About Our Lady of Soledad · Coachella, California
Our Lady of Soledad (Nuestra Señora de la Soledad) is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in Coachella, California, founded in 1923 and recognized as the Mother Church of the Coachella Valley. The parish is entrusted to the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (S.T.) and serves a predominantly Spanish-speaking community with weekday Mass in Spanish, six Sunday Masses, and one English Sunday Mass. From its Cesar Chavez Street campus, the parish runs catechetical programs, youth ministry, and a network of mission chapels serving the Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation and the surrounding desert communities.
- Established
- 1923
- Patron
- Our Lady of Soledad (Our Lady of Solitude / Our Lady of Sorrows)
- Rector
- Rev. Francisco Gómez Aguilar, S.T.
- Diocese
- Diocese of San Bernardino
Why belong here
Our Lady of Soledad is the spiritual heart of the Coachella Valley's Latino Catholic community, offering twelve weekly Masses (most in Spanish), Thursday all-day Eucharistic Adoration, Saturday confessions, and a strong catechetical and youth ministry program for families. As the Mother Church of the Valley, it links a dozen or more outlying mission chapels — including the Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation — into one parish family rooted in the missionary spirituality of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. Parishioners can join choirs, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, the Pastoral and Finance Councils, or community justice and communications ministries, making it a real place to put faith into service across one of California's most distinctive desert regions.
Mass times at Our Lady of Soledad
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. (alternates with Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine)
Adoration times
- Every Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
History of Our Lady of Soledad
Founded in 1923 and dedicated on December 24, 1924, Our Lady of Soledad is the Mother Church of the Coachella Valley. The parish began as a mission chapel served by Franciscan priests who rode the train from Banning to evangelize the Cahuilla Indians, then moved through three church buildings, three religious institutes, and a diocese change to become the bilingual community it is today.
- 1923–1924: First Catholic church between Banning and Arizona built on First Street, Coachella
- December 24, 1924: Old Church dedicated under the title of Our Lady of Soledad
- 1927: Became a distinct parish from Banning, part of the Los Angeles Diocese
- 1934: Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Victory arrive to teach catechesis in homes and open fields
- 1971 (March 7): Ground broken for the second church on Oasis Palms Avenue; first Mass on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
- 1972: Second church dedicated
- 1978: Becomes part of the newly established Diocese of San Bernardino
- Congregation of the Holy Cross: directs pastoral development and launches the Valley Missionary Program
- 2010: Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (S.T.) accept pastoral care
- December 7, 2019: Current church on Cesar Chavez Street dedicated
- September 16, 2023: Centennial celebrated on the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
Mission Statement and Identity
The parish's bilingual mission statement commits the community to proclaim the Gospel, celebrate its cultural traditions and diversity, and serve with faith, peace, and justice. The parish describes itself as 'a community that works, prays and celebrates their unity in diversity,' and the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity bring a charism focused on lay ministry formation and the preservation of the Faith in places of greatest need.
- Mission (English): 'We the Catholic Christian Community of Our Lady of Soledad, in our thoughts and actions, guided by the Holy Spirit, commit ourselves to proclaim the Gospel, celebrate our cultural traditions and diversity, in order to serve with faith, peace and justice.'
- Mission (Spanish): 'Nosotros la comunidad Cristiana Católica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, en nuestros pensamientos y acciones guiados por el Espíritu Santo, nos comprometemos a Proclamar el Evangelio, celebrar nuestra diversidad y tradiciones culturales, para servir con fe, paz y Justicia.'
- Tagline: 'An Oasis of Faith in the Coachella Valley since 1923 / Un Oasis de Fe en el Valle de Coachella desde 1923.'
Pastoral and Parish Staff
The parish is staffed by members of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (S.T.), supported by three deacons, parish-office staff, and catechetical coordinators. A separate Valley Missionary Program (VMP) is directed by S.T. priests and reaches out into the surrounding mission chapels.
- Pastor: Rev. Francisco Gómez Aguilar, S.T.
- Parochial Vicars: Rev. José de Jesús Martínez Hernández, S.T., and Rev. Eliezer Lopez-Mora, S.T.
- Director, Valley Missionary Program: Rev. Eliézer López, S.T. (and previously Rev. Ramon Flores Duarte, S.T.)
- Deacons: Mario Aguiar, Juan Manuel Lombera, Martin Sullivan
- Parish Administrator: Ana Loper ([email protected])
- Office Assistant: Lourdes González ([email protected])
- Catechetical Ministry Coordinators: Doris Márquez and María Duarte
- Bookkeeper: Tony Barile (retiring)
- Custodians: Jesús Guadarrama, Miguel Venegas
Ministries and Groups
The parish bulletin lists a wide range of liturgical, catechetical, and outreach ministries, with named contacts so newcomers can get involved. The community-based ministries mirror the parish's bilingual, bicultural identity.
- Catechesis / Religious Education (Coordinator: Doris Márquez)
- Eucharistic Ministers / Ministros de la Eucaristía
- Lectors / Lectores
- Pastoral Council / Consejo Pastoral (John Rios)
- Finance Council / Consejo de Finanzas (Ruben Duarte)
- Sacristan Ministry (Rodrigo Muñoz)
- Social Justice / Justicia Social / ICUC (J. Reyes López)
- Youth Ministry (Sister Florence Waters, M.S.B.T., and Mónica Reyes)
- English Speaking Ministry and Communication Ministry
- Valley Missionary Program (VMP) — outreach to outlying mission chapels
Mission Chapels Served
As the Mother Church of the Coachella Valley, Our Lady of Soledad shepherds several mission chapels, including ministries to the Cahuilla community of the Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation and to small desert hamlets east of Coachella.
- Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Chapel, Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation
- Mission San Felipe de Jesus (Mecca area)
- Mission El Señor de la Misericordia (San Jose / Chiriaco area)
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine (shares Saturday confession schedule with the parish)
Sacraments and Faith Formation
The parish prepares children and adults for the Sacraments of Initiation through its catechetical ministry, offers a pre-Baptismal class for parents and godparents, and is the local contact for marriage and anointing of the sick. Online giving and registration are available through the parish website and the OSV Hub portal.
- Baptism: register via parish office; pre-Baptismal class required
- First Communion and Confirmation: through the Catechetical Ministry (Doris Márquez, María Duarte)
- Marriage: contact the parish office to begin preparation
- Anointing of the Sick: contact the parish office
- Reconciliation: Saturday 7:00–9:00 a.m.
Visit, Contact, and Connect
Parishioners and visitors can reach the office in person, by phone, by email, or through the parish's three Facebook pages. Mass is livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person, and online giving is set up through OSV Hub.
- Church address: 52980 Cesar Chavez St., Coachella, CA 92236
- Mailing address: 52525 Oasis Palm Ave., Coachella, CA 92236
- Phone: (760) 398-5577 • Fax: (760) 289-7150
- Office hours: Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (closed 12:30–1:30 p.m. for lunch)
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.ourladyofsoledad.org/
- Facebook: @OLOSCoachellaCommunity, @OLOSFundDevelopment, @ourladyofsoledadcatechist
- YouTube: Olos Coachella (livestream Masses)
- Online giving: www.osvhub.com/olos
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Franciscan Missionaries from Banning1923–1927
Traveled by train on weekends to evangelize the Cahuilla when the parish was a mission chapel.
- Diocese of Los Angeles clergy1927–1978
Served after the parish became distinct from Banning in 1927.
- Congregation of the Holy Cross (C.S.C.)1978–2010
Led much of the pastoral development of the parish, including the launch of the Valley Missionary Program.
- Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (S.T.)2010–present
Accepted pastoral care in 2010; a U.S. congregation of religious priests and brothers founded in 1929.
- Rev. Francisco Gómez, S.T.2020–present
Current pastor; oversaw the dedication of the new church and the 2023 centennial.