Rev. Vincent Woo, J.C.D.

Rev. Vincent Woo, J.C.D., teaches canon law and serves as the Director of Liturgy at St. Patrick’s Seminary. A native of Hong Kong and a student of Joseph Cardinal Zen, he was ordained in 2017.

His initial pastoral assignments included ministry in a parish, a hospital, and a homeless shelter in Hong Kong. While pursuing his doctoral degree, he served as a regular confessor at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., and as a chaplain to a women’s religious community. He has also served at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Burlingame, CA.

At the chancery of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, he served as priest-secretary and Master of Ceremonies to Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. He oversaw the Office of Worship of the Archdiocese, organizing major liturgies such as the Chrism Mass, Ordinations, the Walk for Life Mass, and the Rite of Election.

As a canon lawyer, he has worked as a stable advocate for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. He has also conducted pro bono advocacy work, assisting Catholics in various dioceses with their marriage nullity applications. Additionally, he currently serves as an appointed member of the Sacramental Law Committee of the Canon Law Society of America.

Fr. Woo contributes regularly to academic journals on topics pertaining to sacramental and liturgical law. In 2024, he was invited by Raymond Cardinal Burke to speak at the Speculum Iustitiae Conference for Canon and Civil Lawyers in La Crosse, WI.

He believes that canon law is intrinsically oriented toward the salvation of souls and the regulation of justice in the Church. Drawing on his experiences, he hopes to instill in seminarians the conviction that an appreciation of tradition, a robust interior life, and faithful observance of the law are fundamental to the worthy celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Beyond canon law and liturgy, Father Woo has a keen interest in the liberty of the Church in China and Hong Kong. He has appeared on EWTN’s The World Over with Raymond Arroyo and has been quoted in the U.S. Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report. His hero is Ignatius Cardinal Kung, who was imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party for nearly 33 years for refusing to join the patriotic association in the 1950s.

Academic Publications

“Anointing Those Obstinately Persevering in Manifest Grave Sin in the Spirit of Pastoral Accompaniment.” Studia canonica (in press).

“Cremation and Beyond: The Pastoral Accompaniment of Families of Deceased Catholics who Choose Illicit Funeral Alternatives.” Studia canonica 58 (2024) 687–713.

“The Celebration of Daily Mass with No Faithful Present after Vatican II.” The Jurist 80 (2024) 53–83.

“Historical Development of the Times of Ordinations: A Proposal to Revitalize Ember Saturday Ordinations.” The Jurist 79 (2023) 459–506.

The Limits of Papal Authority over the Liturgy, by Chad Ripperger. The Jurist 80 (2024) 321–322 (book review).

Ceremonial for Priests, by Marc Caron. The Jurist 79 (2023) 550–551 (book review).

Does Traditionis Custodes Pass the Juridical Rationality Test?: A Canonical-Theological Study, by Réginald-Marie Rivoire. The Jurist 79 (2023) 276–277 (book review).

Sacred Oils, by Paul Turner. Antiphon 26 (2022) 210–212 (book review).

Non-academic Publications

“St. Francis and the Archdiocese of San Francisco.” Catholic San Francisco (in press).

“Our Lady Refuge of Sinners—The Forgotten Patroness of California.” Catholic San Francisco (in press).

“Can I Go Green with my Funeral?” Catholic San Francisco (February 2025) 28–30.

“Let us fast on Ember Days for Priestly Vocations.” Catholic San Francisco (Sept 2024) 36–39.

Conference Presentations

“From Legal Obligation to Personal Devotion: The Legislative Evolution of Ember Day Fast.” Presentation at Sacra Liturgia 2025 (July 2025)

“National Statutes for the Christian Initiation of Adults.” Presentation at Clergy Study Day, Archdiocese of San Francisco (Oct 2024)

“The Canonical Right of a Priest to Celebrate Mass individuali modo in light of the Post-conciliar Teachings on the Eucharist.” Presentation at the 2024 Speculum Iustitiae Conference for Canon and Civil Lawyers in La Crosse, WI (Aug 2024)