About St. Charles Borromeo [Good Shepherd Parish] · Visalia, California
St. Charles Borromeo Church is one of four worship sites of Good Shepherd Catholic Parish in Visalia, California, a consolidated parish in the Diocese of Fresno that unites the historic Visalia Catholic communities (Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary / St. Mary's, Holy Family, St. Thomas the Apostle in Goshen) with the newer St. Charles Borromeo mission in the city's southwest quadrant. The newly built St. Charles Borromeo Church, dedicated on February 2, 2023, by Bishop Joseph Brennan, is described by the Diocese of Fresno as the largest parish church in North America, seating over 3,200 people. Good Shepherd Catholic Parish currently welcomes nearly 10,000 people to Mass each Sunday across its English and Spanish-language celebrations.
- Established
- Parish consolidated 2016; St. Charles Borromeo Church dedicated 2023 (parish hall opened 2011)
- Patron
- St. Charles Borromeo (Bishop-Saint of Milan, Italy; instrumental in establishing Catholic education and seminaries throughout the Church)
- Rector
- Fr. Alex Chavez
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
Good Shepherd Catholic Parish is one of the most vibrant and diverse Catholic communities in the San Joaquin Valley, welcoming nearly 10,000 people to its Masses each Sunday across four worship sites in English and Spanish. With over 1,200 students enrolled in faith formation across First Communion, High School Confirmation, Adult Confirmation, OCIA, the Children's Catechumenate, and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, plus active groups like the St. Hyacinth Chapter of Lay Dominicans, it offers a deep well of formation and community life for every age and stage of faith.
Mass times at St. Charles Borromeo [Good Shepherd Parish]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- No confessions are held at St. Charles Borromeo Church; confessions are available at St. Mary's Church, Monday–Friday, 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM, and Thursday, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Adoration times
- No adoration at St. Charles Borromeo Church; adoration is available at St. Mary's Church Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM (code required), and at Holy Family Church every Thursday, 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Parish Overview and Identity
Good Shepherd Catholic Parish is a single canonical parish of the Diocese of Fresno made up of four worship sites: the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary's), Holy Family, St. Thomas the Apostle in Goshen, and St. Charles Borromeo. Together they form one diverse, bilingual Catholic community. St. Charles Borromeo, the newest of the four church communities, generally serves Visalia's southwest quadrant but is open to all parishioners. The parish is governed by its pastor with the support of priests, deacons, parish staff, and various councils of parishioners and school families.
- Four worship sites under one parish
- Diocese of Fresno
- Bilingual: English and Spanish liturgy throughout
History of St. Charles Borromeo and Good Shepherd Parish
St. Charles Borromeo traces back to a 1961 land purchase by Monsignor Charles O'Mahony and the vision of Bishop John Thomas Steinbock for a single large church to serve the growing Catholic population of Visalia. A parish hall was built on the Caldwell Avenue / Akers Road site in 2011 and used as a temporary church (each Sunday requiring about 900 chairs to be unstacked). On January 10, 2016, Bishop Armando Ochoa formally consolidated the Catholic Church of Visalia (St. Mary's, Holy Family, St. Thomas, and St. Charles mission), the Catholic School of Visalia, and the Bethlehem Center into Good Shepherd Catholic Parish — naming Father Eric Swearingen as its first pastor. Construction on the permanent church broke ground October 22, 2019, and Bishop Joseph Brennan celebrated the Dedication Mass on February 2, 2023. The final building cost, including furnishings, was about $28 million, largely funded by individuals, families, and local businesses.
- St. Mary's founded 1861 by Father Daniel Francis Dade (origins of Catholicism in the region)
- 1961: Monsignor Charles O'Mahony purchases southwest Visalia property
- 2011: St. Charles Borromeo Parish Hall ('Amen Corner') opens as temporary worship space
- January 10, 2016: Bishop Armando Ochoa promulgates consolidation of four worship sites into Good Shepherd Catholic Parish
- Fr. Eric Swearingen named first pastor
- October 22, 2019: Groundbreaking for permanent church
- February 2, 2023: Bishop Joseph Brennan celebrates Dedication Mass
St. Charles Borromeo Church — Building and Architecture
The Diocese of Fresno describes St. Charles Borromeo Church as the largest parish church in North America, seating over 3,200 people — and the central meeting point for Diocesan Masses and Celebrations. It stands on the same southwest Visalia parcel as the 2011 parish hall that originally hosted the mission. The $28 million project was launched formally on May 12, 2017, and construction cost estimates rose from roughly $16 million pre-pandemic to about $28 million at completion.
- Capacity: 3,200+ seats
- Dedication date: February 2, 2023
- Final cost (with furnishings): approximately $28 million
- Located at 5049 W Caldwell Ave, Visalia, CA 93277
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently served by Pastor Fr. Alex Chavez, Parochial Vicars Fr. Michael I. Egelamba, SMMM and Fr. James Tasy, and Fr. Martin Ortega, with Deacon Henry Medina serving as both deacon and parish Administrator. Fr. Alex was ordained in 2012 after seminary at St. John's in Camarillo; he served at Sacred Heart in Merced, then in Huron and Visalia as associate, followed by a three-year term as rector of St. John's Cathedral in Fresno before being appointed pastor of Good Shepherd by Bishop Brennan. Fr. Michael, born in 1980 in Imo State, Nigeria, was ordained on July 20, 2013, and joined the parish in November 2024. Fr. James Tasy was ordained May 27, 2023, having previously been a music teacher in Clovis Unified; he is also assigned to the diocesan hospital ministry with Fr. Michael.
- Fr. Alex Chavez — Pastor
- Fr. Michael I. Egelamba, SMMM — Parochial Vicar (and hospital ministry)
- Fr. James Tasy — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Martin Ortega
- Henry Medina — Deacon / Administrator
- Dr. Clarita Lilia Encomio — Director of Catechesis & Evangelization
- Asusena Briseno — Assistant Director of Catechesis & Evangelization
- Adriana Noricumbo — Family of Faith Formation Coordinator
- Ruthanne Parlier — Administrative Assistant
- Eddie Rodriguez — Facilities Manager
- Gabriel Tayagua Abarca — Media Coordinator & IT Specialist
Faith Formation — Catechesis & Evangelization
The Office of Catechesis & Evangelization, led by Director Dr. Clarita Lilia Encomio, coordinates a robust slate of programs for children, youth, and adults. For the 2025–2026 formation year the parish reported over 1,200 students enrolled across First Communion (691 children across Year 1 and Year 2), High School Confirmation (351 students), the Children's Catechumenate / C-CAT (87 students), OCIA (18 individuals preparing for full initiation), and Adult Confirmation (103 adults across English and Spanish programs). Each year the parish holds an annual catechist retreat as well as retreats for First Communion and Confirmation candidates.
- First Communion (English & Spanish)
- High School Confirmation
- Adult Confirmation (English & Spanish)
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Children's Catechumenate (C-CAT)
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
- Annual catechist retreat
- First Communion and Confirmation candidate retreats
Parish Ministries and Lay Groups
Beyond faith formation, the parish hosts a variety of small-group and service ministries. Most publicly documented is the St. Hyacinth Chapter of Lay Dominicans, which meets monthly in the St. Charles Borromeo Parish Hall for a study series on the Beatitudes, and assists the parish in adult formation, RCIA, and Adult Confirmation. The parish also includes the Catholic School of Visalia and the Bethlehem Center among its ministries, and operates a hospital ministry served by Fr. Michael Egelamba.
- St. Hyacinth Chapter, Lay Dominicans (monthly Beatitudes series at St. Charles Parish Hall)
- Catholic School of Visalia
- Bethlehem Center
- Hospital ministry
- Catechist and volunteer recruitment (year-round)
Getting Involved and Parish Life
Good Shepherd encourages parishioners to engage in the day-to-day life of the parish through catechist service, volunteer roles in faith formation, and lay leadership councils. Each fall the parish welcomes new and returning catechists and families; the 2025–2026 year was preceded by a Labor Day weekend retreat for 60 catechists led in part by Fr. Alex Chavez. The parish also publishes a regular newsletter, 'Good Shepherd's Voice,' and weekly bulletins that walk parishioners through ongoing initiatives.
- Annual catechist retreat
- Open volunteer and catechist recruitment each year
- Monthly 'Good Shepherd's Voice' newsletter
- Weekly bulletins
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Eric Swearingenappointed first pastor 2016
Appointed by Bishop Armando Ochoa as the first pastor of the newly consolidated Good Shepherd Catholic Parish in January 2016; had previously launched the new St. Charles Borromeo Church project on May 12, 2017.