About Our Lady of Perpetual Help · Bishop, California
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Catholic parish in the northern Owens Valley town of Bishop, California, serving the small mountain community at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. A parish of the Diocese of Fresno, it is the mother church for Catholics in the Bishop area and also oversees the Mission Church of St. Stephen in nearby Big Pine. The parish offers Mass in English and Spanish, regular Eucharistic adoration, a Catholic school–age religious education program, and a robust set of lay ministries including the Knights of Columbus, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and a local pro-life ministry. Worship is centered on a 1970 church built to serve the growing ranching and tourism community of the Eastern Sierra.
- Established
- 1947
- Patron
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Rector
- Rev. John Gracey
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is the spiritual home for Catholics across Bishop and the wider Owens Valley, with daily Mass, a weekly Spanish Mass, Sunday adoration, and the sacrament of confession offered twice weekly. Parishioners can get involved in time-honored Catholic groups such as the Knights of Columbus, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the pro-life ministry, a bereavement group, and a parish-run soup kitchen — all signs of an active parish that reaches out beyond its walls. The pastor, Father John Gracey (ordained 1993), publishes his homilies online, and the parish welcomes visitors traveling through the Eastern Sierra with ample parking and a friendly mountain-town atmosphere.
Mass times at Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:00–3:30 p.m.
- Sundays 10:00–10:30 a.m.
Adoration times
- Sundays 4:00–5:00 p.m. (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
History of the Parish
Catholic life in the Owens Valley dates back to 1910, when Mass was first celebrated in a mission church in Bishop. As the population of the Eastern Sierra grew, the mission was formally established as Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in 1947 within the Diocese of Fresno. The present church building, which still serves the parish today, was constructed in 1970. The parish later extended its pastoral reach by taking responsibility for St. Stephen Mission in Big Pine.
Parish Leadership and Clergy
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is pastored by Rev. John Gracey, who was ordained to the priesthood in 1993 and grew up in a military family. Father Gracey has served as pastor of the parish for many years and is described as a reverent and faithful priest; his homilies are made available on the parish website.
- Rev. John Gracey — Pastor (ordained 1993)
Parish Ministries and Organizations
Our Lady of Perpetual Help supports an active network of lay-led ministries and apostolates that serve both the parish and the wider Bishop community. Members can join a fraternal Catholic men's organization, serve the poor through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, advocate for the unborn, feed the hungry at the parish soup kitchen, or accompany the grieving through a parish bereavement group. Religious education classes are available for children; there is no parish school.
- Knights of Columbus
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Pro-Life Ministry
- Soup Kitchen
- Bereavement Group
- Religious Education / Faith Formation (no parish school)
Mission Church: St. Stephen, Big Pine
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish oversees St. Stephen Mission Church in Big Pine, California, a small community about fifteen miles south of Bishop along U.S. Highway 395. The mission extends the parish's pastoral care to Catholics living and traveling in the southern Owens Valley.
- St. Stephen Mission Church — Big Pine, California
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Although the parish does not operate a Catholic school, it offers religious education classes for children, ensuring that parish families can pass on the Catholic faith to the next generation in this small rural setting.
- Religious education classes for parish children