About Our Lady of Guadalupe · Delano, California
Our Lady of Guadalupe is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Fresno located at 1015 Clinton Street in Delano, California (Kern County). Founded in 1957 to serve the predominantly Mexican-American Catholic community of the northern San Joaquin Valley, the parish is one of two Catholic churches in Delano (the other being St. Mary's). It is regularly described as a Franciscan-served parish (part of the Province of St. Barbara / Order of Friars Minor), and its liturgical life is overwhelmingly bilingual, with most weekend Masses celebrated in Spanish and one Sunday Mass in English. The parish is best known regionally for its annual Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration each December, which draws hundreds of faithful in a candlelit procession from St. Mary's to the church and features traditional mariachi and danzas from Michoacán.
- Established
- 1957
- Patron
- Our Lady of Guadalupe (Virgen de Guadalupe / Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe)
- Rector
- Father Miguel Campos
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
Parishioners worship at Our Lady of Guadalupe because it is the Spanish-language heart of Catholic life for Mexican and Mexican-American families in Delano, with multiple weekend Masses in Spanish, an English Sunday Mass for English-speaking parishioners, weekday adoration and a robust celebration of the December Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe anchored in a candlelit procession and traditional mariachi. The parish is staffed by the Franciscan Friars (Order of Friars Minor), who bring a charism of simplicity, service to the poor, and devotion to Our Lady to the Central Valley farmworker community — a spirit visible in its joint witness with the UFW Foundation for immigrant rights. For a Catholic family in the northern San Joaquin Valley looking for bilingual liturgy, Marian devotion, and a church deeply rooted in Mexican Catholic tradition, Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most welcoming options.
Mass times at Our Lady of Guadalupe
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 4:00–5:00 PM
- Saturday 4:00–5:00 PM
- Thursday 4:15–5:15 PM and 6:15–6:45 PM (per third-party listing)
Adoration times
- Saturday 8:30 AM–5:30 PM
- First Saturday 6:30 PM
- Thursday 6:00–7:00 PM (per third-party listing)
History & Founding
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish was established in 1957 within the Diocese of Fresno to minister to the Spanish-speaking Catholic population of Delano, a small agricultural city in the northern San Joaquin Valley. Its founding reflected the rapid mid-century demographic change in Kern County driven by Mexican and Mexican-American farmworkers arriving to work the vineyards, citrus groves and cotton fields. The parish takes its name from Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Marian apparition venerated on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City in 1531 and the central patroness of Mexico. Since its founding, the parish has occupied its site at the corner of Clinton Street and 11th Avenue, in close pastoral partnership with the English-language parish of St. Mary's on 11th Avenue. It has historically been served by the Franciscan Friars Minor (OFM) of the Province of St. Barbara.
- Established 1957
- Diocese of Fresno
- Historically staffed by Order of Friars Minor (Franciscan), Province of St. Barbara
- Companion parish to St. Mary's Catholic Church, 1732 11th Ave., Delano 93215
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The annual feast on or near December 12 is the parish's signature devotion. It takes the form of a one-mile candlelit procession from St. Mary's Catholic Church on 11th Avenue to Our Lady of Guadalupe on Clinton Street, ending with a Mass. The celebration blends Marian devotion, Mexican cultural tradition, and public witness — in 2017 the UFW Foundation joined the procession and Mass in solidarity with DACA recipients ('Dreamers') urging passage of a clean Dream Act. Liturgical music is provided by Mariachi Mestizo, a youth ensemble directed by Juan Morales, and traditional danzas from Aquila, Michoacán are performed during the Mass by community groups such as Arpex led by Miguel Prado.
- One-mile candlelit procession from St. Mary's to Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Mariachi Mestizo youth ensemble (director: Juan Morales)
- Danzas from Aquila, Michoacán performed by Arpex / Miguel Prado
- UFW Foundation has joined the procession and Mass for immigrant solidarity
Parish Life & Festivals
In addition to the December feast, the parish maintains a year-round social calendar that includes the Festival de Todos los Santos (All Saints Festival) and the Gran Jamaica, a parish fundraiser combining food, music, talent show and community entertainment. The parish publishes a Spanish-language Boletín Parroquial (parish bulletin) that announces these events and is distributed through the parish and via church directory listings.
- Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (December)
- Festival de Todos los Santos
- Gran Jamaica (food, talent show, music)
- Boletín Parroquial / parish bulletin
Music, Liturgy & Cultural Arts
Our Lady of Guadalupe's liturgical music program is closely tied to its Mexican-American cultural identity. Mariachi Mestizo, a youth ensemble directed by Juan Morales, plays liturgical arrangements for the festive processions and Masses of the Virgen de Guadalupe. Traditional Mexican danzas, including pieces passed down orally from Aquila, Michoacán, are performed by community ensembles such as Arpex under Miguel Prado. Music and dance are understood in the parish as a form of intergenerational pedagogy — passing on identity, devotion, and musical excellence to younger parishioners.
- Mariachi Mestizo (Juan Morales)
- Arpex danzas tradicionales (Miguel Prado)
- Pedagogy of devotion, identity and musical excellence
Staff & Contacts
The parish is led by a pastor and supported by a parish secretary and active lay parishioners. The current pastor is Father Miguel Campos. The parish secretary is Nicole Velasco; lay contact Mr. Cleto Mireles is listed in the parish's Chamber of Commerce entry as 'Member of Parish.' Franciscan friars of the Province of St. Barbara have historically served the parish.
- Father Miguel Campos (Pastor)
- Nicole Velasco (Parish Secretary)
- Mr. Cleto Mireles (Parish Member / Contact)
- Historically: Franciscan Friars Minor (OFM), Province of St. Barbara
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Stephen Barnufsky, OFM1976–1977
Assigned as associate pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Delano after ordination June 19, 1976; transferred to Ascension Catholic Church, Portland, Oregon, in 1977.
- Father Miguel Campos
Listed as current pastor on the Delano Chamber of Commerce parish directory entry.