About St. John the Evangelist · Riverside, California
St. John the Evangelist is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of San Bernardino serving the Jurupa Valley / Rubidoux area of Riverside, California. Founded in 1956 with 46 families meeting for the first Mass in a mortuary chapel, it has grown into a bustling parish offering five Spanish and one English Sunday Mass, daily bilingual weekday Masses, and 24/7 Eucharistic Adoration. The parish is pastored by Rev. Juan Lopez Cortes, M.S.P., and also serves the historic Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Belltown, which dates back to 1927.
- Established
- 1956
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Juan Lopez Cortes, M.S.P.
- Diocese
- Diocese of San Bernardino
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist is a large, vibrant bilingual parish where a parishioner can attend Mass seven days a week in either Spanish or English, pray before the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel around the clock, and join one of more than a dozen active lay ministries — from the Knights of Columbus and Legion of Mary to the Food Pantry, Music Ministry, Pro-Life Rosary, Filipino Ministry and Comunidad Evangelizadora CERS. The parish welcomes new Catholics through OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) and supports families through Religious Education classes for children, youth and adults, plus sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:30 PM (per Diocese of San Bernardino parish listing)
- Thursday 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (per third-party listing)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the chapel
Parish History
St. John the Evangelist traces its roots to September 1956, when Bishop Charles Buddy of the Diocese of San Diego appointed Fr. Flynn as founding pastor. He celebrated the first Mass on September 16, 1956 in the chapel of the Rubidoux Mortuary with the parish's 46 founding families. On All Saints Day that year, the parish acquired its current property at 3980 Opal Street; an old house on the lot became the first rectory, chapel and parish office, and is still used as the Parish Office today. The new church was dedicated by Bishop Buddy in December 1957.
- 1956 — Parish founded by Fr. Flynn; first Mass celebrated September 16
- 1956 — 3980 Opal Street property purchased on All Saints Day
- December 1957 — Church dedicated by Bishop Charles Buddy of San Diego
- 1961 — Ground broken for parish school
- June 1962 — Dominican Sisters arrive to staff St. John the Evangelist Elementary School
- School eventually closed after about a decade; classrooms repurposed for Religious Education and parish ministries
Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission, Belltown
St. John the Evangelist parish also shepherds the historic Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Belltown, a small but devoted Catholic community that originated in 1927. The mission is staffed by the same pastor and vicar as the main parish.
- Founded in 1927
- A mission of St. John the Evangelist Parish, Riverside
- Address: 2518 Hall Ave, Riverside, CA 92509
- Phone: (951) 742-5895
Parish Staff
The parish is led by a Missionary of the Holy Spirit priest (M.S.P.) as pastor, supported by a vicar, a permanent deacon, and lay staff in the front office and Religious Education office.
- Rev. Juan Lopez Cortes, M.S.P. — Pastor (since July 2023, also pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission)
- Rev. Juan Manuel Garcia — Vicar (since February 2026, also vicar of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission)
- Deacon Ramon Duran
- Christina Carrillo — Front Office
- Anay Gomez — Front Office
- Sylvia Boyd — Director of Religious Education ([email protected], (951) 742-5599)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's Office of Catechetical Ministry supports faith formation for children, youth and adults, complementing parents as the primary educators of their children. OCIA (formerly RCIA) walks alongside adults seeking to become Catholic, with a child-adapted process for older children as well.
- Director of Religious Education: Sylvia Boyd — (951) 742-5599, [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday – Thursday 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Programs include First Communion (grades 1 through adult), Confirmation (high school and adult), and Adult Formation (OCIA / Adult Confirmation)
- OCIA journey covers the Period of Evangelization and Precatechumenate, the Catechumenate, Purification and Enlightenment, and the sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil
Parish Ministries & Lay Groups
St. John the Evangelist is supported by an unusually broad network of lay ministries, reflecting the bilingual, multicultural character of the parish (Hispanic, Filipino and English-speaking communities are all represented).
- Music Ministry — Amy Smith
- Altar Servers — Adelita Lucero
- Lectors — Ana Alvarado (English), Piedad Lomeli (Spanish)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — Marinee Orozco and Dolores Martinez
- Ushers — Carlos Lucero
- Flowers and Grounds — Pedro Jimenez
- Baptism Preparation — monthly class, registration at Parish Office
- Marriage Group (Spanish) — Fridays 7:00 PM, Room 4
- Legion of Mary (English) — Thursdays 10:00 – 11:30 AM, Room 2 — Riza Camilon
- Prayer Group — Friday nights 7:00 PM in the Hall — Angelina Navarro
- Pro-Life Rosary — Wednesdays 6:00 PM inside the church
- Knights of Columbus — 1st and 3rd Monday of the month, Room 2
- Filipino Ministry — Jose and Cely Rafols
- Comunidad Evangelizadora CERS — Tuesdays 7:00 PM — Lucy
- Chiquitin Misionero (Spanish) — Saturdays 9:30 – 10:30 AM — Sonia
- Unidos en la Fe — Saturdays 7:00 PM in the Hall
- Food Pantry — 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month, 9:30 – 11:30 AM — Maria Magaña
- Social Justice ministry — Laura Mendez (951) 335-6570
Outreach & Charity
The parish runs a regular Food Pantry that distributes food to the homeless and families in need, and coordinates a Pro-Life Rosary for the sanctity of life from conception to natural death.
- Food Pantry — second and fourth Wednesday of each month, 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM (Coordinator: Maria Magaña)
- Pro-Life Rosary — Wednesdays at 6:00 PM inside the church
- Social Justice ministry — contact Laura Mendez at (951) 335-6570
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion also bring Communion to the sick and homebound
Contact, Location & Parish Office
The parish office is housed in the original 1956 house on the property, which was the first rectory, chapel and office. The mailing address is in Jurupa Valley, California, ZIP 92509, although the parish is commonly identified with Riverside.
- Address: 3980 Opal St., Riverside / Jurupa Valley, CA 92509
- Parish Office phone: (951) 684-6864
- Religious Education phone: (951) 742-5599
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Religious Education email: [email protected]
- Facebook: facebook.com/sanjuanevangelista.riverside
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. FlynnSeptember 1956 –
Founding pastor appointed by Bishop Charles Buddy of San Diego; celebrated the first Mass on September 16, 1956 in the chapel of Rubidoux Mortuary with the parish's 46 founding families.