About St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church · Camp Verde, Arizona
St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish located at 781 South Cliffs Parkway in Camp Verde, Arizona, situated in the Verde Valley roughly 90 minutes north of Phoenix. It is the only Catholic church serving Camp Verde and has been a worship community in the area since 1962. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Phoenix and, since 2012, has been administered by the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT). It offers Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish, daily weekday Mass, Saturday confessions, weekly Eucharistic adoration, and a range of parish ministries serving about 250 registered families.
- Established
- 1962
- Patron
- St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Mother Cabrini), foundress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and patron saint of immigrants
- Rector
- Father Alphonsus Bakyil, SOLT (identified by the parish as its 12th pastor)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Phoenix
Why belong here
St. Frances Cabrini is the only Catholic parish serving Camp Verde and the surrounding Verde Valley, making it a natural spiritual home for Catholics across a wide rural area. Worshippers can attend daily Mass Monday through Saturday at 9:00 AM, with weekend Masses in both English and Spanish (Saturday Vigil 5:30 PM, Sunday 10:00 AM, Sunday 12:00 PM in Spanish). The parish also offers Saturday confessions (4:00–5:00 PM), Tuesday and Friday Eucharistic Adoration (9:30 AM–12:30 PM, extended on the fourth Saturday of the month), faith formation, and community outreach — a complete Catholic life for families who would otherwise drive long distances across the high desert.
Mass times at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
- Friday 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
- Fourth Saturday of the month 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
About St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church
St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church is the only Catholic parish serving Camp Verde, Arizona, in the heart of the Verde Valley. Founded in 1962, it sits on a 9.45-acre campus at 781 South Cliffs Parkway and is part of the Diocese of Phoenix. Since 2012 the parish has been served by the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), a religious missionary congregation, and is currently led by Father Alphonsus Bakyil, SOLT, the parish's 12th pastor. The community numbers approximately 250 registered families.
History
The parish traces its origin to June 3, 1962, when Father Samuel Wilson celebrated the first Mass for 14 Catholics in the local Camp Verde jail — the only space available at the time. The completed church building was dedicated on February 22, 1970 by Bishop John J. McDonough and was the first worship space officially dedicated in the newly erected Diocese of Phoenix (created December 2, 1969). A sanctuary expansion followed in 1972. In 2012, the parish marked its 50th anniversary and pastoral care was assumed by SOLT.
- 1962 – Parish founded; first Mass celebrated June 3, 1962 in the Camp Verde jail by Father Samuel Wilson with 14 Catholics.
- 1970 – Church dedicated February 22 by Bishop John J. McDonough; first dedication in the new Diocese of Phoenix.
- 1972 – Sanctuary expanded.
- 2012 – 50th anniversary; pastoral care transferred to the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT).
Sacraments
The parish offers daily Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and Eucharistic Adoration on a regular weekly schedule. Sacramental preparation for baptism, marriage, and other sacraments is handled through the parish office.
Ministries and Parish Life
The parish supports a bilingual worship life (English and Spanish) and a range of parish ministries. Worship aids include Eucharistic Adoration, a Spanish-language Sunday Mass, and faith formation for parishioners. Community service and outreach ministries serve the broader Verde Valley, and an addiction/recovery ministry supports those seeking healing. As the only Catholic church in Camp Verde, the parish is a spiritual hub for a wide swath of rural Arizona.
- Eucharistic Adoration
- Spanish-language Mass ministry
- Faith Formation / Religious Education
- Community service and outreach
- Addiction/recovery ministry
Clergy and Staff
St. Frances Cabrini is pastored by Father Alphonsus Bakyil, SOLT, a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, who arrived in 2012 when SOLT assumed pastoral care of the parish. He is identified by the parish as the 12th pastor in its history. He brought a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with him to the parish.
- Father Alphonsus Bakyil, SOLT — Pastor (12th pastor of the parish)
Visiting and Location
The parish sits on a 9.45-acre property at 781 South Cliffs Parkway, just off Arizona State Route 260, east of Interstate 17. From I-17, take Exit 285 (General Crook Trail), turn right at the end of the ramp, continue about 1.5 miles to AZ-260 East, turn right, take the second left onto Cliffs Parkway, and the church driveway is immediately on the right.
- Address: 781 S Cliffs Pkwy, Camp Verde, AZ 86322
- Phone: (928) 567-3543
- Diocese: Phoenix
- Religious order serving parish: Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT)
Patron: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
The parish takes its name from St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850–1917), an Italian-born religious sister who founded the Institute of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1880 and became a tireless missionary to immigrants in the Americas. She was the first American citizen to be canonized, in 1946, and is recognized as the patron saint of immigrants. Her legacy continues today through the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Cabrini Mission Corps, lay Cabrini missionaries, and the Cabrini Mission Foundation. The parish celebrates her feast day each November 13.
- Born July 15, 1850 in Italy; died December 22, 1917
- Founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on November 14, 1880
- First American citizen canonized (1946)
- Patron saint of immigrants
- Feast day: November 13
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Samuel Wilson1962 (founding)
Celebrated the very first Mass for the 14 founding Catholics of the parish on June 3, 1962, in the local Camp Verde jail.
- Pastors 2–111962–2012
Diocesan priests who served the parish in succession between founding and 2012. Individual names are not published on the sources reviewed; only Father Samuel Wilson (founding) and the 12th pastor (Fr. Alphonsus Bakyil, SOLT) are explicitly named in available sources.
- Father Alphonsus Bakyil, SOLT2012–present
12th Pastor of St. Frances Cabrini; arrived with the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) when the religious order took over pastoral care of the parish in 2012. Brought a statue of the Blessed Mother with him to the parish.