About Holy Trinity · Greenfield, California
Holy Trinity Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Greenfield, California, in the heart of the Salinas Valley, serving a predominantly immigrant, farm-working community. Founded in 1951 under the Diocese of Monterey, the parish is the only Catholic church in Greenfield and draws about 4,000 people to its weekend liturgies, the majority of which are celebrated in Spanish. Under the leadership of Very Rev. Enrique Herrera, V.F. — a Mexican-born priest and the 2017–18 Lumen Christi Award recipient — Holy Trinity has grown into a vibrant hub of faith formation, youth ministry, charity, and outreach to migrant families, with programs ranging from a food bank and English classes to youth sports leagues.
- Established
- 1951
- Patron
- Holy Trinity (the Blessed Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Enrique Herrera, V.F.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Monterey in California
Why belong here
Holy Trinity is the only Catholic parish in Greenfield, and it is deeply woven into the life of the town's mostly immigrant, farm-working families — about 4,000 people attend its six weekend Masses each week. The parish offers a robust religious education program (with First Communion classes drawing hundreds of children each spring), a Spanish-language youth ministry, weekday and Saturday confession, weekly Thursday adoration, and a wide array of outreach ministries including a food bank, English and parenting classes, immigration assistance, and youth sports leagues. It is also a bilingual community, with most Masses celebrated in Spanish and one in English — making it a natural spiritual home for both long-time Valley families and newcomer farmworkers alike.
Mass times at Holy Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Thursday: 8:00 AM – 6:30 PM (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
History of Holy Trinity Parish
Holy Trinity Parish was formally established in 1951 in Greenfield, a small agricultural city in Monterey County in the heart of the Salinas Valley. The building the parish still uses, on South El Camino Real, was constructed in 1934 with assistance from Catholic Extension to serve the area's farmworkers, meaning the mission church predates the formal parish by seventeen years. The parish grew alongside Greenfield's immigrant and farm-working community, and by the late 2010s was hosting about 4,000 people at its six weekend Masses each week.
- Founded as a parish in 1951
- Current church building completed in 1934 with Catholic Extension help
- Only Catholic parish in Greenfield, CA
- Located in the Salinas Valley, between the Gabilan and Santa Lucia mountain ranges
Our Pastor — Very Rev. Enrique Herrera, V.F.
Father Enrique (Enrique) Herrera has served as pastor of Holy Trinity since 2008. Born in Mexico as the third of seven children, he is the son of migrant farmworkers who traveled between Mexico and the Salinas Valley to work the fields. He felt a call to the priesthood at age 10, entered seminary in Guadalajara, and later joined the Diocese of Monterey at the invitation of the bishop. In 2017 he was honored with Catholic Extension's Lumen Christi Award — the organization's highest honor — for transforming Holy Trinity into a hub of faith, education, and community service for immigrant families.
- Pastor since 2008
- Son of Mexican migrant farmworkers in the Salinas Valley
- Received the 2017–18 Catholic Extension Lumen Christi Award
- Nominated for the award by Bishop Richard Garcia of Monterey
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Father Herrera and supported by a small lay staff that runs the parish office, finances, religious education, and youth ministry. Most parish business is conducted in English and Spanish.
- Pastor: Rev. Enrique Herrera, V.F.
- Office Manager: Liliana Camacho (ext. 223; [email protected])
- Parish Recorder: Eva Cabrera
- Parish Secretary: Anet Segundo
- Director of Religious Education: Gloria Aguilar — (831) 674-3695; Tue–Thu 3–5 PM, Sat 9 AM–12 PM
- Director of Youth Ministry (Spanish Group): Mario Santiago
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education at Holy Trinity is directed by Gloria Aguilar and is one of the largest ministries of the parish. In May 2017 alone, 446 children received their First Communion, and hundreds of teenagers are enrolled in the parish's confirmation program each year. The parish emphasizes preparing young people to be leaders, and teens serve as the core group of parish volunteers.
- Director of Religious Education: Gloria Aguilar
- Office: (831) 674-3695
- Hours: Tue–Thu 3:00–5:00 PM, Sat 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
- First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation for teens
Youth Ministry
Because the parents of most of the parish's young people are farmworkers with demanding schedules, Holy Trinity places a strong emphasis on keeping youth safe, engaged, and rooted in the community. The Spanish-language youth group, led by Mario Santiago, anchors that work and is supported by confirmation candidates, who serve as core parish volunteers.
- Director of Youth Ministry (Spanish Group): Mario Santiago
- Confirmation teens serve as core volunteer group
- Soccer and basketball leagues for youth
- Spring-break anti-bullying / anti-violence classes (around 300 high schoolers attend)
Outreach and Charity
Under Father Herrera's leadership, Holy Trinity has built a wide network of social services aimed at immigrant and farm-working families in the Salinas Valley. Programs address both material and educational needs, from a parish food bank to English-language instruction, and they are designed to wrap around the realities of agricultural work in the region.
- Parish food bank
- English-language classes
- Immigration assistance
- Nutrition and parenting classes
- Anti-bullying and anti-violence classes for high schoolers
Sacraments
Holy Trinity celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments, with particular attention to those that mark family and community life in the Latino Catholic tradition — including baptism, First Communion, confirmation, marriage, and quinceañera. Confession is offered weekly on Saturday afternoons and by appointment.
- Baptism
- First Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Quinceañera
- Reconciliation (Confession)
Visiting and Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach Holy Trinity by phone, email, or in person at the parish office. The mailing address is P.O. Box 276, Greenfield, CA 93927; the church and parish office sit at 27 South El Camino Real, near the center of town. Several weekday Masses (and Sunday-evening Masses at times) are celebrated outdoors.
- Address: 27 S. El Camino Real, Greenfield, CA 93927
- Mailing: P.O. Box 276, Greenfield, CA 93927
- Phone: (831) 674-5428
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.holytrinitygreenfield.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas D. Morgan1952-1960
First listed pastor of Holy Trinity in the Diocese of Monterey directory.
- Rev. Martin Cooney1960-1968
- Rev. Henry Hall1968-1992
Longest-tenured pastor on record.
- Rev. Frank Thome1993-1994
- Rev. Joseph Grech1995
Administrator.
- Rev. Eugenio Aramburo1995-2003
- Rev. Antonio Cortes2003-2007
- Rev. Greg Sandman11/2007-6/2008
- Very Rev. Enrique Herrera, V.F.2008-present
Current pastor; 2017–18 Catholic Extension Lumen Christi Award recipient.