About Our Lady of Guadalupe · Lathrop, California
Our Lady of Guadalupe is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Stockton serving the city of Lathrop, California. Bilingual by character, the community celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish, with four of the seven weekly Masses offered in Spanish to reflect the predominantly Hispanic population of this growing San Joaquin County city. The parish is pastored by Rev. Salvador Ledesma and currently worships in its multi-purpose building on Cambridge Drive while raising funds to build a permanent church. It is part of Deanery IV of the Diocese of Stockton, alongside the parishes of Manteca, Tracy, and Ripon.
- Established
- 1991 (mission); 2002 (parish)
- Patron
- Our Lady of Guadalupe (Patroness of the Americas)
- Rector
- Rev. Salvador Ledesma (Administrator / Pastor)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Stockton (Deanery IV; Rev. Salvador Ledesma serves as Dean)
Why belong here
Our Lady of Guadalupe is a bilingual, Spanish-and-English Catholic family rooted in the rapidly growing city of Lathrop and entrusted to the Diocese of Stockton. With three Sunday Masses (one in English, two in Spanish), a full weekday Mass schedule, weekly Saturday confessions, and ongoing faith formation, the parish offers a clear spiritual home for Lathrop's predominantly Spanish-speaking faithful along with English-speaking neighbors. The community continues to honor the legacy of its founders — including its founding Sisters of the Holy Family and the late Deacon Art Sanchez — through religious education, sacramental preparation, the Give Every Child a Chance after-school tutoring program, and a shared capital campaign to build a permanent church. It is a place where the patroness of the Americas is honored in living community.
Mass times at Our Lady of Guadalupe
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (in the plaza, Room #4)
Our Story — From 1991 Mission to a Lathrop Parish
Our Lady of Guadalupe traces its roots to 1991, when St. George Parish in Stockton sponsored a mission church to serve Catholics in the newly incorporated City of Lathrop. Initially, Masses were celebrated in the Union Hall on West Louise Avenue by visiting diocesan priests, and the first administrator — Sister Gladys Guenther, SHF — lived and worked out of a house near the future parish site. In 2002, Bishop Stephen Blaire formally established the mission as a parish, naming it for Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, in honor of the Spanish-speaking faithful who make up the largest share of Lathrop's Catholic community. The parish continues to live out that founding identity today as a bilingual, Spanish-and-English community.
- 1991: Mission church sponsored by St. George Parish, Stockton
- 1994: Sister Gladys Guenther, SHF, becomes first administrator
- Late 1990s: Multi-purpose building constructed under Sister Gladys's oversight
- 2002: Bishop Stephen Blaire dedicates Our Lady of Guadalupe as a parish
- 2003: Sister Gladys returns to her congregation's motherhouse in Fremont
- 2003: Rev. Dean McFalls appointed first resident pastor
- 2010s: Rev. Francisco Naranjo leads fundraising for a permanent church
- Today: Rev. Salvador Ledesma serves as pastor/administrator and Dean of Deanery IV
Parish Life & Bilingual Identity
Our Lady of Guadalupe is at its core a bilingual parish. Four of its seven weekly Masses are celebrated in Spanish, including the Saturday Vigil and two of the three Sunday Masses, while the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass and Wednesday and Friday evening Masses are in English. The parish's self-description on its website — 'A haven in your spiritual journey' and 'Un remanso en tu jornada espiritual' — captures the pastoral intention to be a spiritual refuge for both English- and Spanish-speaking families in Lathrop.
- Spanish Masses: Saturday 7:00 PM; Sunday 8:00 AM & 12:00 PM; Tuesday 6:00 PM; Thursday 6:00 PM
- English Masses: Sunday 10:00 AM; Wednesday 6:00 PM; Friday 6:00 PM
- Liturgies feature the risen Christ as the recurring Easter theme: '¡Cristo vive! ¡Aleluya!' / 'The Lord is risen! He is risen in deed! Alleluia!'
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Religious education and sacramental preparation at Our Lady of Guadalupe are direct continuations of the work begun by Sister Gladys Guenther and the late Deacon Art Sanchez in the 1990s. The parish prepares children and adults for the sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation, and offers ongoing scripture study for parishioners seeking to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith. Adult faith formation is supplemented by the parish's annual evangelization initiatives.
- Religious Education (K–8 and beyond)
- Scripture Study groups
- Baptism preparation
- First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Adult faith formation / RCIA-style inquiry (as offered through the parish office)
Community Outreach & the Give Every Child a Chance Tutoring Program
One of the most enduring ministries of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Give Every Child a Chance after-school tutoring program, which Sister Gladys Guenther started in the 1990s in partnership with the late Deacon Art Sanchez. More than two decades later, the program continues to serve Lathrop's students, and it stands as a direct link between the parish's missionary beginnings and its present-day community presence. Parish fundraisers — including the celebrated olive-oil, wine, coffee, and honey sales organized by Father Francisco Naranjo — channel energy and resources into outreach to neighbors in need.
- Give Every Child a Chance — after-school academic tutoring for local students
- Food and goods fundraisers (olive oil, wine, coffee, honey) supporting parish capital needs
- Hospitality for the Filipino Simbang Gabi novena (donated breakfasts featuring suman, pancit, egg rolls, and pan de sal)
Building Our Faith — The New Church Campaign
Since the parish was established, Mass has been celebrated in the multi-purpose building that Sister Gladys Guenther built during her tenure — a structure originally designed for meetings and programs rather than as a sanctuary. A long-running effort to construct a dedicated, permanent church on the Cambridge Drive campus is the parish's signature capital project. Father Francisco Naranjo led a series of creative fundraisers (including the well-known sales of extra-virgin olive oil from Sciabica & Sons of Modesto) to underwrite construction; the current 'New Church Stairs & Finish Building Our Faith Campaign' continues that work. In his 2024 Bishop's Ministry Appeal letter, Father Salvador Ledesma noted that an additional $10,000 was added to the parish's BMA goal to finish repairs needed in the meeting rooms.
- New Church Stairs & Finish Building Our Faith Campaign (active capital campaign)
- Sciabica & Sons extra-virgin olive oil parish sales
- Coffee, wine, and honey fundraisers
- Repairs to the meeting rooms (partially funded through the 2024 BMA, goal $37,927)
Bishop's Ministry Appeal & Diocesan Life
As a parish of the Diocese of Stockton, Our Lady of Guadalupe participates annually in the Bishop's Ministry Appeal, the diocese-wide fundraising effort that underwrites ministries across San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Alpine, and Calaveras counties. In his 2024 BMA letter, Father Ledesma reported that the 2023 campaign had raised 97% of its $25,661 goal (short by $544) and urged parishioners to support the 2024 goal of $37,927, which included an added $10,000 to complete repairs in the parish meeting rooms. The parish is one of four in Deanery IV, alongside St. Anthony de Padua in Manteca, St. Bernard in Tracy, and St. Patrick in Ripon.
- 2023 BMA Goal: $25,661 (97% raised; $544 short)
- 2024 BMA Goal: $37,927 (includes $10,000 for meeting-room repairs)
- Deanery IV — Dean: Rev. Salvador Ledesma
- Deanery IV parishes: St. Anthony de Padua (Manteca), Our Lady of Guadalupe (Lathrop), St. Bernard (Tracy), St. Patrick (Ripon)
Parish Staff, Clergy, and Contact
The parish is led by Rev. Salvador Ledesma, who serves as pastor/administrator and is also the Dean of Deanery IV. The website is intentionally simple, presenting the parish as a Spanish/English community anchored in the regular celebration of the Eucharist and in the sacraments. Inquiries about the sacraments, religious education, ministries, and the building campaign can be directed to the parish office by phone, email, or in person during regular office hours.
- Pastor/Administrator: Rev. Salvador Ledesma
- Address: 16200 Cambridge Drive, Lathrop, CA 95330
- Phone: (209) 858-4466
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://olgchurchlathrop.com
- Social: Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram (linked from the parish homepage header)
Devotions, Simbang Gabi, and the Filipino Community
While the parish does not publish a regular weekly Eucharistic Adoration schedule, it has embraced Filipino Catholic traditions in recent years. In December, parishioners led by Corrie and Steve Budnick and Thess and Nixon Alcantara organized the parish's first-ever Simbang Gabi, the nine-day novena of pre-dawn Advent Masses known in the Philippines as Misa de Gallo. Father Ledesma offered to celebrate all nine Masses himself, but was joined by other diocesan priests including Father Delfin Tumaca (St. Bernard's, Tracy) and Father Edito Mascardo (hospital chaplain for the Diocese of Stockton). The novena has become an annual event, with a shared breakfast of Filipino delicacies following each Mass.
- Simbang Gabi (Misa de Gallo) — nine-day Advent novena of pre-dawn Masses
- 5:30 AM start time for Simbang Gabi Masses
- Filipino hospitality after each Mass: suman, pancit, egg rolls, pan de sal, soup, and other donated dishes
- Visiting priests have included Father Delfin Tumaca (St. Bernard, Tracy) and Father Edito Mascardo (Diocese of Stockton hospital chaplain)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Sister Gladys Guenther, SHF1994–2003
Administrator of the mission church; oversaw construction of the multi-purpose building, launched religious education, scripture study, and the Give Every Child a Chance after-school tutoring program alongside the late Deacon Art Sanchez.
- Rev. Dean McFalls2003–(c.2009–2010)
First pastor of the parish after it was dedicated by Bishop Blaire in 2002; later assigned to St. Mary's Church in Stockton.
- Rev. Francisco (Francisco) Naranjoc.2010–c.2017
Native of Colombia; previously served at St. Anthony of Padua in Manteca; led creative fundraisers (olive oil, wine, coffee, honey) to finance a permanent church building.
- Rev. Salvador Ledesmapresent
Current pastor/administrator and Dean of Deanery IV of the Diocese of Stockton; welcomed parishioners in the parish's 2024 Bishop's Ministry Appeal letter.