About Our Lady of Grace · Maricopa, Arizona
Our Lady of Grace is a Roman Catholic parish in Maricopa, Arizona, belonging to the Diocese of Tucson. Established on January 13, 2007 by Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas — rising out of what had been St. Francis de Sales Catholic Mission under St. Anthony of Padua in Casa Grande — it is the Catholic home for a fast-growing Pinal County community. The parish celebrates Mass in English and Spanish, runs robust youth, faith formation and liturgical ministries, and is led today by Fr. Jay Luczak as pastor alongside Fr. Cosmas Jooli as parochial vicar and Deacon Michael Zuber.
- Established
- 2007
- Patron
- Our Lady of Grace
- Rector
- Fr. Jay Luczak
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tucson
Why belong here
Our Lady of Grace is a large, active parish in Maricopa that offers four Sunday Masses including a Spanish Mass and a LifeTeen Mass, a 7:30 a.m. Silent Mass for those who prefer a contemplative liturgy, daily Mass Monday through Friday, two strong youth programs (LifeTeen for high schoolers and EDGE for middle schoolers), a year-round Faith Formation program for children preparing for First Communion and Confirmation, a Summer Bible Camp, and a deep bench of liturgical ministries — Lectors, Ushers, Altar Servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Music Ministry choirs for every Sunday Mass, Liturgical Arts and Environment, and Homebound Ministry. With welcoming parish staff and a clear mission to 'proclaim and live our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,' it is an accessible, multi-generational home for Catholic life in Pinal County.
Mass times at Our Lady of Grace
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday through Friday — immediately following the 8:00 a.m. Daily Mass
- Saturdays — 9:00 a.m.
Adoration times
- First Friday — Adoration Holy Hour following the 8:00 a.m. Mass
About Our Lady of Grace
Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Tucson, Arizona. It was established on January 13, 2007 by Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas, after years of mission status serving the growing Catholic population of Maricopa and surrounding Pinal County. The parish's stated Mission is 'to be dedicated to proclaiming and living our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ — to preach and teach the fullness of the Gospel in accord with the teachings of the holy Roman Catholic Church by loving God and neighbor.' Today the parish gathers at 18700 N. Saint Gabriel Way in Maricopa under Pastor Fr. Jay Luczak, Parochial Vicar Fr. Cosmas Jooli, and Deacon Michael Zuber, supported by a full team of parish and faith-formation staff.
- Diocese: Diocese of Tucson
- Pastor: Fr. Jay Luczak
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Cosmas Jooli
- Deacon: Deacon Michael Zuber
- Address: 18700 N. Saint Gabriel Way, Maricopa, AZ 85138
Parish History
Catholic life in the Maricopa area long predates the parish. Before 2007 the community worshipped as St. Francis de Sales Catholic Mission, administered by St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Casa Grande. By early 2007 attendance had grown so dramatically — founding pastor Fr. Marcos Velasquez noted the church was drawing nearly 1,000 people across five weekend Masses — that on January 13, 2007 Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of the Diocese of Tucson formally established the mission as an independent parish, choosing the name Our Lady of Grace from a short list Velasquez had submitted. Velasquez explained the choice by noting that 'knowing the history of Maricopa as a watering place and that water is always associated with God's grace, this seems like a perfect name.' Becoming a parish freed the community from dependence on St. Anthony's and gave Maricopa's Catholics autonomy over their own programs and growth. Bishop Kicanas also set a vision to build a worship space seating at least 1,600 — important given the nationwide shortage of priests and rapid growth of the region.
- Pre-2007: St. Francis de Sales Catholic Mission under St. Anthony of Padua, Casa Grande
- January 13, 2007: Elevated to parish status by Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas
- Founder / first pastor: Fr. Marcos C. Velasquez
- Bishop's vision: sanctuary seating for at least 1,600
Parish Staff
The parish is served by clergy and a dedicated lay staff who together run worship, formation, youth ministry, parish life, finances and facilities. Staff members can be reached through the parish office at (520) 568-4605; each name on the parish website is clickable to send email.
- Fr. Jay Luczak — Pastor
- Fr. Cosmas Jooli — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Michael Zuber — Deacon
- Ed Talsness — Business Manager (also contact for Liturgical Ministries)
- Carmina Giandiletti — Parish Secretary
- Zoraida Molina — Religious Education Administrative Assistant
- Ann Maidman — Director of Religious Education & Youth Ministry (DRE/DYM)
- AJ Napolitano — Coordinator of Parish Life & Ministries / Compliance Officer
- Luis Acosta — Maintenance
Parish Office & Contact
The parish office serves walk-in and phone inquiries and is also the intake point for general questions, prayer requests and testimonies through the website's contact form. Office hours are reduced on Mondays and the office is closed on weekends; the staff takes a midday break Tuesday through Friday.
- Phone: 520-568-4605
- Fax: 520-568-0861
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 18700 N. Saint Gabriel Way, Maricopa, AZ 85138
- Monday: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Tuesday–Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Tuesday–Friday closed for lunch 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Our Lady of Grace believes lifelong faith formation is essential to grow in love and service of the Lord, and welcomes children, teens and adults into a range of programs that deepen faith through Scripture, the Catechism, and Catholic tradition. Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation runs in tandem with Religious Education classes held August through April.
- Religious Education — Sacramental Preparation for First Communion and Confirmation
- Sunday Children's Liturgy of the Word — during 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. (Spanish) Masses, September through June
- Summer Bible Camp — week-long program for children entering K–6th grade (Bible stories, songs, crafts, themed snacks, skits)
- Confirmation classes with sacramental preparation requirements
- Contact: Ann Maidman, DRE/DYM, (520) 568-4605
Youth Ministry (LifeTeen & EDGE)
Middle school and high school youth are served by two parallel programs: EDGE for grades 7–8 and LifeTeen for grades 9–12. Both meet weekly on the parish campus with games, teaching, prayer and community. The 10:30 a.m. Sunday 'LifeTeen Mass' is the parish's flagship teen liturgy.
- LifeTeen High School Youth Group (Grades 9–12) — Thursdays 6:15–8:30 p.m. at the church
- EDGE Middle School Youth Group (Grades 7–8) — Wednesdays 6:15–8:30 p.m. at the church
- Sunday 10:30 a.m. LifeTeen Mass (English)
- Contact: Ann Maidman, Director of Religious Education & Youth Ministry
Liturgical Ministries
Liturgical Ministries at Our Lady of Grace offer parishioners of every age a way to serve at Mass. Each ministry trains twice a year and includes ongoing formation, and every Mass — Vigil, English Sunday, LifeTeen, and Spanish — has its own choir leadership.
- Lectors — proclaim the Word of God; training held twice a year
- Ushers / Ministers of Hospitality — first point of contact at Mass; assist disabled and offertory
- Altar Servers — open to youth who have received First Communion; training held twice a year
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — practicing Catholics, 18+ with Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist
- Music Ministry / Mass Choirs — 4:00 p.m. (Brenda Adamson), 9:00 a.m. (Charlie West), 10:30 a.m. LifeTeen (Ann Maidman / Zack Maloy / Christina Maloy), 12:30 p.m. Spanish (Francisca Gralian / Irma Galvan)
- Liturgical Arts and Environment — designs sanctuary, atrium and worship-space décor for Advent, Christmas, Lent, Triduum, Easter, Pentecost and Ordinary Time
- Homebound Ministry — brings Communion to elderly and homebound parishioners
- Contact for Liturgical Ministries: Ed Talsness, (520) 568-4605
Young Adults, Parish Life & Other Ministries
Beyond faith formation and liturgical service, Our Lady of Grace runs a Young Adults ministry and a broad Parish Life umbrella. The parish emphasizes that 'volunteering is one way of building the Body of Christ' and invites new members to find an area in which to share their time and talents, regardless of background.
- Young Adults ministry
- Parish Life ministries — multiple small communities and service groups
- Safe Environment program in cooperation with the Diocese of Tucson
- Parish Registration for new members (welcomed through the About / Home pages)
- Contact for Parish Life: AJ Napolitano, Coordinator of Parish Life & Ministries / Compliance Officer
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Marcos C. Velasquez2007 (founding pastor) onward
First pastor of Our Lady of Grace when it was elevated from St. Francis de Sales Catholic Mission to a parish on January 13, 2007 by Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas; he proposed the name 'Our Lady of Grace'.