About St. Anthony of Padua · Fresno, California
St. Anthony of Padua is a Roman Catholic parish in the Fig Garden area of north Fresno, California, belonging to the Diocese of Fresno. The parish was established in 1965 and its present church on North Maroa Avenue was dedicated in 1968. Under the patronage of St. Anthony of Padua and the leadership of Monsignor Robert D. Wenzinger as pastor, the parish runs a bilingual (English and Spanish) life of Mass, faith formation for children and youth, sacramental preparation, OCIA/RCIA, and an affiliated K-8 school, and it shepherds the St. Agnes Mission Church in nearby Pinedale. The parish describes itself as a community that 'thrives and grows because of a sense of worship here and the many volunteers who work very hard to make us special.'
- Established
- 1965
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Robert D. Wenzinger
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
St. Anthony of Padua is a bilingual Catholic community in north Fresno that combines a large, active parish with the close-knit feel of a neighborhood church. It offers daily and Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish, Eucharistic Adoration, a robust OCIA/RCIA process, a K-8 parish school, GIFT faith formation for K-6 children, EDGE middle-school ministry, LifeTeen for high-schoolers, the Silver Angels senior fellowship, and dozens of liturgical and outreach ministries. Newcomers are warmly invited to register, to share their talents in 'parish life,' and to find a place whether they are cradle Catholics, returning Catholics, or adults seeking the Sacraments of Initiation.
Mass times at St. Anthony of Padua
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 6:00 p.m. – Chapel Confessionals
- Saturday 10:00 a.m. – Chapel Confessionals
Adoration times
- Friday 6:45 a.m. Daily Mass followed by Adoration
- Friday 8:15 a.m. Mass followed by Adoration
- Friday 9:00–11:00 a.m. – Guadalupe Chapel (Eucharistic Adoration)
- Tuesday–Thursday 8:00 a.m. – OLG Chapel open until 11:00 a.m.
About St. Anthony of Padua Parish
St. Anthony of Padua is a Catholic parish of the Diocese of Fresno located at 5770 N. Maroa Avenue in north Fresno. The parish community worships in English and Spanish, runs a parish school, and ministers to families, youth, and seniors across the Fig Garden and Bullard-area neighborhoods. Its mission church, St. Agnes in nearby Pinedale, extends its reach into the surrounding communities. The parish invites newcomers to register online and to share their gifts in 'parish life.'
History
The parish was planted in 1957 when Tony and Anna Ochinero donated ten acres of land on North Maroa Avenue for a new church to serve the growing north side of Fresno. The first Mass was offered in the original complex (today's Social Hall and kindergarten) on Easter Sunday, 1959. In May 1960 Rev. Patrick Flood was appointed the first resident pastor. The parish school opened in September 1962, staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, with a new grade added each year until all eight grades were filled. By 1966 the parish was celebrating nearly a dozen Sunday Masses and still couldn't seat everyone, so ten additional acres at the corner of Maroa and Bullard were purchased for $67,000.
Building the Present Church (1968)
Bishop Aloysius J. Willinger, C.SS.R., commissioned architect James J. Nargis to draw up plans for a new church, and the contract was awarded to Tri-Central Construction Company, run by parishioners Vince Palmo and Henry Chakmak. The first Mass in the new St. Anthony of Padua Church was offered on Sunday, May 12, 1968. The rectory was added three years later with the blessing of Bishop Donohoe, bringing parish debt to $739,000, which was retired by Easter 1977. A 1977 expansion added the school library, learning center, and a parish meeting room.
Clergy and Staff
St. Anthony of Padua is led by pastor Rev. Msgr. Robert D. Wenzinger and is currently served by three parochial vicars, four permanent deacons, and two religious sisters of the MCSTNJ congregation who assist with Hispanic ministry. The parish office is staffed by a parish administrator, bookkeeper, accounts-receivable clerk, secretaries, and ministry coordinators, each with their own extension.
- Rev. Msgr. Robert D. Wenzinger – Pastor (ext. 104, [email protected])
- Rev. Regino Rosero Quijano – Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Joaquin Arriaga – Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Jose Padron – Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Edgar Briseño – Parish Deacon & Hispanic Ministries (ext. 111)
- Deacon Jose Ordaz – Parish Deacon
- Deacon Rick DeLeon – Parish Deacon
- Deacon Edward C. Valdez – Parish Deacon (retired)
- Sr. Maria Guadalupe de Jesus Crucificado Pascua Diaz MCSTNJ (Sr. Lupita) – Hispanic Ministries (ext. 107)
- Sr. Edith de Jesus Lopez Flores MCSTNJ – Hispanic Ministries (ext. 122)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish runs a complete K-12 faith-formation pathway. GIFT (Growing In Faith Together) prepares children in kindergarten through sixth grade for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and the Sacraments of Initiation. EDGE ministers to sixth through eighth graders on Tuesday evenings in the school social hall, and LifeTeen Confirmation 1 and 2 walks high-school teens (9th-12th grade) through Confirmation preparation. Registration for the 2025-2026 year was open online through September 24, 2025.
- GIFT – K-6th grade, Sunday 3:00-4:15 p.m. and one Thursday/month at 6:30 p.m.
- EDGE – 6th-8th grade youth ministry, Tuesday evenings 6:30-8:00 p.m.
- LifeTeen Confirmation 1 & 2 – 9th-12th grade
- Director: Mary Socorro Briseño (GIFT, ext. 113)
- Director: Jaime Torkelson (LifeTeen / EDGE, ext. 117)
OCIA and Adult Sacraments
Adults seeking Baptism, Confirmation, or Eucharist gather on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the St. Anthony Conference Room (the 'Donut Room') for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA). New participants may join at any time during the year. Martha Danks-Ferguson (ext. 114, [email protected]) coordinates the program.
- OCIA: Tuesdays 6:30-8:00 p.m. – St. Anthony Conference Room (Donut Room)
- Coordinator: Martha Danks-Ferguson, ext. 114
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners of all ages serve the parish as Altar Servers, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Ushers, Greeters, and Homebound Ministers. Altar Servers must be in 3rd grade or higher and have made their First Communion. Eucharistic Ministers must be 18 or older and in full communion with the Church. Lectors are welcomed from 5th grade up. The parish also maintains a Music Ministry under David Sarkisian.
- Altar Servers – grades 3+ with First Communion
- Eucharistic Ministers – 18+, commissioned by the pastor
- Lectors – 5th grade and older, post-First Communion
- Ushers & Greeters – assist with collection and Communion
- Homebound Ministry – Eucharistic Ministers visit the sick and housebound
- Music Ministry – David Sarkisian
Hispanic Ministries / Ministerios Hispanos
Bilingual parish life is at the heart of St. Anthony of Padua. The Hispanic Ministries office, led by Deacon Edgar Briseño and the parish sisters (Sr. Lupita and Sr. Edith), coordinates Spanish-language Masses, sacramental preparation, and devotional gatherings. Groups such as the Spanish-language rosary and Encuentro gatherings meet on the parish campus in the Donut Room and Social Hall.
- Deacon Edgar Briseño – Hispanic Ministries (ext. 111, [email protected])
- Sr. Lupita Pascua MCSTNJ – Hispanic Ministries Assistant (ext. 107)
- Sr. Edith de Jesus Lopez Flores MCSTNJ – Hispanic Ministries Assistant (ext. 122)
- Encuentro con El Rosario – Wednesday evenings, salon #23
- Spanish-language Mass: Saturday 5:30 p.m. and Sunday 1:00 p.m.
St. Anthony of Padua Parish School
The parish school has been in continuous operation since opening in September 1962, when it began with the first four grades and was taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. A new grade was added each year until all eight grades were filled, and the administration wing was added in 1964. The school continues to serve as a key ministry of the parish.
- Principal: Mrs. Tom Spencer (559-435-0700)
- Originally staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
- Opened September 1962 with grades 1-4; expanded to K-8 by 1965
- Administration wing added 1964
St. Agnes Mission Church, Pinedale
St. Anthony of Padua shepherds the St. Agnes Mission Church at 111 W. Birch Avenue in Pinedale, about five miles north of the main parish. St. Agnes is the historical mother parish from which St. Anthony of Padua was born in the late 1950s, and the Silver Angels senior fellowship still meets in the St. Agnes Social Hall. Sacraments at St. Agnes (Baptisms, Anointing, Confession, Funerals, Weddings) are coordinated through the main St. Anthony of Padua parish office.
- Address: 111 W. Birch Avenue, Pinedale, CA 93650
- Phone: (559) 439-2100
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 a.m. English, 10:30 a.m. Spanish
- Parish Administrator: Annette Amparano ([email protected])
- Director of Religious Education: Phyllis Carmona
Silver Angels Senior Ministry
The Silver Angels is a senior fellowship that began years ago with Sister Flor, providing monthly luncheons and activities for parishioners 50 and older from both St. Anthony of Padua and St. Agnes. The group meets the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the St. Agnes Social Hall in Pinedale, with a catered lunch ($17 per person, or $20 for the Christmas luncheon by Pardini's). Coordinators: Ray & Julie Young.
- 2nd Wednesday of the month, 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
- St. Agnes Social Hall, 111 Birch Ave., Pinedale
- Coordinators: Ray & Julie Young
- Office of Ministry: 439-0124 ext. 105
Sacraments at St. Anthony of Padua
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments. Parents register for infant Baptism after completing the godparent class and online registration. Couples contact the marriage coordinator at least six months before their wedding. The sick may call the parish for a clergy visit (ext. 101) or the homebound ministry (ext. 105), and in a hospital emergency the Spiritual Care Department can summon the on-call priest at any hour.
- Baptism – Teri Loera, ext. 102
- Marriage – Deanna Driscoll, ext. 118 (six months' notice required)
- Anointing of the Sick – clergy sick call ext. 101; hospital emergencies via Spiritual Care
- Confession – Tuesday 6:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m.
- Funerals – Teri Loera, ext. 102
- Homebound visits – ext. 105
Parish Organizations and Community Groups
St. Anthony of Padua hosts and supports several fraternal and community organizations that meet on parish grounds. The Knights of Columbus and the Italian Catholic Federation both meet monthly in parish halls; both are independent of the parish and Diocese. The parish also supports the annual Catholic Charities / KSEE 24 Turkey Drive and other outreach efforts.
- Knights of Columbus – meets at St. Agnes Social Hall, 111 W. Birch Ave., Pinedale
- Italian Catholic Federation – meets at St. Anthony Social Hall
- Catholic Charities / KSEE 24 Annual Turkey Drive – Nov 25, 5035 E. McKinley Ave., Fresno
Parish Office, Contact and Visiting
The Parish Office is open Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; hours may vary in summer. Email is recommended for non-urgent contact. The bulletin editor accepts inserts four weeks before publication. Offertory envelopes and contributions can be placed in the collection basket or in the mail slot on the south side of the Parish Office.
- Parish Office: 5770 N. Maroa, Fresno, CA 93704
- Phone: (559) 439-0124 | Fax: (559) 439-3050
- Office hours: Tuesday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
- Bulletin: [email protected] (inserts due 4 weeks prior)
- Online giving available via the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Patrick Flood1960–
First resident pastor; found the bills paid except for $27,000 still owing on the original building; oversaw addition of parish hall in 1960 and opening of the parish school in September 1962.