About St. Joseph · Avenal, California
St. Joseph Parish is a Roman Catholic parish serving the small community of Avenal, California, in the western San Joaquin Valley (Kings County). It belongs to the Diocese of Fresno and was established in 1941 to serve the spiritual needs of the largely agricultural, bilingual community that grew around the surrounding oil fields and farmland. The parish is known for its lively bilingual liturgical life, with the majority of Masses celebrated in Spanish alongside an English Sunday Mass. The parish also oversees the Mission Church of St. Cecilia in nearby Kettleman City.
- Established
- 1941
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
St. Joseph Parish offers a warm, bilingual Catholic home in the rural western San Joaquin Valley. With daily and Sunday Masses in both Spanish and English, weekly confessions, and pastoral care extending to the St. Cecilia Mission in Kettleman City, the parish is a gathering place for farm-working families and longtime residents of Avenal. Visitors and parishioners alike find a community shaped by faith, family, and Hispanic Catholic devotional tradition.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM
About St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish in Avenal, California, part of the Diocese of Fresno. Established in 1941, it has ministered for more than eight decades to the families of Avenal and the surrounding rural communities of western Kings County. The parish is bilingual, with the great majority of its Masses celebrated in Spanish and at least one English Mass offered each Sunday. Its address and parish office are at 428 East Kern Street.
- Diocese of Fresno
- Founded 1941
- Bilingual: Spanish & English
History
St. Joseph was founded in 1941 as Avenal's Catholic parish at a time when the San Joaquin Valley was growing rapidly through agriculture and oil production. The parish has remained at 428 East Kern Street since its earliest years and today continues its bilingual ministry to the area's farm-working families. The parish also oversees St. Cecilia Mission Church in Kettleman City, extending its ministry to neighboring rural communities.
- Founded 1941
- Located at 428 E. Kern Street since the 1940s
- Oversees St. Cecilia Mission, Kettleman City
Contact and Location
The parish office is located at 428 East Kern Street in Avenal, California, across 5th Avenue from the church building. The parish can be reached by phone during office hours and is also reachable by email.
- Address: 428 E. Kern Street, Avenal, CA 93204
- Phone: (559) 386-9523
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stjosephavenal.com