About St. Elizabeth · Guerneville, California
St. Elizabeth Catholic Church is a small parish of the Diocese of Santa Rosa serving the Russian River communities of western Sonoma County from its home at 14095 Woodland Avenue in Guerneville, California. The parish is the spiritual center for three worship sites in the area: St. Elizabeth itself, the mission church of St. Catherine of Siena in nearby Monte Rio, and the mission church of St. Colman in Cazadero. Under the pastoral care of Fr. Luis Peñaloza, the community gathers for daily Mass Tuesday through Friday and a Sunday schedule that spreads across the three churches, with the Saturday Vigil Mass live-streamed on Facebook for those who cannot attend in person.
- Established
- 1916
- Patron
- St. Elizabeth
- Rector
- Fr. Luis Peñaloza
- Diocese
- Diocese of Santa Rosa
Why belong here
St. Elizabeth is a welcoming, family-size Catholic community tucked among the redwoods of the lower Russian River, where parishioners know one another by name and the pastor is personally involved in every sacrament. Membership connects you to a three-church family that celebrates daily Mass in Guerneville, a Saturday Vigil in Monte Rio, and a scenic Sunday Mass at the outdoor St. Colman church in Cazadero, plus RCIA formation, baptism and marriage preparation, and a live-streamed vigil Mass for those who cannot be there in person.
Mass times at St. Elizabeth
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday morning after the 9:00 AM Mass with Fr. Luis
- By appointment — call the rectory at (707) 869-2107
Welcome to St. Elizabeth Parish
The parish's homepage frames its identity with the words 'Love, Joy, Peace' and a clear invitation: come worship at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Guerneville, at the mission of St. Catherine of Siena in Monte Rio, or at the mission of St. Colman in Cazadero. Fr. Luis Peñaloza is listed as Pastor, with the parish office open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at 14095 Woodland Avenue, Guerneville. The site also publishes the parish's weekly bulletin online.
- Pastor: Fr. Luis Peñaloza
- Office: 14095 Woodland Ave., Guerneville, CA 95446
- Phone: (707) 869-2107
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish site: stelizabeth.churchtrac.com / rrchurches.com
- Office hours: Tue–Fri, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Holy Week & Easter
The parish publishes a Holy Week schedule showing how the Triduum is celebrated across its three churches. Holy Thursday Mass is at 4:00 PM at St. Elizabeth; Good Friday has no morning Mass, with Stations of the Cross at 1:00 PM and Adoration of the Cross with Communion at 2:00 PM, also at St. Elizabeth; Holy Saturday has no Mass at St. Catherine of Siena, with the Easter Vigil at 5:00 PM at St. Elizabeth.
- Holy Thursday: 4:00 PM Mass at St. Elizabeth
- Good Friday: 1:00 PM Stations of the Cross; 2:00 PM Adoration of the Cross with Communion
- Holy Saturday: 5:00 PM Easter Vigil Mass at St. Elizabeth
Sacraments
St. Elizabeth celebrates the seven sacraments with the personal attention typical of a small parish. Baptism is offered by appointment and requires preparation classes; couples preparing for marriage are asked to meet with the priest at least six months before the wedding; Confession is offered as detailed above; and RICA (the Spanish-language RCIA) education is available for adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church. The parish encourages anyone interested to call the rectory.
- Baptism — by appointment, preparation classes required
- Marriage — meet with the priest at least 6 months before the wedding
- Confession — Friday after Mass, or by appointment
- RICA / RCIA — religious education for adult catechumens
Mission Churches
Two mission churches extend St. Elizabeth's reach along the Russian River corridor. St. Catherine of Siena in Monte Rio hosts the Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM, and St. Colman in Cazadero — an outdoor church — celebrates Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM. St. Colman also operates a separate wedding-planning website at stcolmansoutdoorchurch.com for couples drawn to its open-air setting among the redwoods.
- St. Catherine of Siena, Monte Rio — Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM
- St. Colman, Cazadero — Sunday 11:00 AM (outdoor church)
- St. Colman weddings: stcolmansoutdoorchurch.com
Parish Membership & Giving
Newcomers can join the parish by filling out an online registration form linked from the home page. The parish also encourages online giving through its ChurchTrac portal and accepts mailed checks made out to St. Elizabeth Catholic Church at the Guerneville address. The parish's federal EIN, listed on the donation page, is 82-4690577.
- Membership sign-up: online form on the parish website
- Online giving: linked via ChurchTrac
- Mailed checks: St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, 14095 Woodland Ave., Guerneville, CA 95446
- EIN: 82-4690577