About St. Boniface · Nicolaus, California
St. Boniface is a Catholic mission church in the small farming community of Nicolaus, California, in Sutter County. It is one of three worship sites that together make up Saint Joseph Parish in Lincoln (the others being St. Joseph in Lincoln and St. Daniel in Wheatland), and is served by the pastor and parochial vicar of that combined parish. The current church sits at 1045 Marcum Road, where it was built and dedicated on May 11, 1952; the parish itself traces its origins back to 1867–1869, when the first Catholic Mass in Nicolaus was celebrated in the local school. With Sunday Mass in English and a Saturday Vigil Mass in Spanish, St. Boniface ministers to a tight-knit rural congregation that has kept the faith continuously in the same area for more than 150 years.
- Established
- 1869
- Patron
- St. Boniface (Winfrid), Bishop and Martyr, Apostle of Germany
- Rector
- Rev. Fredhelito E. Gucor
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sacramento (Sutter County / West Placer Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Boniface is the spiritual home of a small, multigenerational rural Catholic community that has worshipped in Nicolaus continuously since 1869 — making it the oldest Catholic parish in Sutter County. Worshippers can attend Mass in English on Sunday or in Spanish at the Saturday Vigil, and as part of Saint Joseph Parish, St. Boniface members share in a much wider range of ministries (altar servers, eucharistic ministers, lectors, music ministry, RCIA, CCD religious education, Life Teen youth ministry, Knights of Columbus, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Respect Life, Legion of Mary, Rosary Guild, adoration, and more) than a typical mission of its size could support on its own. For anyone in the Nicolaus, East Nicolaus or southern Sutter County farmland who wants a bilingual, historic, family-rooted Catholic community within an easy drive of Lincoln, St. Boniface is the parish.
Mass times at St. Boniface
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confessions are heard at St. Joseph Church in Lincoln on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM (First Saturday of the month only) and from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM; confession is also available by appointment through the Parish Office.
Adoration times
- Parish-wide adoration at St. Joseph Chapel (Lincoln): Monday–Friday 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM; First Sunday of the month at 7:00 PM (Holy Hour with music, reading and reflection). St. Boniface shares in these adoration times as part of the combined parish.
About St. Boniface Mission
St. Boniface is a Catholic mission church serving the farming community of Nicolaus in southern Sutter County, California, and is one of three worship sites that together make up Saint Joseph Parish in Lincoln (the others being St. Joseph in Lincoln and St. Daniel in Wheatland). The parish motto of the combined grouping, 'One Parish — Three Churches,' reflects how St. Boniface members share a pastor, parochial vicar, deacons and ministries with the wider Saint Joseph Parish family. The mission's address is 1045 Marcum Road, Nicolaus, CA 95659, and the parish office phone is (916) 645-2102.
- Type: Mission church
- Parent parish: Saint Joseph Parish, Lincoln
- Diocese: Diocese of Sacramento (Sutter County / West Placer Deanery)
- Address: 1045 Marcum Road, Nicolaus, CA 95659
- Phone: (916) 645-2102
- Website: stjosephlincoln.com
Parish History
Catholic life in Nicolaus began in 1867, when Father Callahan first celebrated Mass in the local public school. A church-building committee was organized in 1869 under John A. Peter, M. Salatine, John McNamara and D. A. Mahoney, and the original St. Boniface Church was erected that same year at a cost of about $5,000 — the first Catholic church built in Sutter County. It was dedicated in May 1869 by Bishop Eugene O'Connell, Vicar Apostolic of the Vicoriate of Marysville, with 81 founding members and a Sunday school of 26. A windstorm in 1878 blew the church off its foundation; it was rebuilt for an additional $3,000. The present church was dedicated on May 11, 1952 by Bishop Robert Armstrong, after a 1944 fundraising drive under Father Daniel Twomey had raised $35,000 for a new building.
- 1867 – First Mass in Nicolaus public school, by Father Callahan
- 1869 – Original church built (cost $5,000); 81 members at founding
- 1878 – Windstorm damages original church; repairs cost $3,000
- 1923 – Becomes a mission of St. Joseph, North Sacramento under Monsignor Cornelius Murphy; weekly Sunday and Holy Day Mass begins
- Early 1940s – Transferred as mission to Saint Joseph Parish, Lincoln (Father Daniel Twomey, pastor)
- 1944 – Fund drive for a new church raises $35,000
- 1952 (May 11) – New church dedicated by Bishop Robert Armstrong; Father Eymard Gallagher (native of East Nicolaus) celebrates the dedication Mass
- 1955 (December 23) – Feather River levee break floods church to a depth of 4–5 feet; Father Arnold Schaffer retrieves the Blessed Sacrament by rowboat
- 1965 – Father Schaffer purchases the old Nicolaus schoolhouse on Marcum Road as a parish hall
- 1969 – Centennial celebration Mass (May 18) with Vicar General Monsignor Thomas H. Markham
Clergy and Staff
St. Boniface is served by the clergy and staff of Saint Joseph Parish in Lincoln. The current pastor is Rev. Fredhelito E. Gucor, and the parochial vicar is Rev. Karun Kumar Gade, a priest of the Clerical Congregation of the Missionaries of Faith who was appointed to the parish in September 2024 by Bishop Jaime Soto. Several deacons assist across the parish family, and parish staff include a Business Manager (Nina Malone), Music and Liturgy Coordinator (Jesus Rodriguez), Religious Education Coordinator (Diana Gutierrez), an Administrative Assistant, and a Family Center Custodian.
- Pastor — Rev. Fredhelito E. Gucor
- Parochial Vicar — Rev. Karun Kumar Gade (since September 2024)
- Deacons — Patrick Mahan, Roberto Ruiz, Emmett Pogue, Juvencio 'Juve' Vela, Paul DeVito, Stan Rudger, Jesus Rodriguez, Jessica Alvarado, Juan Avalos
- Business Manager — Nina Malone
- Music and Liturgy Coordinator — Jesus Rodriguez
- Religious Education Coordinator — Diana Gutierrez
Sacraments
Sacraments for St. Boniface members are coordinated through the Saint Joseph Parish office in Lincoln. Baptism requires one month's notice and parental catechesis; weddings and quinceañeras require six months' advance notice. First Communion and Confirmation preparation is provided through the parish CCD and Life Teen programs.
- Baptism — by appointment, one month advance notice, parental catechesis required
- Wedding — by appointment, six months advance notice
- Quinceañera — by appointment, six months advance notice
- First Communion and Confirmation — via CCD and Life Teen
- Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum — via Ministers of the Sick
Ministries and Organizations
Although St. Boniface is a small mission, its members share in the full ministerial life of Saint Joseph Parish — from liturgical roles (altar servers, eucharistic ministers, lectors, music, ushers, floral ministry) to faith formation (CCD, RCIA, Life Teen), community-building groups (Knights of Columbus, Catholic Men's Fellowship, Legion of Mary, Rosary Guild, Lay Canossians, Welcoming Committee) and outreach (Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Respect Life, Visitors to the Sick, Prayer Line). St. Boniface is specifically represented on the parish Finance Council by Ed Sills and on the Pastoral Council by Louis Shalz.
- Liturgy — Altar Servers, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Altar Society, Floral Ministry, Music Ministry, Ushers, Ministers of the Sick
- Education — CCD (Grades 1–6), RCIA (English and Spanish), Life Teen Youth Ministry (English and Spanish), Bible Study
- Administration — Finance Council (St. Boniface rep: Ed Sills), Pastoral Council (St. Boniface rep: Louis Shalz), Liturgy Committee
- Community Life — Catholic Men's Fellowship, Divine Mercy group, Funeral Coordinator, Lazarus Committee, Lay Canossians, Prayer Line, Religious Vocations, Rosary Guild, Visitors to the Sick, Vocation Committee, Wedding Coordinator, Welcoming Committee, Legion of Mary
- Social Services — Knights of Columbus, Respect Life Ministry, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Buildings, Property and Parish Hall
The present St. Boniface Church was built in 1952 on the same Nicolaus property as the 1869 original, which it replaced. In 1965, then-pastor Father Arnold Schaffer purchased the old Nicolaus public schoolhouse on Marcum Road, directly across from the church, to serve as the parish hall; it remains in use today for parish meetings and as a classroom for religious education.
- Church building (1952) — 1045 Marcum Road, Nicolaus
- Parish hall — former Nicolaus schoolhouse on Marcum Road, purchased 1965 by Father Arnold Schaffer
News, Retreats and Pastoral Life
Pastoral news from St. Boniface is published on the parish news pages of stjosephlincoln.com. A highlight of recent years has been the combined Pan de Vida Confirmation retreat for the Confirmation students of St. Joseph, St. Daniel and St. Boniface — a weekend that includes daily Mass, talks by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, the International Rosary, Adoration, and small-group reflection, all focused on the sacrament of the Eucharist. In June, the English Sunday Mass at St. Boniface was moved to 10:00 AM to coordinate with the wider parish livestream schedule.
- Pan de Vida Confirmation retreat (combined with St. Joseph and St. Daniel)
- Sunday Mass time change at St. Boniface — June 2021 move to 10:00 AM English
- Outdoor Sunday English Mass and indoor Spanish Saturday Mass at St. Boniface during the April 2021 reopening period
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Callahan (Father Calahan)1867–1869
First priest to celebrate Mass for the Catholic community in Nicolaus, in the public school.
- Monsignor Cornelius Murphy1923
Made St. Boniface a mission of St. Joseph in North Sacramento; weekly Sunday and Holy Day Mass began.
- Father Daniel Twomeyearly 1940s
Pastored Lincoln and oversaw the 1944 fund drive ($35,000 raised) that made the new church possible.
- Father Andrew Tynan1952
Pastor at the dedication of the new St. Boniface Church on May 11, 1952.
- Father Eymard Gallagher1952
Native of East Nicolaus, ordained only a year earlier; celebrated the dedication Mass.
- Father Arnold Schaffer1955–1965
In 1955 entered the flooded church by rowboat to rescue the Blessed Sacrament; in 1965 purchased the old Nicolaus schoolhouse as a parish hall.
- Fathers Arnold Schaffer and Thomas Carrigan1969
Pastor and assistant of St. Joseph Parish, Lincoln, who organized the St. Boniface centennial celebration.