About St. Elizabeth · Mc Farland, California
St. Elizabeth of Hungary is a Roman Catholic parish serving the largely Hispanic, farmworking community of McFarland in the southern San Joaquin Valley of Kern County, California. Established in 1966 under the Diocese of Fresno and located at 835 E. Perkins Avenue, the parish is one of two Catholic parishes in the small city (alongside Our Lady of Guadalupe) and conducts its Masses predominantly in Spanish, with one bilingual Sunday Mass. It is part of the Diocese of Fresno's Kern Rural Vicariate and is pastored by Fr. Antero Sanchez, MSC, a Missionaries of the Sacred Heart priest who has served the McFarland Catholic community since 2000.
- Established
- 1966
- Patron
- St. Elizabeth of Hungary
- Rector
- Rev. Antero Sanchez, MSC
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
St. Elizabeth of Hungary is the spiritual home for the Spanish-speaking Catholic majority in McFarland, offering four weekend Masses (three in Spanish, one bilingual English/Spanish) and daily Mass Tuesday through Friday in Spanish, which makes it especially welcoming for the area's farmworker and immigrant families. The parish hosts the Diocese of Fresno's Priesthood Discernment Group meetings and is pastored by a long-tenured MSC priest who has been deeply involved in community advocacy. As the historic 1966 parish serving the heart of McFarland, it offers a stable, Spanish-language sacramental life for the Kern Rural Vicariate.
Mass times at St. Elizabeth
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM (Winter)
- 1st Friday of the Month 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM (Summer)
- Saturday 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM (before Vigil Mass, by some listings)
- Or by appointment
About St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish
St. Elizabeth of Hungary is a Roman Catholic territorial parish in McFarland, California, founded in 1966 and entrusted to the Diocese of Fresno. The parish serves the predominantly Hispanic, farmworking population of McFarland and the surrounding rural communities of the southern San Joaquin Valley. Worship is overwhelmingly in Spanish, with one bilingual English/Spanish Sunday Mass to welcome English-speaking parishioners and visitors.
- Patron: St. Elizabeth of Hungary (feast day November 17)
- Diocese: Diocese of Fresno (Kern Rural Vicariate)
- Founded: 1966
- Pastor: Rev. Antero Sanchez, MSC (since 2000)
Parish Patron: St. Elizabeth of Hungary
The parish is named for St. Elizabeth of Hungary (1207–1231), a Hungarian princess who became one of the great saints of charity. After the death of her husband Ludwig IV of Thuringia, she joined the Third Order of St. Francis and devoted her life and her wealth to the poor, the sick, and the hungry. Her patronage reflects the rural, working-class, charitable identity the founding bishop wished to invoke for this farmworking community.
- St. Elizabeth of Hungary, 1207–1231
- Canonized in 1235
- Third Order of St. Francis
- Patron of charitable works, the poor, and many Catholic institutions
- Feast day: November 17
Pastoral Leadership
The parish has been led since the year 2000 by Fr. Antero Sanchez, MSC, a member of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. He is a long-tenured priest whose public advocacy for the immigrant and farmworker families of McFarland has been documented in national news and court filings, including opposition to a proposed immigration detention expansion in 2020. Fr. Sanchez celebrated his 60th priestly ordination anniversary in 2025.
- Rev. Antero Sanchez, MSC — Pastor (since 2000)
- Religious institute: Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC)
- 60th priestly ordination anniversary celebrated in 2025
McFarland and the Kern Rural Vicariate
McFarland is a small, predominantly Hispanic city in northern Kern County along State Route 99, founded in 1909 and historically centered on grape, almond, and cotton farming. The parish is part of the Diocese of Fresno's Kern Rural Vicariate, which includes Catholic parishes in Buttonwillow, Delano, Earlimart, Shafter, Taft, and Wasco. St. Elizabeth is one of two Catholic parishes in McFarland itself, the other being Our Lady of Guadalupe.
- Vicariate: Kern Rural (Diocese of Fresno)
- Other parishes in vicariate: St. Mary (Buttonwillow), Our Lady of Guadalupe & St. Mary of the Miraculous Medal (Delano), St. Jude Thaddeus (Earlimart), St. Therese (Shafter), St. Mary (Taft), St. John (Wasco)
- Sister parish in McFarland: Our Lady of Guadalupe
Diocesan Vocations & Discernment
St. Elizabeth of Hungary hosts the Priesthood Discernment Group meetings for the Diocese of Fresno's Vocations Office, led by Fr. Iván Hernández Mel, Director of Vocations. The presence of the discernment group on site underscores the parish's role in fostering future priestly vocations from among the Spanish-speaking Catholic community of the southern San Joaquin Valley.
- Priesthood Discernment Group Meetings held at St. Elizabeth, McFarland
- Diocese of Fresno Office of Vocations — Director: Fr. Iván Hernández Mel
- Contact: [email protected], (559) 488-7424
Community Life and Outreach
Rooted in the largely immigrant, farmworking population of McFarland, the parish is a spiritual and social anchor for the local Catholic community. Fr. Antero Sanchez has spoken publicly on behalf of his parishioners in opposition to the expansion of immigration detention facilities in the area, reflecting the parish's commitment to accompanying its people in both sacramental and civic life. Cultural festivities in McFarland — Cinco de Mayo, Día de los Muertos, the Harvest Festival, and the Grape Festival — are interwoven with parish devotional life.
- Spanish-language Mass and sacramental ministry for farmworking families
- Public advocacy for immigrant community (2020 GEO Group v. Newsome amicus filings)
- Participation in local civic and cultural life of McFarland
Visiting and Contact Information
St. Elizabeth of Hungary is located at 835 E. Perkins Avenue in central McFarland, California 93250, Kern County. The parish can be reached by phone at (661) 792-3225 (fax 661-792-5645). Visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed; arriving 15–20 minutes before Mass is helpful. As Mass is celebrated primarily in Spanish, English-speaking visitors may wish to attend the 10:30 AM bilingual Sunday Mass.
- Address: 835 E. Perkins Ave., McFarland, CA 93250
- Phone: (661) 792-3225
- Fax: (661) 792-5645
- Diocesan listing: dioceseoffresno.org/parishes/kern-rural-vicariate/st-elizabeth-of-hungary-mcfarland/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Antero Sanchez, MSC2000–present
Member of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC). Celebrated his 60th priestly ordination anniversary in 2025. Publicly served as a community voice for McFarland's immigrant population during the 2020 immigration detention expansion controversy.