About St. John the Baptist · Laveen, Arizona
St. John the Baptist Parish in Laveen, Arizona, is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Phoenix and the principal Catholic mission church for the Gila River Indian Community. Long served by Franciscans for the Pima and Maricopa peoples, the parish has been administered since 2015 by the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit (FHS), who also staff mission churches across the Gila River, Salt River, Ak-Chin, and San Lucy reservations. It serves as the home base of the FHS community and the heart of the Diocese of Phoenix's Native American Ministry.
- Established
- 1897
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Antony Tinker, FHS
- Diocese
- Diocese of Phoenix
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist offers daily Mass, weekday confession, and Eucharistic Adoration as a steady rhythm of prayer in the south Phoenix countryside. The parish is the spiritual home of Native American Catholics from across the Gila River, Salt River, Ak-Chin, and San Lucy reservations, blending Anglo, Hispanic, and Indigenous worshipping communities. Ministries such as Women of the Word, the Alpha faith-exploration course, and parish-led restoration of the historic grotto give members concrete ways to grow in faith and serve their neighbors.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
- Wednesday 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
- Thursday 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
- Friday 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
- Saturday 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
- Wednesday 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
- Thursday 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
- Friday 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
- Saturday 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Parish Identity & Mission
St. John the Baptist Parish is identified on the Diocese of Phoenix's directory as 'Catholic Mission Central for the Gila River Indian Community' and 'Home of the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit.' From Laveen on the edge of the Gila River Reservation, the parish reaches Pima and Maricopa Catholics across south Phoenix and the surrounding reservations.
- Patron: St. John the Baptist (feast June 24)
- Diocese: Phoenix
- Mission Central for the Gila River Indian Community
History
The mission traces its origins to roughly 1897, when Franciscan friars of the St. John the Baptist Province opened St. John the Baptist Church and School at Laveen (then Komatke), serving Pima, Maricopa, Tohono O'odham, and Apache children and families. The school, staffed by Franciscan Sisters from Santa Barbara, educated about 400 students through 12th grade. Between 1910 and 1949 several Indian missions across the Gila River and Salt River reservations were attended from St. John's. After a long stretch run by diocesan deacons (1990–2015), the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit, newly founded as a community, arrived in 2015 and were formally erected as a Public Association of the Faithful on July 2, 2016.
- Founded c. 1897 by Franciscan Friars (St. John the Baptist Province)
- Historic Catholic school closed; only foundation remains at Pecos Rd. & 51st St.
- 1990–2015 administered by diocesan deacons
- Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit take over in 2015
Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit (FHS)
The FHS community of priests and brothers follows the Rule and tradition of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis of Penance. Their principal mission is the Native American Ministry of the Diocese of Phoenix, headquartered at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Friary on the mission grounds in Laveen. From there they staff St. John the Baptist and ten sister mission churches across the Gila River, Salt River, Ak-Chin, and Tohono O'odham reservations.
- Public Association of the Faithful erected July 2, 2016
- Base of operations: St. Kateri Tekakwitha Friary, 5447 W. Pecos Road, Laveen
- Contact for the community: [email protected]; 602-370-3110
Missions Served from St. John the Baptist
Since 2015, friars stationed at St. John the Baptist have continued to attend a network of mission churches that were historically cared for by the Franciscans of St. John the Baptist and Santa Barbara Provinces.
- Holy Family Mission (Blackwater, Gila River)
- Our Lady of Victory Mission (Sacaton Flats, Gila River)
- St. Anne Mission (Santan, Gila River)
- St. Catherine Mission (Santa Cruz, Gila River)
- St. Anthony Mission (Sacaton, Gila River)
- San Lucy Mission (San Lucy Village, Tohono O'odham)
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit, with assistance from additional religious and diocesan clergy, including two permanent deacons.
- Rev. Fr. Antony Tinker, FHS — Pastor (Friars community servant)
- Rev. Alcuin Hurl — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Benedict Mary Lieb — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Msgr. Ed Meulemans
- Rev. Greg Rice, M.H.M.
- Dcn. Ron Poulin
- Dcn. Jim Trant (Parish Life Coordinator, Diocesan Native American Ministry)
Parish Ministries & Programs
Beyond the friars' sacramental ministry, the parish offers formation for adults and women, hosts the diocesan Alpha faith-exploration course, and has undertaken the restoration of its historic grotto as a community project.
- Women of the Word ('WOW') — 2nd and 4th Monday evenings
- Alpha — adult and young-adult course launched at the parish in September 2016
- Grotto restoration — volunteer-driven heritage project begun after 2015
- Diocesan Native American Ministry, coordinated from the parish
Visitor Information
The church sits on West Pecos Road near 51st Avenue on the Gila River Indian Community, about a mile inside the reservation boundary. Visitors are warmly welcomed and encouraged to confirm Mass times with the parish office before traveling, as schedules listed in public directories have not been refreshed in some years.
- Address: 5407 W. Pecos Road, Laveen, AZ 85339
- Phone: 520-550-2034
- Website: dphx.org/parish/st-john-the-baptist-parish-laveen/
- Facebook: SaintJohntheBaptistLaveen
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Michael Tinker, FHS2015
Appointed Pastoral Administrator of St. John the Baptist Parish, Laveen (and St. Peter Parish, Bapchule) effective November 1, 2015; also named Director of the Office of Native American Ministry.
- Fr. Augustine Lieb, FHS2015
Appointed Parochial Vicar effective October 1, 2015.
- Fr. Zygmunt Mazanowski2015
Appointed Parochial Vicar effective October 1, 2015.