About St. Charles Borromeo Roman · Bloomington, California
St. Charles Borromeo is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in Bloomington, California, part of the Diocese of San Bernardino. Founded on September 19, 1939, the parish serves a working-class community along the Interstate 10 corridor with an unusually full schedule of weekend Masses in English, Spanish, and bilingual form. It is pastored by clergy of the Missionary Servants of the Poor (M.S.P.), and runs the Sacramental life, religious education, and youth ministry of the area. The parish sits in the unincorporated community of Bloomington, once famous for its berry fields, and today ministers to a largely Spanish-speaking faithful while still offering an English Mass each Sunday.
- Established
- 1939
- Patron
- St. Charles Borromeo (Carlo Borromeo, Cardinal-Archbishop of Milan, d. 1584)
- Rector
- Rev. Luis Alberto de la Cruz Quen, M.S.P. (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of San Bernardino
Why belong here
St. Charles Borromeo is a welcoming bilingual parish where a family can pray together in either English or Spanish at almost any hour of the week, with seven Sunday Masses plus daily Mass and a daily block of Eucharistic Adoration. It offers a full sacramental life — baptism preparation, marriage, the seven sacraments — alongside an active Religious Education program, multiple choirs, and a strong cluster of lay ministries (Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Ushers, Altar Servers). For children, teens, and young adults there is a complete pathway of faith formation: Chiquitín Misionero for ages 6–11, the Adolescent Youth Group for ages 14–17, and the JUMI (Juventud Misionera) young adult movement for ages 18–30.
Mass times at St. Charles Borromeo Roman
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Adoration times
- Tuesday–Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Friday 9:00 p.m. through Saturday 6:00 a.m. (overnight adoration)
History of St. Charles Borromeo Parish
St. Charles Borromeo was established on September 19, 1939 as a small rural parish carved out of the Diocese of San Diego. Its first church was dedicated on October 22, 1939 by the Most Rev. Bishop Charles Buddy on the northwest corner of Orange Avenue and Vine Street. The parish's original boundaries were vast — from Valley Boulevard north to the Riverside County line south, and from Meridian Avenue east to Sierra Avenue west — covering what was then open farmland known for its wonderful berry fields.
- Founded September 19, 1939
- First church dedicated October 22, 1939 by Bishop Charles Buddy, Diocese of San Diego
- Original site: northwest corner of Orange Avenue and Vine Street
- Re-dedicated at current Spruce Avenue site December 10, 1983 by Bishop Phillip F. Straling, Diocese of San Bernardino
- New church dedicated June 30, 2012 by Bishop Gerald R. Barnes
- Current boundaries: Interstate 10 (north), Riverside County line (south), Pepper Avenue (east), Palmetto Avenue (west)
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by clergy of the Missionary Servants of the Poor (M.S.P.) and supported by a small lay staff in the parish office and Religious Education office.
- Rev. Luis Alberto de la Cruz Quen, M.S.P. — Parish Administrator
- Rev. Marcos J. Medina-Leon, M.S.P. — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Rosario Alcazar
- Araceli Arceo — Religious Education Coordinator (Ext. 201; [email protected])
- Elizabeth Cervantes — Receptionist ([email protected])
- Andrea Ramirez Rayas — Administrative Assistant
- Gissele Ruiz — Receptionist
- Ilda Vasquez — Custodian
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
The parish publishes one of the fullest weekly Mass schedules in the area, reflecting its bilingual character. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday, with an additional Thursday evening Mass in Spanish. Saturday offers a Vigil Mass in English and a Vigil Mass in Spanish, while Sunday has five Masses (English, Spanish, Spanish, Spanish, Bilingual) plus a final evening Bilingual Mass.
- Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m. — Bilingual Daily Mass
- Thursday 7:00 p.m. — Misa Diaria en Español
- Saturday 5:00 p.m. — English Vigil Mass
- Saturday 7:00 p.m. — Misa Dominical en Español
- Sunday 7:00 a.m. — Misa Dominical en Español
- Sunday 9:00 a.m. — English Mass
- Sunday 11:00 a.m. — Misa Dominical en Español
- Sunday 1:00 p.m. — Misa Dominical en Español
- Sunday 7:00 p.m. — Misa Dominical Bilingüe / Bilingual Sunday Mass
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the Mass as lectors, ushers, altar servers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and choir members. Many of these ministries are offered in both English and Spanish.
- Lectors / Lectores — English: Marcela Ibarra; Spanish: Maricela Aguilar
- Extraordinary Ministers of Communion — English: Linda Laus (909-283-0436); Spanish: Monica Flores
- Ushers / Ujieres — Artemio Mosqueda (714-329-5642)
- Altar Servers / Monaguillos — boys and girls grade 3 and up; Arlette Vega (951-377-2201)
- Choirs / Coros — under the parish Music Director & Choir Coordinators
Parish Groups & Prayer Communities
Beyond the liturgy, the parish supports a number of Spanish-language prayer groups and lay movements that meet in the Parish Hall and chapel rooms. Most are bilingual in outreach but conduct their meetings in Spanish.
- Grupo de Divina Misericordia — Divine Mercy prayer group
- Grupo de Matrimonios — Marriage / couples group; Dolores Osborn (909-222-2530)
- Rosa Mystica Prayer Group — Mondays 7:00–9:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall
- El Sembrador — Wednesdays 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall
- Santo Niño devotion — Leopoldo (909-749-7183)
Youth, Adolescent & Young Adult Ministry
The parish maintains a three-tier age-appropriate formation path run by the Missionaries. Each group has its own weekly meeting time and gathering space.
- Chiquitín Misionero — Bible study for children ages 6–11; Pamela Valdez (909-234-5944) or the Parish Office
- Grupo de Jovenes (Adolescent Youth Group) — teens ages 14–17; meets Fridays 7:00 p.m. in the Santa Teresita room in the Chapel
- Juventud Misionera (JUMI) — Young Adult Group ages 18–30; meets Tuesdays 7:00–9:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall; Missionaries contact (909) 977-6183
- JUMI is a movement of the Missionary Servants of the Word whose motto is "Evangelizing young people to evangelize with young people."
Religious Education (Educación Religiosa)
The Religious Education office coordinates catechesis for parish children, with its own dedicated phone line and a Coordinator on staff. The office prepares parents and children for the formation of their child's faith and the reception of the sacraments.
- Religious Education Office: (909) 421-1494
- Coordinator: Araceli Arceo ([email protected], Ext. 201)
- Bilingual preparation available
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. As the parish website states, "the whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments" (CCC 1113).
- Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist
- Sacraments of Healing: Penance (Reconciliation), Anointing of the Sick
- Sacraments of Vocation: Holy Orders, Matrimony
- Baptism Preparation classes required for parents
- Confessions: Thursdays 5:00–8:00 p.m.
Parish Office, Location & Giving
The parish offices serve Bloomington, an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, from the corner of Jurupa and Spruce. The parish participates in the annual Diocesan Development Fund (DDF) appeal and posts weekly bulletins online.
- Address: 11342 Spruce Ave., Bloomington, CA 92316
- Parish Office: (909) 877-0792
- Religious Education Office: (909) 421-1494
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stcharlesborromeoca.com
- Annual Diocesan Development Fund (DDF) appeal participation
- Weekly bulletins (Boletines Semanales) published online