Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church, at 7669 Girard Ave., and Stella Maris Academy, at 7654 Herschel Ave., will have a new pastor and principal on July 1, with the appointments of Father Patrick J. Mulcahy and Francie Moss. Mulcahy was born in San Antonio to an Air Force family. He grew up in Germany and Spain, and is fluent in Spanish. Upon return to the U.S. and California, he earned a B.S. in economics from UC San Diego. Soon after, he felt a call to priesthood and received a master of divinity degree from St. John Seminary, in Camarillo, and was ordained for the Diocese of San Diego in 1995. He has served in many diverse parish settings and is currently pastor of St. Joseph Cathedral in Downtown San Diego. Mulcahy’s many passions, beyond his ministry, include travel and sports and the opportunity to meet new people and new cultures.
Moss, a native San Diegan, is currently the principal at Holy Trinity Catholic School. Moss graduated from San Diego State University with a liberal arts degree and teaching credentials; later, she received a degree in education administration from National University. Her 36-year teaching career has been dedicated to Catholic schools in the Diocese of San Diego. Fifteen years ago, Moss transitioned from teaching into education administration as the principal at St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic School in Oceanside, where she worked along side Mulcahy. Mulcahy and Moss have toured the Stella Maris Academy campus and Mary, Star of the Sea church, met the students and staff, and are equally delighted on their new appointments.
Both the out-going pastor and principal will be retiring at the end of June. Patricia Lowell has been with Stella Maris Academy since 1993, first as a teacher, and then as the principal for the past 13 years. Pastor Father James Rafferty, has been the Mary, Star of the Sea pastor since 2008 and has been in the priesthood for 47 years. On Friday, June 7, Mulcahy will be returning to Stella Maris Academy to concelebrate with Rafferty at the Last Day of School Mass. Mulcahy will also be the homilist at that Mass that day. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church was founded in 1909. In 1937, the current church was built and designed in the Spanish Colonial revival architecture by Carleton Monroe Winslow (1876-1946), the renowned architect. Mary, Star of the Sea Church welcomes up to 800 worshippers per weekend and has an overall membership of nearly 1,000 families.
Stella Maris Academy is a National Blue Ribbon Award-winning pre-kindergarten through eighth grade Catholic school located in the Village of La Jolla. For more than 70 years, Stella Maris has provided an academic Catholic school education. Stella Maris Academy is accredited by the Western Catholic Education Association and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.