About Queen of Angels · Idyllwild, California
Queen of Angels is a small Roman Catholic parish in the mountain village of Idyllwild, California, situated in the San Jacinto Mountains of Riverside County. Founded in 1942 and today part of the Diocese of San Bernardino, the parish serves a tight-knit alpine community and welcomes the steady stream of tourists, weekend cabin-goers, and international visitors who pass through this popular mountain resort. Under the long tenure of Rev. Charles E. Miller, Queen of Angels maintains a simple but consistent sacramental life centered on Sunday Eucharist, weekday Mass Tuesday through Friday, and a pastoral reach that extends to the wider Hemet Vicariate.
- Established
- 1942
- Patron
- Our Lady, Queen of Angels (parish named by Bishop Charles Buddy; originally 'Our Lady of the Pines')
- Rector
- Rev. Charles E. Miller
- Diocese
- Diocese of San Bernardino
Why belong here
Queen of Angels is the Catholic parish of choice for the residents of Idyllwild and the surrounding San Jacinto mountain communities, offering the rhythms of a faithful parish life — Sunday and weekday Mass, the sacraments, and a personal, small-parish welcome. Because Idyllwild is a destination resort village, the parish also welcomes a remarkable mix of weekend cabin-goers, snowbirds, hikers, and international travelers who step through its doors, so anyone visiting the mountain can find a Catholic home here. The parish's heritage, dating back to its 1942 founding by Father Malachy O'Sullivan and the rebuilding of the present church after the catastrophic winter of 1943–44, gives it a long memory of hospitality that continues today.
Mass times at Queen of Angels
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment (call 951-659-2708)
Parish Identity & Setting
Queen of Angels is the Catholic parish serving Idyllwild, Pine Cove, and the surrounding mountain communities of the San Jacinto range in Riverside County, California. The Diocese of San Bernardino describes the parish as 'the Catholic heart of an alpine resort visited by people from every country on earth' — a fitting summary for a small parish whose pews fill each Sunday not only with locals but with cabin-owners, weekenders, and travelers drawn to Idyllwild's pine-forested mountains above the desert. The parish is grouped within the Hemet Vicariate of the Diocese of San Bernardino.
- Located in Idyllwild, California (San Jacinto Mountains)
- Part of the Diocese of San Bernardino
- Hemet Vicariate
- Welcomes full-time residents, weekenders, and international visitors
Founding Story (1942)
The parish traces its origin to a June 1942 visit to Idyllwild by Father Malachy O'Sullivan, then a pastor at St. Anthony in San Jacinto. He saw the makings of a future mountain-resort parish in an aging rustic cabin in the tiny village. San Diego Bishop Charles Buddy received title to the cabin on August 30, 1942, renamed it from 'Our Lady of the Pines' to Queen of Angels, and formally dedicated the cabin-chapel on September 6, 1942.
- Founding pastor: Rev. Malachy O'Sullivan (of St. Anthony, San Jacinto)
- Bishop Charles Buddy renamed the property Queen of Angels
- Original chapel was a rustic cabin called 'Our Lady of the Pines'
- Formal dedication: September 6, 1942
Wartime Collapse & Rebuilding
Fr. O'Sullivan's mountain dream nearly ended in its first winter. The cabin chapel was crushed by the heavy snows of 1943–44, and wartime material shortages made rebuilding it out of the question. For nearly a year, the ten-family parish and village visitors retreated to the shelter of the local theater for the celebration of the sacraments. It was only after the Federal War Production Board granted permission that a succeeding pastor of St. Anthony could construct the present church edifice — the same building, the diocese notes, that 'survives to this day.'
- Cabin chapel destroyed by heavy snow, winter 1943–44
- Sacraments celebrated in the village theater for nearly a year
- Rebuilding permitted by the Federal War Production Board
- Present church edifice constructed during World War II
Diocese & Vicariate
When founded in 1942, Queen of Angels was a mission of the Diocese of San Diego. The Diocese of San Bernardino was erected in 1978, and Queen of Angels came under the new diocese at that time. Today it is listed as one of the Hemet Vicariate parishes, which serve the communities of Anza, Hemet, Idyllwild, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Perris, San Jacinto, Sun City, Temecula, Wildomar, and Winchester.
- Originally part of the Diocese of San Diego
- Transferred to the Diocese of San Bernardino in 1978
- Member parish of the Hemet Vicariate
Pastor & Leadership
The parish is served by Rev. Charles E. Miller. After reaching age 65 and a full term of service, Father Miller petitioned the Bishop to serve year-to-year at Queen of Angels and was reappointed for an additional one-year term beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027. Earlier diocesan announcements show his pastorate stretching back through at least 2023, indicating a sustained pastoral tenure at the mountain parish.
- Pastor: Rev. Charles E. Miller
- Reappointed by Bishop Alberto Rojas for an additional year (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027)
- Long-tenured pastoral presence at the parish
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
Queen of Angels offers Sunday Mass in two English celebrations, a Saturday Vigil Mass, and weekday Mass Tuesday through Friday. There is no weekday Mass on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Holy Day Mass is celebrated at 9:00 a.m. and Christmas Eve Mass at 4:00 p.m. Confessions are heard by appointment. The parish's current published schedule, gathered from the Diocese of San Bernardino listing and corroborated by local community directories, is below.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 p.m.
- Sunday Masses: 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
- Weekday Masses: Tuesday–Friday at 8:30 a.m.
- No weekday Mass on the 4th Tuesday of the month
- Holy Day Mass: 9:00 a.m.
- Christmas Eve Mass: 4:00 p.m.
- Confessions: by appointment (call 951-659-2708)
Visiting & Reaching the Parish
Queen of Angels sits at 54525 N. Circle Drive, Idyllwild, CA 92549, in the village center of the mountain resort community. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1106, Idyllwild, CA 92549. The parish office can be reached at (951) 659-2708 or by email at [email protected]. Visitors to the parish are part of an international stream of guests — the parish guest register, the diocese notes, 'bears their signatures, greetings and prayers.'
- Street address: 54525 N. Circle Drive, Idyllwild, CA 92549
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 1106, Idyllwild, CA 92549
- Phone: (951) 659-2708
- Email: [email protected]
- International guest register kept at the parish
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is Queen of Angels located? 54525 N. Circle Drive, Idyllwild, CA 92549.
- Who is the pastor of Queen of Angels? Rev. Charles E. Miller.
- What are the Mass times? Saturday Vigil at 4:00 p.m.; Sunday at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.; Tuesday–Friday at 8:30 a.m. (no Mass on the 4th Tuesday of the month); Holy Day at 9:00 a.m.; Christmas Eve at 4:00 p.m.
- How do I go to confession? Confessions are heard by appointment — call the parish office at (951) 659-2708.
- When was the parish founded? September 6, 1942, originally as 'Our Lady of the Pines' before Bishop Charles Buddy renamed it Queen of Angels.
- What diocese does the parish belong to? The Diocese of San Bernardino (Hemet Vicariate).
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Malachy O'Sullivan1942–
Founding pastor of Queen of Angels; visiting priest from St. Anthony, San Jacinto, who acquired the original cabin chapel, originally named 'Our Lady of the Pines.' Bishop Charles Buddy renamed it Queen of Angels and dedicated it on September 6, 1942.
- Successor pastor of St. Anthony, San Jacinto
The second successive St. Anthony pastor who, after the 1943–44 snow collapse of the original cabin, secured permission from the Federal War Production Board and built the present church edifice.
- Rev. Charles E. Millerthrough 2027
Current pastor; reappointed for an additional one-year term beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027, having already reached age 65 and petitioned the Bishop to serve year-to-year.