About Our Lady of Mercy Church · Merced, California
Our Lady of Mercy Church is one of two worship sites of a unified Roman Catholic parish in Merced, California, paired with St. Patrick's Catholic Church on Yosemite Avenue. The parish traces its origins to 1867 when the Roman Catholic community of Merced was first established as a mission of St. Joseph's Parish in Mariposa. Today the Merced parish—Diocese of Fresno—serves English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics with daily Mass at OLM (459 W. 21st Street), where a Tuesday-and-Saturday Spanish Mass also draws bilingual families. The parish is known for its warm welcome, its patron feast on September 24, its RCIA and youth ministry programs, and its long tradition of lay involvement through councils and committees.
- Established
- 1867
- Patron
- Our Lady of Mercy (Nuestra Señora de la Merced)
- Rector
- Rev. Robert Borges (parochial vicar listed on staff roster; pastor's name not separately captured on the site's clergy page, although the parish roster lists Father Robert Borges, [email protected], and Rev. Antonio Eguiguren, O.F.M.)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
Our Lady of Mercy / St. Patrick's Parish is a unified, bilingual Catholic family that cherishes more than 150 years of Merced history while looking to the future. Daily Mass is offered in English at the historic OLM church on West 21st Street, and the parish runs a full sacramental and formation program including RCIA for adults, OCIA for children, youth ministry, adult faith formation, and a robust music and liturgy program. The parish is also actively involved in serving the wider Merced community through its councils and ministries, with a multi-phase parish center (the Harguindeguy Center) supporting classes, gatherings, and outreach on the Yosemite Avenue campus.
Mass times at Our Lady of Mercy Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesdays 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM at St. Patrick's Church
- 1st Saturday 9:45 AM – 11:00 AM at Our Lady of Mercy Church (459 W. 21 St., Merced, CA 95340)
- By appointment
Parish History
The Roman Catholic Community of Merced began in 1867 as a mission of St. Joseph's Parish in Mariposa. After Father McNamara purchased property at 21st and L Streets in 1873, the first Merced church was dedicated to St. Patrick and blessed by Archbishop Alemany. On April 28, 1918 a new church on the property was completed and the name changed to Our Lady of Mercy — a name still used today even though Vatican records list the parish as St. Patrick's Parish.
- 1867 — Merced established as a mission of St. Joseph's, Mariposa
- 1873 — First Merced baptisms and Masses at the Mathias Smythe home, 19th & L
- 1873 — Property purchased at 21st and L Streets; church dedicated to St. Patrick; Archbishop Alemany blesses the church
- April 28, 1918 — New church completed; name changed from St. Patrick to Our Lady of Mercy
- 1971 — Bishop Donohoe begins the Pastoral Team uniting OLM, St. Patrick's, and Sacred Heart
- 1989 — Team ministry ends; Our Lady of Mercy and St. Patrick's become one parish
- 1991 — Father David A. Brum launches the fund-raising campaign for a new church
- 1993 — Father Jean-Michael Lastiri assigned July 1; ground broken by Bishop Steinbock November 12
- December 1994 — Current St. Patrick's Church completed
- 1997 — Purchase of the 6½-acre Love property north of the church
- March 17, 1998 — Bishop Steinbock blesses the Harguindeguy Center
- November 23, 2002 — Bishop Steinbock dedicates the new parish center
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Adults and children are formed in the faith through the parish's RCIA, OCIA, OCIC and Religious Studies programs, coordinated by Deacon Chuck Reyburn, Director of Adult Faith Formation.
- Adult RCIA — classes begin in August on Sunday mornings during 9:00 AM Mass; culminates at the Easter Vigil with Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist
- Sponsors and mentors — Catholics in good standing guide candidates through the journey
- OCIA for children — year-round, Sunday mornings (children unbaptized or baptized Christian)
- OCIC — two-year preparation for children of catechetical age needing Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation
- Religious Studies Group
- Contact: Deacon Chuck Reyburn, [email protected], 209-749-1255
Youth Ministry
Following the USCCB's 1997 framework 'Renewing the Vision,' the parish's youth ministry seeks to empower young people as disciples, draw them into the life of the faith community, and foster their total personal and spiritual growth — with programming that integrates adolescents into the liturgical, pastoral, and ministerial life of the parish.
- Goal 1: empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ
- Goal 2: draw young people into responsible participation in the parish community
- Goal 3: foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person
- Family- and peer-centered approach rooted in the parish community
Music & Liturgy
Music and liturgical preparation are coordinated by Dennis Brown, the parish's Music and Liturgy Director, who is based at the OLM office. The bilingual weekend schedule — Saturday Vigil in English and Spanish, and Sunday Masses in both languages — relies on parish choirs and musicians to support the sung liturgy year-round.
- Music & Liturgy Director: Dennis Brown ([email protected])
- Office located at the Our Lady of Mercy campus
- Wedding and Quinceañera music coordinated through the parish office
Parish Staff & Offices
The parish maintains a full lay staff supporting clergy, liturgy, faith formation, administration, and facilities across the Yosemite Avenue (St. Patrick's) and West 21st Street (OLM) campuses.
- Cheryl Waite — Catechism Coordinator
- Dennis Brown — Music and Liturgy Director (OLM office)
- Sandy Minor — Secretary / Hall Rentals / Safe Environment ([email protected])
- Dcn. Chuck Reyburn — Director of Adult Faith Formation ([email protected])
- Rosemarie Pierce — Assistant Administrator
- Belen Torres — Bookkeeper
- Veronica Ochoa — Bulletin Editor, Wedding & Quinceañera Coordinator ([email protected])
- Mathew Rodriguez, Jesse Diaz (Maintenance Director) — facilities
- Fernando Garcia Jr., Jose Salcido, Robert Luiz — on-call maintenance and event support
Clergy
The parish is served by two priests and three deacons. The current parish roster lists Father Robert Borges (email [email protected]) and Fr. Antonio Eguiguren, O.F.M. as the ordained priests assigned to the parish, with three deacons assisting at liturgy and formation.
- Rev. Robert Borges — [email protected]
- Rev. Antonio Eguiguren, O.F.M. — Parochial Vicar — [email protected]
- Deacon Chuck Reyburn — [email protected]
- Deacon Jose Morales — [email protected]
- Deacon Mike Smith — [email protected]
Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics of every age for the seven sacraments, with particular attention to the rites of initiation through the RCIA process for adults and the OCIA/OCIC tracks for children.
- Baptism — for infants and children via parish preparation; for adults through the Easter Vigil
- Confirmation — for Catholics not yet confirmed; also conferred at the Easter Vigil for RCIA candidates
- First Eucharist — coordinated with religious education and OCIC for children
- Marriage — contact Veronica Ochoa, [email protected]
- Quinceañera — contact Veronica Ochoa
- Reconciliation — regular Tuesday schedule, First Saturday at OLM, and during Lent
- Anointing of the Sick — by request through the parish office
Annual Patronal Feast
Our Lady of Mercy is celebrated each year on September 24, the feast that commemorates the 1218 apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Peter Nolasco and the founding of the Mercedarian Order in Barcelona by King James of Aragon (later approved by Pope Gregory IX in 1235). At the Merced parish the day is observed with Mass, parish picnic, prayer, music and service — a beloved family gathering for the bilingual community.
- Feast day: September 24 (Our Lady of Mercy / Our Lady of Ransom)
- Commemorates St. Peter Nolasco and the Mercedarian Order, 1218
- Celebrated locally with Mass, picnic, prayer, and music
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father McNamara1873
Raised capital to purchase church property at 21st and L Streets; first Merced pastor.
- Monsignor John Harguindeguy
Former pastor of Our Lady of Mercy/St. Patrick's who served in Merced for many years before other assignments in Fresno; the Harguindeguy Center was dedicated in his honor on March 17, 1998.
- Father David A. Brum1991
Launched the final fund-raising campaign for the new St. Patrick's Church.
- Father Jean-Michael Lastiri1993
Assigned July 1, 1993; finalized plans and broke ground with Bishop Steinbock on November 12, 1993; church completed December 1994.