About St. Joseph · Cotati, California
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish in Cotati, California, part of the Diocese of Santa Rosa. The parish was first established as a mission of St. Vincent's Church in Petaluma in 1914 and became an official parish in 1918. Today it serves as a vibrant community for both English- and Spanish-speaking families, offering Mass in both languages every weekend, a Catholic school (St. Joseph School, grades K–8), all-night Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays, and a wide range of lay ministries.
- Established
- 1914 (mission); 1918 (parish)
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Raúl Lemus
- Diocese
- Diocese of Santa Rosa
Why belong here
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Cotati is one of Sonoma County's most welcoming bilingual parishes, with three Sunday Masses (English and two in Spanish) and a Saturday Vigil to fit any schedule. The parish grounds are home to St. Joseph Catholic School (grades K–8), a full Faith Formation program with First Communion, Confirmation, OCIA (in both English and Spanish), pre-Baptism classes, Quinceañera preparation, and marriage prep. Vibrant lay life includes the Society of St. Vincent de Paul food distribution, a Men's Club, Women's Guild Altar Society, Crafty Ladies, Cursillos de Cristiandad, a youth group, a Spanish prayer group ("Dios te Ama"), and a Moms' prayer group, plus monthly all-night Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays. Visitors are warmly greeted with the parish's motto — a commitment to the Universal Call to Holiness in everyday life.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
- During Lent: Tuesday evenings 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- And by appointment (call parish office)
Adoration times
- All-night Adoration every First Friday of the month, beginning at 7:00 pm and ending at 5:00 am Saturday morning (inside the church, enter through the southeast accessible doors)
- Eucharistic Adoration sign-up for weekly one-hour shifts available via the parish website
- Adoration also observed at the southern windows of the church per site
Parish History
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Cotati was begun in 1914 as a mission of St. Vincent's Catholic Church in Petaluma. GCatholic notes the mission's earliest date as 1913, and contemporary press of that year already lists St. Joseph's Cotati among the parishes under St. Vincent's pastor Fr. Jeremiah Leahy, a Kerry-born priest serving some 2,600 parishioners across the district. The mission was formally erected as its own parish in 1918 under the Diocese of Santa Rosa. Fr. Michael Galvin, also a Kerry native ordained at All Hallows College Dublin in 1907, served St. Joseph's among several Sonoma County parishes and retired in 1955. The parish has continued through the 20th and into the 21st century as a bilingual community serving both English- and Spanish-speaking Catholic families in southern Sonoma County.
- 1914 — parish founded as mission of St. Vincent's, Petaluma (some sources 1913)
- 1918 — formally established as an independent parish
- Fr. Jeremiah Leahy and Fr. Michael Galvin are early pastors of record
- Today part of the Diocese of Santa Rosa
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
St. Joseph's offers a full weekly schedule with bilingual Masses every weekend. Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated in English at 5:00 pm and in Spanish at 7:00 pm. Three Sunday Masses follow: 7:30 am (Spanish), 9:30 am (English), and 11:30 am (Spanish). Weekday Mass is Tuesday through Friday at 9:00 am in English (see parish Events & Activities for Holy Day schedules). The parish also encourages Eucharistic Adoration weekly and is one of relatively few parishes offering an all-night First Friday Vigil of Adoration.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 pm English, 7:00 pm Spanish
- Sunday: 7:30 am Spanish, 9:30 am English, 11:30 am Spanish
- Tue–Fri: 9:00 am English
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Fr. Raúl Lemus, with Parochial Vicar Fr. Christopher Girolo assisting, reflecting the bilingual mission of the community. Deacon Juventino (Tino) Vera serves at the parish. Office staff includes Office Manager Silvia Rodriguez and Parish Secretary Maria Sanchez, with Joe Crespan directing the parish choir.
- Pastor: Fr. Raúl Lemus (ext. 113, [email protected])
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Christopher Girolo (ext. 108, [email protected])
- Deacon: Rev. Mr. Juventino (Tino) Vera
- Office Manager: Silvia Rodriguez (ext. 102)
- Parish Secretary: Maria Sanchez (ext. 101)
- Director of Faith Formation: Oscar Corona (ext. 109)
- Choir Director: Joe Crespan (707-782-8059)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
St. Joseph's runs a full Faith Formation program in both English and Spanish under Director Oscar Corona. Preparation is offered for First Communion, Confirmation, OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults / OICA in Spanish), pre-Baptism classes, Quinceañera preparation, and marriage preparation. The parish also recruits catechist volunteers and couples to accompany the engaged through the marriage process.
- First Communion preparation
- Confirmation classes
- OCIA / OICA — adult initiation (English and Spanish)
- Pre-Baptism classes (English and Spanish)
- Quinceañera preparation
- Marriage preparation with sponsor couples
School and Youth
St. Joseph Catholic School serves grades K–8 on the parish campus. The parish also maintains a Youth Group / Grupo de Jóvenes that usually meets on Fridays at 6:00 pm in the parish hall, and a Youth Choir / Coro de Jóvenes for younger members of the parish.
- St. Joseph Catholic School (K–8) on campus
- Youth Group / Grupo de Jóvenes — Fridays at 6:00 pm in the parish hall
- Youth Choir / Coro de Jóvenes
Parish Groups, Organizations, and Outreach
Lay life at St. Joseph's is rich and bilingual. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul operates a food bank and food distribution on the parish grounds. The Men's Club, Women's Guild Altar Society, and Crafty Ladies each meet monthly in the parish hall. Cursillos de Cristiandad holds a weekly Ultreya and Cursillo School for Spanish-speaking members. Friends of St. Joseph is another parish organization, and FORmed provides parishioners free access to Catholic video, audio, and study content in both English and Spanish.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — food bank and food distribution
- Men's Club — third Thursday of the month at 6:00 pm, parish hall
- Women's Guild Altar Society — second Wednesday of the month at 1:00 pm (no July/August)
- Crafty Ladies — third Thursday of the month at 10:00 am, parish hall
- Friends of St. Joseph
- Cursillos de Cristiandad — Ultreya Mondays 6:00 pm; Escuela de Cursillo Mondays 7:00 pm in the parish hall
- Pastoral Familiar
- FORmed (free, in English and Spanish)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Jeremiah Leahy (Pastor of St. Vincent's Petaluma, who also shepherded the Cotati mission from at least 1913)1913–c.1915
Kerry-born priest who ran St. Vincent's Petaluma and its missions including St. Joseph's Cotati; died 1915.
- Fr. Michael Galvinserved through 1955
Kerry-born, ordained at All Hallows College Dublin 1907; served St. Joseph's among other Sonoma County parishes; retired in 1955.