About St. Anthony of Padua · Willits, California
St. Anthony of Padua is a Roman Catholic parish in Willits, California, situated in the heart of Mendocino County. Founded in 1923, it serves the local Catholic community as well as the Round Valley area through its mission chapel, Our Lady Queen of Peace in Covelo. The parish is part of the Diocese of Santa Rosa and is currently served by Father Arogyaiah (Aaron) Bandanadam of the Congregation of Missionaries of Faith, with Sunday and weekday Masses offered in both English and Spanish to welcome the area's diverse faithful.
- Established
- 1923
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Father Arogyaiah (Aaron) Bandanadam
- Diocese
- Diocese of Santa Rosa
Why belong here
St. Anthony of Padua is a small but active parish that welcomes both long-time Willits Catholics and newcomers into a bilingual (English/Spanish) worshipping community. Under Father Arogyaiah's pastoral care, the parish has invested in renewing its church buildings and grounds, while its mission outreach to Our Lady Queen of Peace in Covelo extends Catholic presence into the remote Round Valley. Visitors and parishioners alike describe a warm, revitalized community with an inspiring Sunday homily and growing participation in parish life.
Mass times at St. Anthony of Padua
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:45 PM to 5:15 PM
- Weekdays by appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Parish Identity and Welcome
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church is the parish church for the Catholic faithful of Willits and the surrounding inland Mendocino County region. The parish's homepage describes itself as located in 'beautiful Mendocino County' and emphasizes a welcoming, diverse community under the pastoral care of Father Arogyaiah (Aaron) Bandanadam of the Congregation of Missionaries of Faith. Mass is celebrated in both English and Spanish each week, reflecting the bilingual make-up of the local Catholic community.
History
The parish was established in 1923 in the small lumber town of Willits. For nearly four decades it was staffed by priests of the Diocese of Sacramento, who from St. Anthony's also tended mission stations serving the local Pomo Native American communities in the backcountry. When the Diocese of Santa Rosa was created in 1962, St. Anthony's came under the new local ordinary, and Santa Rosa diocesan priests continued that ministry until the late 1960s. Pre-1940 sacramental records at the parish were lost in a burglary of the parish office, leaving an incomplete paper trail of those early decades.
Our Lady Queen of Peace Mission, Covelo
Our Lady Queen of Peace in Covelo is a mission chapel of St. Anthony of Padua Parish that serves the remote Round Valley community in northeastern Mendocino County. It is the sole regular Catholic worship site for that mountain ranching town and offers bilingual Saturday Masses on the 2nd and 4th weekends of the month. The mission continues the historic ministry that St. Anthony's priests once conducted to outlying Pomo communities from Willits.
- Bilingual Saturday Mass on the 2nd and 4th weekends of the month
- Located in Covelo, Round Valley, Mendocino County
- Part of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Diocese of Santa Rosa
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
The parish is staffed by members of the Congregation of Missionaries of Faith. The current pastor is Father Arogyaiah (Aaron) Bandanadam, who is described on the parish website as 'always welcoming new people to our parish and always looking for ways to unite our diverse community.'
- Father Arogyaiah (Aaron) Bandanadam — Pastor, C.M.F.
- Parish served by the Congregation of Missionaries of Faith
Contact and Location
St. Anthony of Padua sits on West San Francisco Avenue in the heart of Willits, easily reachable from Highway 101 in Mendocino County. The parish office can be reached by phone or email, and the parish maintains an active Facebook page for community news.
- Address: 61 W San Francisco Ave, Willits, CA 95490
- Phone: (707) 459-2252
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stanthonywillits.org/
- Facebook: St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church – Willits, CA