About Santa Cruz · Tucson, Arizona
Santa Cruz Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Tucson's south-side neighborhood, serving the community for over 100 years from its landmark church at 1220 S. 6th Avenue. Designed by Bishop Henri Granjon and built in adobe between 1916 and 1918, it is the largest known mud-adobe building in Arizona and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. From its founding in 1919 until July 2023, the parish was served by the Discalced Carmelite friars; pastoral care then passed to the Diocese of Tucson, with Fr. Marcos Velasquez appointed as pastor. Today the parish of more than 600 registered families offers Mass in both English and Spanish, runs a CCD religious education program, operates the affiliated Santa Cruz Catholic School, and tends the historic mission chapel of Capilla de Guadalupe.
- Established
- 1919
- Patron
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Rector
- Fr. Marcos Velasquez
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tucson
Why belong here
Santa Cruz is more than a historic landmark — it is the spiritual and cultural heartbeat of Tucson's south-side, where generations have been baptized, married and buried for over a century. The parish offers daily Mass in English with a Sunday Mass in Spanish, weekly Eucharistic Adoration with the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Rosary and Benediction, the Liturgy of the Hours on Zoom, and a CCD religious education program, all supported by the parish's affiliated K-8 school. Joining the parish family means becoming part of a 600-family community that has kept the surrounding neighborhood together for more than 100 years.
Mass times at Santa Cruz
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 6:00 PM
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Adoration times
- Friday 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM (3:00 PM Divine Mercy Chaplet; 6:00 PM Confessions / Rosario; 7:00 PM Rosary; 8:00 PM Benediction)
Parish at a Glance
Santa Cruz Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Tucson, Arizona, in the Diocese of Tucson, located on the city's south side at 1220 S. 6th Avenue. The parish serves more than 600 registered families and has been a worshiping community for over 100 years. From its founding until July 2023, Santa Cruz was staffed by the Discalced Carmelite friars; today it is led by diocesan priests while keeping the Carmelite heritage at the heart of its identity.
- Address: 1220 South 6th Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85713
- Phone: (520) 623-3833
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocese: Tucson
- Current pastor: Fr. Marcos Velasquez
- Pastoral care transferred from the Discalced Carmelites to the Diocese of Tucson, effective July 31, 2023
History of the Parish
The parish was founded by Bishop Henri Granjon, second Bishop of Tucson, who designed the church himself. Construction began in 1916 on the south side of Tucson, near the Santa Cruz River; the building was completed in 1918 and dedicated on February 9, 1919. It was Tucson's third Catholic church, after San Agustín and Holy Family (1914), and its original territory stretched south to the U.S.–Mexico border. The Discalced Carmelite friars, who had arrived in Arizona in 1911, ministered to Santa Cruz from its dedication and shaped its spiritual and cultural identity for more than a century.
- Built 1916–1918; dedicated February 9, 1919
- Architect: Bishop Henri Granjon; builder: Manuel G. Flores
- Tucson's third Catholic parish
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, October 7, 1994 (NRHP #94001196)
Notable Moments in the Parish's Story
Two episodes have come to define the building's history. On November 11, 1918, Bishop Granjon climbed the unfinished bell tower to ring in the Armistice ending World War I — the first time the bells were heard. Six years later, in November 1924, striking Mexican copper miners detonated dynamite inside the nave; no one was injured, but the front door was blown off, the plaster walls cracked and the wooden trusses damaged in a way that is still visible and weight-limited today.
- First bell ringing: November 11, 1918 (Armistice Day)
- Dynamite blast: November 1924 — front door blown off, trusses damaged, repairs still visible
Carmelite Heritage and the Carmelite Martyrs
The Discalced Carmelite friars arrived in Arizona in 1911 and have been the religious face of Santa Cruz since its 1919 dedication. Five Carmelites who served at the parish between 1919 and 1934 — Fr. Lucas of St. Joseph, Fr. Eduardo of the Child Jesus, Fr. Pedro of St. Elijah, Fr. Vicente of the Cross, and Brother Angel of St. Joseph — were recalled to Spain and killed during the Spanish Civil War. They were beatified as martyrs by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 and are honored inside the church by a mural painted by artist Ignacio Garcia.
- Five Discalced Carmelite martyrs beatified in 2007
- Honored by a mural painted by Ignacio Garcia
- Carmelites published a Spanish-language magazine from the parish 1924–1956
Architecture of the Church
Santa Cruz Catholic Church was built by Manuel G. Flores in the Spanish Colonial Revival style with Moorish/Islamic nuances. The plan is a long rectangular basilica joined to a Convento that surrounds a courtyard, with all masonry covered in white paint and plaster. The roof is a frame of wooden trusses and decking with a low pitch, ringed by a parapet with decorated perforations and baroque-finialed piers. A small dome was added above the altar when the sanctuary was expanded in the 1940s, and a continuous choir loft above the entry compresses the threshold before opening into the tall nave, where a rectangular skylight lights the altar.
- Spanish Colonial Revival style with Moorish nuances
- 90-foot minaret-like bell tower
- 22-inch-thick unstabilized mud-adobe brick walls
- Largest adobe building in Arizona
Other Devotions and Prayer
Beyond Mass and Adoration, Santa Cruz hosts a daily Evening Prayer gathering and seasonal Lenten devotions.
- Evening Prayer (Liturgy of the Hours) with Fr. Justin Agbir, V.C., Monday–Friday at 5:10 PM via Zoom
- Stations of the Cross every Friday during Lent
- Annual Catholic Appeal (parish goal $41,349 in 2026; theme 'This is the Hour for Love')
Faith Formation and Religious Education (CCD)
The parish runs a CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program for children and youth religious education, with its own office and phone line. CCD is the principal vehicle for sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation at Santa Cruz.
- CCD Office: (520) 882-9687
- Office Hours: 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM, Tuesday–Saturday
Santa Cruz Catholic School
Santa Cruz Catholic School is a K-8 Catholic school under the Diocese of Tucson and Santa Cruz Parish, accredited by the Western Catholic Education Association and a member of the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA). The school opened in 1920 facing 22nd Street, originally staffed by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and later by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Mercy Sisters, Adrian Dominicans, Sisters of St. Agnes and (since 2004–2005) the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Since 1987 the school has been served by a faithful core of lay staff and administrators, and is associated with the University of Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) and PATH programs.
- K-8 Catholic school founded 1920
- Accredited by the Western Catholic Education Association; member of NCEA
- Four-room school building added in 1947; four more classrooms in 1954
- Today staffed by lay teachers under Fr. Marcos Velasquez as pastor
Outreach and Charity
Santa Cruz is home to a Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference that has been revitalized under Pastor Fr. Marcos Velasquez, who also serves as Spiritual Advisor for the SVdP Tucson Diocesan Council. The parish participates in the annual diocesan Catholic Appeal.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference at the parish
- Annual Catholic Appeal participation
Mission Chapel
The parish also ministers at its mission chapel, Capilla de Guadalupe, which extends the parish's reach further into south Tucson.
- Capilla de Guadalupe — 401 E. 31st Street, Tucson, AZ 85713
Staff and Leadership
After the Carmelites' withdrawal, Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger appointed Fr. Marcos Velasquez as pastor of the parish and school. A parochial vicar, Fr. Simon Muema, S.D.S., was assigned at the same time, and Fr. Justin Agbir, V.C., leads the daily Evening Prayer on Zoom. A maintenance team — including Director of Maintenance Fermin Rivera — cares for the historic adobe structure.
- Fr. Marcos Velasquez — Pastor (born Superior, AZ; ordained 1989; appointed 2023)
- Fr. Simon Muema, S.D.S. — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Justin Agbir, V.C. — leads Evening Prayer (Liturgy of the Hours)
- Fermin Rivera — Director of Maintenance
Visiting and Getting Involved
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed to join the parish family. The parish invites newcomers to register as active members, to enroll children in CCD or the Catholic school, and to participate in ministries ranging from the choir to the St. Vincent de Paul conference. Office visits and phone calls are encouraged.
- Parish Office: Monday–Friday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (closed 12:45–1:45 PM)
- Phone: (520) 623-3833
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: santacruzchurchtucson.com
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Discalced Carmelite friars (O.C.D.)1919–2023
Served the parish continuously from its 1919 dedication; Order withdrew from Tucson effective July 31, 2023 due to declining vocations and an aging membership.
- Fr. Stephen Watson, O.C.D.pre-2023
Carmelite friar who publicly announced the Order's withdrawal from the parish in 2023.
- Fr. José Luis Ferroni, O.C.D.2007–2009, then returned 2017
Carmelite friar and parish historian who spearheaded the 100-year anniversary celebration.
- Fr. Marcos Velasquez2023–present
Appointed by Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger to take over pastoral care after the Carmelites' departure; born in Superior, AZ; ordained 1989; previously pastored Our Lady of Grace in Maricopa and Sacred Heart in Nogales.