About Sacred Heart · Turlock, California
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a trilingual Roman Catholic parish in Turlock, California, part of the Diocese of Stockton. Founded in 1888 as a mission church and established as a parish in 1910, it is the only church in Turlock that offers Masses in three languages — English, Spanish, and Portuguese — reflecting the diverse immigrant heritage of its community. The parish worships in its fourth and current church building, dedicated in 1972 with a seating capacity of about 1,000, and is served by a pastor and associate pastors alongside a faith-formation school, pre-school, adoration chapel, and thrift shop.
- Established
- 1888 (as a mission); 1910 (as a parish)
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Fr. J. Patrick Walker
- Diocese
- Diocese of Stockton
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse parishes in Turlock, offering Mass in English, Spanish, and Portuguese every Sunday — in fact, the only church in town with full trilingual worship. It combines a century-old faith community, a parish school (Sacred Heart School) and pre-school, a perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, a thrift shop, an active faith-formation program for children, youth and adults, and ministries for Quinceañeras, Marriage Preparation, OCIA, and youth ministry (Navegantes Por Cristo). Under the current pastor, Fr. J. Patrick Walker, the parish continues its long tradition of welcoming newcomers of every culture while serving more than 2,000 registered families.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (inside the school, Oak St. entrance)
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (inside the school, Oak St. entrance)
Adoration times
- Weekdays: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM in the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel
Our Story — From 1888 Mission to Trilingual Parish
Sacred Heart traces its origins to 1888, when Irish immigrants built a modest wooden church at South Broadway and A Streets as a mission of St. Stanislaus in Modesto. In 1910 it became an independent parish under Father Denis Bailey, the first resident pastor, and a permanent home was established on a square block at Lyons Avenue and Rose Street, partly bought and partly donated by parishioners Edward Lyons and John Denair. The parish has since worshipped in four successive churches on or near that block — most recently the spacious 1972 church, the only Catholic church in Turlock that offers Sunday Mass in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
- 1888: first wooden church built by Irish immigrants ($2,500).
- 1910: parish established; Fr. Denis Bailey becomes first resident pastor.
- 1912: brick church dedicated by Archbishop W. P. Riordan of San Francisco.
- 1928: church destroyed by fire; rebuilt in one year for $30,000.
- 1972: present church dedicated May 1, 1972 and consecrated May 13, 1972.
- 2010: centenary of the parish celebrated under Fr. Mark Wagner.
The Church Building
The current Sacred Heart Church was planned from 1969 under Pastor Fr. Manuel V. Alvernaz, designed by parishioner-architect Gilbert W. Goulart, A.I.A., and built by Rock Construction Co. of Stockton. The first Mass was celebrated on April 30, 1972, and the formal Consecration was held on May 13, 1972 by Archbishop Jose V. Alvernaz of Goa, brother of the pastor, with Bishop Merlin J. Guilfoyle of Stockton presiding at the dedication. Notable artistic features include dalle-de-glass stained glass windows from Willet Stained Glass Studios of Philadelphia and sculptures of the Sacred Heart, St. Joseph, and the Blessed Mother by the Maia Brothers of O'Porto, Portugal, along with a large white-marble Sacred Heart statue on the front facade.
- Architect: Gilbert W. Goulart, A.I.A. (parishioner).
- Builder: Rock Construction Co. of Stockton (contract Nov 1970).
- Stained glass: Willet Stained Glass Studios, Philadelphia.
- Statuary: Maia Brothers, O'Porto, Portugal.
- Fundraising chairmen: Ernie Gemperle, Elwood Escobar, John J. Souza, Frank McNeff.
- Seating capacity: about 1,000.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Fr. J. Patrick Walker as Pastor, supported by associate pastors and a lay staff handling operations, faith formation, sacraments, music, and reception. The parish office at 1301 Cooper Ave. is open Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
- Fr. J. Patrick Walker — Pastor.
- Fr. Dante Dammay — Associate Pastor.
- Fr. Alvaro Delgado — Associate Pastor.
- Fr. Rao Abbadasari — Associate Pastor.
- Edwina Rocha — Director of Operations (ext. 115).
- Carmen Alvarez — Director of Faith Formation.
- Leticia Ocegueda — Sacraments Coordinator (ext. 104).
- Maria Salas — Receptionist/Funerals (ext. 101).
- Erma Mendonça — Receptionist/Records (ext. 100).
- Marta Fuentes — Receptionist (ext. 102).
- Patty Evans — Bookkeeper/Facilities (ext. 112).
- Elizabeth Gonzalez — Acct. Receivables/Bulletin Editor (ext. 113).
- Tom Oakley — Music Ministry.
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith formation at Sacred Heart is offered in English and Spanish for children, youth, and adults, with a separate program for adult confirmation and the OCIA process (formerly RCIA) for adults and children preparing for initiation. Becky Beltran serves as Director, and Carmen Alvarez coordinates the Spanish formation program.
- Adult Faith Formation.
- Adult Confirmation Formation.
- English Faith Formation for Children and Youth.
- Formación en la Fe (Spanish).
- Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) and children.
Sacred Heart School and Pre-School
A parish school has long been part of Sacred Heart's mission. Sacred Heart School sits at 1225 Cooper Ave. with Principal Sara Michelena, and a Sacred Heart Pre-School operates separately under Director Staci Coelho. Both serve Turlock Catholic families alongside the parish's faith-formation programs.
- Sacred Heart School: 1225 Cooper Ave; Principal Mrs. Sara Michelena; 209-634-7787.
- Sacred Heart Pre-School: Director Mrs. Staci Coelho; 209-667-5512.
Sacraments and Devotions
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments on a regular schedule and welcomes arrangements for baptisms, marriages, and Quinceañeras. The parish bulletin notes that families should contact the parish office to begin sacramental preparation.
- Infant Baptism — preparation and celebration through the parish.
- Marriage Arrangements — including Spanish-language Marriage Preparation.
- Quinceañeras — coordinated with the parish office.
- Reconciliation — see scheduled confession times.
- Eucharistic Adoration — daily in the Adoration Chapel.
- OCIA and Adult Confirmation.
Parish Life and Outreach
Beyond the liturgy, Sacred Heart operates a thrift shop, runs a youth ministry known historically as 'Navegantes Por Cristo', and organizes its lay mission through five commissions plus a Pastoral Council. The Knights of Columbus and the Young Ladies Institute both have a long history at the parish and have contributed devotional furnishings to the church.
- Sacred Heart Thrift Shop.
- Youth Ministry (Navegantes Por Cristo).
- Pastoral Council — chaired by Don Grishaw with parish representatives.
- Five Commissions: Administration, Community, Formation, Outreach, Worship.
- Knights of Columbus (donor of the St. Joseph statue).
- Young Ladies Institute (donor of the Blessed Mother statue).
Visit, Contact, and Giving
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, email, or in person, and can register online, request sacraments, or give through the parish's online giving system.
- Phone: 209-634-8578 (Fax 209-634-7124).
- Email: [email protected].
- Office: 1301 Cooper Ave, Turlock, CA 95380 (Mon–Fri, 9 AM–5 PM).
- Church address: 1200 Lyons Ave, Turlock, CA 95380.
- Website: https://www.shparish.net.
- Online registration and giving available on the parish website.
- Pastoral Council email: [email protected].
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Denis Bailey1910–
First resident pastor of Sacred Heart parish.
- Fr. Manuel V. Alvernaz1969–1972
Pastor who led the design and construction of the present church; brother of Archbishop Jose V. Alvernaz of Goa.
- Fr. Ernesto Arbelaez1983–
First Spanish-speaking priest resident at Sacred Heart under the diocese program; started Spanish Marriage Preparation and the youth group 'Navegantes Por Cristo'.
- Fr. Octavio Zavalaafter Arbelaez
Resident Spanish-speaking priest.
- Fr. Gustavo Quintero
Resident Spanish-speaking priest.
- Fr. Oskar Pelaez
Resident Spanish-speaking priest.
- Fr. Misael Avila
Resident Spanish-speaking priest.
- Fr. Ramon Benjarano
Resident Spanish-speaking priest.
- Fr. Salvador Ledesma
Resident Spanish-speaking priest.
- Fr. Leo Suarez
Resident Spanish-speaking priest.
- Fr. David Dutra
Resident priest.
- Fr. Luis Navarro
Resident priest.
- Fr. Jairo Ramirez
Resident priest.
- Fr. Pedro Olmos2001–
Diocese of Guadalajara priest in a wheelchair since an automobile accident; resident at Sacred Heart from 2001.
- Fr. Mark Wagneraround 2010
Pastor at the time of the parish's 100th anniversary celebration.
- Fr. Rao Abbadasari
Listed on parish staff directory as a priest.