The Cathedral of Christ the Light

A surreal experience as we had our rite of election of this year at the Cathedral and this was my first time visiting. I was in love with the interior and exterior of the cathedral. The architecture is overall breathtaking. The ceremony was so beautifully uplifting and touching. The mausoleum underneath is also very beautiful. A very holy space 🤍

Absolutely beautiful church! The light and design just amazing!

Great experience. Felt support. Security was unprofessional about service members with Psychiatric Service Dog trained to detect seizures and reminds me to take medication. 😇

I'm not Catholic, but I decided to celebrate Christmas Mass here. It's a beautiful cathedral and the community seems like a great community of people. The audio was a bit hard to hear when people were speaking, but those same acoustics is what made the music sound and feel so special.

Very friendly people here, the mass and choir were great, and the church is beautiful!

An amazing modern beautiful cathedral! The staff was very accommodating!

This is absolutely must visit in east Bay. The Cathedral was designed by Craig Hartman, it is the new "mother Church" of the Diocese of Oakland. Beautiful architecture beside lake Merritt. Visited in a quiet Sunday sit in quietly just feeling all the light shine through, amazing experience. This place open to public, you can just walk in. "The innovation in this Cathedral is the usage of light with it's walls. The wall are constructed of 1028 panes of patterned glass which defuse light into the interior. as the sun crosses over from sunrise to sunset, from the beginning of time to time's fulfilment in Christ, the play between the glass and the wood generates different qualities of light through the day. at night, the cathedral become a beacon of light"

Beautiful Cathedral. Very unique architecture with powerful pipe organ. Chior sounds amazing. Homily was upbeat, traditional and very understandable. Thank you Father...

One of the most beautiful churches I have been too. From the inside out you will feel His presence !

I was Catholic Boy...Jim Carroll My beloved and I went to Christmas Day mass at the Cathedral of Chris the Light Church in Oakland by Lake Merritt. I grew up Catholic in a Italian and Irish, French, and German American family in NY and FL. I actually went to Catholic School in NY until 3rd grade. After both my grandmothers died along with the grandfathers I never met my family decided not to be as into the Catholic Church as my pious Grandmothers were aka a Italian immigrant grandmother and German American grandmother who worked with hospice. Long story short I grew up with martial arts, basketball in junior high and high school, and finally into yoga and meditation spending much time in India. So my spirituality was more inspired by the east and grounding that in the west yet The Cathedral of Christ the Light Church where me and my girlfriend went for Christmas mass was awesome. I always appreciated the ritual of the Catholic Mass and the Hymns aka chanting in Latin etc with the choir was awesome. Beautiful architecture and absolutely love the giant Jesus that looks like a hologram. After service don't miss the mausoleum downstairs that is amazing. We will be back. We both enjoyed it very much and everyone was so welcoming. Five stars!

Very beautiful place, nice mass with excellent service and music, definitely going back!

I attended Sunday mass at the Cathedral of Christ the Light for the first time. This church is beautiful both inside and outside! The church is very spacious inside and decorated with a modern design. We also live close by here so we'll definitely be coming here more often for Sunday mass

A lapsed Catholic returns to her roots. After a death in my family I came seeking solace and found it here. Very compassionate priests.

Wow this building took my breathe away. Such a beautiful Catholic Church. Today I had my Rite of Election since I am a candidate to get confirmed this Easter. We were blessed to meet Bishop Barber. It was an amazing experience to see other parishes that are under the Oakland diocese participate for this event. It was my first time at this church even though I heard so much about it. But to finally go here in person, I was in awe of the architecture. I didn't get to check out the mausoleum but I read about it and am intrigued by it. I'll check it out next time. I learned It can be very echoey inside but it's because it was built with the intent to make the music to be heard. So any chatter would overtake the sounds system if someone would talk on the microphone. Beautiful structure and I felt the presence of the Lord today. I'll definitely be back next time to visit.

This place has terrible acoustics. I am amazed that there are not more attempts to mitigate the near 10 second delay. I went to hear a concert by the Oakland Symphony Chorus and had to leave at the intermission because it flared up my tinnitus so badly. The terrible acoustics torturously reverberated the high soprano notes to a painful and intolerable degree. I don't know why this venue was chosen. It ruined the music (and my hearing). Beware!

I was here for a Jesuit Ordination. One of my Besties Rochelle's brother, Father Ryan's, #Ordination to the Order of the Diaconate was at The Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland California Outside....it had a beautiful modern architecture and I was not aware that the inside was just as amazing too. You first walk in being greeted by a little pool of holy water. Then at a distance you see a panorama of the interior design of the Cathedral. Shiney floors, wooden arches, organized pews & the peaceful essence of worship in the air were perfect elements to complete the Ordination event. At this special event, the Sacramento Cathedral Choir were performing. I can tell you, their singing were the perfect instruments to show off the acoustics of the architecture within the cathedral. Absolutely beautiful! You should make a trip sometime to enjoy this beautiful place of peace, love and worship.

This cathedral is beautiful inside and out. Across the streets from the cathedral is a beautiful park surrounded with water, people walking, working out or having picnics. The inside of the cathedral seems modern. The architecture of it is beautiful to watch and see how high they built the structure. The oil paintings inside are breathtaking and It is extremely clean. This is a place you must visit when coming over this side of town

You don't have to be Catholic to experience the cathedral and the services here. The space and the silence within transcend Christianity itself and point toward "the peace that passes all understanding" common to all religions and beings--regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, age, sexual orientation, creed or belief. The Bishop and Rector are friendly and kind and spiritual. The message is traditional but not judgmental. Sincerity reigns. If you have issues with the church, put them aside for awhile. If it is doctrine that bothers you . . . do as the Pope does and let the theologians sort out the controversial areas. In the meantime, take the opportunity to just sit, be present, and realize the kingdom of heaven within you. That's the whole point of the Cathedral. The building is beautiful, especially the sunlight streaming through the windows and louvers on Sunday morning. The organ and the two organists are brilliant. If you live far away a trip to the Cathedral is well worth it. If you are one of the thousands of new city dwellers in this trendy and fast growing urban neighborhood, stop by for a visit. You will be amazed.

Love this Cathedral! I'm definitely more into gothic or renaissance looking churches and not so much into modern ones but this is definitely a gorgeous church! It took me a while to get used to the wood design inside. I remember when this church first opened several years ago. They have a parking garage below the church and it's free parking during mass hours. They have a gift shop located just outside the church. The mausoleum downstairs is so gorgeous and peaceful! It's really beautiful and it makes it less scary or saddening to visit your loved ones.

I've been a fan of this cathedral since it opened! My confirmation back in 2009 was actually held here as one of its first events. (Joint confirmation with a handful of parishes.) Because it is in Oakland, I don't come here often for mass so whenever I get a chance to - like this past weekend - I get really excited! The architecture of this cathedral is extremely modern, and I love it. They have an underground parking structure that is normally $15/day on weekdays and free for those who attend mass/special events on the weekends. There is street parking around it too that you can find to avoid parking fees. Its quite an open space and positive vibes flow through it. I came here for a wedding recently and their matrimony mass is just as beautiful as the cathedral itself. I was so happy that things went swimmingly for my cousin who was getting married.

Beautiful church across from lake Merritt Very nice church services on Sunday and late Saturday. New Pastor due to the sudden passing away of the old pastor. R.I.P. God Bless

This is just a stunning modern church. The outside looks incredible from a far and even better up close. I love the way it was designed! There's so much space that it could hold a big amount of people. I can only imagine what a Mass in here is like. Did you know that inside this church holds one of the safest places to be in while there's an earthquake? So there's tiles or plates built that will move side to side while the ground shakes. Or something like that! Either way, totally cool. Came here for a wedding and everything was stunning. There's parking right near the church. The priest officiating the wedding was sweet and funny. The staff were extremely helpful especially why I wanted to find the restroom. Bless this place. 5/5

The Cathedral of Christ the Light is an architectural marvel: a gleaming, beautiful structure and an award-winning green, energy-saving design. But as my wife and I attended Mass there for the first time, we both felt something was missing. It didn't feel holy - it didn't feel like a church. Lots of diffused light, but no stained-glass, in fact no color at all. The floor has no carpet, no warmth, just cold, gray cement. Very practical and economical I'm sure, but no carpet or wood floor made things feel temporary, like they could fold up the pews and hold a giant conference at any time. And the feeling of impermanence is only increased by the giant, digitized image of a very Confucius-looking Christ on the far wall. Ironically, the remainder of the structure does feel very churchlike. The side alcoves, with the historical oil paintings; the Mausoleum below which beautifully gets light coming through the altar above. The other areas did have that holy feeling, a spiritual serenity. But in the main Worship area I felt like Rip van Winkle must've felt, asleep for a couple hundred years, and waking up and wandering into a church. One last word on parking. Parking on Sundays is free, which is not what the confusing sign says at the top of the parking entrance. But if you make the mistake of coming at some other time, get ready to pay $1.25 for every 15 minutes! Somehow that just doesn't seem right. Normally I'd say this is a two-star review. But Catholic guilt (and the need to hedge some afterlife bets!) is worth one bonus star.

Very solemn place.. Even the Architectural is modern you can really feel the presence of GOD. Place is clean... parking down at the basement was free... not sure on a weekends and if you park more than one hour.

Went here on a Saturday evening to see what the new Cathedral was like. Parking was not a problem. From the outside the cathedral wasn't that impressive. However, the inside quickly overwhelms you, especially with a mesh-y Jesus up front and center. My boyfriend swears it winked at him. The ceiling of the cathedral was interesting as well... I would've given it 2 stars because the service was rather miserable. The serving priest is of Vietnamese descent with a rather thick accent. This accent combined with the fact that we sat in the back made it very difficult to understand the sermon. Turns out the place echos pretty badly. I'm pretty sure that had we not walked in late and sat up front we would have had an easier time. The reason why I gave it 3? The cool mesh winking Jesus and one of the members of the congregation that read the passages. I don't know who he was, but he had a very loud booming James Earl Jones voice... which was enhanced by that echo. Now, THAT was amusing.

Here for Edna Brewer Graduation. The sound system is defective and there is no one here to fix it....a damn shame for all the families here looking forward to this event. Why the church would rent out their facilities without someone who can maintain their systems, god only knows!

This church is beyond beautiful. The architecture and lighting is divine, and you can sense the Lord's presence as soon as you set foot inside this place of worship. A beautiful experience.

Please DO NOT get married here. Save yourself the headache and frustration of dealing with this particular church's administrative web of incompetence and get married at another of the bay's beautiful churches (if you're into that sort of thing). COST: It's expensive. Granted, we didn't have to get married here but we were already weekly parishioners, felt a connection to the church, and were impressed by its architecture. If you're a parishioner it's a $1500 fee (not including an *optional* $500 for your organist/cantor and $300 mandatory marriage prep course... optional because you can't use outside vendors for music and unless you want a very silent mass you're paying this fee). If you're not already parishioners, get ready to pay $2500-$3500. Could you argue financial hardship? No, don't even try. They will LITERALLY ask you not to pay any of your other vendors before you consider that. We wrote a check for a deposit of $250 and signed a contract with a payment schedule with the disclaimer that if at any point in the process, the couple was unable to pay, they wouldn't be denied the sacrament of marriage. That was a lie. PROCESS/EXPERIENCE: Worst vendor we dealt with from start to finish. We understand the pitfalls of the Catholic church well and weren't surprised to run into some of those with the Cathedral. What is shocking is how they led with their business side and then failed to follow through with the same rigor or competence. Their administrative staff were the most unresponsive, unprofessional, inconsiderate people we dealt with. Avoid Monica (Main Admin from here) if you can get in touch with her. There was a span of a whole month where we couldn't even get a response because she either dropped her phone or their email was updating. Father Jay was originally our scheduled priest and none of this review reflects our opinions of him or our newly appointed priest, Father Wayne. Father Jay, unfortunately, passed two weeks before our wedding. Because he was such a cornerstone of Oakland, we found out via the news and heard absolutely nothing from the church. We grieved, attended his wake, and then scrambled to enlist another priest we admired. Fortunately, Father Wayne had already volunteered to cover a lot of Father Jay's work so the transition was relatively smooth. With our new priest secured, we headed into the rehearsal the day prior to the wedding. Everything went pretty well and our day of coordinator attended to observe the process. Your day of coordinator will not be allowed to do anything other than be a guest day of but PLEASE still have them come to observe because many of the agreed upon things by the church at the time of rehearsal DID NOT happen and having my coordinator witness this made improvising on the fly easier. The Main Admin assured us/Father of some of the particulars -- mics would be provided, plate for the rings to be blessed, someone to cue me to walk in... none of these things happened. We left the roughly 1.5-hour rehearsal for the dinner at 4 and around 6-7pm we receive a text message from the Main Admin indicating that we needed to bring a $1200 check the day of the wedding. We were floored. She couldn't have mentioned this in person?! My husband and I planned and paid for our wedding completely by ourselves. Through the grind of it all, we had forgotten about our remaining balance and admit this was our fault. We paid the $500 music fee separately after the organist requested payment upon meeting but even after several in-person meetings with the church, we had zero communication about our remaining balance or any late payment notices until hours before our wedding. When we said that the turnaround was too fast and we could still pay at a later date, she indicated we may not be able to get married the next morning. After several text exchanges, phone calls, and bringing Father Wayne into the mix, we struck a deal to pay the balance by June 1st with the assurance that everything was fine. Day of the wedding the Main Admin brusquely pulled me and my husband away from the holding rooms, brushing our families aside saying we absolutely needed to sign something with LESS THAN 10 min before the wedding. Ushering me around the church by having me walk outside on the street in my wedding gown was humiliating and stressful. All of this to sign a promissory note (incorrectly drafted) for the new payment. Mind you there's a signing portion for the marriage certificate at the end but this just couldn't wait. POST-WEDDING: We withdrew our parishionership AND our marriage certificate is invalid due to an admin error. We found out two weeks later from the county. No communication from the church, but are we surprised? If you care about having God present at your wedding, save your $2,000 and don't even walk in here.

Very unique modern church architecture combined with several intimate chapels featuring beautiful traditional artwork. In addition to religious services, it's open to visitors during the day. Definitely a special space worth experiencing. There is a tasteful gift shop with a variety of Christian items from children's books to expensive art. The staff are always welcoming and friendly.

This is a beautiful Catholic Church. It's a very unique modern architecture in the inside. It feels peaceful and sacred just being in there. Although, I wish they could do better on the sound system. You can't really hear if you're sitting far away from the altar. Also, they should do something about the outside. There is no CROSS! I would have not known while walking around Lake Merritt that is a Catholic Church.

This review is for the remarkable liturgical music program at the Cathedral of Christ the Light Cathedral, located on Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland. Integral to the outstanding modern architecture of the cathedral is a world-class, custom-built 92-rank Letourneau pipe organ, which is used in concerts, and in celebration of the mass throughout the year. This holiday season, I attended noted organist Jonathan Dimmock's performance of Messiaen's La Nativite du Seigneur, and, several days later, Christmas Eve Solemn Mass with chorale selections performed by the Pacific Boys Choir Academy, accompanied by the cathedral choir and orchestra. Listening to exquisite music of faith in a beautiful religious setting was moving and uplifting. All faith traditions are welcome.

First, you do not have to be religious to enter these doors. I am not religious, but I have a curiosity and respect for amazing structures and the architecture of most of the churches I've visited in Europe and throughout the US. That being said, this church is a modern marvel. I've had various opportunities to visit during my lunch breaks just to sit down in the seats and take a break away from the hustle and bustle at work and on the streets. While the exterior reminds me of a Fabergé egg, the interior is a symmetrical visual scene: the beams are all of wood and it is just amazing. I won't go into detail here other than you need to stop by and check it out. The staff and security here are friendly and courteous and had no problems with me step in with the DSLR. I would advise to keep it diminutive, however, out of respect for others in the church for their reasons.

My family is a pretty diverse bunch religiously. I'm a convert to Judaism, while one of my brothers is a Buddhist, my other 2 siblings are Protestants, my parents are Unitarian, and my Uncle's family is Quaker. Gayle is a nonpracticing Catholic. I have always believed that faith is important and that there are many path options to get there. My very first introduction to the Catholic Church was when I was 5 years old. I went with a neighbourhood family to mass and distinctly remember my discomfort while they were all speaking Latin (maybe it was pre-Vatican II) and and seemingly staring at me disapprovingly. That was also the time when my Catholic friends had no qualms telling me that I was "damned" since I did not belong to the "true" faith. Hence, I might have the then more judgemental Catholic Church to thank for my eventual faith journey through Unitarianism and Judaism. Although I am not a Christian believer, I have usually enjoyed their services when I happened to be there at the invitation of a friend or as part of a celebration. I particularly have enjoyed the pageantry and consistent structure of the Catholic Mass. And in a similar fashion to a Jewish service, you can walk into any parish and pretty much know exactly where you are worship-wise. The Cathedral of Christ the Light is amazing to behold. Gayle and I stopped in Saturday afternoon (before Mass) and spent the next hour or so just wandering around and taking it all in. I was impressed with the fish-shaped sanctuary, the vaulted glass ceiling, and the "digital Jesus", a stunning, yet peaceful and respectful Mausoleum below, all the tactile woods, and of course the overall feeling of humility. I even sat on both sides of a very modern version of the confession booth and marveled at the Lake Merritt scenery when you looked from front to back within the sanctuary. Gayle was very impressed as well and also took the time to put a flower on the tree of good deeds (for Lent I think) inside one of the many chapels. The Cathedral of Christ the Light is also an important beacon and anchor for central Oakland and proof of a well done faith community effort.

Midnight Mass! I had always wanted to go to a Christmas Midnight Mass. There was no parking at my regular church but I was undeterred. Given it was after 11PM I decided walking was impractical so I sought another venue. Did you know that the cathedral has a massive, multi-level, underground parking lot? I didn't know that until I found myself maneuvering its subterenean swerves on Christmas Eve. I took the elevator up and explored. I felt safe walking the grounds late at night even though I didn't notice any security and only minutes earlier decided to forego my regular church for safety reasons. This is a gorgeous place particularly if you have an eye for steel & glass. If architecture or sound engineering gets your motor running you simply must take one of their many weekly tours. The acoustics are amazing. The service was awesome! Even if you aren't religious it is worthwhile to see the choir perform. You will not be recruited but you will walk away with a great feeling.

We attended services here at the Cathedral of Christ the Light for the "Rite of Recognition". My wife was amongst the many of East Bay participants recognized by the Bishop of the Oakland Archdiocese. In my estimate there must have been at least a thousand people present from all over Alameda and Contra Costa counties combined. Every participant was announced first by parish then by name. I'm so happy and proud of my wife! This Cathedral is huge! The architecture was captivating. Modern in design yet faithful to standard. It's a must visit regardless of your religious denomination or none. Even though we were soakin' wet from the rain it was gratifying. God bless y'all! Peace...

This review is for the Church of Chris the Light Mausoleum, not the church. I guess they combined the two listings although I consider then two different entities. _____________________________________________ Read my review of St. Mary's Cemetery and you'll see that I am no stranger to cemeteries. You'll also find that I already have a plot. Morbid I know but mortality is such a fleeting subject. Anyways, when my cousin passed away suddenly, it was assumed/discussed that he would take one of the many pre-bought plots that my family owns. In the last couple of decades I've attended many a funeral at St. Mary's Cemetery in Oakland. The remains of one of my uncles and my maternal grandfather were even moved from their resting places in Viet Nam to be closer to their family t at St. Mary's. So it was kind of a shock that my cousin would be laid to rest in a crypt in the Church of Chris the Light Mausoleum. This was my first in-door burial. This was my first crypt/mausoleum burial. It was amazing. This burial site is beautiful, just like my cousin's spirit so I am happy that this is his final resting place. A very special place for a very special person.

Since graduating Catholic Grade School oh, say 20 years ago, I haven't placed much of a priority in frequenting local churches in the San Francisco Bay Area. Roughly around that same time two decades ago, the Loma Prietta Earthquake of 1989 destroyed the former Cathedral that was previously at this location. To the Yelper, Mike R., who asked why you would Yelp a church because it is not a business and is the same as Yelping your faith... Trust me when I say I am not saying anything about faith or the church; I'm surprised I didn't get struck by lightning upon entering considering it has been since at least that Earthquake in 1989 that I have been to confessional. (I made sure to dip my finger in holy water and do the "Father, Son, Holy Spirit" upon entering). When I walked in, my jaw dropped; that is hard to do. Quite possibly the most amazing architecture in the entire San Francisco Bay Area, aside from the Golden Gate Bridge...the Cathedral of Christ the Light is not only a fantastic building, but also an accomplishment that is NOT to be missed. Words here could barely describe the breathtaking sight of this monumental structure. Also to the Yelper that said this is a Church, not a business? Wrong again. One level below the Cathedral is a Mausoleum...an area where there are nearly 2,800 "crypts" and "niches" for above ground burials that are designed to allow families to place personal artifacts/flowers for viewing within the niche space. Costs for the Single Niches range from $1,500 to $7,000, while the Crypts and/or "Deluxe Companion Stained Glass" burial spaces go from $70,000 to $100,000. Not a business? Please. I can't decide whether the design of this lower-level Mausoleum was more fantastic than the upper-level church, or if it was just a separate amazing experience altogether. The combination of Black-Granite Floors, White Marble Shutters and other Gold highlights allow for a beautiful place of remembrance for the deceased to lay to rest, and for those of us living to be inspired by the architecture and life itself. I think I'm saving a chunk of cash because I might just want my resting place to be here. Typical me, planning all the way to the end!

Absolutely love attending conferences in the stunningly beautiful cathedral & venue. Go up the stairs outdoors on a Wednesday and you're treated to a robust farmers market. Go across the street and walk around Lake Merritt at lunch. The cathedral itself is just lovely.

Beautiful space. Visited on a sunny summer day and it was light, airy and welcoming. Lots of windows but the stark and cold lines of all that glass is mitigated by the warmth of all that curved wood. An almost perfect blend of modern and traditional. While the main space and the underground mausoleum are breathtaking, the small chapel alcoves seem like afterthoughts. Small parking space under the church but with a steep entrance ramp. There is a ticket and/or attendant booth but it was unmanned during our visit and the barrier was left open.

CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE LIGHT helps to put Oakland, CA on the map. As is well known, Oakland, CA has the hangup for having little or no self-identity. This deficiency of Oakland has been summarized by Gertrude Stein's famed aphorism, "There is no there there" (see, Gertrude Stein (1937) Everybody's Autobiography). Oakland's lack of positive reputation is further tarnished by its high crime rate. Also, Oakland's lack of positive reputation is further exacerbated by the presence of nearby San Francisco (one of the two most glorious cities in the United States, along with New York City), not to mention the presence of nearby U.C. Berkeley. Anyway, my opinion is that CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE LIGHT constitutes a magnificent step towards putting Oakland on the cultural map, or at least, the architectural map. THE ARCHITECTURE. The exterior of the Cathedral is noted for its shape, which is roughly that of a Pope's hat. The sides of the building, as viewed from the OUTSIDE, are ruler-straight and sloped inwards. Also visible from the exterior, is a shaped section resembling the Pope's hat -- the shape is like a jewel but with curved sides. The walls of the building, as viewed from INSIDE, bulge outwards at the lower levels, and then curve inwards higher up and then reach an apex. There is much from which one can derive pleasure, including the extensive use of wood, the curved walls, and fine details such as the 12 small plaques with the names of the 12 apostles. The printing of these names is clever, in that the border of the plaque is used to comprise the letters that are closest to the border of the plaque. I was also impressed by the spare nature of the interior architecture -- there is nothing gaudy or excessive in the architecture and no frills for frill's sake. I also liked the unusual organ; it seemed to me that some of the organ pipes were horizontal, instead of assuming the more conventional vertical orientation. I also enjoyed touring the plaza and gift shop. The items in the gift shop were tasteful, in that, I did not see any images of Jesus as the stereotypical blue-eyed, light-skinned man with light brown hair and a small straight nose (I think we can all agree that Jesus likely had dark eyes, dark skin, and a big nose). UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY HALL. On the same day that I toured the Cathedral, I watched TO SERVE MAN, which is a Twilight Zone episode from 1962. About 14 minutes into TO SERVE MAN, we see the UN General Assembly Hall, and I was struck with the similarities in this Assembly Hall and the Cathedral. The similarities included the array of repeated vertical wooden beams, and the inwardly sloped walls. OTHER ARCHITECTS. The Cathedral was designed by Mr. Craig Hartman of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill of San Francisco. Thus, I now put Mr. Hartman in my list of favorite architects. My favorite architects include Frank Gehry (Walt Disney Concert Hall), Eero Saarinen (TWA Flight Center in New York City), Le Corbusier (Chapelle of Notre Dame du Haut), and Kallmann, McKinnell & Knowles (Boston City Hall with "brutalist" style).

The soaring architecture is awe inspiring. The congregants were friendly and welcoming. The homily and music were memorable. Especially the fantastic organ pipes at full volume. The catacombs beneath the main sanctuary contain a mausoleum and niches for ashes. There are snacks in the fellowship hall after Mass. Including sandwiches and sweets. There is a lifelike Pieta and lovely statuary as well as several galleries containing ancient paintings and sculpture I hope your visit here will be as inspiring as mine. Thanks! Aloysius Weathers 510 654 0121

I came to see this church when it was first built and it is an amazing piece of work. It is very modern and it is beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside. They have on going tours of the church which is great for people who come here for the first time. They also have a gift shop just outside of the church with many modern religious pieces which is nice. There is also underground parking here which you hardly see in churches (if at all). I have never been to an actual mass here (I don't affiliate with this religion) but I can only imagine that they are nice. The church is close to lake Marriott which makes for a nice view from the lake especially at night. Overall a great gem in the city of downtown Oakland which is great for the residents here and for the people who associate with this religion to worship here.

I just toured the inside! Wow! I'll apologize in advance for my excitement. I can't say I'm not partial to the visual image offered above by Carrie, but I'm so impressed by what I've seen! I don't know how much will be spent on the Bay Bridge construction, but I've heard that most of the Cathedral was financed by less than 100 people. I'd like to give our Spiritual leaders a break. Who are we to judge whether their inspiration and decision to build the Cathedral was right? Long term, this maybe a wonderful investment. And, if one person is drawn to our Lord because of this structure, then I'm sure God will be happy! I'm excited I am to be given the opportunity to worship and be apart of a community here in this place! I imagine a lot of people will benefit from this place. I can't conceive of a finer, more amazing synergy than what is available here. I truly believe that in the long run, the time, treasure and talent that will come together here, will totally amaze everyone who comes into contact with Christ the Light Cathedral. It is easy to spread negative vibes on construction projects like this... let's suspend our judgments for now, and let this Church show us what it is really worth... What we also need is for there to be more forgiveness and appreciation for good intention, caring and sharing, that places like this foster. The whole downtown community of Oakland may benefit greatly from this place... who knows?

Take the tour on the second or fourth Tuesday of the month, as these will include a mini-concert: three musical pieces to demonstrate the beauty of the pipe organ and acoustics of the Cathedral interior. Miss Barbara, the docent for our tour, was very knowledgeable about the construction details, and playfully teased each member of our group to check out the acoustics of a small circular room on the lower level. (Don't be shy! This little experiment yields an excellent surprise.) Plus, we were encouraged to touch certain plaques and castings, to help the patina along!

Hello Yelp. Oh, how I've missed thee. My first review since my 48-day hiatus, wuu! A few of my co-workers and I attended service here during our lunch break for Good Friday. This place has been near my work for a while now, and I didn't know what I was missing out. You have to check out the inside. I know that some Yelpers don't like the architecture (and say it looks like a vagina) and I have to admit, it's not your traditional Catholic Cathedral. I'm more of an old fashion cathedral type (with the frescos on the ceiling and the whole shabang), but this place is still incredible in my book. It's very modern and I appreciate it especially since it's so close to businesses. And oh, it has the biggest pipe organs I've never seen! Yelpers are talking about the mausoleum so I need to check that out soon.

This is a huge, modern cathedral that is located right in downtown Oakland. I drove by this so many times not ever seeing or noticing what it was as it blends in with the rest of the surrounding business buildings. The inside however is pretty much a big enormous space with an incredibly high ceiling and a super-sized Jesus in the center. The picture is definitely not the best representation that I've seen of him but hey, maybe my taste isn't $190 million refined. The panels made it appear dark on the bottom and light shining through towards the top, meant to represent light from heaven as you get higher. Although I did have a good laugh at the reviews saying it looks like a vagina, according to the tour guide, it was actually meant to represent the fish. The symbol can be seen on the door handles and on a variety of other things throughout the cathedral. I had no idea what a mausoleum until that day either.... It's so quiet there it's almost spooky. Far from being a Catholic but still something worth seeing for it's architectural values. The pond/fountain with holy water looked like a hot tub and I literally imagined myself taking a swim in it. It was heated too... Now I see where the $190 million went into.. Heated holy water.

Tl,dr: Looks like a nuclear power plant, inside it's like a warehouse. There have been multi religion prayer meetings at the cathedral, but Yelp is not the place to discuss the heresy of indifferentism. This is an architecture review. Two stars, you can't please everyone. The cathedral is cone shape. It looks like the cooling tower of a nuclear power plant. It has cement walls about 15 feet high and windows to the top and, inside, a wooden shutter-like structure in front of the windows. The cement walls are bare cement giving the building an industrial look. Inside the floor is cement, not tile, no rugs or carpet, bare cement, like a garage or a warehouse. The inside walls, below the windows are also bare cement. The large screen structure in front of the windows allows light through to form an image of Jesus Christ. This is the best part of the cathedral and the reason I'm giving two stars instead of one. The acoustics are terrible. Sound echos and re-echos off the walls and floor. Listening to the priest is difficult.

This is hands-down, one of the coolest and best churches I've been to! This is the convergence of art and science. I didn't even realize that the Christ image was made out of light until I got closer, and then I was in awe. This is a hugeee hall, and you feel very humbled right when you walk in. I have to thank my friend for the opportunity to check this cathedral out. If I had to have a Christian wedding, I would most definitely have it here. And I'm not even Christian.

Architecturally, this church is simply beautiful and a magnificent piece of engineering. This church is impressively held with large Glulam type wooden beams beautifully arced to give the church its signature shape. The glass curtain supported by the Glulam is equally impressive to look at and allows for copious amounts of natural light to enter the building, as well as allow the interior church lights to shine through the translucent curtain at night. This building won the best use of architectural concrete the year it was built so I was excited to see that aspect! ( I'm a nerd i know) Well the concrete work was pretty impressive although it seems the want for minimal joints and embedded seals lead to the inevitable ugly surface cracking. The overall impression of standing in the massive structure is definitely an experience to be had. I have heard a few interpretations of the shape of the church, some a little more inappropriate than others.....one is the Jesus Fish, from above you can appreciate the body of the Jesus Fish, but not the tail...so I don't know....another idea (which other yelpers have pointed out) is that its in the shape of a vagina....you dirty yelpers you!! I'd like to think its in the shape of a Womb, signifying Jesus' Human birth. I haven't looked up the official design intent....but I like the Womb Idea....and get your mind out of the gutter you other yelpers! This Cathedral received 5 starts in my book up until I attended mass here. Unfortunately, the famed architect appeared to not be on the same page as the acoustic engineer....The hollow space creates some horrible echoing, way more than usual church halls. The place was so massive that it seemed the echo delay caused the words to become jarbled. I couldn't understand a word of the homily!! In short....a MUST see for all catholics in the area...and also any architectural enthusiasts....but not the best place to attend Mass!

I've been meaning to attend mass here and I was fortunate enough to go for Ash Wednesday. Walking in, the church is just so "majestic." It's architecturally beautiful from the inside and out. Since the outside looked so massive, I assumed the inside would be too but it was actually smaller and made it feel homey and not so huge and cold. The altar was in an odd place but I guess due to its shape... it had to do. The chairs / pews were comfy (yes, for a Catholic church) that's a plus! The staff / volunteers were obviously very busy during that holy day of obligation but they still managed to be welcoming. I'd definitely go here again... just a beautiful church inside and out. Definitely worth checking out if you're a design geek like yours truly ;)

This is the church you want to go to if your a Catholic in Oakland. It is absolutely gorgeous inside and brand new. You won't see many churches like this anywhere in the USA. A matter of fact they give guided tours during the weekday around 1 pm after the 12:10 mass. Please be respectful of people praying, especially in the mausoleum downstairs. I know a lot of people like to go down there just to check it out, but you have to remember this is where people are put to rest in eternity.

Dangggg what a fancy schmancy church! Especially a Catholic one! I was raised Catholic so I don't feel bad about making such comments. Yes it's new, and yes it's VERY nice. But I'm used to the less glitzy, need-a-fresh-coat-of-paint-and-new-doorknobs type of churches! This place is FAR from that! I mean from the incredibly tall ceilings that let in an immense amount of natural light, to the gorgeous outside views of Lake Merritt, this church is gorgeous. Everything is new and modern. I was here for a baptism, but imagine the Sunday Mass is quite nice. 1 and only qualm - they charge for parking! Yes, it's their own private structure and it's covered and underground, but really...something about a church that charges for parking just doesn't seem right! #sorrynotsorry

This place isn't too hard to find if you circle the lake. It's the HUGE glass church at the corner - can't miss it. Visited the mausoleum at this place a few times.. it's so beautiful and peaceful. A nice place to just walk around and admire the architecture.

My favorite place to just let all things go. I love this church, not a day I come in and not feel the Holy Spirit. I'm married now for 25 years but I'd love to one day walk down this beautiful isle.

Very beautiful church. Me and some of my friends were in the area and had to stop here since we've heard how gorgeous it was from inside and it was!

Magnificent setting and architecture. Parking available, but if full, the adjacent Kaiser Center garage is nearby. Great gift shop and pleasant dining room for lunch. A must-see place.

The church is very nice Mbut the parking is suck they have parking but they only want the monthly parking people to used it I bought niche over there for my mom and every time I went there they always closed two level of parking for no reason but last weekend aug 6 I went there and still same thing but worst they only want the monthly parking to park but the people who wants to go to church and people who wants to visit there lives once cannot park and it say parking is full only monthly parking people who can park but if you look parking is wide open like what I said they closed 2 to 3 level of parking for undetermined reason

Attended Christmas service 12/25/2017, it was a beautiful mass with the cathedral choir and string orchestra playing music of Mozart, Shubert, and Mendelssohn all in the setting of the incredible structure. I hope they make this a tradition. AMDG