About St. Columba · Chowchilla, California
St. Columba Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Chowchilla, California, belonging to the Diocese of Fresno. Founded in 1918 by Catholic farming families in the area, the parish serves the small Madera County community from its church on Orange Avenue (built in its present form in 1963). It ministers in both English and Spanish, offers daily Mass several days a week along with three Sunday Masses, and operates a food pantry and Legion of Mary apostolate as well as a mission church, St. George, in El Nido.
- Established
- 1918
- Patron
- St. Columba of Iona (patron of the original Diocese of Fresno; secondary patron of the diocese after 1925)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno (Madera Vicariate)
Why belong here
St. Columba is the spiritual home for a tight-knit, multi-generational Catholic community in rural Chowchilla, offering daily and three Sunday Masses in English and Spanish, Friday evening confessions, monthly Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays, and direct outreach through its Legion of Mary, YMI (Young Men's Institute), and a parish food pantry. The parish also serves the surrounding agricultural area through its mission church, St. George, in El Nido, giving families a single point of contact for sacraments, devotions, and works of mercy across the region.
Mass times at St. Columba
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 6:00 PM (St. Columba)
- Saturday 4:10 PM (after Mass at St. George Mission in El Nido)
Adoration times
- First Friday 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Parish History
St. Columba's is the product of Catholic farming families from the upper Midwest who, finding no Catholic church in tiny Chowchilla, organized one of their own in 1917–1918. The Thiel family came from North Dakota in 1916 and the Robert Busch family in 1917; Mrs. Busch's insistence that 'if she were going to live in Chowchilla, there had to be a Catholic church' rallied the community. The first Mass was celebrated by Father Prendeville of Madera on September 19, 1920, followed by a chicken dinner at Thornton Hall. An original church building was erected in 1923, and the present-day sanctuary on Orange Avenue was built in 1963 during the Second Vatican Council.
- Founded 1918 by Thiel, Busch and other farming families.
- First Mass celebrated September 19, 1920 by Father Prendeville of Madera.
- Original church built in 1923; current church built in 1963.
- Namesake of the original Diocese of Fresno patronage; became secondary patron after 1925 canonization of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
Clergy & Staff
St. Columba is staffed in association with its mission, St. George in El Nido, and has historically been a multi-parish assignment for priests of the Diocese of Fresno.
- Deacon Anthony DiMaggio, deacon.
- Fr. Angel Sotelo (1964–2021) served as pastor until his death on August 1, 2021, after a long battle with esophageal cancer.
Parish Ministries & Outreach
The parish sustains several traditional lay Catholic ministries typical of Central Valley farming communities, along with direct charitable outreach to families in need.
- Legion of Mary — lay Marian apostolate.
- YMI (Young Men's Institute) — Catholic fraternal and service group.
- Parish Food Pantry — direct outreach to local families in need.
St. George Mission, El Nido
St. George is a mission of St. Columba serving the small community of El Nido in southwestern Merced County, ensuring Catholic Mass and the sacraments are available to rural farm families across the area. The mission holds its Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:10 PM, with confessions heard after Mass.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 4:10 PM at St. George, El Nido.
- Confessions after the 4:10 PM Mass.
- Served by the priests and deacons of St. Columba, Chowchilla.
Visiting & Contact
St. Columba is located on Orange Avenue in central Chowchilla. Parishioners and visitors may reach the parish office by phone or email and find Mass times posted on the parish's Wix website.
- Address: 213 Orange Ave, Chowchilla, CA 93610.
- Phone: (559) 665-3376.
- Email: [email protected].
- Website: http://stcolumbacc.wixsite.com/chowchilla.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Angel Sotelountil 2021 (R.I.P. August 1, 2021)
Beloved pastor who served multiple Fresno-area parishes including St. George Mission in El Nido; ordained 1991 at St. John's Cathedral, Fresno; known as an orthodox homilist and active on social media.