About St. Agnes · Phoenix, Arizona
St. Agnes is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in central Phoenix, Arizona, founded on March 19, 1940 by Bishop Daniel J. Gercke and originally part of the Diocese of Tucson. Tucked into the historic 24th Street corridor, the parish runs a Catholic elementary school (preschool through 8th grade, mascot the Hornets), serves more than a thousand families, and is the custodian of a famously long church building topped by the two-ton bell 'Gabriel.' After more than 50 years of ministry by Carmelite friars, the parish entered a new chapter in 2025 under diocesan leadership, with its rectory slated to become the fourth house of Nazareth Seminary in 2026.
- Established
- 1940
- Patron
- Saint Agnes (canonized 325 AD)
- Rector
- Fr. Paul Sullivan
- Diocese
- Diocese of Phoenix
Why belong here
St. Agnes is a lively, bilingual parish and school community rooted in nearly 85 years of Phoenix history, where Sunday worship is celebrated in both English and Spanish and where every family can find a way to participate — from lectoring and the music ministry to St. Vincent de Paul outreach, youth ministry, faith formation, RCIA (OCIA), and the parish school. The Carmelite tradition of intense prayer and devotion to Our Lady has left a deep mark here, and the parish continues that legacy as it welcomes a new generation of diocesan seminarians from Nazareth Seminary in 2026.
Mass times at St. Agnes
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 8:30 – 10:00 AM
Parish History
Established March 19, 1940 by Bishop Daniel J. Gercke, Bishop of Tucson, with its first Mass on April 14, 1940 in the Arizona Grocery Company at 16th Street and Yale. Founded by Msgr. Robert J. Donohoe, the parish broke ground on its own church in September 1940 and completed it in March 1941 (those buildings are still in use as the Donohoe Center and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Hall). The much larger main church, reported to be the longest church building in Arizona, was begun in August 1952 and dedicated in 1953, with the two-ton bell 'Gabriel' consecrated on September 20, 1953.
- Established March 19, 1940 by Bishop Daniel J. Gercke
- First Mass: April 14, 1940 in Arizona Grocery Company at 16th Street & Yale
- Founding pastor: Msgr. Robert J. Donohoe
- First church and hall completed March 1941 (now Donohoe Center and St. Thérèse of Lisieux Hall)
- Main church construction began August 1952; dedicated 1953
- Bell 'Gabriel' consecrated September 20, 1953; weighs over two tons; Angelus rung automatically three times daily
- Carmelite friars arrived in the early 1970s and served for 50+ years
- Diocesan pastor Fr. Paul Sullivan began July 1, 2025
The Statue of St. Agnes
The Bottichino marble statue of St. Agnes in the church was carved by an Italian sculptor at the Da Prato Studios in Chicago, commissioned by Msgr. Donohoe. As a 1952 news article reported, 'An Italian sculptor has used the composite features of 28 Phoenix school children in carving a statue of Saint Agnes,' so that every child in the parish could see themselves in the young martyr.
- Sculpted at Da Prato Studios, Chicago
- Bottichino marble
- Composite features of 28 Phoenix schoolchildren
- St. Agnes canonized 325 AD
Parish Staff and Clergy
The current clergy team combines diocesan and (recently transitioned) Carmelite leadership under Bishop John Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix.
- Fr. Paul Sullivan — Pastor / Párroco
- Fr. Joseph Nguyen — Parochial Vicar / Vicario Parroquial
- Senior Deacon Eduardo López — Deacons / Diáconos
- Kelly Aranowski — School Principal / Directora de la Escuela
- James Bierschbach — Director of Music / Director de Música
- Ben Burciaga — Director of Faith Formation / Directora de Formación en la Fe
- Eunice Herrera — Parish Secretary / Secretaria Parroquial
- Karol Perez — Quinceañeras (call two months in advance)
St. Agnes Catholic School
St. Agnes Catholic School, completed on March 9, 1946, was the second major project of founding pastor Msgr. Donohoe. Originally staffed by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mother, it has grown into a preschool-through-eighth-grade program serving 209 students, with the Hornets as its mascot. Full scholarships from preschool through 8th grade are available, and tours in English or Spanish can be scheduled by calling the school office at (602) 244-1451.
- School building completed March 9, 1946
- First teachers: Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mother
- First graduating class: 22 students in 1947
- Current enrollment: 209 students, Preschool – 8th grade
- Mascot: Hornets
- Principal: Kelly Aranowski
- Address: 2311 E. Palm Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85006
- Phone: (602) 244-1451
- Full scholarships available Preschool – 8th grade
- Tours offered in English and Spanish
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
The parish runs a year-round Religious Education (RE) program for children in kindergarten through grade 12, with separate sacramental-preparation tracks for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. The OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process is offered in both English (RCIA) and Spanish (RICA) for unbaptized adults or those baptized outside the Catholic Church who wish to enter full communion.
- Religious Education program (K – Grade 12)
- First Reconciliation / Penance preparation
- First Holy Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation (grades 2–12)
- OCIA / RCIA (English) and RICA (Spanish) programs
- Catechist formation
Liturgical and Parish Ministries
Parish life at St. Agnes runs on a wide network of lay ministries that serve the liturgy, the parish school, and the wider neighborhood. The parish also hosts active Third Order Carmelite groups for both English and Spanish speakers — a legacy of the more than 50 years the Carmelite friars served here.
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Music Ministry (Director James Bierschbach)
- Caring Ministry
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Youth Ministry
- Safe Environment Classes
- Third Order Carmelite groups (English and Spanish)
- Quinceañera coordination
Becoming a New Parishioner / Registrarse
New members can register online via the parish website or by calling the parish office at (602) 244-0349. Families must be registered parishioners (or have a letter of permission from their own pastor) in order to enroll their children in the parish RE program and receive the sacraments there.
- Register online at stagnesphx.org or call (602) 244-0349
- Spanish-speaking registration also available
Nazareth Seminary at St. Agnes (2026)
Beginning in 2026, the parish rectory will be renovated to become the fourth house of Nazareth Seminary, the Diocese of Phoenix's local seminary. Up to 12–15 seminarians will live there during the first years of formation while taking classes at the University of Mary at Arizona State University or local community colleges. They will join daily parish prayer and service activities alongside the existing Carmelite-influenced prayer life.
- Announced March 2025 by the Diocese of Phoenix
- Up to 12–15 seminarians expected in residence in 2026
- Seminarians will attend University of Mary at ASU or local community colleges
- Named 'St. Agnes House' within Nazareth Seminary
- No planned changes to parish school or convent
Visit, Contact, and Newsletter
Visitors and parishioners are kept up to date through the parish website, the weekly bulletin (English and Spanish), and direct contact with the parish office and school office. The parish asks visitors to call ahead for sacramental emergencies and to note that the parish office has been operating from a temporary location.
- Parish website: https://www.stagnesphx.org
- Parish office: (602) 244-0349 — [email protected]
- School office: (602) 244-1451 — [email protected]
- Weekly bulletin (English / Spanish) available on the website
- Emergency line: call parish office directly
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Robert J. Donohoe1940 –
Founding pastor; oversaw construction of the first church (1941) and the parish school (1946); commissioned the marble statue of St. Agnes from Da Prato Studios in Chicago.
- Carmelite fathers (O.Carm.)early 1970s – 2025
Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel served the parish for more than 50 years after the Diocese of Phoenix was established in 1969.
- Fr. Bradley Peterson, O.Carm.c. 2008 – July 2025 (pastor for 17 years)
Longest-tenured recent pastor; grew up in what had been his family's parish and was ordained at St. Agnes in 1992; departed on sabbatical to the Carmelite St. Therese Priory in Phoenix.
- Fr. Jorge Monterroso Merida, O.Carm.c. 2020 – 2025
Served as parochial vicar for five years before taking a new assignment in New Jersey.
- Fr. Paul SullivanJuly 2025 – present
Rector of Nazareth Seminary; appointed by Bishop John Dolan as the parish transitions to hosting diocesan seminarians in 2026.