chinese Olympic, Cancer Relay, and Catechetical Convention. “San Jose Chinese Catholic Community” started to expand. We also held several major evangelization meetings and helped some Catholics come back to church. The church encouraged lay people to be involved in parish affairs after Vatican II. It was rare to have a group like ours with a management model where the lay people were the center of the leadership. We kept the same operating management model until the community was changed to San Jose Chinese Catholic Mission in 2012. We then went back to the standard management model based on the cannon law, where Parish priests lead the Pastoral Council in order to manage and operate the church. Since then Fr. Oliver from Argentine have led us as our first parish priest.

大聖若瑟

我們的天父，你曾將救主耶穌及他的母親瑪利亞，從開始便託付給聖若瑟照顧，求賜你的教會，在他的護佑之下，忠實執行你聖子所託付的救人使命。以上所求是靠你的子，我們的主天主、耶穌基督，他和你及聖神永生永王。阿們。

St. Joseph

Our Father in Heaven, you entrusted from the beginning our Savior and Mary his Holy Mother, to the care or St. Joseph. By the help of his prayers may our Church continue to serve its Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.