About Immaculate Conception · Ajo, Arizona
Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic parish in the small copper-mining town of Ajo, in southwestern Arizona, belonging to the Diocese of Tucson. The parish was formally established on August 24, 1916 and is one of the few adobe Catholic churches still in active use in Arizona, its white-stuccoed Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival building having been designed by the celebrated Santa Barbara architect George Washington Smith in 1925. From its landmark position facing the historic Ajo Townsite plaza, the parish continues to serve Catholics across a wide, sparsely settled swath of western Pima County that once also included Gila Bend, Cotton Center, Theban, Sentinel and Hyder.
- Established
- 1916
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
- Rector
- Rev. Peter C. Nwachukwu
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is a tight-knit Catholic community in one of Arizona's most historic mining towns, with Mass offered almost every day and a Spanish-language Mass once a month. The parish is sustained by long-standing organizations — Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul, and Cursillo — and by beloved annual traditions like the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the November Jamaica Bazaar, and the 4th of July barbecue. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed into an adobe landmark church that has anchored the Ajo plaza for a century, and into a small but active faith family that still reaches across a wide stretch of western Pima County.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
- And 30 minutes before all other Masses (ask the priest if he is in the church)
Adoration times
- Thursday: 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM
History of Immaculate Conception Parish
The parish was formally established on August 24, 1916, when Father Julius Gheldorf became its first pastor. Early Mass was celebrated in a tent house in Clarkston, southeast of Ajo. The present church was begun in 1922 by a contractor named Eck, with Guadalupe Rodriguez as subcontractor; after rain brought down a wall and funds ran out, Rodriguez and his crew finished the building in 1924. Phelps Dodge deeded the property to the Diocese of Tucson in 1938 and helped fund construction. The church was formally dedicated on November 26, 1925, by Bishop Daniel J. Gerke, during Father Felix Collymore's pastorate. The parish celebrated its centennial in November 2016 with a Mass offered by Bishop Gerald F. Kianas.
- Founded August 24, 1916 — first pastor Father Julius Gheldorf
- Construction begun 1922; finished under Guadalupe Rodriguez in 1924
- Dedicated November 26, 1925, by Bishop Daniel J. Gerke; Father Felix Collymore pastor
- Phelps Dodge donated the property to the Diocese of Tucson in 1938
- Centennial celebrated November 19, 2016, with Bishop Gerald F. Kianas
Architecture & Building
The Immaculate Conception Catholic Church was designed in 1925 by George Washington Smith, the celebrated Santa Barbara proponent of the Spanish Colonial Revival style. He was brought to Ajo through the influence of mine supervisor and town developer John C. Greenway and his wife Isabella Greenway Ferguson. The building is a blend of Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival, with a white-stuccoed mud-adobe structure on a concrete foundation, a curvilinear sculpted parapet, and a graceful dome with lantern capping the cruciform plan.
- Architect: George Washington Smith, 1925
- Style: Mission Revival / Spanish Colonial Revival
- Materials: mud adobe on concrete foundation, white stucco, stained-glass windows and doors
- Contributing structure of the Ajo Townsite Historic District
Sacraments
The parish office schedules Baptisms, Marriages, and Quinceañeras by appointment. The Anointing of the Sick is celebrated within Mass on the first Friday of every month, followed by a Holy Hour.
- Baptism — call the parish office
- Marriage — call the parish office
- Quinceañera — call the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — first Friday, within Mass and Holy Hour
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Immaculate Conception has a rich fabric of lay organizations, several dating back decades, that animate the parish's life of faith and service.
- Knights of Columbus, George M. Feeney Council — established 1963 under Father Cahalane
- Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court Immaculate Conception — received July 20, 1975
- Legion of Mary — founded 1985
- St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop — opened 1984 at 1500 Washington Street
- Cursillo Movement — started 1967 by Father Cahalane
- Parish Council — established 1984 by Father Jan F. Lundgren
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education at Immaculate Conception has deep roots. In 1942 Father Albert Knier suggested Ajo to the Sisters of Charity; Sisters Suzanne McIntyre and Dominica O'Connor began summer catechesis in 1942–1943, and from 1944 onward Sisters Bertrand Wall, Mildred Stephen and Theodosia Murtha made the Sisters of Charity's catechetical and social-service work a year-round presence across the parish's vast territory. The parish continues to maintain a religious-education program, listed in the Official Catholic Directory with about 35 students.
- Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill have served the parish since 1944
- Catechetical and social-service work expanded across Gila Bend and the wider region
Parish Traditions & Annual Events
The parish maintains several beloved annual traditions that draw the Ajo community together.
- Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe — special Mass and social, celebrated annually since 1979
- Jamaica Bazaar — held in mid-November
- 4th of July Barbecue
- Catholic Daughters Meeting — first Thursday of the month, 1:00 PM, Parish Hall
- Parish Council Meeting — first Thursday of the month, 6:00 PM, Parish Hall (except summer)
Outreach: St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop
The parish's St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop has been a community fixture since it opened in 1984. Located at 1500 Washington Street, it offers affordable goods to the Ajo area while supporting the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's work of charity.
- Address: 1500 Washington Street, Ajo
- Phone: (520) 387-6622
- Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Clergy & Staff
The parish is served by Rev. Peter C. Nwachukwu, who has been pastor since January 2006 and led the parish through its 2016 centennial celebration.
- Rev. Peter C. Nwachukwu — Pastor, arrived January 2006 from Nigeria
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Julius Gheldorf1916
First pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish at its establishment on August 24, 1916.
- Father Felix Collymore1925 dedication
Pastor at the time of the church's formal dedication by Bishop Daniel J. Gerke on November 26, 1925.
- Father Albert Knier1942
Ex-Army chaplain who suggested Ajo as a mission field for the Sisters of Charity.
- Father George Feeney1944
Asked the Sisters of Charity to take on year-round catechetical and social-service work; the K of C George M. Feeney Council was later named in his honor.
- Father Cahalane1963–1967
Guided the establishment of the Knights of Columbus George M. Feeney Council in 1963 and started the Cursillo movement in Ajo in 1967.
- Father Jan F. Lundgren1984–1985
Established the Parish Council and District Program in 1984; tenure coincided with the founding of the Legion of Mary in 1985.
- Rev. Peter C. NwachukwuJanuary 2006–present
Priest from Nigeria; led the parish through its 2016 centennial celebration.