About St. Agnes · Zamora, California
St. Agnes is a Catholic mission church in the small unincorporated community of Zamora, in Yolo County, California, belonging to the Diocese of Sacramento. It is officially a mission of St. Paul Parish in neighboring Knights Landing and is administered by a parochial administrator from the Diocese of Sacramento rather than a resident pastor. The little white church on Main Street, built by two pioneering farming families in 1908 and formally dedicated in 1909, continues to serve the rural Zamora-area faithful with regular Mass.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- St. Agnes
- Rector
- Rev. Ryan Mahar (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sacramento
Why belong here
St. Agnes is the spiritual home of a close-knit rural Catholic community whose roots in Zamora go back more than a century. As a small mission of St. Paul Parish in Knights Landing, it offers a quiet, family-sized worship space with a distinctive early-20th-century country church atmosphere, regularly scheduled Mass, and a parish family that has cared for the building and grounds for generations — including a recent statue of its patroness and a memorial brick walk. Visitors are welcomed to a piece of living Yolo County heritage.
Mass times at St. Agnes
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Agnes Mission
St. Agnes is a Catholic mission church serving the small unincorporated community of Zamora in Yolo County, California. It is a mission of St. Paul Parish in nearby Knights Landing and is listed in the Yolo Deanery of the Diocese of Sacramento. The mission is administered on behalf of the diocese by a parochial administrator rather than a resident pastor, and shares the parish office phone line with St. Paul Parish.
- Official name: St. Agnes Mission, Zamora
- Diocese: Sacramento (Yolo Deanery, Yolo County)
- Parent parish: St. Paul Parish, Knights Landing
- Current administrator: Rev. Ryan Mahar
History & Founding Families
Construction of St. Agnes began in 1906 after Agnes Bemmerly donated the land and funded the project. The church was built in 1908 by the Horgan and Slaven families — Irish Catholic farmers who had settled in Zamora's rolling hills after emigrating from County Tyrone, Ireland in the late 1800s. The brothers John, Cornelius, and Andrew Horgan were among the builders. The church was formally dedicated in May 1909, and on Christmas Day 1912 one of the founding families' daughters was baptized there. Members and friends gathered on May 17, 2009 for a centennial Mass, celebrated by Rev. Joe Hong and Rev. Joseph Nguyen, followed by a buffet dinner at the Zamora Town Hall.
- Land donated and project funded by Agnes Bemmerly in 1906
- Church constructed in 1908 by the Horgan and Slaven families
- Formal dedication: May 1909
- First recorded baptism: Christmas Day 1912
- 100th anniversary Mass: May 17, 2009 (Rev. Joe Hong, Rev. Joseph Nguyen)
Architecture & Grounds
St. Agnes is a small white country church whose most distinctive architectural detail is that its steeple and bell tower stand at the rear of the building rather than at the front — an arrangement original to the 1908 structure. The church also features pointed Gothic-style side and front windows, a round Celtic (oculus) window above the double front doors, and wrought-iron crosses on the front stair railings. In 2004, a statue of St. Agnes was added to the front lawn and dedicated by the Bishop of Sacramento; surrounding it is a memorial path paved in red brick, with many bricks inscribed with dedications and memorials.
- Bell tower and steeple placed at the back of the building (original 1908 detail)
- Pointed side and front windows
- Round Celtic (oculus) window above double front doors
- Wrought-iron crosses on the front stair railings
- Statue of St. Agnes added on the lawn in 2004 (dedicated by the bishop)
- Red-brick memorial path surrounding the statue
Clergy & Parish Administration
As a mission of St. Paul Parish in Knights Landing, St. Agnes is overseen by a parochial administrator appointed by the Diocese of Sacramento rather than a resident pastor. The current administrator is Rev. Ryan Mahar. The same parish office handles St. Paul Parish and St. Agnes Mission, so inquiries and sacramental coordination are routed through the shared phone line.
- Parochial Administrator: Rev. Ryan Mahar
- Parent parish: St. Paul Parish, 222 Sycamore Way, Knights Landing, CA 95645
- Shared parish office phone: (530) 735-6478
Mass & Service Schedule
St. Agnes Mission offers regular weekly Mass as listed in the Diocese of Sacramento directory. Weekday Mass, confession, and adoration times are not separately published at this mission; parishioners typically access those services at the parent parish, St. Paul Parish in Knights Landing.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:30 PM (Saturday, English)
- Weekday Mass: not published at this mission
- Confession: not published at this mission
Visit & Contact
St. Agnes Mission stands at 9865 Main Street in the rural community of Zamora, Yolo County, California (ZIP 95698). The mailing and parish office are shared with St. Paul Parish in Knights Landing. Visitors wishing to worship or arrange sacraments should call the parish office during business hours.
- Address: 9865 Main Street, Zamora, CA 95698
- Phone: (530) 735-6478
- Diocese of Sacramento parish page: https://www.scd.org/parish/st-agnes-mission-zamora