About St. Daniel · Wheatland, California
St. Daniel Mission is a small Catholic mission church located at 214 Main Street in the historic town of Wheatland, California (Yuba County). It is one of three worship sites of Saint Joseph Parish in nearby Lincoln, alongside Saint Boniface Mission in Nicolaus. Administered by the Diocese of Sacramento and currently served by a pastor and parochial vicar from Lincoln, St. Daniel offers weekend Mass in both English and Spanish for the Wheatland community and surrounding rural area.
- Established
- 1872
- Patron
- St. Daniel the Prophet
- Rector
- Rev. Fredhelito E. Gucor
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sacramento
Why belong here
St. Daniel Mission offers the warmth of a small-town Catholic community right on Main Street in historic Wheatland, with Mass celebrated in both English and Spanish each week. Parishioners are served by the priests of Saint Joseph Parish in Lincoln, and the mission's lay ministries — from altar servers and lectors to the Respect Life Ministry, music ministry, and Society of Saint Vincent de Paul — offer concrete ways for families and individuals of all ages to participate. As a mission church with deep roots going back to 1872, St. Daniel is a welcoming place for anyone in the Wheatland area seeking to worship, serve, and grow in faith.
Mass times at St. Daniel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Available by appointment through the Parish Office (call 916-645-2102)
Parish History
St. Daniel Mission is the spiritual heir to four successive Catholic churches built on or near 214 Main Street in Wheatland since 1872. The first church (whose name is lost) was likely lost in the 1898 town fire; the second stood until a 1937 cyclone; the third was built in 1939 under Father Daniel Twomey; and the present church was completed in 1971 and dedicated February 27, 1972 by Bishop Alden J. Bell. The church was renovated in 1989 under Father John E. Boll. Throughout, Wheatland has remained a mission community — first of Marysville, then Smartsville, then Saint Joseph Parish in Lincoln — where it is currently grouped with St. Boniface Mission in Nicolaus.
- 1872/1873 — First Catholic church built on Main & B Street (mission of Marysville)
- c. 1898 — First church likely destroyed in town-wide fire
- Early 1900s — Mission transferred from Smartsville to Saint Joseph Parish, Lincoln
- 1937 — Second church destroyed by cyclone
- 1939 — Third church built under Father Daniel Twomey; Mass held at the Richard Villa home during completion
- 1971 — Present church built by Lamon Construction of Marysville
- February 27, 1972 — Dedicated by Bishop Alden J. Bell
- 1989 — Church renovated under Father John E. Boll
Clergy and Staff
St. Daniel Mission is served by the priests assigned to Saint Joseph Parish in Lincoln. The current pastor is Rev. Fredhelito E. Gucor, with Rev. Jose Campos serving as parochial vicar. Both priests oversee St. Daniel along with the main Lincoln parish and St. Boniface Mission in Nicolaus.
- Rev. Fredhelito E. Gucor — Pastor
- Rev. Jose Campos — Parochial Vicar
- Parish office: (916) 645-2102 — [email protected]
Mass and Liturgy
St. Daniel Mission offers weekend Masses in both English and Spanish. The Saturday vigil Mass at 7:00 PM is celebrated in Spanish, and Sunday morning Mass at 8:00 AM is celebrated in English. Daily Mass is not offered at the mission; parishioners may attend daily Mass at Saint Joseph Parish in Lincoln. Confession is available by appointment through the parish office.
- Saturday 7:00 PM — Spanish
- Sunday 8:00 AM — English
- Confession by appointment — call (916) 645-2102
Liturgical Ministries
Lay faithful of St. Daniel Mission serve in every liturgical role: as altar servers (grades 4 and up, after First Communion), lectors, Eucharistic ministers, ushers, and members of the music ministry and altar society. Ministers of the Sick bring Holy Communion to the homebound. Each ministry has a local St. Daniel coordinator who can be reached through the parish office.
- Altar Servers — Anna Gomez (530-633-2288)
- Eucharistic Ministers / Lectors / Ministers of the Sick — Janet Givens (530-633-4365)
- Music Ministry — Rick Givens, Neri Cabuco
- Ushers — Jay Gruenwald
- Altar Society — John Bruce
Faith Formation and Education
Religious education for the Wheatland mission is coordinated through Saint Joseph Parish, Lincoln. The parish offers CCD classes for Grades 1–6 (preparing students for First Communion), the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for those discerning entry into the Catholic Church, and a youth ministry program (Life Teen) available in English or Spanish.
- CCD / Religious Education (Grades 1–6) — 916-645-2684
- RCIA — Linda Austin (916-645-2684) / Deacon Juve Vela, Spanish (916-396-5242)
- Youth Ministry (Life Teen) — Dianna Noyes (916-645-2684)
Parish Life and Outreach
Beyond the liturgy, St. Daniel parishioners are active in a number of parish-wide groups coordinated from Lincoln. The Respect Life Ministry promotes the dignity of human life through prayer, education, and advocacy. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul serves those in need in the community. The Knights of Columbus Council supports the parish through works of charity and fraternity. The Legion of Mary leads a daily Perpetual Novena, prayed via conference call each day except Sunday at 2:00 PM.
- Respect Life Ministry — St. Daniel contact: Linda Maldonado (530-301-9214)
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — meets 2nd & 4th Mondays, 3:00–4:00 PM
- Knights of Columbus
- Legion of Mary — Perpetual Novena, daily 2:00 PM (except Sunday), conference call (425) 436-6200, access code 813245#
Parish Councils
St. Daniel Mission is represented on both the Pastoral Council and the Finance Council of Saint Joseph Parish, Lincoln. The Pastoral Council advises the pastor on major concerns affecting parish life and mission; the Finance Council advises on financial matters to ensure the spiritual and material needs of the community are met.
- Pastoral Council — St. Daniel reps: Mark Richardson, Rosa Hernandez, David Troutman
- Finance Council — St. Daniel rep: Jim Dawson
Contact and Location
St. Daniel Mission is located in the heart of historic downtown Wheatland at 214 Main Street. The mission shares its clergy, staff, and many ministries with Saint Joseph Parish in Lincoln; for sacramental needs, ministry involvement, or general inquiries, the parish office can be reached by phone or email.
- Address: 214 Main St., Wheatland, CA 95692
- Phone: (916) 645-2102
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.scd.org/parish/st-daniel-mission-wheatland
Part of the Diocese of Sacramento
St. Daniel Mission is one of many parishes and missions of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, which covers a 42,597-square-mile area of Northern California with a Catholic population of more than one million. The Diocese's patron saints are Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas, and St. Patrick. St. Daniel belongs to the Yuba County / West Placer Deanery and operates as a mission of Saint Joseph Parish, Lincoln.
- Diocese of Sacramento — established May 28, 1886
- Patron Saints — Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Patrick
- Deanery — Yuba County, West Placer Deanery
- Parent parish — Saint Joseph Parish, Lincoln
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Daniel Twomey (Monsignor)1934–1947
Pastor of Saint Joseph Parish, Lincoln; oversaw mission communities of Wheatland and Nicolaus; directed construction of the 1939 church in Wheatland while Mass was held in the Villa home.
- Rev. Arnold Schafferpastor during 1971 construction
Pastor during construction of the present church; completed with Father John J. Myles as associate.
- Rev. John J. Mylesassociate c. 1971
Associate pastor during completion of the present church dedicated in 1972.
- Rev. John E. Bollpastor c. 1989
Directed renovation of Saint Daniel Church in 1989.