About Our Lady of Fatima · Phoenix, Arizona
Our Lady of Fatima Mission is a Roman Catholic community in the heart of metro Phoenix, just south of the Arizona State Capitol district, at 1418 S. 17th Avenue. Founded as a mission in 1956 and elevated to parish status in 2013 by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, the parish is best known as the home of the Missionaries of Charity in Phoenix, whose presence was established after St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) visited the mission in 1989. The parish offers Mass in English and Spanish, weekly confession, monthly First Friday adoration, a Religious Education program for children and youth, and outreach to the poor in the surrounding neighborhood.
- Established
- 1956
- Patron
- Our Lady of Fatima
- Rector
- Fr. Andrew McNair (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Phoenix
Why belong here
Our Lady of Fatima Mission is one of the most distinctive small parishes in the Diocese of Phoenix — a 1956 mission on South 17th Avenue that became a full parish in 2013, and it remains the operating base of the Missionaries of Charity in central Phoenix. Worshippers can attend a Saturday Vigil Mass plus Sunday Masses in English and Spanish, regular Saturday confession, and First Friday Eucharistic Adoration. Families can enroll children ages 3–16 in a two-year Religious Education program (with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for the youngest), and the parish's small size means most members serve in liturgical ministries such as altar serving and the Altar Society. For anyone in metro Phoenix looking for a parish rooted in Catholic tradition, devotions to Our Lady of Fatima, and concrete outreach to the homeless and poor, it offers a uniquely grounded community.
Mass times at Our Lady of Fatima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Adoration times
- First Friday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Welcome and Parish Identity
Our Lady of Fatima Mission describes itself as 'a Roman Catholic Community in the heart of Metro Phoenix' that seeks 'to love our Lord with the help of our patroness and mother, Our Lady of Fatima.' The community is explicitly centered on Christ and His sacraments, and the parish draws its inspiration from the Missionaries of Charity who live and serve on site, modeling a commitment to the poor.
- Founded as a mission in 1956 and elevated to parish in 2013 by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted
- Located just south of the Arizona State Capitol district
- Bilingual community: English and Spanish
History
The mission was established in 1956 on South 17th Avenue as a Catholic outpost in central Phoenix. The most transformative moment in its modern history came in February 1989, when Mother Teresa visited, kissed the ground in three spots, and laid the foundation for the Missionaries of Charity to serve the poorest of the poor in Phoenix. In September 2016, after her canonization, Bishop Olmsted blessed those three locations and a statue brought back from Rome. In November 2013 the mission itself was elevated to full parish status. For about eight years prior to that, the mission had also been home to Phoenix's Syro-Malabar Catholic community, which grew to about 100 families before establishing nearby Holy Family as its own parish.
- 1956 — Mission established on South 17th Avenue
- February 1989 — Mother Teresa's visit and founding of the Missionaries of Charity house
- c. 2005–2013 — Syro-Malabar community worshipped here
- November 2013 — Elevated to parish by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted; Syro-Malabar community establishes Holy Family Parish
- September 2016 — Three ground-kissing spots blessed as second-class relics of St. Teresa of Calcutta
The Missionaries of Charity and Mother Teresa's Legacy
The mission is the operating base of the Missionaries of Charity in Phoenix. Sisters from the order founded by St. Teresa of Calcutta live on or near the property and run shelters serving homeless men, women, and children in the surrounding neighborhood. On the parish site, three discreet markers indicate where Mother Teresa kissed the ground during her 1989 visit — outside her car, just inside the church doors, and at the foot of the altar — and Bishop Olmsted formally blessed them as second-class relics of the newly canonized saint in 2016.
- Missionaries of Charity serve the poorest of the poor in downtown Phoenix from this mission
- Shelters for homeless men, women, and children operated by the sisters
- Three relics of St. Teresa of Calcutta marked on the grounds and at the altar
- Statue of Mother Teresa blessed in 2016 after her canonization in Rome
Office Hours and Location
The parish office is open three days a week and is staffed by the parish secretary and pastoral aide. The church is on South 17th Avenue in central Phoenix, easily described as 'a stone's throw south of the State Capitol district.'
- Office hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Address: 1418 S. 17th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85007
- Phone: (602) 254-4944
- Fax: (602) 283-4128
- Email: [email protected]
Religious Education / Catechism
Our Lady of Fatima runs a Religious Education program for children and youth ages 3 to 16, structured as a two-year course running from September through May. The youngest students (ages 3–6) are enrolled in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-style atrium program with hands-on learning. Older students preparing for sacraments attend weekly classes, with Mass attendance, community service, and two retreats required for sacramental candidates.
- Two-year program for ages 3–16, September–May
- Ages 3–6 — Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (Montessori style)
- Ages 7–16 sacramental preparation — 2-year process
- Teen group (ages 16+): Saturdays 4:30–6:30 pm
- Second-year students: Saturday mornings 9:00–11:00 am
- First-year students: Monday or Tuesday evenings 6:00–8:00 pm
- Registration fee: $50 per child, $25 for each additional child
Eucharist and Sacramental Preparation
Eucharistic preparation for children ages 7–17 is a two-year process that runs August through May, with registration announced after Mass each July and August. Adults (18+) seeking sacraments go through a one-year program that follows the regular school-year calendar, with registration beginning in August.
- Children ages 7–17 — 2-year Eucharistic preparation (August–May)
- Adults ages 18+ — 1-year preparation, registration in August
- Registration for the children's track announced after Mass in July–August
Liturgical Ministries
Because the parish is small, ministry participation is essentially a way of belonging. The parish welcomes volunteers and trains them for liturgical roles. The Altar Society is responsible for keeping the church beautiful and ready for each new liturgical season, while young men can register through the parish office to become altar servers.
- Altar Servers — open to young men who want to serve at Mass
- Altar Society — handles seasonal decoration and care of the church
- Lead Lector ministry
- Sacristan role (Jerry Perdue on staff)
- All ministries open to parish volunteers
Sacraments
The parish has published policies for several sacraments on its website, reflecting a careful, scheduled approach appropriate to a mission-sized community.
- Baptism — during normal Mass times on the last Sunday of the month (not during Lent or Advent)
- First Eucharist — see dedicated preparation track above
- Funerals — scheduled Mondays through Thursdays only
- Confession — Saturday 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
- Marriage — arranged through the parish office
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by two priests — a Parochial Administrator and a Parochial Vicar — supported by a small lay staff. The current published roster reflects a lean but bilingual team.
- Fr. Andrew McNair — Parochial Administrator
- Fr. Eduardo Gomez Rivera — Parochial Vicar
- Maria Becerra — Parish Secretary
- Ralph Duarte — Pastoral Aide
- John Garcia — Lead Lector & Altar Server
- Jerry Perdue — Sacristan
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael Accinni-Reinhardt
Listed as pastor of the mission in earlier parish directories (c. 2016).