About Our Lady of the Sierra · Oakhurst, California
Our Lady of the Sierra (OLS) is a Roman Catholic parish in the mountain community of Oakhurst, California, roughly 15 miles from the south gate of Yosemite National Park off Highway 41. The parish serves Oakhurst, Bass Lake, North Fork, and the outlying foothill communities of Coarsegold, Yosemite Lakes Park, Ahwahnee, and Wishon. Its seat is Our Lady of the Sierra Church in Oakhurst, supported by two mission churches — St. Dominic Savio in Bass Lake and St. Joseph the Worker in North Fork — and historically also tended a chapel, Our Lady of the Snows, in Yosemite Valley. OLS is part of the Diocese of Fresno under Bishop Joseph Brennan and is led by Pastor/Administrator Rev. Victor Hernando.
- Established
- 1961
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Sierra (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Victor Hernando
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
OLS is a welcoming mountain parish where families gather for Sunday Mass in English and Spanish, weekday devotions and daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, Friday Eucharistic Adoration, and Saturday confessions. The parish invests deeply in passing on the faith through its Family Evangelization and Faith Formation (FEFF) program for K–12 and its OCIA (RCIA) process for adults preparing to enter the Church. With two mission churches, a Spanish Mass twice a month, and a community that spans Oakhurst, Bass Lake, North Fork, Coarsegold, and the Yosemite gateway, OLS offers both rooted parish life and a genuine spirit of welcome to newcomers and visitors to the Sierra foothills.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Sierra
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays at 3:00 PM
Adoration times
- Fridays, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (Eucharistic Adoration)
About Our Lady of the Sierra Parish
Our Lady of the Sierra Parish is a Roman Catholic community in the Sierra foothills town of Oakhurst, California, about 15 miles south of the south gate entrance to Yosemite National Park off Highway 41. The parish is rooted in the Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of Pope Francis and is shepherded by Bishop Joseph Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno. Its current Pastor/Administrator is Rev. Victor Hernando, who was assigned to the parish beginning September 1, 2020. The parish offices and main church sit at 40180 Indian Springs Road in Oakhurst.
- Diocese: Diocese of Fresno
- Bishop: Most Rev. Joseph Brennan
- Pastor/Administrator: Rev. Victor Hernando
- Parish Secretary: Vicki Ejchorzst ([email protected])
- Assistant Bookkeeper: Edwina Galvan ([email protected])
Our History
OLS had its humble beginnings on the shores of Bass Lake in 1939, when the little mission of St. Dominic Savio — on the former Santa Teresita Campground of the Diocese of Fresno — came into being. In 1960 the fledgling community received a papal blessing, and in 1961 St. Dominic Savio was formally established as a mountain parish with St. Joseph as its mission church. Over the following decades the Catholic population of the Oakhurst foothill area grew, and in 1994 parishioners began building a new church in Oakhurst. Construction was completed in 1999, and the seat of the parish was transferred from Bass Lake to Oakhurst that same year — making Our Lady of the Sierra the parish church and St. Dominic Savio and St. Joseph the Worker its mission churches. Since 1961 the parish has been served by nine priests and seven bishops.
- 1939 — Mission of St. Dominic Savio founded at Bass Lake (Santa Teresita Campground)
- 1960 — Papal blessing granted to the mountain community
- 1961 — St. Dominic Savio formally established as a parish; St. Joseph as mission
- 1994 — Construction of Our Lady of the Sierra Church in Oakhurst begins
- 1999 — Church completed; parish seat transferred from Bass Lake to Oakhurst
- Today — 9 priests and 7 bishops have served OLS since 1961
Communities Served
Our Lady of the Sierra Parish is comprised of the mountain and foothill communities of Oakhurst, Bass Lake, and North Fork, and also reaches the outlying areas of Coarsegold, Yosemite Lakes Park, Ahwahnee, Wishon, and surrounding Sierra foothill neighborhoods. The parish's main church in Oakhurst is the seat of the parish, with two mission churches supporting worship life in Bass Lake and North Fork.
- Oakhurst — parish seat (Our Lady of the Sierra Church)
- Bass Lake — mission church of St. Dominic Savio
- North Fork — mission church of St. Joseph the Worker
- Outlying communities: Coarsegold, Yosemite Lakes Park, Ahwahnee, Wishon
- Historic chapel: Our Lady of the Snows, Yosemite Valley
Family Evangelization and Faith Formation (FEFF)
Family Evangelization and Faith Formation (FEFF) is the parish's K–12 catechetical program, managed and implemented by trained, certified catechists. Whole families gather on Sunday mornings from September through June, beginning at 9:00 AM with family prayer and a light breakfast, then breaking into parent and student sessions. Lessons follow a 'mind, heart, and hands' approach: MIND — Sunday Bible readings and Catechism; HEART — nurturing love of Jesus through prayer, adoration, and sharing; HANDS — service to God, Church, family, community, and friends. FEFF prepares young people for the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation.
- Open to students in Kindergarten through Grade 12
- Sessions: most Sundays, September 2025 – June 2026, 9:00–11:15 AM
- Location: Our Lady of the Sierra Parish Hall
- Administrator: Rev. Victor Hernando (Parish Priest)
- Coordinator: Master Catechist Erlinda Teisinger
- Fees: $30/student regular; $60/student for First Communion and Confirmation
- Catechist requirements: background check, Safe Environment Training, Diocese of Fresno Basic Catechist Certificate
OCIA / RCIA — Becoming Catholic
OLS offers the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) for adults exploring the Catholic faith or preparing to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. The program combines weekly in-person and online formation over the course of the year, walking inquirers and catechumens through the rites and teachings of the Catholic Church in a small, family-style mountain parish setting.
- In-person class: Saturdays at 3:00 PM
- Zoom class: Thursdays at 7:00 PM by invitation
- 2025–26 cycle: August 1, 2025 to July 19, 2026
Parish Staff & Contact
The daily life of Our Lady of the Sierra is supported by a small pastoral and administrative team. Inquiries, Mass intention requests, sacramental prep registrations, and bulletin submissions flow through the parish office.
- Pastor/Administrator: Rev. Victor Hernando — [email protected]
- Secretary: Vicki Ejchorzst — [email protected]
- Assistant Bookkeeper: Edwina Galvan — [email protected]
- Parish phone: (559) 642-3452
- General email: [email protected]
- Mailing: P.O. Box 2499, Oakhurst, CA 93644
Visiting the Sierra Foothills
Our Lady of the Sierra is a natural spiritual stop for travelers heading into or out of Yosemite National Park. The parish welcomes visitors year-round at its three worship sites in Oakhurst, Bass Lake, and North Fork, and through its historical chapel of Our Lady of the Snows in Yosemite Valley. Weekend Masses are celebrated in both English and Spanish, and confessions and Eucharistic Adoration round out the weekly rhythm of prayer.
- ~15 miles from the south gate of Yosemite National Park (Hwy 41)
- Three worship sites across Oakhurst, Bass Lake, and North Fork
- Spanish-language Mass on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Victor Hernando2020–present
Assigned by Bishop Joseph Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno as Pastor/Administrator beginning September 1, 2020.