About Our Lady of Lourdes Church · Sun City West, Arizona
Our Lady of Lourdes is a Roman Catholic parish in Sun City West, Arizona, founded in November 1977 by about 30 Catholic families in what was then a young Del Webb retirement community. Today it serves more than 2,700 registered families across roughly 155 square miles of the northwest Valley — including Sun City West, Vistancia, Asante, Coldwater Ranch, Crossriver, Desert Oasis, Dos Rios and Rancho Cabrillo — and operates a Sunday mission Mass at Vistancia Elementary School in Peoria. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Phoenix and gathers daily for Mass, Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday confession, and extensive weekday Eucharistic Adoration.
- Established
- 1977
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lourdes
- Rector
- Fr. Sheunesu Bowora
- Diocese
- Diocese of Phoenix
Why belong here
Our Lady of Lourdes gives northwest-Valley Catholics a deep sacramental life — daily 8:30 am Mass, more than 30 hours of weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and three weekly confession slots — rooted in the parish mission of proclaiming the Gospel, upholding the dignity of human life, and following the Way of Jesus in worship and living. A wide network of lay ministries (St. Vincent de Paul, Respect Life, Ministry of Care to the homebound and hospitalized, the Catholic Outreach Center, OCIA/RCIA, Life Teen and FORMED online faith formation) gives parishioners of every age and stage a concrete way to serve. With a mission Mass at Vistancia Elementary School reaching the booming north-303 corridor, the parish is uniquely positioned to serve both longtime Sun City West retirees and the young families moving into Vistancia, Trilogy, Blackstone and the surrounding developments.
Mass times at Our Lady of Lourdes Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 5:00–6:00 pm
- Thursday 5:00–6:00 pm
- Saturday 9:30–10:30 am
Adoration times
- Monday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Tuesday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Wednesday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Thursday 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
- Friday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Saturday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Sunday Closed
Parish History
Our Lady of Lourdes was formed in November 1977 by about 30 Catholic families in the new Sun City West retirement community. Its founding pastor, Fr. Vincent J. Nevulis, celebrated Sunday Mass in the Del Webb Social Hall from 1978 to 1982; Madonna Hall was built in 1981–82 and the current church building opened on November 19, 1988 after a capital campaign that began in October 1986. The parish pioneered a 'One Parish, Two Churches' model in the 1990s under Fr. Michael J. Minogue, adding Prince of Peace (dedicated April 18, 1999). After Fr. David Ostler's 16-year pastorate (2005–2021), Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted elevated Prince of Peace to a separate parish on May 1, 2021, and Fr. John Bonavitacola became pastor of OLOL on July 1, 2021. Today the parish reaches across 155 square miles via its Sun City West campus and the Vistancia Elementary School mission.
Patron Saint: Our Lady of Lourdes
The parish takes its name from the Marian apparition at Lourdes, France. On December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception; a little more than three years later, on February 11, 1858, a young lady appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in the Massabielle grotto. During the apparition of March 25 she identified herself with the words "I am the Immaculate Conception." In 1862 Church authorities confirmed the apparitions and authorized the cult of Our Lady of Lourdes for the diocese; the feast was extended to the universal Church in 1907. The parish celebrates that legacy each year on February 11 and has hosted the Relics of St. Bernadette on tour, drawing thousands for Mass, Confessions, veneration and a Healing Mass with Lourdes-water Anointing of the Sick.
- Worldwide feast day: February 11
Parish Staff
Our Lady of Lourdes is led by pastor Fr. Sheunesu Bowora and parochial vicar Fr. Ishaya Samaila, with two permanent deacons and a lay staff directing pastoral care, music, communications, stewardship, HR and facilities.
- Fr. Sheunesu Bowora — Pastor
- Fr. Ishaya Samaila — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Larry Grey
- Deacon Chuck Adams
- Sam Tagliarini — Parish / Human Resource Manager
- Angela Cotta — Director of Pastoral Care ([email protected], 623-344-7276)
- Mark Mackeben — Music Director
- Gabriel Suarez — Facilities Supervisor
- Joey Langenbach — Executive Administrator / Communications Specialist
- James Salas — Director of Stewardship & Development
Office & Visiting Information
- Sunday office hours: 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Monday–Thursday office hours: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Friday office hours: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Address: 19002 N. 128th Ave, Sun City West, AZ 85375
- Phone: 623-546-2767
- Email: [email protected]
Sacraments
The parish's online Seven Sacraments page frames each sacrament with text from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and links to formation and registration materials. Infant Baptism is offered for children 7 and under (families are asked to fill out the request form 1–2 months before the due date when possible). Older children and adults prepare through OCIA. Weddings are celebrated at Our Lady of Lourdes, with convalidation help offered for couples civilly married. Reconciliation is available at the posted times (no appointment needed in most cases), and Anointing of the Sick is offered on request as well as at scheduled healing Masses.
- Baptism (Infant)
- Confirmation
- First Holy Eucharist
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Tue/Thu 5–6 pm, Sat 9:30–10:30 am
- Marriage / Matrimony (weddings at OLOL; convalidation assistance)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders (information through the parish office)
Becoming Catholic (OCIA)
Our Lady of Lourdes runs the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly RCIA) as a year-round process open to (a) non-Catholics exploring the Catholic faith, (b) unbaptized catechumens and baptized candidates seeking full initiation, and (c) Catholics baptized as infants who still need First Eucharist and/or Confirmation. Weekly formation sessions are led by the OCIA Coordinator, with weekly Mass attendance and a discernment period before the Rite of Election in Lent. The page includes a FAQ covering baptismal records and rebaptism questions and notes that the team also helps with annulment or convalidation needs tied to marital history.
Outreach & Charity
Outreach is a major pillar of parish life, organized under the parish Office of Pastoral Care. The Catholic Outreach Center offers information and referral, counseling, care management and parish nursing services to parishioners free of charge or at minimal cost. The parish also partners with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and runs a Respect Life Ministry rooted in prayer, advocacy and material support for pregnancy centers.
St. Vincent de Paul Conference
The St. Vincent de Paul Conference at Our Lady of Lourdes has provided person-to-person service to neighbors in need — regardless of race, creed, color or status — for over 30 years. The conference operates a parish food pantry, partners with Valley View Food Bank (special collections on the 4th Sunday of each month), and runs the Back-to-School and Christmas Adopt-A-Family projects. Those interested in becoming an Associate or Full Vincentian are invited to call 623-344-7267.
Ministry of Care
Commissioned by the pastor at the recommendation of the Director of Pastoral Care, Ministers of Care are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who undergo additional training to bring the Eucharist to the hospitalized, homebound and those in assisted living. The team regularly visits Del Webb Hospital (daily when possible) and several assisted-living facilities in the parish area, holding prayer and Communion services weekly where they can and visiting individual rooms in others. Homebound parishioners generally receive weekly Communion visits.
Respect Life Ministry
Quoting the Diocese, the Respect Life Ministry affirms that 'every human life, from the moment of conception until death, is sacred.' Its work includes monthly collections of baby items for the three diocesan-approved pregnancy centers, regular prayer outside the local Planned Parenthood facility in Glendale, an annual 9-month Spiritual Adoption program and baby shower, and a yearly baby-bottle drive benefiting Aid to Women Pregnancy Center. General meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 1:30 pm in the Fr. McGivney room on campus, preceded at 1:00 pm by a pro-life Rosary in the church. Contact: Terese Boas, [email protected], 904-718-3322.
Faith Formation & Online Resources
Beyond OCIA, the parish invests heavily in lifelong faith formation. It maintains a parish subscription to FORMED.org — the Augustine Institute / Ignatius Press / Knights of Columbus streaming platform — giving every parishioner free access to more than 4,000 Catholic movies, documentaries, studies, audio dramas and e-books. Registration is at www.FORMED.org using the parish ZIP code 85375. Youth ministry is anchored by Life Teen, which gathers after the Sunday Vistancia mission Mass to reach the young families moving into the Trilogy, Blackstone and The Village communities north of Loop 303.
- FORMED.org (parish subscription; 4,000+ titles; sign up with ZIP 85375)
- OCIA / Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Life Teen youth ministry
Mission at Vistancia
Our Lady of Lourdes is a 'Parish & Mission,' with the Vistancia Mission celebrated every Sunday at 1:00 pm in the gym of Vistancia Elementary School (30009 N. Sunrise Point, Peoria, AZ 85383). Launched in September 2018, the mission was created because communities north of Loop 303 — Vistancia, The Village, Trilogy (55+), Blackstone, Asante, Coldwater Ranch, Crossriver, Desert Oasis, Dos Rios and Rancho Cabrillo — have grown to rival Sun City West in population. A Christmas morning Mass at 10:00 am is also celebrated at the Vistancia site each year.
- Sunday Mass: 1:00 pm at Vistancia Elementary School
- Christmas Day Mass: 10:00 am at Vistancia Elementary School
- Serves: Vistancia, The Village, Trilogy, Blackstone, Asante, Coldwater Ranch, Crossriver, Desert Oasis, Dos Rios, Rancho Cabrillo
Parish Mission Statement
The parish mission statement, posted on the homepage and every weekly bulletin, reads: 'Proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by being prayerful and active stewards of the grace and resources entrusted to us by: Instructing all in the Truth of the Catholic Faith, upholding the dignity of human life by nourishing it from conception and strengthening it to the end, following the Way of Jesus in our Worship and Living.' The statement reflects the parish's three core commitments — catechesis, a consistent ethic of life from conception to natural death, and a Eucharistic-centered liturgical life.
Live-stream and Online Worship
The Sunday Mass is live-streamed from the parish website, allowing homebound parishioners, snowbirds and family members at a distance to remain connected to the parish's liturgical life. Links to the live feed appear on the homepage and at ololscw.org/livestream.
Becoming a Parishioner
Those wishing to register with Our Lady of Lourdes can fill out the New Parishioner Registration form posted on the parish website. Registration supports the parish's sacramental record-keeping, envelope/online giving, and connection to ministries, small groups and parish communications.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Vincent J. Nevulis1977–c. 1985
Founding pastor; held Sunday Mass in the Del Webb Social Hall from 1978 to 1982.
- Rev. Cornelius Moynihan1985–1993
Appointed November 11, 1985; oversaw Madonna Hall debt payoff in 1986 and the 1987–88 capital campaign to build the current OLOL church.
- Fr. Michael J. Minogue1993–2005
Launched the 'One Parish, Two Churches' vision and built Prince of Peace Church, dedicated April 18, 1999; resigned due to illness.
- Fr. David Ostler2005–2021
Appointed July 1, 2005; led the parish through 16 years of growth including the Vistancia mission Mass (2018); continued as pastor until July 1, 2021 when he became founding pastor of the new Prince of Peace Parish.
- Fr. John Bonavitacola2021–
Took office July 1, 2021 from Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Tempe, where he had served 21 years.
- Fr. Sheunesu Bowora
Current pastor.