Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission Chapel was established in 1953 by a Spanish-speaking community of Catholic faithful led by Father Donald McDonnell, a member of the San Francisco Archdiocese's Spanish Mission Band. There, Father McDonnell befriended a young César Chávez and introduced him to writings about spirituality, labor rights, human rights, and social justice. He also introduced Chávez to Fred Ross, and the chapel became an important home for their work with the community service organization. Later renamed McDonnell Hall, it provided a foundation for Chávez's work with Dolores Huerta to co-found the United Farm Workers Union and maintains its historic association with Chávez, the UFW, immigrants, and all who are poor in spirit.
