About St. Catherine of Siena · Phoenix, Arizona
St. Catherine of Siena Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in south Phoenix, Arizona, founded in 1961 and belonging to the Diocese of Phoenix. The parish worships at St. Catherine of Siena Church (6200 S. Central Ave.) with weekday Masses celebrated bilingually at the on-site St. John Bosco Chapel, and it operates St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School (6413 S. Central Ave.), which has been a presence in the South Mountain community since 1949. It is a tradition-friendly, predominantly Latino parish led by Father Alonso Saenz, with a robust schedule of weekend Masses in both English and Spanish, weekly confessions, religious education, and outreach through St. Vincent de Paul.
- Established
- 1961
- Patron
- St. Catherine of Siena
- Rector
- Father Alonso Saenz
- Diocese
- Diocese of Phoenix
Why belong here
St. Catherine of Siena is one of south Phoenix's longest-established Catholic communities, with a parish school that has been on the same block since 1949 and a parish formally serving the area since 1961. A parishioner here can worship in both English and Spanish across a generous weekend schedule (seven Sunday Masses plus a Saturday vigil and daily bilingual Masses in the St. John Bosco Chapel), receive confession every Saturday afternoon, enroll children in faith formation or the parish school, and serve in one of four active ministry tracks — Faith Formation, Liturgy, Hospitality, or Administration. The parish's traditional Latin Mass orientation, weekly confession schedule, and four-generation continuity make it a distinctive spiritual home in the Diocese of Phoenix.
Mass times at St. Catherine of Siena
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (St. Catherine of Siena Church)
Welcome & Parish Identity
St. Catherine of Siena Parish greets visitors with a bilingual welcome from its homepage and About page, framing itself as 'a parish community which walks in line with the tradition of The Holy Catholic Church.' Under Father Alonso Saenz the parish is explicitly dedicated to 'preserving and promoting the traditional Catholic faith in all its richness and beauty,' and the community is described as vibrant, welcoming, and made up of members from all walks of life and backgrounds. The parish website publishes its mission in both English and Spanish throughout.
- Parish founded in 1961 in the Diocese of Phoenix
- Pastor: Father Alonso Saenz
- Located on South Central Avenue in south Phoenix
- Bilingual ministry throughout (English and Spanish)
- Tradition-focused liturgical style (ad orientem, Communion kneeling/on the tongue)
History of the Parish
Although the parish was formally founded in 1961, Catholic life on this block of south Phoenix goes back to 1948, when Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill began commuting from Chandler to teach CCD. The parish school opened on September 12, 1949, with around 100 students and Father George Feeney as pastor. The school grew one grade at a time, replacing wartime barracks with permanent buildings and opening its library in 1955. The Sisters lived in an old nurses' barrack for their first 18 years here and continued as principals, teachers, religious education directors, and parish administrators into the late 1980s; in 1962 they switched their order's habits from black to white. The Ruiz family, who arrived in 1959, were early Cursillo participants, and multi-generational families remain the parish's backbone — celebrated at the school's 70th anniversary gala in 2019.
- 1948–49: Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill commute to teach CCD
- 1949: Parish school opens under Sr. M. Macaria Nestor and Fr. George Feeney
- 1955: School library opens
- 1961: Parish formally founded
- 1969: Diocese of Phoenix established; St. Catherine's becomes a diocesan parish
- 2019: School celebrates 70th anniversary
Parish Staff & Clergy
The About page lists the parish staff by role. Father Alonso Saenz serves as pastor and leads the parish in its traditional Catholic identity. Deacon Carlos Terrazas assists in liturgical and pastoral ministry. Lay staff include Erica Alcala (Finance Manager), Gloria Olivas (R.E., Funeral & Marriage Preparation Director), Jose Jimenez (an assistant director role), Martha Figueroa (Assistant Director of Religious Education I), and a Front Desk Receptionist.
- Pastor: Father Alonso Saenz
- Deacon: Carlos Terrazas
- Finance Manager: Erica Alcala
- R.E., Funeral & Marriage Preparation Director: Gloria Olivas
- Assistant Director of Religious Education I: Martha Figueroa
- Jose Jimenez and Front Desk Receptionist (unnamed in source)
Worship Locations
The parish uses three adjoining buildings on South Central Avenue: the main church (St. Catherine of Siena Church at 6200 S. Central Ave.), the parish office and St. John Bosco Chapel (6600 S. Central Ave.), and the school (6413 S. Central Ave.). Daily Masses are celebrated bilingually in the St. John Bosco Chapel; weekend Masses and confessions are in the main church.
- St. Catherine of Siena Church — 6200 S. Central Ave
- St. John Bosco Chapel (with Parish Office) — 6600 S. Central Ave
- Parish School — 6413 S. Central Ave
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education registration is open to both children and adults through the parish's Faith Formation program. The website lists catechists, catechist assistants, planners, and organizers among the volunteer roles in this track. Martha Figueroa serves as Assistant Director of Religious Education I and Gloria Olivas is the R.E., Funeral & Marriage Preparation Director.
- Religious Education registration for children and adults
- Volunteer catechists, assistants, planners, organizers
- Staff: Gloria Olivas (RE Director), Martha Figueroa (Assistant)
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School exists 'to educate students and families to integrate knowledge and the Catholic faith, in all matters, in order to know, love, and serve God.' It serves elementary-aged students (Kindergarten through 8th grade) on the parish campus at 6413 S. Central Ave., and offers Religion, Language Arts, Math, Science, Music, Art, and additional enrichment; scholarships are available. The school is widely regarded as 'the hub of South Phoenix' and the surrounding community, with at least four generations of family ties.
- Grades: Kindergarten through 8th
- Location: 6413 S. Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85042
- Subjects: Religion, Language Arts, Math, Science, Music, Art
- Scholarships available
- On-campus tradition: students have prayed on campus for 70+ years
Liturgy & Liturgical Volunteers
Beyond the weekend Mass schedule, the parish maintains an active liturgical volunteer corps serving in the sanctuary and at the altar. Roles are listed on the parish website under the 'Liturgy' track.
- Altar servers
- Lectors
- Sacristans
- Eucharistic ministers
Hospitality & Parish Life
The Hospitality track organizes the people-oriented side of parish life — events, gatherings, and receptions — relying on parishioners willing to plan, cook, host, serve, and speak. The parish also runs an Administration track for collection counters, bulletin stuffing, and general office support.
- Event planners
- Cooks
- Hosts and servers
- Speakers / greeters
- Administration: collection counters, bulletin stuffing, office support
Outreach: St. Vincent de Paul
The About page references St. Vincent de Paul as a parish ministry, identifying the parish as a worksite for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and its service to those in material need. (Specific meeting times for the conference are not published on the website.)
- St. Vincent de Paul parish conference
Parish Office & Visiting
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, closing for lunch from 12:00 to 1:00 PM, and is closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. New parishioners are asked to visit the parish office in person to fill out a New Parishioner Registration Form. The mailing address matches the parish office at 6600 S. Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85042.
- Office phone: (602) 276-5581
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9 AM–4 PM (closed for lunch 12–1 PM); closed Fri/Sat/Sun
- New parishioner registration: in person at the parish office
Diocese & Wider Church
St. Catherine of Siena Parish is one of the parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. The parish falls under the diocesan bishop and uses the diocesan email domain ([email protected]). GCatholic lists the parish jurisdiction as the Diocese of Phoenix.
- Diocese: Phoenix (Roman Catholic)
- Listed at GCatholic (ID 34786) under Diocese of Phoenix
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father George Feeney1949 (and earlier)
Pastor when the parish school opened on September 12, 1949 with the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill
- Msgr. Tom Hever1970s
Honored at the school's 70th anniversary gala in 2019
- Father Alonso Saenzcurrent
Current pastor; leads a tradition-friendly parish