About St. Joseph · Crescent City, California
St. Joseph Catholic Church is the Catholic parish of Crescent City, a small coastal town in Del Norte County in California's far-north Redwood Coast, just three blocks from the Pacific and not far from the Oregon border. It belongs to the Diocese of Santa Rosa and is served by Administrator Fr. Gregory Villaescusa (since 2015). The parish worships in English, Spanish, and Latin (including a Tridentine Mass on Sundays), runs CCD religious education and RCIA, and is notably the Catholic chaplaincy for the inmates of nearby Pelican Bay State Prison. Its present church — the fifth in the parish's history — was dedicated on July 16, 1961 by Bishop Joseph T. McGucken and famously came through the devastating 1964 tsunami without damage.
- Established
- 1869
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Gregory Villaescusa (Administrator, since 2015)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Santa Rosa
Why belong here
St. Joseph's is a multi-generational parish that literally weathered the 1964 tsunami, with five successive churches dating back to 1869 and a Catholic school legacy stretching back to 1954. Today it is one of the most liturgically diverse parishes on California's north coast, offering Mass in English, Spanish, and Latin (Tridentine) every Sunday, with weekly Confessions four days a week, First Friday Adoration, a First Saturday Mass, RCIA, CCD religious education, a youth group, Knights of Columbus, a Women's Society, and ethnic communities for Filipino, Portuguese, and Hispanic parishioners. It is also the Catholic chaplaincy for the inmates of Pelican Bay State Prison, giving parishioners a concrete way to live out the corporal work of mercy of visiting the imprisoned.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
- Sunday: 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM and 11:45 AM – 12:20 PM
- Tuesday: 6:30 PM – 7:20 PM
- First Saturday: Confession follows the 9:00 AM Mass
Adoration times
- First Friday: Adoration followed by Benediction at 5:00 PM
Parish History
Catholic life in Crescent City began with traveling priests in the 1850s, took root in 1869 with the purchase of an old Methodist church, and has continued through five successive church buildings — the present one dedicated July 16, 1961 by Bishop Joseph T. McGucken. The parish survived two church fires, a 1950s termite crisis that took down both church and school, and the catastrophic 1964 Good Friday tsunami that left the new building untouched.
- 1853: Fr. James Croke becomes first priest to visit the town
- 1869: First Catholic church (former Methodist church) purchased by Fr. Maurice Hickey and Maurice Wenger
- 1869: Fr. Leon Haupts arrives as first resident pastor
- 1873: Fr. Michael Walwrath builds larger church with school space
- By 1915: third church burns down under Fr. Nolan
- April 1932: fourth church also burns down
- April 27, 1935: fourth church dedicated by Bishop Armstrong
- 1944: Monsignor P.L. O'Loughlin replaces the late Fr. Nolan
- 1952: Fr. James White appointed; opens school in 1954 with Franciscan Sisters of Dubuque, Iowa
- 1958–1959: Dry rot, termites, and a storm-torn roof force construction of a new (fifth) church
- July 16, 1961: Fifth church dedicated by Bishop McGucken
- March 27, 1964: Good Friday tsunami leaves church intact while devastating the surrounding neighborhood
Clergy
The parish is currently administered by Fr. Gregory Villaescusa, originally from the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, who has served since 2015.
- Administrator: Fr. Gregory Villaescusa (2015 – present)
Parish Life & Ministries
St. Joseph's runs a wide range of parish groups — from faith formation (CCD, RCIA, VBS, Youth Group) to liturgical service (Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Altar Servers) to community fellowship across three ethnic communities (Hispanic, Filipino American Catholic Community, Portuguese) and traditional parish societies (Knights of Columbus, Women's Society).
- CCD Religious Education
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Vacation Bible School
- St. Joseph Youth Group
- St. Joseph Women's Society
- Knights of Columbus
- Filipino American Catholic Community (F.A.C.C.)
- St. Joseph Hispanic Community
- Portuguese Community
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Altar Servers
- Ministry to the Sick
- St. Joseph Finance Council
Sacraments
The parish website has a dedicated Sacraments section covering all six sacraments, with explanatory pages on Baptism, Reconciliation, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, and Anointing of the Sick. A "Guide for Confession" is also published to help penitants prepare.
- Baptism
- Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)
- Holy Communion
- Confirmation
- Matrimony
- Anointing of the Sick
Pelican Bay State Prison Ministry
St. Joseph's serves as the Catholic chaplaincy for the inmates of Pelican Bay State Prison, a supermax facility not far from Crescent City. This ministry is one of the defining works of the parish and is highlighted by outside Catholic media as a distinguishing feature of the community.
- Pastoral outreach to inmates at Pelican Bay State Prison
- Parish described as serving the Catholic inmates of one of California's most secure facilities
St. Joseph Catholic School (Closed)
St. Joseph's Catholic School opened in September 1954 under Fr. James White with 156 students taught by the Franciscan Sisters of Dubuque, Iowa. After decades of operation, the school closed in 2010/2011. The school address was 330 E Street, next door to the current parish center.
- Opened September 1954 with 156 students
- Originally staffed by the Franciscan Sisters of Dubuque, Iowa
- Closed 2010/2011
Visit, Contact & Directions
The parish is located at the corner of Fourth and E Streets in Crescent City, just three blocks from the ocean. The Parish Center Office is at 319 E Street, next to the church, with parking available on the street and in the back lots.
- Address: 319 E Street, Crescent City, CA 95531
- Phone: (707) 465-1762
- From Highway 101: turn left on 3rd Street, continue to the corner of E Street
- Office hours: Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. James Croke1853 (visiting)
First priest to visit Crescent City; offered Mass periodically on his way to an Oregon mission.
- Fr. Thomas Crinnianearly–mid 1860s
Pastor in Eureka who made the three-day mule-back trip once a month to offer Mass.
- Fr. Maurice HickeyNov 1868 –
Eureka pastor who, with Catholic pioneer Maurice Wenger, purchased the abandoned Methodist Church that became Crescent City's first Catholic Church in 1869.
- Fr. Leon Haupts1869 –
First resident pastor of the new parish; served Trinidad and Smith River with Fr. Rooney.
- Fr. Michael Walwrath1873 –
Replaced the original wooden church with a larger one including school space; known as the "Indian Missionary."
- Fr. Nolanby 1915 – 1944
Saw the third church burn down; died August 1944.
- Monsignor P.L. O'Loughlin1944 –
No stranger to the area; began construction of Sts. Robert and Anne in Klamath in 1941.
- Fr. James White1952 –
Established St. Joseph's Catholic School, which opened September 1954 with the Franciscan Sisters of Dubuque, Iowa.
- Fr. John P. Farrellby June 1958 –
Oversaw discovery of termite damage to church and school and the building of the present (fifth) church.
- Fr. John MahoneyAssistant Pastor, Feb 1959
Came to the school to say Mass only to find the roof had been blown off in a storm — the catalyst for building the present church.
- Fr. Diogo Baptista1989 – 1998
- Fr. Jose Luis Contreras1998 – 2000
- Fr. George Risden2000 – 2007
- Fr. Frank Epperson2007 – 2010
- Fr. Abel Mena2010 – 2012
- Fr. Adam Kotas2012 – 2015
Originally from Poland, grew up in Chicago; ordained 2010; assigned to St. Joseph's by Bishop Robert Vasa in 2012.
- Fr. Gregory Villaescusa2015 – present
Originally from the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania; serves as Administrator.