About Brawley Catholic- St. Joseph · Westmorland, California
St. Joseph is one of three parishes that make up the Catholic Communities of Brawley & Westmorland (CCBW), serving the small agricultural city of Westmorland in Imperial Valley, California. Located at 300 N. Center Street, the parish shares its pastor, deacons, and faith-formation staff with sister parishes Sacred Heart in Brawley and St. Margaret Mary in Brawley. Worship is offered in a bilingual (English/Spanish) format that reflects the community's deep Mexican-American heritage, and the parish falls under the Diocese of San Diego.
- Established
- 1939
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Reverend Bernardo Lara
- Diocese
- Diocese of San Diego
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a welcoming, bilingual parish serving Westmorland and the surrounding Imperial Valley farm community. Families can worship together in both English and Spanish, enroll children in the shared CCBW Faith Formation program, prepare teens for Confirmation through the parish's Youth Ministry and YDisciple program, and participate in outreach such as the Lunch Program supporting Brawley Feed the Need. With shared clergy, religious sisters, and deacons across three collaborating parishes, St. Joseph offers a tight-knit community rooted in faith, family, and service to neighbors in need.
Mass times at Brawley Catholic- St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before 5:30 PM Sunday Mass at St. Joseph
Parish Identity & Catholic Communities of Brawley & Westmorland
St. Joseph in Westmorland is part of a three-parish collaboration known as the Catholic Communities of Brawley & Westmorland (CCBW). The sister parishes are Sacred Heart (402 S. Imperial Ave., Brawley) and St. Margaret Mary (620 S. Cesar Chavez St., Brawley). All three share a pastor, associate pastor, deacons, faith-formation director, and office staff, allowing the small communities to pool resources while keeping Mass accessible in each town.
- St. Joseph — 300 N. Center St., Westmorland, CA 92281 — (760) 679-3505
- Sacred Heart — 402 S. Imperial Ave., Brawley, CA 92227 — (760) 679-3505
- St. Margaret Mary — 620 S. Cesar Chavez St., Brawley, CA 92227 — (760) 550-9830
- Shared fax line: (760) 679-3731
Clergy & Staff
The tri-parish community is served by an ordained pastor and associate pastor, two permanent deacons, a religious sister directing faith formation, and lay administrative staff. Together they minister across Sacred Heart, St. Margaret Mary, and St. Joseph.
- Reverend Bernardo Lara — Pastor, Catholic Communities of Brawley & Westmorland
- Reverend Claro Ortiz — Associate Pastor
- Deacon Alberto Moya — Deacon of Brawley Catholic
- Deacon Marcos Lopez — Permanent Deacon
- Sister Monica Del Hoyo — Director of Faith Formation & Catechetical Evangelization
- Mrs. Alma Gonzalez — Office Manager & Bookkeeper
- Gaby Ramirez — Parish Secretary
Faith Formation (Catechism)
The shared CCBW Faith Formation Ministry welcomes parents and children who want to grow in the Catholic faith together. Catechism classes explore the sacraments, the life and teachings of Jesus through Scripture, and the liturgical year. Registration is held each fall at the Sacred Heart Parish Office.
- Companions on the journey of faith for parents and children
- Bilingual enrollment information on the parish website
- Faith Formation contact line: (760) 587-4018
- Office hours listed in English and Spanish (Monday–Sunday closures noted)
- Family contribution requested to cover catechism materials
Youth Ministry & Confirmation Prep
Brawley Catholic's Youth Ministry supports teens through a two-year preparation program for the Sacrament of Confirmation and offers YDisciple for teens who have already been confirmed and want to continue growing closer to God. The program is shared across the three collaborating parishes.
- Two-year Confirmation preparation program
- YDisciple program for post-Confirmation teens
- Open to youth from across the Catholic Communities of Brawley & Westmorland
Outreach: Lunch Program / Brawley Feed the Need
Under the Parish Life umbrella, St. Joseph and its sister parishes operate a Lunch Program that partners with Brawley Feed the Need. Seeing Jesus in those in need, the community extends a small helping hand to neighbors facing food insecurity in the Imperial Valley. The parish accepts monetary donations which are forwarded to Brawley Feed the Need.
- Outreach channeled through Brawley Feed the Need
- Monetary donations accepted
- Rooted in the parish's mission to serve the local community
Parish Life & Communications
The parish uses its website as a central hub for bulletins, diocesan links, FlockNote email/text communication, and social-media updates. Parishioners are encouraged to follow the community on Facebook and connect via FlockNote for parish news.
- Sunday Bulletins posted on the parish website (with and without ads)
- Diocese of San Diego link: (858) 490-8200
- FlockNote sign-up for parish communications
- Official Facebook page: Catholic Communities of Brawley & Westmorland
Diocese of San Diego & Annual Catholic Appeal
St. Joseph Parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego and participates in the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA). The ACA funds diocesan pastoral offices and programs — including schools, faith formation for all ages, and support for retired priests and seminarians — that sustain parish life across the diocese.
- ACA funds schools, faith-formation programs, retired priests, and seminarians
- Appeal materials published in both English and Spanish on the parish site
- Parish falls under the pastoral care of the Bishop of San Diego