About St. John's Cathedral [Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy] · Fresno, California
St. John's Cathedral (formally Saint John the Baptist Cathedral) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno, California, and the oldest parish in the city. The parish was established in 1882 by early Catholic settlers of Fresno, who initially built a brick church with a 90-foot steeple; the present Gothic-Romanesque cathedral was completed in 1903 on Mariposa Street and was raised to cathedral status in 1922 when the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno was created. It has been the seat of every Bishop of Fresno since the diocese was separately erected in 1967, and was designated a Jubilee Church during Pope Francis's Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016). Today it serves a bilingual (English/Spanish) community with daily Mass, a robust OCIA/RCIA program, a charismatic prayer group (Pilares de Fe), youth confirmation, and a renowned liturgical music program.
- Established
- 1882
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Very Rev. Salvador Gonzalez Jr., V.G. (Rector)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
St. John's Cathedral is the historic mother church of the Diocese of Fresno, where the bishop celebrates major liturgies and where visitors can experience a strikingly bilingual Catholic life: more than half of its Sunday Masses are in Spanish, and the parish maintains a deep Hispanic devotional culture, including the charismatic prayer movement Pilares de Fe, the young-adult group Recolección, and a large OCIA/RCIA process for adults seeking Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation. It is also a center for liturgical music (directed by Dale Fleck) and for youth faith formation, with religious education for grades 2–7 and a Confirmation program for 10th–12th graders — all in a single, walkable, landmark cathedral in the heart of Fresno.
Mass times at St. John's Cathedral [Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 7:30 am – 7:55 am (bilingual)
- Thursday 7:30 am – 7:55 am (bilingual)
- Thursday 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm (bilingual)
- Friday 7:30 am – 7:55 am (bilingual)
Adoration times
- Thursdays after the 12:10 pm Mass until Benediction at 6:00 pm (canceled Thursday, July 2, 2026 for the holiday)
History of St. John's Cathedral
The parish was founded in 1882 as the first Catholic parish in Fresno, built on land partly donated by the Central Pacific Railroad and partly purchased by Bishop Francisco Mora y Borrell of the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles. The present cathedral replaced the original 1880 brick church in 1902–1903 after the congregation outgrew it, on a site chosen by the then-pastor, Reverend McCarthy, at the corner of Mariposa and R Streets. It has served continuously as a cathedral since 1922, when the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno was erected, and remained the seat of the bishop when the Diocese of Fresno was separately established in 1967. It is the oldest surviving Catholic church building in Fresno and a designated city historic resource.
- 1878 — Catholic settlers begin raising funds for a local church
- 1880 — Construction of the first brick sanctuary completed; 90 ft steeple
- May 21, 1882 — Bishop Mora y Borrell dedicates St. John the Baptist
- 1901–1902 — Old church demolished; new site chosen at Mariposa & R
- August 3, 1902 — Cornerstone of present cathedral laid
- June 7, 1903 — Coadjutor Archbishop George Montgomery dedicates the new church
- 1922 — Elevated to cathedral of the new Diocese of Monterey-Fresno
- 1926 — St. John Hall School opens (designed by Emmet G. Martin)
- 1967 — Remains cathedral when Diocese of Fresno is separately erected
- 2016 — Designated a Jubilee Church for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
- April 2019 — Vandalism causes ~$25,000 in damage to stained glass and statues
- November 2019 — Parish receives approval for a black wrought-iron security fence
Architecture & Historic Significance
The cathedral was designed in a Gothic-Romanesque style by San Francisco architect Thomas Bermingham and constructed of red brick in 1902–1903. Its facade is dominated by a triple-entry main door framed by two square towers with spires, with a small rose window above the entry. The interior features traditional altars, frescoes and paintings, and stained-glass windows. The 1926 St. John Hall School across Mariposa Street — in brick Collegiate Gothic — was designed by Emmet G. Martin and is a notable example of the style in Fresno. The cathedral is listed on the City of Fresno's Local Register of Historic Resources (HP #86) and anchors the St. John's Cathedral Historic District walking tour.
- Architect: Thomas Bermingham (Gothic-Romanesque)
- Materials: Red brick with twin spired towers and rose window
- Related structure: St. John Hall / Singleton Hall (1926) by Emmet G. Martin
- Listed: City of Fresno Local Register of Historic Resources, HP #86
Becoming Catholic & Faith Formation
St. John's offers a complete formation pathway for children, youth, and adults through its Office of Religious Education. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA / RCIA) meets Wednesdays from 7:00–8:30 pm in Singleton Hall and is open to unbaptized adults seeking Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion, as well as baptized Catholics needing Confirmation and/or Eucharist. Separate Adult Sacramental Preparation classes are available in English, and a two-year Religious Education (CCD) program serves students in grades 2 through 7. A Youth Confirmation program prepares 10th–12th graders through catechesis, retreats, and service.
- OCIA/RCIA: Wednesdays 7:00–8:30 pm, Singleton Hall ([email protected])
- Adult Sacramental Preparation: English classes for First Communion & Confirmation
- CCD Religious Education: 2-year program for grades 2–7 ([email protected])
- Youth Confirmation: 10th–12th grade, cathedral basement, R Street entrance ([email protected])
Parish Ministries & Devotional Groups
Beyond Mass and formation, the parish sustains a wide network of ministries serving both English- and Spanish-speaking members. Pilares de Fe is a Spanish-language Charismatic Renewal prayer group meeting Fridays at 7:00 pm in Singleton Hall, where members pray, share testimony, and run missionary outreach to the poor, the hospitalized, and lapsed families. Recolección is a young-adult (18+) community-service group that runs two annual retreats. Liturgical ministries include ushers, the Parish Pastoral Council, and a long-running liturgical music program under Director Dale Fleck (since 2017).
- Pilares de Fe — Charismatic prayer, Fridays 7:00 pm, Singleton Hall
- Recolección — Young-adult service group (18+), two retreats per year
- Ushers / acomodadores
- Parish Pastoral Council (PPC)
- Liturgical Music Ministry (Director: Dale Fleck)
- Altar Society, Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary (per California Catholic Daily)
Clergy & Staff
The cathedral is served by Very Rev. Salvador Gonzalez Jr., V.G. as Rector, assisted by two Parochial Vicars, Rev. Saul Alba-Infante and Rev. Vicente Calderon, with Rev. Ferdinand Udeolisa in residence and Permanent Deacon Carlos F. Dinis. Most Rev. Joseph V. Brennan, D.D. — the sixth Bishop of Fresno, installed May 2, 2019 — is the Diocesan Bishop whose cathedra is at St. John's and who celebrates major liturgies there. The Director of Liturgical Music is Dale Fleck (since 2017).
- Rector: Very Rev. Salvador Gonzalez Jr., V.G.
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Saul Alba-Infante
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Vicente Calderon
- In Residence: Rev. Ferdinand Udeolisa
- Permanent Deacon: Dcn. Carlos F. Dinis
- Bishop: Most Rev. Joseph V. Brennan, D.D.
- Director of Liturgical Music: Dale Fleck
Visiting the Cathedral
Visitors are warmly welcomed. The rectory office at 2814 Mariposa Street is open Tuesday–Friday, 8:30 am – 1:00 pm and 2:00 – 5:00 pm, and the parish is happy to register new families. Inside the cathedral, visitors can see the rose window, twin-tower facade, traditional altar, stained glass, and interior frescoes. The cathedral is the central stop on the City of Fresno's 'Historic Architecture in the St. John's Cathedral District' walking tour and sits across Mariposa Street from the 1926 St. John Hall / Singleton Hall.
- Rectory Office: Tue–Fri 8:30 am – 1:00 pm & 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- Closed: July 2–3, 2026 (holiday)
- Address: 2814 Mariposa Street, Fresno, CA 93721
- Phone: (559) 485-6210 — Fax: (559) 485-8409
- Email: [email protected]
Diocese of Fresno & Episcopal Succession
St. John's is the mother church of the Diocese of Fresno, which was created in 1967 when the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno was split. Every Bishop of Fresno has had his cathedra here, and the cathedral continues to host major diocesan liturgies including ordinations, Chrism Mass, and the annual celebration of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. The succession of bishops seated at St. John's includes Timothy Manning (1967–1969), Hugh A. Donohoe (1969–1980), José de Jesús Madera Uribe, M.Sp.S. (1980–1991), John T. Steinbock (1991–2010), Armando X. Ochoa (2011–2019), and the current bishop, Joseph V. Brennan (since 2019).
- Timothy Manning (1967–1969) — later Cardinal Archbishop of Los Angeles
- Hugh A. Donohoe (1969–1980)
- José de Jesús Madera Uribe, M.Sp.S. (1980–1991)
- John T. Steinbock (1991–2010)
- Armando X. Ochoa (2011–2019)
- Joseph V. Brennan (installed May 2, 2019 — present)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend McCarthyc. 1901–1903
Pastor who insisted on moving the parish from its original downtown site to the new Mariposa & R Streets location and oversaw construction of the present cathedral.