About San Felipe de Jesus · Nogales, Arizona
San Felipe de Jesus is a Roman Catholic parish in Nogales, Arizona, part of the Diocese of Tucson. Founded in 1987 by Father Jose J. Gallego, a Spanish-born Claretian Missionary, the parish serves the largely Spanish-speaking Catholic community of Santa Cruz County on the U.S.–Mexico border. The parish worships predominantly in Spanish — Sunday Masses at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 5:00 pm are celebrated in Spanish, with one English Mass at 9:00 am. The current pastor is Rev. Jose Manuel Padilla (often called Fr. Manolo Padilla), who shepherds the parish alongside parochial staff and lay leaders.
- Established
- 1987
- Patron
- San Felipe de Jesús (St. Philip of Jesus)
- Rector
- Rev. Jose Manuel Padilla (Fr. Manolo Padilla)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tucson
Why belong here
San Felipe de Jesus is a bilingual borderland parish that serves as a spiritual home for the Hispanic Catholic community of Nogales and the wider Santa Cruz County area. Worship is centered on the Eucharist, with daily Masses in Spanish Tuesday through Saturday and four Sunday Masses (one in English, three in Spanish), plus weekly confession and Eucharistic adoration. The parish offers faith formation for roughly 690 students, a live-streamed Mass ministry for the homebound, and a committed Reopening Committee of lay leaders working with Fr. Manolo Padilla — making it both deeply traditional and warmly practical for families on both sides of the border.
Mass times at San Felipe de Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesdays after 6:00 pm Mass
- Fridays after 6:00 pm Mass
Adoration times
- Every Thursday after the 8:00 am Mass until 11:30 am
- Every First Friday of the month
Our Story — The Founding of San Felipe de Jesus
San Felipe de Jesus Parish was founded in 1987 in Nogales, Arizona, by Father Jose J. Gallego (Padre José J. Gallego), a Spanish-born Claretian Missionary. Father Gallego came to Nogales in 1986 as chaplain at Holy Cross Hospital after 35 years of ministry in the Archdiocese of Chicago, where he had been a champion of Hispanic communities. The parish continues his legacy today, serving the Spanish-speaking Catholic population of Santa Cruz County on the Arizona–Sonora border. The parish's address on N. Jose Gallegos Drive honors the founding priest.
- Founded: 1987
- Founding priest: Father Jose J. Gallego, C.M.F.
- Diocese: Tucson
- Address honors founder: 1901 N. Jose Gallegos Dr.
Father Jose J. Gallego — Founding Priest
Father Jose J. Gallego was a native of Spain who began seminary studies during the Spanish Civil War, completed formation at Dominguez Seminary in Compton, California, and was ordained a Claretian Missionary on August 6, 1949. After two years as a seminary professor he was assigned to parish work in Chicago, where he founded three organizations to address unemployment and immigration injustice among Hispanic residents, earned degrees in sociology and anthropology, and produced and directed the Spanish-language radio program 'Hora Católica Hispanoamericana de Radio.' When he arrived in Arizona in 1986 he poured that same energy into forming San Felipe de Jesus Parish.
- Ordained August 6, 1949 — Claretian Missionaries
- 35 years of ministry in the Archdiocese of Chicago
- Founded ministries for Hispanic immigrants in Chicago
- Degrees in sociology and anthropology
- Created and directed 'Hora Católica Hispanoamericana de Radio'
Bilingual & Live-Streamed Worship
San Felipe de Jesus is one of the most actively bilingual parishes in southern Arizona. The 9:00 am Sunday Mass is celebrated in English; all other Sunday Masses and daily Masses are in Spanish. During the COVID-19 pandemic the parish began live-streaming daily Mass (Tuesday–Thursday) and the 9:00 am Sunday Mass on its Facebook page @sanfelipenogales, a ministry that continues as a way to reach homebound parishioners and those across the border.
- Spanish and English Masses
- Live-streamed daily Mass Tue–Thu
- Live-streamed Sunday 9:00 am Mass
- Facebook: @sanfelipenogales
Faith Formation & Catechesis
The parish runs a substantial Faith Formation (Religious Education) program serving approximately 690 students — making it one of the larger catechetical programs in the Diocese of Tucson. Classes form children, youth, and adults in the Catholic faith and prepare them for the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation.
- Religious Education Program (Catechesis)
- Approximately 690 students enrolled
- First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
Liturgical Ministries & Lay Service
Parishioners serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, ushers (including parking-lot and door welcoming teams), commentators, sacristans, and Mass servers. A standing Reopening Committee — led by Fr. Manolo Padilla with Dr. Carlos Encinas, Eloy Cortez, Luis L. Leyva, and Gaston S. Alejos — models the parish's culture of organized lay leadership.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Ushers / parking and welcome ministry
- Lectors and commentators
- Mass servers and sacristans
Knights of Columbus
The parish is connected to the Knights of Columbus through lay leaders Luis L. Leyva (Arizona State Hispanic Membership Coordinator) and Gaston S. Alejos (District Deputy #2), reflecting the parish's role in the wider Catholic fraternal and charitable life of the diocese.
- Luis L. Leyva — AZ KofC State Hispanic Membership Coordinator
- Gaston S. Alejos — KofC District Deputy #2
Visiting & Contact Information
San Felipe de Jesus is located at 1901 N. Jose Gallegos Drive in Nogales, Arizona, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 6600, Nogales, AZ 85628. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:45 am to 5:45 pm (closed 1:00–2:00 pm for lunch) and is closed on weekends. Phone: (520) 761-3100; Fax: (520) 281-4380; Email: [email protected].
- Address: 1901 N. Jose Gallegos Dr., Nogales, AZ 85621
- Mailing: P.O. Box 6600, Nogales, AZ 85628
- Phone: (520) 761-3100
- Fax: (520) 281-4380
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 9:45 am – 5:45 pm (closed 1–2 pm)
Diocese of Tucson
San Felipe de Jesus is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, which covers the southern half of Arizona. The parish shares its Santa Cruz County ministry with neighboring parishes including Sacred Heart of Jesus in Nogales (founded 1897) and Most Holy Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Rio Rico. Bishop Edward Weisenburger, who led the diocese through the pandemic, authorized the parish's 2020 reopening plan.
- Diocese: Tucson
- County: Santa Cruz County, AZ
- Bishop (at time of 2020 reopening): Edward Weisenburger
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Jose J. Gallego1987 – founding priest, served until his death
Spanish-born Claretian Missionary; ordained August 6, 1949 in Compton, CA; came to Nogales in 1986 from 35 years of ministry in the Archdiocese of Chicago; founded the parish.
- Rev. Viliulfo Valderramalisted c. 2012
Listed in the Diocese of Tucson parish directory as pastor (2012 Kenedy Directory entry).
- Rev. Jose Manuel Padilla (Fr. Manolo Padilla)current
Current pastor; led the parish through the 2020 COVID-19 reopening plan and broadcasts daily Mass on the parish Facebook page.