About Diocese of Fresno
The Diocese of Fresno is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church serving California's Central San Joaquin Valley. Erected on October 6, 1967 by Pope Paul VI from the former Diocese of Monterey-Fresno, it is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and stretches over 35,239 square miles across eight counties — Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, and Tulare — with 87 parishes, 21 Catholic schools, two retreat centers, Catholic Charities, and Catholic Cemeteries serving a Catholic population of more than one million.
- Bishop
- Joseph Vincent Brennan
- Established
- 1967
- Cathedral
- Saint John the Baptist Cathedral (Fresno, California)
- Territory
- Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, and Tulare Counties, California
- Parishes
- 87
- Province
- Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Overview & Geography of the Diocese of Fresno
The Diocese of Fresno sits at the heart of California's San Joaquin Valley and stretches over 35,239 square miles across eight counties: Fresno, Kern, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Tulare and Kings. Its diocesan pastoral center is at 1550 N. Fresno Street in Fresno and serves as the administrative hub for more than 87 parishes and 21 Catholic schools. In addition to parishes and schools, the diocese operates Catholic Charities, Catholic Cemeteries, St. Anthony Retreat Center and the Santa Teresita Youth Conference Center, both in Three Rivers near Sequoia National Park.
- Eight counties: Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Tulare
- More than 1 million Catholics served (Wikipedia 2023: 1,244,400)
- 87 parishes plus missions and congregations
- 21 Catholic schools in four districts (Fresno, Merced, Hanford, Kern)
- Pastoral Center at 1550 N. Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93703
History of the Diocese of Fresno
Catholic life in the region traces to 1769 and the missions of Blessed Junípero Serra; the territory passed from the Diocese of the Californias (1834) and the Diocese of the Two Californias (1840) into the U.S. Diocese of Monterey, then to Monterey and Los Angeles. In 1922 Pope Pius XI created the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno; in 1967 Pope Paul VI split it into the Diocese of Monterey and the Diocese of Fresno, naming Auxiliary Bishop Timothy Manning as Fresno's first bishop.
- 1769: First diocesan records kept with arrival of Blessed Junípero Serra
- 1834: 'Diocese of the Californias' proposed with see in Santa Barbara
- 1850: Diocese of Monterey erected for all of California
- 1922: Diocese of Monterey-Fresno erected from Los Angeles-San Diego
- 1967: Diocese of Fresno erected; Timothy Manning first bishop
- 1975: Roger Mahony named Auxiliary Bishop of Fresno
Bishops of the Diocese of Fresno
Six bishops have shepherded the diocese since 1967: Timothy Manning (1967-1969, later Cardinal Archbishop of Los Angeles), Hugh A. Donohoe (1969-1980), José de Jesús Madera Uribe, M.Sp.S. (1980-1991), John T. Steinbock (1991-2010), Armando Xavier Ochoa (2011-2019) and Joseph V. Brennan (2019-present).
- 1st Bishop – Timothy Manning (1967-1969), later Cardinal
- 2nd Bishop – Hugh A. Donohoe (1969-1980)
- 3rd Bishop – José de Jesús Madera Uribe, M.Sp.S. (1980-1991)
- 4th Bishop – John T. Steinbock (1991-2010)
- 5th Bishop – Armando Xavier Ochoa (2011-2019), now Bishop Emeritus
- 6th Bishop – Joseph V. Brennan (2019-present)
Bishop Joseph V. Brennan
The Most Reverend Joseph V. Brennan was installed as the sixth Bishop of Fresno on May 2, 2019, after being named by Pope Francis on March 5, 2019. A native Angeleno (born March 20, 1954 in Van Nuys) and the son of a San Fernando Valley grocer and the ninth of ten children, he earned a B.A. in Philosophy and a Master of Divinity from St. John's Seminary in Camarillo. He was ordained a priest on June 21, 1980 at the Cathedral of St. Vibiana by Cardinal Timothy Manning. He served as associate pastor in Los Angeles and Norwalk, then as pastor of St. Linus in Norwalk and Holy Trinity in San Pedro before becoming Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He was named an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles in 2015 alongside Robert E. Barron and David G. O'Connell, a trio Pope Francis reportedly called 'the triplets.'
- Installed: May 2, 2019
- Motto: 'Caritas Christi urget nos' (The love of Christ inspires us)
- Formerly Episcopal Vicar of the San Fernando Pastoral Region
- Speaks fluent Spanish
St. John the Baptist Cathedral
Saint John the Baptist Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno, located at Mariposa and R Streets in Fresno. Founded in 1882 when Catholic settlers raised funds and Bishop Francisco Mora Borrell of Monterey-Los Angeles purchased lots adjacent to those donated by the Central Pacific Railroad, the parish is the oldest in Fresno. By 1902 the original brick church was too small; the cornerstone of the present Gothic-Romanesque church, designed by Thomas Bermingham, was laid August 3, 1902 and Archbishop George Montgomery dedicated the new building on June 7, 1903. It became the cathedral when the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno was erected in 1922, and has remained the cathedra of the Diocese of Fresno since 1967. The current rector is Very Reverend Fr. Salvador Gonzalez Jr.
- Founded 1882, dedicated to St. John the Baptist May 21, 1882
- Gothic-Romanesque red-brick church designed by Thomas Bermingham
- Cathedral of Monterey-Fresno 1922-1967, then of Fresno
- Rector: Very Rev. Fr. Salvador Gonzalez Jr.
Our Catholic Schools
The Diocese of Fresno supports 21 Catholic schools organized into four districts: Fresno, Merced, Hanford and Kern. The system spans preschool through high school and includes two diocesan high schools — San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno and Garces Memorial High School in Bakersfield — along with Holy Cross Junior High in Fresno.
- Fresno District: Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Clovis), St. Anthony's, St. Helen, St. Joachim (Madera), Holy Cross Junior High, San Joaquin Memorial High School
- Merced District: St. Anthony (Atwater), Our Lady of Miracles (Gustine), Our Lady of Fatima (Los Banos), Our Lady of Mercy (Merced)
- Hanford District: St. Rose-McCarthy (Hanford), Mary Immaculate Queen (Lemoore), St. Anne (Porterville), St. La Salle (Reedley), St. Aloysius (Tulare), The Catholic School of Visalia-GMcCann Campus
- Kern District: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Francis Parish School (Bakersfield), St. Ann (Ridgecrest), Garces Memorial High School
Youth & Young Adult Ministry
The diocesan Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministry supports young people across the Central Valley through diocesan events, formation, leadership development and a network of parish ministries. Programs include the 1-Year Adoremus program, an active Newman Connection at Fresno State, World Youth Day pilgrimages (most recently Lisbon 2023), and the National Catholic Youth Conference.
- Newman Center in Fresno for college-age students
- 1-Year Adoremus program
- World Youth Day pilgrimages
- Partnerships with NFCYM, NACYML, La RED and USCCB
Retreat Centers
The diocese operates two retreat facilities on 25 acres at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada near Sequoia National Park in Three Rivers: St. Anthony Retreat & Conference Center (capacity up to 100) and the adjacent Santa Teresita Youth Conference Center (capacity up to 160), which opened in 2010. Both offer meeting space, dining and overnight accommodations for individual and group retreats and conferences in English and Spanish.
- St. Anthony Retreat Center, Three Rivers (up to 100 guests)
- Santa Teresita Youth Conference Center, Three Rivers (up to 160 guests)
- Spanish-language retreats offered for men and women
Catholic Charities Diocese of Fresno
Catholic Charities Diocese of Fresno is the social-services arm of the diocese, serving residents of the eight-county San Joaquin Valley regardless of race, age, religion or background. Its mission is to provide hope and practical help to those who are hungry, homeless, refugees, disaster-stricken, out-of-work or otherwise in need.
- Food and shelter programs
- Refugee resettlement services
- Disaster response and relief
- Serves the eight-county San Joaquin Valley
Vocations & Seminarian Fund
The diocesan Office of Vocations hosts 'Come and See' discernment retreats, monthly Priesthood Discernment Group meetings at parishes such as the Shrine of St. Thérèse (Fresno), St. Joseph (Selma), and Our Lady of Guadalupe (Delano), and an annual seminarian retreat at St. Anthony Retreat Center. The Seminarian Fund second collection underwrites room, board and tuition for men discerning the priesthood.
- Seminarian Fund second collection
- Annual Diocesan Seminarian Retreat at St. Anthony Retreat Center
- Monthly Priesthood Discernment Group meetings across the diocese
Office of the Bishop & Directory
The Office of the Bishop is staffed by Very Reverend Salvador Gonzalez, Vicar General/Moderator of the Curia; Deacon Mark Schultz, Chancellor; Mary Senteno, Executive Assistant to Bishop Brennan and Bishop Emeritus Ochoa; and Edith Maldonado and Brenda Banuelos in support roles. The diocesan Directory is published online and includes listings of active clergy, women religious communities, seminarians, succession of pastors and a necrology, alongside departmental offices and ministries.
- Bishop Joseph V. Brennan, Sixth Bishop
- Vicar General/Moderator of the Curia: Very Rev. Salvador Gonzalez
- Chancellor: Deacon Mark Schultz
- Address: 1550 N. Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93703-3788
- Main Phone: (559) 488-7400; Fax: (559) 488-7464
Sex-Abuse Crisis & Chapter 11 Filing
In February 2019 Bishop Ochoa announced an outside investigation of all allegations of sexual abuse against clerics in the diocese since 1922; a public list of credibly accused priests was released in 2021. In May 2024 the diocese announced plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and on July 1, 2025 it filed for Chapter 11 to settle more than 150 (later reported as 153) sex-abuse lawsuits.
- 2019: Outside investigation announced of all abuse allegations since 1922
- 2021: List of credibly accused priests released
- May 2024: Diocese announces intent to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy
- July 1, 2025: Diocese files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (153 lawsuits)
