Holy Cross Catholic Church in San Jose, California, was founded as a mission of St. Patrick’s Church in 1906 to serve the many Italian immigrants of the area.  At that time, it was part of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and became known as the “Mission of the Holy Crucifix."  The Sisters of the Holy Family served the people of the parish for sixty-six years, from 1907 until 1973. In 1911, it was established as the Italian National Parish of the Archdiocese and changed its name to Most Precious Blood. Fr. Egisto Tozzi served for a short time as the first pastor. After Fr. Tozzi’s service, the parish was entrusted to the Jesuit Fathers who served the community for almost seven years. In 1921, the pastoral care of the parish was again turned over to the diocesan clergy. A larger stucco church was dedicated in 1920, the old church was used for catechism classes and parish offices.
     The Parish was again given a new title in 1928, when it was named “Holy Cross." The faith community grew and established itself as a strong Parish under the leadership of the Diocesan clergy. In 1961, the Missionaries of St. Charles (Scalabrinians) were called to serve the people of Holy Cross. For over sixty years, the Scalabrinians have being shepherding this Faith Family and faithful to their Charism of serving migrants and refugees of all ethnic backgrounds. During their presence in the Parish, this has grown to become a vibrant, enthusiastic and Gospel-oriented multiethnic Faith Family. The different cultural backgrounds of those coming to worship God at our place, speaks of a truly Catholic (Universal) Church where all feel welcomed and accepted.
     St. John Paul II established the Diocese of San Jose in January 1981. The Diocese of San Jose is coterminous with the boundaries of Santa Clara County. With the inception of the new Diocese, the Parish of Holy Cross is now under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of San Jose.
     On a Sunday afternoon in the month of November 2014, the church caught fire and despite the efforts to save the centennial landmark, the worship space was destroyed. The Pastor rescued the Blessed Sacrament, and a good number of Church items were salvaged by the San Jose Firefighters, including the artistic stained-glass windows and the historical crucifix that for years has been the centerpiece of our liturgical celebrations. In May 2018, the newly rebuilt Church opened its doors to the parishioners. The Diocesan Bishop consecrated the new church, and the parish community continued to worship God, welcome peoples and celebrate their faith as it has been done in its rich history.

The historical Crucifix venerated in our Parish Church that was miraculously saved
from the church fire
STAINED GLASS WINDOWS