About Sacred Heart · Fort Jones, California
Sacred Heart Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish in the rural town of Fort Jones, in Scott Valley, Siskiyou County, Northern California. Established in June 1921 under Bishop Thomas Grace of Sacramento, it is one of the older parishes in the Diocese of Sacramento and historically served as the mother parish for several mission communities in the surrounding wilderness, including Etna, Happy Camp, Sawyer's Bar, and (until 1971) Callahan. Today the parish shares its clergy with neighboring St. Joseph Parish in Yreka and continues to serve an enormous geographical territory in far-northern California, with Sunday Mass in Fort Jones celebrated at 9:00 a.m. at 11630 Main Street.
- Established
- 1921
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Dean Marshall (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sacramento
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a small, tight-knit rural Catholic community that has faithfully served Scott Valley and the surrounding Siskiyou County wilderness since 1921. Parishioners worship in a historic 1915 church on Main Street, gather in the 5,164-square-foot parish hall — the largest gathering place in Scott Valley — and are supported by a parochial administrator, a deacon, and a religious education coordinator. Whether you are a longtime ranching family, a newcomer to the valley, or just passing through the Klamath Mountains, you will find a parish whose century of missionary heritage still shapes its warm, family-style Catholic life.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Friday of the month: 10:30 AM (Benediction and Confession, Sacred Heart, Fort Jones)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month: 10:30 AM (Benediction, Fort Jones)
About Sacred Heart Parish
Sacred Heart Parish is a rural Roman Catholic parish in Fort Jones, California, in the Diocese of Sacramento. Established in 1921 and part of the Siskiyou Deanery, the parish serves the Catholic faithful of Scott Valley and the surrounding Siskiyou County wilderness from its 1915 church on Main Street. The parish mailing address is shared with St. Joseph Parish in Yreka, and its clergy currently serve both parishes together.
- Type: Parish (Roman-Latin Rite)
- Diocese: Diocese of Sacramento
- Deanery: Siskiyou Deanery
- Established: 1921
- County: Siskiyou
History
Catholic life in this corner of far-northern California began with pioneer missionaries in the 1850s. Father Florian Schwenninger, OSB celebrated the first known Masses at Sawyer's Bar and the Salmon River camps in 1853, and in 1855 Fathers James Cassin and Thomas Cody were appointed the first pastor and assistant pastor of Siskiyou County. The first Sacred Heart Church in Fort Jones was built before 1881, burned in 1914, and was replaced by the present church in 1915. In June 1921 Bishop Thomas Grace raised Sacred Heart in Fort Jones to parish status, with Father Patrick J. Sullivan as the founding pastor and the surrounding communities of Etna, Callahan, Sawyer's Bar, and Happy Camp becoming missions.
The Parish Hall
Under Father Roy R. Doner (1986–1996), Sacred Heart parishioners built the parish hall across Main Street from the church — a project estimated at $327,000, funded through Valentine dinner-dances, bequests, individual donations, a diocesan loan, and Father Roy's donation of all his Mass and funeral stipends. Bishop William Weigand matched up to $20,000 of the funds raised during construction; parishioners raised $13,500 of that match. The hall has a 2,800-square-foot main room with cedar-paneled walls (cedar sawed by Father Roy from trees on his parents' property in Challenge), a commercial kitchen, and four meeting rooms, totaling 5,164 square feet — the largest gathering place in Scott Valley.
Missions and Stations
Sacred Heart Parish historically serves as the mother parish for several mission communities spread across the rugged Siskiyou County terrain. The mission church at Callahan (Saints John and Paul) was dismantled in 1971. The remaining missions continue to be served by the parish's clergy.
- All Saints Mission — 1321 Indian Creek Rd., Happy Camp; Saturday Mass 9:30 AM; Benediction and Confession second Saturday of the month, 10:30 AM; Reconciliation after Mass or by appointment
- St. Mary Mission — 387 Center Street, Etna, CA 96027; Saturday Mass 6:00 PM; Benediction third Thursday of the month, 10:30 AM; Reconciliation after Mass or by appointment
- St. Joseph Mission — Main Street, Sawyer's Bar; Mass in summer only (consult parish bulletin)
Staff and Clergy
Sacred Heart Parish is currently administered by a Parochial Administrator and assisted by a deacon, with a religious education coordinator handling faith formation. Mailing and administrative contact is shared with St. Joseph Parish, Yreka, reflecting the 2013 decision to consolidate the two parishes under one priest due to a shortage of clergy in the diocese.
- Parochial Administrator: Rev. Dean Marshall
- Deacon: Dcn. Charles Werner
- Religious Education Coordinator: Mrs. Mary Lou Slette
Mass and Sacramental Schedule
Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart is celebrated at 9:00 AM in the historic church on Main Street. Confession is offered on the First Friday of the month at 10:30 AM, immediately following Benediction, or by appointment. Holy Day Masses are announced in the parish bulletin. The parish shares its clergy with St. Joseph Parish in Yreka, which offers additional Saturday and weekday Masses.
- Sunday Mass — 9:00 AM, Sacred Heart, Fort Jones
- First Friday — 10:30 AM, Benediction and Confession
- Sacrament of Reconciliation — by appointment
- Holy Days — see parish bulletin
Religious Education and Faith Formation
Religious Education for Sacred Heart Parish is coordinated by Mrs. Mary Lou Slette, who can be reached through the parish office at (530) 842-4874. Faith formation programs serve the families of Scott Valley as well as the mission communities, including St. Mary's Religious Education Center at 425 Howell Avenue in Etna.
- Religious Education Coordinator: Mrs. Mary Lou Slette
- St. Mary's Religious Education Center — 425 Howell Avenue, Etna
Contact and Location
The parish is physically located at 11630 Main Street, Fort Jones, CA 96032. The mailing address and rectory are shared with St. Joseph Parish in Yreka (314 Fourth Street, Yreka, CA 96097), phone (530) 842-4874, fax (530) 842-7076. The parish hall (Sacred Heart Parish Center) sits across Main Street at 11705 Main Street, Fort Jones.
- Church address: 11630 Main St., Fort Jones, CA 96032
- Parish hall (Sacred Heart Parish Center): 11705 Main St., Fort Jones
- Mailing address: 314 Fourth St., Yreka, CA 96097
- Phone: (530) 842-4874
- Fax: (530) 842-7076
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Patrick J. Sullivan1921–1927
Founding pastor when Sacred Heart was raised to parish status under Bishop Grace.
- Father Francis J. McEnaney1927–1931
- Father James O'Flanagan1931–1932
- Father Stephen Stack1932–1942
- Father Jeremiah Boland1942–1946
- Father James Kenny1946–1949
- Father John J. Healy1949–1953
- Father J. P. Farrell1953–1957
- Father Francis Sullivan1957–1959
- Father William Broderick1959–1964
- Father John T. McDonnell1964–1966
- Father Leo Scheibel, C.P. (Administrator)1966
- Father Vincent O'Shaughnessy1966–1969
- Father Hugh J. Bannon1969–1971
- Father Anthony Gurnell1971–1974
Irish-born, previously a banker in Cork; first pastorate. Dismantled the Callahan mission church in 1971.
- Father John P. Sullivan1974–1986
First pastorate; fell in love with Siskiyou country. Transferred to St. Patrick, Placerville.
- Father Roy R. Doner1986–1996
Built the parish hall across from the church on Main Street; largest gathering place in Scott Valley.
- Father John Lawrence (Administrator)1996–2002
Replaced Father Doner when Doner went to Divine Savior, Chico.
- Sister Anne Chester, RSM (Parish Steward)2002–2004
Appointed by Bishop Weigand to administer both Yreka and Fort Jones; stepped down when elected to Mercy community leadership.
- Father Aiden O'Reilly (Supervising Priest)2002–2004
- Father John Lawrence (Administrator, again)2004–2007
- Father Bernard Tape (Pastor)2007–2009
Served Yreka and Fort Jones together.
- Father Felipe H. Paraguya (Parochial Vicar)2007–2009
Resided in Fort Jones.
- Father Aldrin G. Basarte (Administrator)2009–2012
- Father Glenn Jaron, MSP (Parochial Vicar)2010–2012
Resided in Fort Jones; reassigned to Weaverville in 2012.
- Father Dariusz T. Malczuk (Parochial Vicar)2009–2010
- Father Julito R. Orpilla (Administrator / Pastor)2013–
Administrator of both Yreka and Fort Jones; drove ~240 miles between four churches on weekends.