About Shrine of St. Therese [Santuario de Santa Teresita] · Fresno, California
The Shrine of St. Therese (Santuario de Santa Teresita) is a historic Roman Catholic shrine-parish in the Tower District / Fig Garden area of Fresno, California, in the Diocese of Fresno. Established in 1919 as Our Lady of Victory Parish in thanksgiving for the Allied victory in World War I, it was renamed in 1925 after the canonization of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, becoming the first church in the world dedicated to the 'Little Flower.' The present 1956 church is a Romanesque-Mission structure clad and lined with 50,000 pounds of Italian marble, furnished with stained-glass windows by the Gabriel Loire studio of Chartres and a 1,500-pipe organ, and houses a first-class relic and marble statue of St. Thérèse donated by her sister Mother Agnes of Jesus (Pauline Martin). The parish continues today as a bilingual (English/Spanish) community that celebrates a wide range of Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, devotions, and parish ministries.
- Established
- 1919
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, OCD)
- Rector
- Fr. Iván Hernández Melchor
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
The Shrine of St. Therese is a bilingual, historically rich Catholic home where English- and Spanish-speaking parishioners worship side by side — daily 8 a.m. English Masses are joined by Spanish Masses Tuesday through Thursday evenings, a noon Spanish Mass on Sundays, and a special Spanish First Saturday Mass. It is also one of the most beautiful churches in the Central Valley, with 50,000 pounds of Italian marble, Loire stained glass, a 1,500-pipe organ, and Eucharistic Adoration several days a week. Active parish life includes a Knights of Columbus council, a Silver Threads Sewing Circle, a Senior Bible Study, religious education for children and adults, and opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation six days a week — making it a uniquely welcoming place for anyone drawn to St. Thérèse's 'little way' of spiritual childhood and quiet devotion.
Mass times at Shrine of St. Therese [Santuario de Santa Teresita]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Friday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 11:15 AM (changes to 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM in July)
- First Friday of the month: 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- First Saturday of the month: 7:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM (Noon)
- Saturday: 4:00 PM (English)
- First Saturday of the month: 7:00 PM – 10:30 PM
- First Friday of the month: 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
History of the Shrine of St. Therese
St. Thérèse's Parish was established in Fresno in June 1919 as Our Lady of Victory Parish. The first pastor, Father Martin Cody Keating, named it in thanksgiving for the U.S. victory in World War I and celebrated the first Mass on June 29, 1919, in the Dan C. Desmond home at 845 Echo Avenue, with 30 parishioners present. The young altar boy at that Mass, Harry A. Clinch, would later be ordained an Auxiliary Bishop of Monterey-Fresno in the new Shrine on February 27, 1957. The Diocese of Monterey-Fresno was created in 1922, and in 1924 Bishop John B. MacGinley became its first ordinary. After St. Thérèse of Lisieux was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925, Bishop MacGinley obtained the Pope's permission to name her principal patroness of the diocese on the condition that one parish in the diocese bear her name; the parish was renamed in her honor, and on May 2, 1926, Bishop MacGinley dedicated the completed (and now-renamed) Shrine of St. Therese at Floradora near Wishon.
- Founded June 1919 as Our Lady of Victory Parish
- First Mass: June 29, 1919, in the Dan C. Desmond home, 845 Echo Avenue
- First pastor: Rev. Msgr. Martin C. Keating, 1919–1925
- Renamed for St. Thérèse after the 1925 canonization of St. Thérèse of Lisieux
- St. Thérèse named principal patroness of the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno by Pope Pius XI
- Original church dedicated May 2, 1926 by Bishop MacGinley
Building the Present Shrine (1953–1957)
By the late 1940s the parish was bursting at the seams, and under Monsignor James G. Dowling (pastor 1940–1968) a 'five-year plan' added a new grammar school, paid off the long-standing parish debt by 1944, and acquired a permanent convent for the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1945. The next 'five-year plan' envisioned a much larger church. Fund-raising began on October 3, 1953, with an estimated cost of $250,000; additional lots were purchased in 1954 for parking and playground. Ground was broken on Corpus Christi Sunday, June 12, 1955, and construction began July 6, 1955, at the corner of Wishon and Floradora Avenues. Monsignor Dowling suffered a heart attack on the saint's feast day, October 3, 1955, briefly halting construction while Father James C. O'Doherty of Lemoore administered the parish. Monsignor Dowling returned in February 1956; the cornerstone was blessed on November 1, 1956; and the first Mass in the new Shrine was celebrated at midnight on Christmas Day 1956. That Christmas, parishioners contributed nearly $40,000 toward construction. The old 1920s church became Sullivan Hall, the 1,500-pipe organ was installed in 1958, and the building has continued in active use ever since.
- Architect: Vincent Buckley of San Francisco
- Builder: Long and Needham Construction Company
- Interior: Richard W. Jung (designer) with artist Mr. Tedesci (New York)
- Style: Romanesque-Mission, reinforced steel and concrete, Mission Tile roof
- 50,000 pounds of Italian marble; five types in the altar area alone
- Stained glass: Gabriel Loire studio, Chartres, France
Stained Glass, Marble, and Art
The art and architecture of the Shrine are its most celebrated feature. The great reredos behind the main altar carries a 15-foot statue of St. Thérèse carved from white Carrara marble with an ivory finish, shown showering roses upon the earth. Flanking the sanctuary are marble statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary; a small replica of Michelangelo's Pietà stands in the vestibule. Two hand-carved wooden statues — St. Joseph and St. Pope Pius X — are venerated in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. The Stations of the Cross were painted in oils by artist Von Meier, and an Our Lady of Perpetual Help mosaic, prepared by Vatican artists in Rome, adorns a side chapel. The stained-glass windows were made by the family of Gabriel Loire in Chartres, France, with Bariel Loire himself designing the program; only eight of the windows were installed before the first Mass, with the rest delayed by the 1956 Suez Canal crisis. Unlike ordinary stained glass, the Loire windows are made of glass one and a half inches thick, cut like gems. The pipe organ (1,500 pipes) was installed in 1958.
- Reredos: 15-foot Carrara marble statue of St. Thérèse showering roses
- Marble Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart flanking the sanctuary
- Replica of Michelangelo's Pietà in the vestibule
- Hand-carved wooden statues of St. Joseph and St. Pope Pius X in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel
- Stations of the Cross painted in oils by artist Von Meier
- Vatican-made mosaic of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Stained glass by the Gabriel Loire studio of Chartres, France
- Great rose window over the main entrance
- Pipe organ with 1,500 pipes (installed 1958)
Relics and Devotion to St. Thérèse
The Shrine of St. Therese holds a special place in the global devotion to the Little Flower. In 1910 Mother Agnes of Jesus (Pauline Martin), St. Thérèse's own sister and then prioress of the Carmel of Lisieux, donated a first-class relic of the saint to the parish (then still Our Lady of Victory). The 1926 marble statue of St. Thérèse that was unveiled by Bishop MacGinley on the day of dedication was sculpted by the artisans of Lisieux from a six-foot block of marble from the quarries near Olympia, Greece, and shipped to Fresno via the Panama Canal. Today the Shrine is a designated Jubilee Church for the Holy Year 2025 in the Diocese of Fresno and continues to be a destination of pilgrimage for those devoted to St. Thérèse's 'little way' of spiritual childhood.
- First-class relic donated by Mother Agnes of Jesus (Pauline Martin)
- 1926 marble statue carved in Lisieux from Greek marble, shipped via the Panama Canal
- Jubilee Church for the Holy Year 2025
Parish Staff and Clergy
The Shrine of St. Therese is currently shepherded by Fr. Iván Hernández Melchor, who has served as pastor since July 28, 2023, and who also serves the wider Diocese of Fresno as Director of Vocations. The parish also has a deacon on staff (Deacon Jesse). The Shrine is pastored in continuity with a long line of priests and monsignors going back to its 1919 founding. The Parish Office (855 E. Floradora Ave., 559-268-6388) and Religious Formation Office (559-485-2199) are open Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with the office closed for lunch from 1:00 to 2:00 PM, and closed on Mondays and on the listed diocesan holidays.
- Fr. Iván Hernández Melchor — Pastor (since July 28, 2023); also Director of Vocations, Diocese of Fresno
- Deacon Jesse — on parish staff
- Monsignor Raymond C. Dreiling, V.G. — Pastor Emeritus (Feb 2018 – July 28, 2023)
Ministries and Parish Groups
The Shrine of St. Therese offers a range of parish ministries, including faith formation for children and adults, a Knights of Columbus council, the Silver Threads Sewing Circle, and a Senior Bible Study. The bilingual character of the parish is central to its life, with Spanish-language Masses, devotions, and sacramental preparation alongside English programming, and with Hispanic community ministry supported by the parish.
- Religious Formation / Catechism for children and adults
- Knights of Columbus
- Silver Threads Sewing Circle
- Senior Bible Study
- Hispanic / Spanish-language community ministry
- English liturgical choirs and Spanish music ministry with guitar
Practical Information for Visitors
The Shrine is located at 855 E. Floradora Avenue, Fresno, CA 93728, at the corner of North Wishon Avenue and East Floradora Avenue in central Fresno. Parking is described as readily available, and a parking lot was added across from the rectory through property donations in the 1950s. The two side chapels serve as cry rooms during Mass. The Parish Office is open Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (closed 1:00–2:00 PM for lunch), and closed on Mondays. Holidays on which the office is closed include New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas.
- Address: 855 E. Floradora Avenue, Fresno, CA 93728
- Parish Office: (559) 268-6388
- Religious Formation: (559) 485-2199
- Fax: (559) 268-0852
- Office hours: Tue–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (lunch 1:00–2:00 PM); closed Mondays
- Parking: readily available; side chapels available as cry rooms
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Msgr. Martin C. Keating1919–1925
Founding pastor; WWI chaplain; chose original name Our Lady of Victory.
- Rev. Msgr. Michael Sullivan1925–1940
Renamed parish for St. Thérèse after 1925 canonization; appointed Vicar General 1933; raised to Domestic Prelate 1934.
- Rev. Msgr. James G. Dowling1940–1968
Launched the 'five-year plan' of expansion and debt reduction; built the present 1956 church; suffered a heart attack on the saint's feast day 1955.
- Rev. Msgr. Patrick Hannon1968–1970
- Rev. Msgr. Kevin Cleary1970–1980
- Rev. Fr. Thomas G. Kleinhans1980–1992
- Rev. Msgr. Edward Poshcen1992–2000
- Rev. Msgr. E. James Petersen2000–2009
- Rev. Fr. Michael A. Burchfield, J.C.L., M.C.L.2009–2017
- Rev. Msgr. Raymond C. Dreiling, V.G.February 2018 – July 28, 2023
Served concurrently as Vicar General of the Diocese of Fresno.
- Rev. Fr. Iván Hernández MelchorJuly 28, 2023 – present
Also serves as Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Fresno.
![Shrine of St. Therese [Santuario de Santa Teresita] in Fresno, California — photo 1](https://catholicpilgrimagesites.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Reliquary-Shrine-of-St-Therese-Fresno-CA.jpg "Shrine of St. Therese [Santuario de Santa Teresita]")