About St. Joseph · Mariposa, California
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish serving the mountain community of Mariposa, the county seat of Mariposa County in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Fresno and traces its origins to Catholic priests who served the gold-rush camps of the area even before a permanent church was built. The present church, completed in the winter of 1862 and dedicated by Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany on January 18, 1863, is one of the oldest Catholic churches in the Mother Lode and remains Mariposa's only Catholic parish. The active community offers daily and weekend Mass in English, Eucharistic Adoration, and outreach to the small population of Mariposa County and travelers headed to Yosemite National Park.
- Established
- 1862 (dedicated January 18, 1863; parish organized in 1857 per GCatholic)
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen Bulfer
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
St. Joseph is the only Catholic parish in Mariposa County, so for locals and visitors — including the many travelers bound for Yosemite National Park — it is the spiritual home in this part of the Sierra foothills. The parish offers a generous schedule of Masses each week (Saturday Vigil, two Sunday Masses, daily Mass Wed.–Sat., and lay-led Communion Services on Mon. & Tues.), weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays with First-Friday extended hours and confessions, and a small, dedicated staff — including a Coordinator of Ministries and Volunteers — that makes it easy to get involved and find a ministry that fits. It is also a living piece of California Catholic history: built in 1862 of sugar pine, dedicated by Archbishop Alemany, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places alongside its 1927 Craftsman rectory and 19th-century cemetery.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM (First Friday only — heard during Extended Adoration; check parish bulletin for additional times)
Adoration times
- Friday 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM (following the 8:00 AM Mass)
- Friday 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM (First Friday only — confessions also offered)
Parish History
Catholic priests had served the gold-rush camps of Mariposa almost from the time of the gold discovery, under Bishop (later Archbishop) Joseph Sadoc Alemany. By the fall of 1862 enough money had been raised to construct a permanent church on a knoll between First and Second Streets fronting Main Street. Archbishop Alemany dedicated the completed wood-frame, Gothic Revival church on January 18, 1863, blessing the building, celebrating the first Mass, and conferring Confirmation. The site and the adjoining cemetery behind it were donated by R.S. Miller and Alex Deering, owners of the Mariposa gold mine directly to the south. Within a few years St. Joseph was sending missionaries into Merced, founding what became the Catholic life of that city in 1867. In 1941 the State of California acquired a half-acre along Charles Street for a new highway, and in 1958 the church itself was lengthened eighteen feet to add five pews and roughly fifty more seats. The church, rectory, and cemetery were together listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
- 1862 – Construction of sugar-pine Gothic Revival church; property donated by Miller and Deering (Mariposa Mine)
- January 18, 1863 – Dedication by Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany, first Mass and Confirmations
- 1867 – Merced established as a mission of St. Joseph's
- 1927 – Craftsman/Bungalow rectory built by pastor Rev. Frederick J. Deschesne (first parish rectory)
- 1941 – State of California takes half-acre along Charles Street for highway
- 1958 – Church lengthened 18 feet; five additional pews, Sanctuary enlarged 3 feet
- 1963 – Centennial celebrated; centennial history published by pastor Rev. Francis E. Walsh
- 1991 – Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as 'St. Joseph Catholic Church, Rectory and Cemetery'
Architecture and the Historic Church Building
St. Joseph is a symmetrical, weatherboard-sided Gothic Revival (Carpenter Gothic) church built of sugar pine in 1862, with an eight-sided spire, parapets, a square louvered lantern in the tower, and double-hung 4/4 windows crowned by Gothic arches containing stained glass. The original pews, altar, and Stations of the Cross remain, and the 1862 bell is still rung. A 1958 enlargement lengthened the nave without disturbing the massing or exterior fabric, and the church retains excellent overall integrity. The adjacent two-story rectory, built in 1927 by Father F. J. Deschesne, is the finest local example of the Craftsman/Bungalow style: broad gable roof, large shed dormer, horizontal weatherboard siding, exposed rafter ends, overhanging eaves, and a deep porch with square porch columns.
- Style: Gothic Revival / Carpenter Gothic (church); Craftsman-Bungalow (rectory)
- Materials: sugar pine frame, weatherboard siding, tin roof, concrete foundation, stained-glass Gothic-arch windows
- Original 1862 bell still in use
- Significant dates cited in NRHP nomination: 1862 and 1927; period of significance 1862–1941
Sacraments
As the only Catholic parish in Mariposa County, St. Joseph prepares and celebrates the sacraments for residents and visitors throughout the Sierra foothills. Preparation for Baptism and Marriage is arranged through the parish office, and the sacrament of Reconciliation is offered during the First Friday Adoration hour (and by appointment). Lay-led Communion Services on Monday and Tuesday mornings keep the Church open for daily prayer even when a priest is not present.
- Baptism — contact parish office for preparation
- Marriage — contact parish office (typically well in advance of desired date)
- Anointing of the Sick / pastoral care — call the parish office
- Reconciliation — First Fridays 5:30–6:30 PM during Adoration; by appointment
- Eucharist — daily and Sunday Mass (see schedule)
- Lay-Led Communion Service — Mondays & Tuesdays, 8:00 AM
Catholic Cemetery
Directly behind the church and rectory lies the historic Catholic cemetery, established when the property was laid out in the early 1860s. Interment has continued from the 1860s into the present, although most of the plots date to the nineteenth century. Headstones of marble and native stone, many enclosed by decorative wrought-iron fencing, contribute to the historic character of the property and are within the National Register boundary.
- In use since the 1860s
- Marble and native-stone headstones; decorative iron fencing
- Adjoins the church and rectory (bounded by Jones, 2nd, Quartz, and State Highway 49)
- Cemetery and church property listed together on the National Register (1991)
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by pastor Rev. Stephen Bulfer and supported by two key lay staff members who keep the parish office, finances, and ministry coordination running. Call (209) 966-2522 or email [email protected] to reach the parish office.
- Pastor: Rev. Stephen Bulfer
- Secretary / Bookkeeper: Julie Sepe
- Coordinator of Ministries and Volunteers: Jackie McCormick
Getting Involved
Because the Coordinator of Ministries and Volunteers is a dedicated parish staff role, getting involved at St. Joseph is straightforward: contact Jackie McCormick through the parish office to be matched with a ministry that fits your gifts and schedule. Volunteers support the weekly Eucharistic Adoration hours, the historic cemetery, and the many seasonal celebrations that mark the parish's calendar year.
- Contact the Coordinator of Ministries and Volunteers via the parish office
- Friday Adoration teams
- Cemetery care and historic-property stewardship
Visiting and Contact
St. Joseph Catholic Church sits at 4985 Bullion Street in historic downtown Mariposa, at the corner of Bullion and 2nd Street, and welcomes both parishioners and visitors — including travelers to Yosemite National Park. Office hours, the latest bulletin, and up-to-date Mass/Adoration information are available on the parish website.
- Address: 4985 Bullion Street, Mariposa, CA 95338
- Phone: (209) 966-2522
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://stjosephsmariposa.org
- Diocese: Diocese of Fresno
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Frederick J. DeschesneAppointed October 23, 1926
Built the present two-story Craftsman/Bungalow rectory in 1927 — the first rectory for the parish.
- Rev. Francis E. Walshserving in 1963
Celebrated the parish centennial in 1963 and authored 'The First Hundred Years Plus Twenty-Five of St. Joseph Church, Mariposa, California.'