1777 to 1981

The first Catholic presence in the present day San Jose area, then part of the Spanish empire, was the Mission Santa Clara de Asís, built in 1777. The missionary Junipero Serra established the mission on the Guadalupe River to minister to the Ohlone Native Americans.^[4]

San Jose de Guadalupe Church was dedicated in San Jose in 1803. It was the first church built for Spanish settlers in California, as opposed to mission churches established for evangelizing Native Americans.^[5] In 1840, the Vatican moved California, now part of the Republic of Mexico, into the Diocese of Alta and Baja California.

After the Mexican-American War ended in 1848, all of California became an American territory. In 1850, the Vatican transferred California from the Mexican diocese to the new American Diocese of Monterey.^[6] Santa Clara College, the first higher education institution in California, was founded in 1851 by Franciscan Fathers in Santa Clara.^[7]

In 1853, the Vatican moved the northern half of Santa Clara County into the newly erected Archdiocese of San Francisco. In 1922, the Vatican transferred the southern half of Santa Clara County from the Diocese of Monterey to the Archdiocese of San Francisco.^[6] Saint Clare Parish was established in 1925 as the successor to the Mission Santa Clara de Asís.

1981 to 2000

Pope John Paul II in 1981 erected the Diocese of San José in California, taking Santa Clara County from the Diocese of San Francisco.^[8] He named Auxiliary Bishop Pierre DuMaine of San Francisco as the first bishop of the new diocese.^[9] Saint Patrick Proto-Cathedral was designated as the diocesan cathedral.

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in northern California cause $22 million in damage to St. Joseph's Cathedral.^[10] The earthquake also caused one death and extensive damage to Saint Joseph's Seminary in Mountain View.^[11] The diocese decided to closed Saint Joseph's, demolish the building and sell part of the property to a developer. It used the cash proceeds to repair the cathedral. The diocese donated the remaining 138 acres (0.56 km²) to Rancho San Antonio County Park.^[10] John Paul II named Auxiliary Bishop Patrick J. McGrath of San Francisco as coadjutor bishop of the diocese in 1998 to assist Dumain. After Dumain retired in 1999, McGrath automatically succeeded him as the next bishop of San José.^[12]

2000 to present

In 2017, Hien Minh Nguyen, director of the Vietnamese Catholic Center in San Jose, was sentenced to three years in prison for bank fraud and tax evasion after stealing US$1.4 million in donations to the center.^[13][14]

In 2018, the diocese, with McGrath's approval, paid US$2.3 million for a 3,269 square foot, five-bedroom home in Silicon Valley to serve as McGrath's retirement residence. McGrath explained that the money for house came from a fund that was dedicated only for housing expenses for retired bishops.^[15][16] However, facing criticism about the purchase, McGrath said a day later that the diocese would sell the house and he would retire to a parish rectory instead.^[17][18] Pope Francis appointed Bishop Oscar Cantú of the Diocese of Las Cruces as coadjutor bishop of San José in 2018 to assist McGrath.^[19]

As of 2023, Cantú is the current bishop of San José, having taken office immediately after McGrath retired in 2019

Reports of sex abuse

In 2005, the Archdiocese of San Francisco agreed to a $21 million settlement to 15 alleged victims of sexual abuse. The plaintiffs were abused by several priests during the 1960s and 1970s when they were minors in the San Jose area, then part of the archdiocese.^[20]

In 2018, the diocese released the names of 15 former diocesan priests who were "credibly accused" of sexual abuse of minors. It was also reported that the diocese knew about the allegations against these priests and shielded them from potential prosecution.^[21]

In 2019, California State Attorney Xavier Becerra subpoenaed personnel records from the diocese. This was in preparation for a new California law that temporarily removed the statute of limitations on sexual abuse lawsuits.^[22][23]

Bishops of San José in California

1. Pierre DuMaine (January 27, 1981 – November 27, 1999)
2. Patrick Joseph McGrath (November 27, 1999 – May 1, 2019)
3. Oscar Cantú (May 1, 2019–present)

Coadjutor Bishops

• Patrick Joseph McGrath (1998–1999)
• Oscar Cantú (2018–2019)^[24]

Auxiliary Bishop

Thomas A. Daly (May 25, 2011 – May 20, 2015), appointed Bishop of Spokane

Other diocesan priest who became bishop

Richard John Garcia, appointed auxiliary bishop of Sacramento in 1997, appointed Bishop of Monterey in 2006

Primary schools

• Canyon Heights Academy – administrated by the Legionaries of Christ
• Holy Family School – San Jose
• Holy Spirit School – San Jose
• Most Holy Trinity School – San Jose
• Queen of Apostles School – San Jose
• Sacred Heart Nativity School – San Jose, sponsored by the Society of Jesus
• Sacred Heart School – Saratoga
• Saint Catherine of Alexandria School – San Jose
• Saint Christopher School – San Jose
• Saint Clare School – Santa Clara
• Saint Elizabeth Seton School – Palo Alto, sponsored by the Daughters of Charity of
• Saint Frances Cabrini School – San Jose
• Saint John the Baptist School – Milpitas
• Saint John Vianney School – San Jose
• St. Joseph Catholic School – Mountain View
• Saint Joseph of Cupertino School – Cupertino
• Saint Justin School – Santa Clara
• Saint Lawrence Elementary and Middle School – Santa Clara
• Saint Leo the Great School – San Jose
• Saint Lucy School – Campbell
• Saint Martin of Tours School – San Jose
• Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception School – Los Gatos
• Saint Mary School – Gilroy
• Saint Nicholas School– San Jose
• Saint Patrick School – San Jose, sponsored by the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul
• Saint Simon School – Los Altos
• Saint Vincent de Paul
• Saint Victor School – San Jose

High schools

• Archbishop Mitty High School – San Jose
• Bellarmine College Preparatory – San Jose
• Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School – San Jose
• Notre Dame High School – San Jose
• Presentation High School – San Jose
• Saint Francis High School – Mountain View

Closed schools

• Saint Lawrence Academy – Santa Clara
• Catholic Academy of Sunnyvale – Sunnyvale