About St. Coleman · Cazadero, California
St. Colman is a Catholic mission church in the tiny Sonoma County town of Cazadero, California, operated as a mission of St. Elizabeth Parish in nearby Guerneville within the Diocese of Santa Rosa. Best known for its celebrated outdoor chapel set in a natural redwood grove on Cazadero Highway, it is the only Catholic church in the area where summer Mass is celebrated outdoors among the trees. The mission serves both year-round local families and the summer visitors who flock to the Russian River recreation region, and its grove is also offered to Catholic couples as a wedding venue.
- Established
- 1965
- Patron
- St. Colman (Colmán)
- Rector
- Father Luis Peñaloza
- Diocese
- Diocese of Santa Rosa
Why belong here
St. Colman's offers a worship experience unlike almost any other Catholic church in Northern California — Sunday Mass celebrated outdoors in a redwood grove from Memorial Day through Labor Day. It is a small, mission-style community of faith that warmly welcomes summer residents and visitors alongside its year-round parishioners, and it is pastored alongside the historic St. Elizabeth Parish in Guerneville, giving members access to the full sacramental life of a parish family on the Russian River.
Mass times at St. Coleman
Weekly Mass schedule
St. Colman Outdoor Church — Welcome
St. Colman's is a Catholic mission church in Cazadero, California, famous for its outdoor chapel set in a grove of Coast Redwood trees. The site serves the small Russian River community year-round and welcomes summer visitors and Catholic couples seeking an outdoor wedding venue in a redwood cathedral.
- Outdoor Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM, Memorial Day through Labor Day
- Open-air redwood grove setting on Cazadero Highway
- Mission of St. Elizabeth Parish, Guerneville (Diocese of Santa Rosa)
History of the Outdoor Church
The Outdoor Church was built by the Cazadero community in 1965 to handle the overflow of summer visitors and residents who 'flowed out the door and down the steps of the little wood church in town.' That original wood-frame mission church still stands at 6245 Cazadero Highway about half a mile from the grove and continues to serve as the indoor chapel and rainy-day backup. Decades later, the redwood-grove Mass is still the mission's signature identity.
- 1965: outdoor chapel built by local community
- Original indoor mission church still at 6245 Cazadero Highway
- Part of St. Elizabeth Parish family with St. Catherine of Siena, Monte Rio
Mass & Worship Schedule
The mission's only regular weekly liturgy is the outdoor Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM, celebrated only during the summer season from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Outside that window, parishioners are served by the parent parish, St. Elizabeth's in Guerneville, where daily Mass is offered Tuesday–Friday at 9:00 AM. The little indoor church in Cazadero is reserved primarily for overflow, the rainy-day backup for weddings, and the occasional special Mass.
- Sunday 11:00 AM — Outdoor Mass, Memorial Day to Labor Day
- Daily Mass Tuesday–Friday 9:00 AM at St. Elizabeth's, Guerneville
- Saturday Vigil: St. Catherine of Siena, Monte Rio, 4:00 PM
Weddings in the Redwood Grove
St. Colman's is open to Catholic couples wishing to celebrate their wedding in the redwood grove. The mission publishes a clear reservation process, a $750 use donation, and a detailed set of FAQs covering layout, capacity, sound, decoration, insurance, and rain backup. Weddings are arranged through the parish coordinator Susan Arcady Barich.
- Use donation: $750 (refundable up to 30 days before); $950 if using the local priest
- Seating capacity: ~250 guests
- Parking: adjacent lot, ~50 cars; carpooling encouraged
- Rehearsal: day before the wedding, no time limit
- Rain backup: indoor church at 6245 Cazadero Highway
- Couples supply altar cloth, hosts, wine, chalice, vestments, battery sound (rentable in Santa Rosa)
- No bride's changing area on site
- Aisle length: 55' to front pew, 60' to altar; altar stone 8' 3.5" wide × 25.5" deep × 3' tall
- Facility Use Agreement required, naming St. Elizabeth's Parish as co-insured
Weddings FAQ — Common Questions
The parish publishes a candid FAQ for engaged couples, covering everything from cancellation policy to candle use. Highlights include a refundable donation up to 30 days out, a sound-system rental tip at Stanroy Music Center in Santa Rosa (Steve Shirrell, 707-545-4827), and the recommendation to set up the morning of the wedding because there is no on-site security.
- No electricity at the grove — bring or rent a battery-powered amp and mics
- Real candles and additional decorations are allowed; benches, crucifix and altar may not be moved
- Reception venues: see CazaderoWeddings.com or call Susan at 831-332-6416
- Local officiant adds $200 to cover travel and expenses
Clergy, Staff & Contacts
Because St. Colman's is a mission of St. Elizabeth Parish, sacramental care is administered from Guerneville under the pastor. The current pastor, Father Luis Peñaloza, can be reached at the parish office or his direct email. Weddings and outreach to the outdoor venue are handled by local coordinator Susan Arcady Barich.
- Pastor: Rev. Luis Peñaloza — 707-321-0528 — [email protected]
- Wedding Coordinator: Susan Arcady Barich — 831-332-6416 — [email protected]
- Parish Office (St. Elizabeth's): 707-869-2107 — [email protected]
- Parish Office Hours (St. Elizabeth's): Tuesday–Friday, 9:00 AM–1:00 PM
Visit, Directions & Practical Info
St. Colman's Outdoor Church sits 5.5 miles off Highway 116 on Cazadero Highway in rural western Sonoma County, about half a mile from the town of Cazadero. Visitors are urged to come prepared: the grove is rustic (no electricity, a porta-potty on site), it can be chilly under the redwoods, and parking is limited to about 50 cars in the adjacent lot.
- Address: 5695 Cazadero Highway, Cazadero, CA 95421
- Mailing: St. Colman's Guild, P.O. Box 75, Cazadero, CA 95421
- Mass: Sunday 11:00 AM, Memorial Day to Labor Day, outdoors
- Phone: (707) 869-2107 (St. Elizabeth's parish office)
- Website: stcolmansoutdoorchurch.com