San Francisco to get Oratory

There are reports on the internet that Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, the Archbishop of San Francisco has asked Fr Joseph Illo, who is currently chaplain to Thomas Aquinas College to found an Oratory in downtown San Francisco. The initial community is likely to consist of Fr Illo, another priest and two brothers. It seems that the archbishop will provide a suitable church, on the condition that Fr Illo comes up with some financial guarantees that will tide the new Oratory over its first three years. Fr Illo launched an appeal earlier this month, and has already received pledges for two thirds of the $220,000 that is required. So the financial hurdle is well on the way to being met. It has not been disclosed which church the archbishop has in mind, but it is likely to have a prominent position in the city centre, as the Oratorian mission is very much one to city dwellers.