About St. John the Evangelist · Dunsmuir, California
St. John the Evangelist Parish in Dunsmuir, California is a small Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Sacramento's Siskiyou Deanery, established in 1899. The parish is served by Rev. Mario Valmorida as Parochial Administrator (administrative duties shared with neighboring Holy Family Parish in Weed), with the parish office mailing to Holy Family, 1051 N. Davis Ave., Weed. The historic church at 5603 Shasta Avenue traces back to the railroad boom days of South Siskiyou County, and today the community welcomes visitors, hosts weekly NA and AA meetings in its parish hall, and offers Sunday Mass and Friday daily Mass along with the sacraments by appointment.
- Established
- 1899
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Mario Valmorida (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sacramento (Siskiyou Deanery)
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist is a small, welcoming Catholic community that has anchored Catholic life in South Siskiyou County since 1899, with deep railroad-town roots and a tradition of Gregorian chant and festive Midnight Mass. The parish hall is a genuine community hub, hosting weekly NA and AA meetings, weddings, local school events, parish dinners, and bingo fundraisers. People of all backgrounds interested in the Catholic faith are explicitly welcome, and visitors or out-of-practice Catholics are invited to receive a blessing during Mass in lieu of the Eucharist.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before and after scheduled Masses
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month after the 9:00 AM Mass
History of St. John the Evangelist Parish
Catholic worship in South Siskiyou County began after the Southern Pacific Railroad brought settlers into the Sacramento River canyon. The first Mass was celebrated by Father John Quinn on June 13, 1888 in the home of a McCann family, with the Mott, McInneney, Furlong, Gill, and Ryan families present. Bishop Patrick Manogue visited Dunsmuir in July 1891, encouraging a subscription drive that raised $800 that evening alone. By November 1891 the foundation of the first church was in place, and in September 1894 Bishop Manogue formally dedicated the Church of the Sacred Heart. The parish was officially established in 1899.
- First Mass in the Dunsmuir area: June 13, 1888 (Father John Quinn)
- Property for the church purchased 'above town' in July 1891
- Sacred Heart Church dedicated September 1894 by Bishop Manogue
- Parish formally established 1899
- Sacred Heart Church destroyed by fire 1932 (charcoal in incense thurible)
- Present church built 1935 by Luigi Cosentino for $7,000; renamed St. John the Evangelist
- Fire / arson attempt thwarted by parishioner Emma Martinez under Father O'Leary (1975–1981)
Mass, Sacraments & Devotions
St. John the Evangelist offers Sunday Mass and a Friday daily Mass, with the Sacrament of Reconciliation available before and after scheduled Masses. Eucharistic Adoration is celebrated on the First Friday of the month following the 9:00 AM Mass. The parish notes that visitors and out-of-practice Catholics may receive a blessing during Mass in lieu of the Eucharist, and sacramental services (Baptism, Marriage, Anointing, etc.) are available by appointment.
- Sunday Mass: 11:00 AM
- Friday Mass: 9:00 AM
- Reconciliation: before and after scheduled Masses
- First Friday Adoration after the 9:00 AM Mass
- Sacramental services by appointment
Parish Ministries & Groups
Active parish life is sustained by a small but committed circle of ministries. Religious Education (CCD) is coordinated by Eileen Congi. The St. John's Guild, the parish women's society, has a long history of fundraising for the parish, providing flowers, candles, and fair linens, and contributing to the Foreign Missions and Right to Life. Friday-night bingo has historically funded equipment for the church and parish hall, and the parish has long hosted community fundraisers — dinners, fairs, bazaars, raffles, and rummage sales — going back to the 1890s when the Catholic women first began holding St. Patrick's Day balls.
- Religious Education / CCD — Eileen Congi
- St. John's Guild (women's fundraising & outreach)
- Friday-night bingo fundraisers
- Parish dinners, fairs, bazaars, raffles, rummage sales
- Hospitality for weddings and community events
- Sacramental preparation by appointment
Community Life & Hospitality
The parish hall is a genuine community hub. It hosts weekly Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, weddings, local school events, dinners, and many more gatherings. The parish's own website describes St. John's as 'a caring community of dedicated Catholics who love their home town and love their faith,' and states that 'people of all backgrounds interested in the Catholic faith are welcome.'
- Weekly NA and AA meetings in the Parish Hall
- Weddings and community dinners
- Local school events and parish gatherings
- Open invitation to people of all backgrounds interested in the Catholic faith
Buildings, Grounds & the Historic Block
The original property for the church was acquired in 1891 — 'above town,' on the site where St. John's still stands. A rectory behind Sacred Heart Church faced Spruce Street (date of construction unknown), and in 1926 Father Michael McGoldrick built the present parish rectory facing Shasta Avenue, designed to house two priests for a territory that stretched to the Oregon line. Father Casey later purchased the adjacent house and lot on the north side of the rectory, rounding out the parish real estate to a whole city block. The parish hall was built during Father Patrick Lanigan's pastorate (1965–1973).
- Church site acquired July 1891
- Spruce Street rectory (date unknown)
- Present Shasta Avenue rectory built 1926 under Father McGoldrick
- Parish hall built 1965–1973 under Father Lanigan
- Parish block rounded out to a full city block under Father Casey
Religious Education & the Sisters of the Holy Family
Monsignor James Casey, concerned about religious instruction for public-school students, invited the Sisters of the Holy Family to conduct annual summer school sessions in the parish. In 1959 four Holy Name Sisters opened a convent with chapel in Mount Shasta, and CCD classes were scheduled weekly across all four parishes of Southern Siskiyou. In later years the foundation drew down to a single remaining Sister residing in Weed; today religious education at St. John's is coordinated by Eileen Congi.
- Holy Family Sisters invited by Monsignor Casey for summer school sessions
- Holy Name Sisters convent & chapel in Mt. Shasta dedicated 1959
- Weekly CCD classes coordinated across the four Southern Siskiyou parishes
- Current Religious Education coordinator: Eileen Congi
Administration & Contact
St. John the Evangelist is administered together with Holy Family Parish in Weed by Parochial Administrator Rev. Mario Valmorida, with parish mail handled through the Holy Family Parish office. Business Manager Gerry Scharf and Religious Education coordinator Eileen Congi round out the parish team.
- Parochial Administrator: Rev. Mario Valmorida
- Business Manager: Gerry Scharf
- Religious Education: Eileen Congi
- Mailing address: c/o Holy Family Parish, 1051 N. Davis Ave., Weed, CA 96094-2404
- Parish phone: (530) 938-4334 · Fax: (530) 938-3837
- Listed email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Michael J. O'Connell1932–1947
Rebuilt the parish after the 1932 fire that destroyed Sacred Heart Church; oversaw construction of the present church completed in 1935 under whose pastorate the parish was renamed St. John the Evangelist.
- Father Patrick J. Lyons1947–1948
Assistant priest under Father O'Connell.
- Father (later Monsignor) James Casey1947–1963 and 1974–1975
Made a Monsignor by Pope Pius XII in 1954 — the first in Siskiyou County; invited the Holy Family Sisters for religious education; later returned from Red Bluff to administer the parish after Father Vaughn's sudden death.
- Father William Broderick1963–1965
Enlisted as a military chaplain in May 1965 and saw combat service in Vietnam.
- Father Patrick Lanigan1965–1973
Built the parish hall during his tenure.
- Father James Vaughn1973–1974
Died suddenly of a heart attack while at a doctor's office in Weed on December 17, 1974.
- Father Sean O'Leary1975–1981
Restored the church interior after an arsonist's attempt; sanctuary furnishings rebuilt by James Cosentino.
- Father Vincent Lyons1981–1985
Brother of former assistant Father Patrick J. Lyons.
- Father Benedict DeLeon1985–1992
- Father William Hold1992–1994
- Father Cornelius O'Donnell1994–1999
- Sister Nancy McInerney, RSM1999–2006
Parish Steward (first non-priest administrator).
- Father Aiden O'Reilly1999–2004
- Father Michael Canny2006–
Listed in the diocesan history as 'present' at time of writing.