About Christ of the Desert Mission Church · Amargosa Valley, Nevada
Christ of the Desert is a small Roman Catholic mission church in the remote desert community of Amargosa Valley, Nevada, about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas and near the entrance to Death Valley. Established in 1984 by the Diocese of Las Vegas (now the Archdiocese of Las Vegas) and first celebrated with Mass on Pentecost Sunday 1986, it is today a bilingual (English/Spanish) faith community served out of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in nearby Pahrump. Its character is rooted in the religious traditions of the old Spanish missions of Mexico, and Sunday Mass remains the heartbeat of the parish.
- Established
- 1984
- Rector
- Reverend Bruno Mauricci
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Las Vegas (formerly the Diocese of Las Vegas)
Why belong here
Christ of the Desert offers something rare in southern Nevada — a small, multigenerational bilingual Catholic community where every member of the family is welcome, from infants to elders. Sunday evening bilingual Mass is the gathering point of the week, supported by a Repeat Boutique for thrift-style giving, CCD religious education before Mass, and warm seasonal celebrations such as Posadas and Novenas during Advent. It is a parish where you can know your neighbors by name, serve in the church you helped build, and grow in faith together within a culture that honors the old traditions of the Spanish missions of Mexico.
Mass times at Christ of the Desert Mission Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM (Spanish & English, before Mass)
History of Christ of the Desert Mission
Established in 1984 by the Diocese of Las Vegas in the small ranching and gateway community of Amargosa Valley, the mission is one of the most geographically remote Catholic parishes in the state. The first Mass was celebrated on Pentecost Sunday in 1986, before the building was finished — at the time there was only a cement slab and two framed walls. Monsignor Elwood La Voy sponsored the effort, and the parishioners themselves raised the walls, creating a faith culture shaped by the religious traditions of the old Spanish missions of Mexico. From those humble beginnings the mission has remained a tight, multigenerational and bilingual community.
- Established 1984 (Diocese of Las Vegas)
- First Mass: Pentecost Sunday 1986
- Founded under the sponsorship of Msgr. Elwood La Voy
- Built by its own parishioners
- Administratively linked with Our Lady of the Valley Parish, Pahrump
Pastoral Leadership
Because of the mission's small size and remote location, Christ of the Desert is pastored from Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Pahrump. On 21 May 2021 the Diocese of Las Vegas announced that Father Bruno Mauricci was being appointed Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of the Valley with pastoral care of the Christ of the Desert Mission, effective 1 July 2021. The mission's earlier independent website also listed Father Henry P. Salditos as its chaplain.
- Current pastor: Rev. Bruno Mauricci (since 1 July 2021)
- Earlier chaplain: Father Henry P. Salditos
- Founding sponsor: Monsignor Elwood La Voy
Mass & Liturgy
The mission's Sunday bilingual Mass is the gathering heart of the parish. Reconciliation is offered immediately before Mass, and the parish notes that 'each Sunday our church is filled with the happy noise of babies and children — our young parents are encouraged to bring their little ones to Mass.' A Saturday evening bilingual Mass is also listed on at least one diocesan schedule aggregator.
- Sunday: Reconciliation 4:30 PM (Spanish & English)
- Sunday: 5:00 PM Bilingual Mass (English & Spanish)
- Saturday: 5:00 PM Bilingual Mass (per diocesan directory aggregator)
Faith Formation & Religious Education (CCD)
Religious education for the children of the mission is held before the Sunday evening Mass, a practical arrangement for a rural parish where families travel from across the valley. Faith-formation inquiries for Christ of the Desert are handled through the Our Lady of the Valley office in Pahrump, and the Spanish-language catechetical director is María Gonzales, who can be reached through the parish office.
- CCD classes: Sunday before 5:00 PM Mass
- Faith Formation contact: Our Lady of the Valley Parish, Pahrump — (775) 727-4044, [email protected]
- Catecismo (director): María Gonzales
Sacraments
The mission celebrates the central sacraments of Catholic life together as a community, and treats each one as cause for a parish-wide fiesta. Quinceañera celebrations are an especially cherished sacramental milestone, reflecting the mission's bicultural and bilingual character rooted in the religious traditions of the Spanish missions of Mexico.
- Baptism
- First Holy Communion
- Confirmation
- Quinceañera
- Marriage (coordinated through Our Lady of the Valley)
- Confession / Reconciliation (Sunday 4:30 PM)
Seasonal Devotions
During Advent the parish's evenings are shaped by the traditional Catholic Latino devotional cycle of Novenas and Posadas, drawing once again on the cultural heritage of the old Spanish missions of Mexico. These gatherings bring families together throughout the season of preparation for Christmas.
- Advent Novenas
- Posadas during Advent
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Despite its small size, Christ of the Desert operates a number of parish ministries that hold the community together. The 'Repeat Boutique' is a thrift-style giving ministry open after Sunday Mass; the Resource and Communication group reaches out to neighbors who need a welcoming hand, prayers, a ride to Mass, or spiritual support; and the music ministry supports the bilingual Sunday liturgy.
- Repeat Boutique (Sunday after service)
- Resource and Communication outreach group
- Music ministry
- Seasonal Advent hospitality (Novenas and Posadas)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Elwood La Voy1984–1986 (founding)
Sponsor of the new mission who guided the parishioners in building the church and shaping its faith community.
- Father Henry P. Salditos
Listed as Chaplain on the mission's historic angelfire website.
- Reverend Bruno Mauricci2021–present
Appointed Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of the Valley Parish (Pahrump) with pastoral care of the Christ of the Desert Mission, effective 1 July 2021, per the Diocese of Las Vegas priest-assignment announcement.