About Brawley Catholic- St. Margaret Mary · Brawley, California
St. Margaret Mary is one of three worship sites that make up the Catholic Communities of Brawley & Westmorland (CCBW), also known as 'Brawley Catholic,' in California's Imperial Valley. Located at 620 S. Cesar Chavez St in Brawley, it shares its pastoral leadership and faith-formation programs with Sacred Heart Church in Brawley (the flagship, founded 1908) and St. Joseph Church in neighboring Westmorland, serving roughly 1,100 families combined. The parish community is bilingual (English and Spanish) and offers daily Mass in Spanish or English, faith formation for children, preparation for the sacraments, and participation in the Diocese of San Diego's Annual Catholic Appeal.
- Established
- 1934
- Patron
- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (the parish's namesake saint)
- Rector
- Rev. Antonio Morales (effective July 1, 2026)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego
Why belong here
St. Margaret Mary offers a warm, bilingual Catholic home in Brawley's Imperial Valley, with three Sunday Masses in both English and Spanish and weekday Masses Monday through Friday at 6:00 p.m. The parish runs catechism classes (Faith Formation) for children, a sacramental preparation program that includes a Baptism program for infants and children, an RCIA track for older children, a media and internet safety component for families, and youth participation in the Diocese of San Diego's Annual Catholic Appeal. Parishes are personally pastored by an assigned priest (currently Fr. Antonio Morales for the combined Brawley/Westmorland community) and supported by staff including Faith Formation Director Alma Gonzalez and Sister Monica Del Hoyo. Whether you're cradle Catholic, a Spanish-speaking family, or returning to the practice, you'll find a small, multi-church community with three worship sites, frequent confession, First Friday adoration, and a steady rosary schedule.
Mass times at Brawley Catholic- St. Margaret Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM (Bilingual, St. Margaret Mary schedule as published on brawleycatholic.org /services)
- Saturday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (as published on catholicmasstime.org for St. Margaret Mary)
- First Friday 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (First Friday confessions as published on catholicmasstime.org)
Adoration times
- First Friday 6:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Every First Friday, as published on catholicmasstime.org)
About the Parish: Catholic Communities of Brawley & Westmorland
St. Margaret Mary is part of a three-site combined parish headquartered on the website brawleycatholic.org. Sacred Heart Church, St. Margaret Mary Church, and St. Joseph Church in Westmorland together form the Catholic Communities of Brawley & Westmorland (CCBW), pastored as one parish community. The flagship church, Sacred Heart, was founded in 1908 and sits near Brawley's central city square; St. Margaret Mary was founded in 1934 and is located about nine blocks to the east. The community serves roughly 1,100 families and is bilingual in English and Spanish.
- Sacred Heart — 402 S. Imperial Ave., Brawley, CA 92227 — phone (760) 679-3505 (founded 1908)
- St. Margaret Mary — 620 S. Cesar Chavez St., Brawley, CA 92227 — phone (760) 550-9830 (founded 1934)
- St. Joseph — Westmorland, CA — phone (760) 679-3505
- Pastor (effective July 1, 2026): Rev. Antonio Morales
Our History
St. Margaret Mary Church traces its roots to 1934, when it was built to serve Catholics in the eastern part of Brawley as Sacred Heart (1908) reached capacity. Through most of its history it has shared pastoral leadership and sacramental life with Sacred Heart; in recent decades the two have been formally joined with St. Joseph in Westmorland to form the Catholic Communities of Brawley & Westmorland. In 2017 the Diocese of San Diego formally closed the area's third Brawley church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help — a 1956 rural mission whose repairs were estimated at $750,000–$1 million — with a closing Mass on November 18, 2017.
- 1934: St. Margaret Mary founded as a second Catholic church in Brawley.
- 2017 (Oct. 15): Diocese strips parish status from Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Brawley.
- 2017 (Nov. 18): Closing Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated at Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
- 2020: Pastor Fr. Ed Horning publicly discusses budget shortfalls at both Brawley churches.
- 2026 (effective July 1): Fr. Antonio Morales named pastor of Sacred Heart, St. Margaret Mary, and St. Joseph.
Mass & Service Schedule (St. Margaret Mary)
The parish publishes its schedule on the brawleycatholic.org/services page. At St. Margaret Mary, Sunday Masses are offered in both English and Spanish, and weekday Masses are held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 6:00 PM. Confessions are heard bilingually on Friday evenings, with additional Saturday and First Friday slots listed by third-party schedule aggregators.
- Sunday 8:00 AM (Spanish)
- Sunday 10:00 AM (English)
- Sunday 12:00 PM (Spanish)
- Monday 6:00 PM
- Tuesday 6:00 PM
- Thursday 6:00 PM
- Friday 6:00 PM
- Reconciliation: Friday 6:30–7:15 PM (Bilingual)
Devotions and Prayer
Daily Rosary is prayed before several Masses, and the parish offers extended Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays. The combination of frequent rosary times and a long First Friday vigil gives parishioners several ways to pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament during the week.
- Rosary — Sundays 7:20 AM, 9:20 AM, 11:20 AM
- Rosary — Mondays and Fridays 5:25 PM (Spanish)
- Rosary — Saturdays 7:00 AM (Spanish)
- First Friday Eucharistic Adoration — 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Sacraments
Baptism is the central sacramental ministry described on the parish website. Parents and godparents must be practicing Catholics at Brawley Catholic or another parish, and children seven or younger may be baptized; older children go through the RCIA for Children track. There is a required Baptismal Preparation Class for parents and sponsors, and fees apply for general and private baptisms.
- Baptism for infants and small children (up to age 7)
- Baptismal Preparation Class required for parents and sponsors
- RCIA for Children available for those over age 7
- $75 donation for general Baptism; $125 for private Baptism (Deacons only)
- Reconciliation: see Mass & Service Schedule
Faith Formation for Children
The parish's Faith Formation ministry welcomes parents and children to catechism classes that explore Catholic faith, the sacraments, Scripture, and the liturgical year. Registration is annual and includes a media/internet safety component, a photo/video release, and a small contribution to cover student materials. The parish's central Faith Formation contact line is (760) 587-4018.
- Catechism classes for children (English and Spanish tracks per the site)
- Online registration forms (English/Spanish)
- Photo/video release form
- Media & internet safety resources for parents
- Faith Formation phone: (760) 587-4018
Staff
The 'Meet the Team' page lists the parish leadership and staff. The pastor leads the combined Catholic Communities of Brawley & Westmorland, and is supported by a Director of Faith Formation & Catechetical Evangelization, a faith-formation sister, and an Office Manager & Bookkeeper.
- Rev. Bernardo Lara — Pastor of Catholic Communities of Brawley & Westmorland (listed on official 'Meet the Team' page; reassigned 2026)
- Mrs. Alma Gonzalez — Director of Faith Formation & Catechetical Evangelization
- Sister Monica Del Hoyo — staff (role described on the team page)
- Office Manager & Bookkeeper (per official team page)
Annual Catholic Appeal (Diocesan)
Like every parish in the Diocese of San Diego, Brawley Catholic participates in the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA). The ACA funds diocesan pastoral ministries — including Catholic schools, faith-formation programs for all ages, retired priests, and seminarian formation — that individual parishes could not sustain alone.
- Supports diocesan schools
- Supports faith formation for all ages
- Sustains retired priests
- Provides for the formation of new priests
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Margaret Mary by phone, fax, or email, or in person at the parish office in Brawley. The mailing address and the church's physical location are the same, in central Brawley.
- Address: 620 S. Cesar Chavez St., Brawley, CA 92227
- Phone: (760) 550-9830
- Fax: (760) 550-9753
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Antonio MoralesEffective July 1, 2026
Assigned by the Diocese of San Diego as pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Margaret Mary parishes in Brawley, and St. Joseph Parish, Westmorland. Previously pastor of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Calipatria, and dean of the El Centro deanery.
- Rev. Bernardo Lara
Pastor of the Catholic Communities of Brawley & Westmorland (CCBW); reassigned in 2026 to Our Lady of Angels Parish in San Diego.
- Rev. Edward (Ed) Horning
Pastor of the CCBW during the closure of the Brawley-area Our Lady of Perpetual Help mission in 2017; spoke publicly about budget shortfalls at both Brawley churches (Sacred Heart and St. Margaret Mary).