About St. James · Georgetown, California
St. James Mission is a small Roman Catholic mission church serving the historic Gold Rush community of Georgetown in El Dorado County, California. It is administered as a mission of St. Patrick Parish in nearby Placerville within the Diocese of Sacramento's Gold Country Deanery, and is currently pastored by Rev. Hernando Gomez-Amaya. The parish community gathers each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. for Mass, with confessions offered before and after the liturgy, and supports ministries in worship, faith formation, music, and pastoral care in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
- Established
- 1923
- Patron
- St. James the Greater (Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. Hernando Gomez-Amaya
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sacramento (Gold Country Deanery, El Dorado County)
Why belong here
St. James Mission offers the small, close-knit feel of a country Catholic parish tucked into the Georgetown Divide of the Sierra Nevada foothills. Worshippers find a weekly Sunday Mass with the traditional opportunity for confession before and after, a homey choir that welcomes piano and organ players, lay ministries for children and youth, lectors, altar servers, and prayer and pastoral care — all under the pastoral care of Fr. Hernando Gomez-Amaya and the wider St. Patrick, Placerville family of parishes. For Catholics living in or visiting the historic Gold Rush country, it is a faithful Sunday anchor and a warm community of service.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday before and after Mass (commonly 9:30 AM–10:00 AM, per Discover Mass)
Parish Identity
St. James is a small Roman Catholic mission church in Georgetown, California, administered as a mission of St. Patrick Parish in Placerville. It belongs to the Diocese of Sacramento and is part of the Gold Country Deanery that links the Catholic communities of El Dorado County's historic Mother Lode foothills.
- Diocese of Sacramento — Gold Country Deanery
- Mission of St. Patrick Parish, Placerville
- Address: 2831 Harkness Rd, Georgetown, CA 95634
History
Catholic worship in Georgetown stretches back to the Gold Rush. The first Catholic church, built near Church and Placer Streets, was destroyed in the town fire of 1869; afterward Mass was said at Georgia Slide and in private homes until 1881–1882, when a building on Main Street was converted for worship. Father Patrick O'Kane served as resident pastor beginning around 1895 for about twenty years; he was followed by Father Patrick Kane (uncle of Bishop Patrick Keane), who pastored St. James for twenty-five years. In November 1923 Bishop Keane dedicated a new church next to the old Armory, which served the community for about fifty years before being replaced by the present worship space on Harkness Road.
- First Catholic church built in the 1850s; destroyed in the 1869 town fire
- Itinerant priests celebrated Mass in homes and at Georgia Slide until 1881–1882
- Main Street church used from the 1880s until the early 1920s
- 1923 church dedicated by Bishop Keane, served for ~50 years
The 1923 Historic Church
The 1923 church that once stood next to the Armory on Main Street still survives as a piece of Georgetown's heritage. In May 1980, with the help of Msgr. Patrick Nolan, the building was saved from being torn down and moved by the Jeepers Jamboree Committee from Main Street to Buffalo Hill, where it was restored as a preserved example of early Georgetown architecture. A historical marker was dedicated on the site in May 1982. The building remains at 6075 Front Street, Georgetown.
- Saved from demolition and relocated in May 1980
- Moved by the Jeepers Jamboree Committee to Buffalo Hill
- Historical marker dedicated May 1982
- Current location: 6075 Front Street, Georgetown
Clergy & Pastoral Care
St. James Mission is pastored by Rev. Hernando Gomez-Amaya, who also serves as pastor of the administering parish, St. Patrick of Placerville. Parishioners can reach Fr. Hernando directly at 707-704-7519 for sacramental and liturgical needs; routine calls go to the parish office.
- Pastor: Rev. Hernando Gomez-Amaya
- Fr. Hernando Gomez: 707-704-7519
- Parish office: 530-333-9432
Ministries & Faith Formation
Despite its small size, St. James supports a range of lay ministries that sustain its worship and community life. The choir welcomes singers and especially piano or organ players (ability to read music is valued), with practice on two Thursdays each month at 10:00 AM. Parishioners serve as lectors and altar servers, and there are children's and youth programs alongside prayer and pastoral care teams.
- Choir — practice two Thursdays a month at 10:00 AM
- Lectors and altar servers
- Children's and youth programs
- Prayer and pastoral care ministry
Sacraments
Baptisms, weddings, funerals, and OCIA preparation are coordinated through named parishioners who serve as the mission's first points of contact. Because St. James is a mission of St. Patrick, larger sacramental needs (such as marriage preparation) are handled in coordination with the Placerville parish.
- Baptisms — Kristine Strahan, 530-919-1157
- Weddings — Ann Marie Davis, 530-333-2946
- Funerals — Kristine Strahan, 530-919-1157
- OCIA (RCIA) — Craig & Ann Marie Davis, 530-333-2946
Contact & Visit
The mission's physical and mailing address is 2831 Harkness Rd, Georgetown, CA 95634. The parish office can be reached at 530-333-9432 or [email protected]; the administering parish, St. Patrick in Placerville, can be reached at 530-622-0373. Fr. Hernando Gomez may be contacted directly at 707-704-7519.
- Address: 2831 Harkness Rd, Georgetown, CA 95634
- Phone: 530-333-9432
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: stjameschurch.net
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Patrick O'Kanec. 1895–c. 1915
Resident pastor of Georgetown for about 20 years; first resident pastor remembered in local histories.
- Father Patrick Kaneserved 25 years (early 20th c.)
Uncle of Bishop Patrick Keane; also celebrated Sunday Mass at St. John Church, Coloma.
- Rev. Hernando Gomez-Amayapresent
Current pastor; also pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Placerville, which administers the mission.