About St. Joseph · Middletown, California
St. Joseph Catholic Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Santa Rosa serving the communities of southern Lake County, California — including Middletown, Cobb, Hidden Valley Lake and Loch Lomond. The parish worships primarily at St. Joseph Church in Middletown and operates two mission churches: Our Lady of the Lake in Loch Lomond and Our Lady of the Pines in Cobb. Weekly Mass is offered in both English and Spanish, and the parish runs religious education, RCIA, and an active parish school of faith alongside several lay organizations.
- Established
- 1894
- Patron
- Saint Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Lawrence Mendoza
- Diocese
- Diocese of Santa Rosa
Why belong here
St. Joseph Catholic Parish is a close-knit, bilingual Catholic community that welcomes new faces alongside longtime parishioners. The parish celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish and offers the full sacraments, religious education for children, RCIA for adults preparing to enter the Church, and Confirmation preparation. Its lay organizations — including the Parish/Finance Council, the St. Joseph Altar Society, the Our Lady of the Lake Women's Guild, and the Hispanic Community — give parishioners concrete ways to get involved, and the parish's three churches (Middletown, Cobb and Loch Lomond) anchor Catholic life across southern Lake County.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (English)
- Friday 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Spanish)
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Friday 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Friday 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (with Confession)
- First Fridays: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (extended adoration)
History of St. Joseph Catholic Parish
St. Joseph's heritage in Lake County traces back to about 1836, when Salvador Vallejo's expedition led to the establishment of the 'St. Turibius Mission' in Big Valley. The Middletown church itself traces to 1919, when Archbishop Hanna of San Francisco purchased a former school/Baptist/Methodist building for Catholic worship, and to 1925, when Fr. Thomas McKeon of Calistoga began saying Mass in Middletown on Saturdays. Sunday Mass was added under Fr. Augustine Quinan in 1954. After decades as a mission and then a self-sustaining mission under successive administrators, Fr. James McSweeney drafted a 'Vision Plan' that led to the parish's official designation in November 2004 by Bishop Daniel Walsh. Fr. James led the parish for 16 years until his passing in 2020, and Fr. Lawrence Mendoza was appointed pastor on December 31, 2022.
- 1919: Building purchased from the Methodists by Archbishop Hanna of San Francisco
- 1925: Fr. Thomas McKeon begins regular Saturday Mass in Middletown
- 1954: Sunday Mass begins under Fr. Augustine Quinan
- 1967: Becomes a mission of Our Lady Queen of Peace, Clearlake
- 1972: St. Joseph's becomes a self-sustaining mission with Fr. Charles Tracy as first resident administrator
- 1978: New parish center dedicated in February
- 1980s: Mortgage-burning party — parish debt paid in full
- November 2004: Officially designated a parish by Bishop Daniel Walsh under the Diocese of Santa Rosa
- August 17, 2020: Fr. James McSweeney passes away
- December 31, 2022: Fr. Lawrence Mendoza appointed pastor by Bishop Vasa
Mission Churches
St. Joseph Parish is a multi-site community serving southern Lake County, with two mission churches in addition to the main St. Joseph church in Middletown. Our Lady of the Lake is in Loch Lomond, and Our Lady of the Pines is in Cobb. Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 4:00 p.m. at Our Lady of the Lake, while Sunday Masses are celebrated at St. Joseph in Middletown. The Our Lady of the Lake Women's Guild supports fundraising and parish maintenance projects there.
- St. Joseph Church — Middletown (parish church): Sunday 9:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. English; 4:00 p.m. Spanish
- Our Lady of the Lake — Loch Lomond (Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 p.m.)
- Our Lady of the Pines — Cobb
Parish Staff & Lay Organizations
The pastoral team at St. Joseph is led by Fr. Lawrence Mendoza (Pastor) and supported by Sandy Hood (Office Manager), Patricia Giacomini (RCIA Director and Religious Education Consultant/Advisor), Pam Quiroz (Religious Education Director), and Debbie Heidary (Newsletter/Website). The parish also relies on a number of lay-led organizations that shape its community life.
- Fr. Lawrence Mendoza — Pastor
- Sandy Hood — Office Manager
- Patricia Giacomini — RCIA Director, Religious Education Consultant and Advisor
- Pam Quiroz — Religious Education Director
- Debbie Heidary — Newsletter/Website
- Parish/Finance Council
- St. Joseph Altar Society
- Our Lady of the Lake Women's Guild
- Hispanic Community
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Joseph centers on the Religious Education (Rel Ed) program for children, led by Rel Ed Director Pam Quiroz, and on the RCIA program for adults, directed by Patricia Giacomini. The parish also runs a two-year Confirmation preparation program for youth, with upcoming Confirmation scheduled for April 25, 2026 at 4:00 p.m., preceded by a sponsor practice on April 24.
- Religious Education (Rel Ed) for children — directed by Pam Quiroz
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) — directed by Patricia Giacomini
- Confirmation preparation — two-year program; upcoming Confirmation April 25, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.
- Sponsor practice scheduled April 24, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
Sacraments
St. Joseph offers the full sacramental life of a Catholic parish. Reconciliation is heard Friday mornings after the 8:30 a.m. Mass and Friday evenings during the Spanish-language hour, plus by appointment. Baptism requires preparation for parents, who meet with the Pastor after Mass. Marriage requires at least six months of advance appointment. Anointing of the Sick is available to the elderly, the seriously sick, and those preparing for surgery by calling the parish office.
- Reconciliation: Friday 9:00–10:00 a.m. (English) and Friday 7:00–8:00 p.m. (Spanish); by appointment
- Baptism: preparation required for parents; see Pastor after Mass
- First Communion: through the Rel Ed program
- Confirmation: two-year preparation program for youth
- Marriage: by appointment, at least six months in advance
- Anointing of the Sick: call the parish office
Parish Office, Mailing & Emergencies
The parish office is staffed in person on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (the website's contact page lists Thursday and Friday). Mass intentions can be dropped off at the office or phoned in. New parishioners are asked to complete the registration form found at the back of the church and place it in the collection basket, after which the office manager follows up.
- Address: 21396 Hwy. 175, P.O. Box 1350, Middletown, CA 95461
- Phone: 707-987-3676
- Fax: 707-987-2792
- Email: [email protected]
- Emergency line: 707-513-3991
- Office hours: Wednesday–Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- New parishioners welcome — registration form in the back of the church
Parish Life, Outreach & Fundraising
Lay life at St. Joseph is anchored by the Altar Society, the Our Lady of the Lake Women's Guild, and the Hispanic Community, which keep worship spaces clean, organize coffee socials, and run repair and fundraising projects. The parish holds an Annual Banquet Fundraiser (2026: May 9) and collects auction items at the office. The parish also helps parishioners enroll in AirMedCare Network, which provides helicopter transport coverage from Napa, Angwin, or Santa Rosa hospitals for a $65 annual household membership.
- St. Joseph Altar Society
- Our Lady of the Lake Women's Guild
- Hispanic Community
- Annual Banquet Fundraiser (2026: May 9)
- Coffee socials and church-cleaning volunteers
- AirMedCare Network membership enrollment assistance through the parish office
Bulletins, Newsletter & Website
Parish announcements, Mass intention bookings, donation statements, and ministry news are published in the weekly parish bulletin, which is also posted on the parish website. Debbie Heidary coordinates the parish newsletter and the website. Pastoral announcements — like the Annual Banquet Fundraiser and Confirmation schedule — are carried both in the bulletin and on the parish Facebook feed.
- Weekly parish bulletin — posted at stjoseph-middletown.com (e.g., Bulletin 03/22/2026)
- Donation statements for tax purposes: contact Sandy in the office
- Parish Facebook feed embedded on the website
- Newsletter/website coordinated by Debbie Heidary
Getting Involved
Volunteers are the lifeblood of St. Joseph. The parish regularly asks for help setting up and cleaning up coffee socials, cleaning the church twice a month, donating auction items for the annual banquet, and serving on the Parish/Finance Council or in the Altar Society and Our Lady of the Lake Women's Guild. Liturgical and outreach ministries — including the Hispanic Community and Confirmation ministry — are also ongoing points of engagement.
- Coffee social setup/cleanup volunteers — contact Lynn Thacher, 707-890-0793
- Church cleaning twice a month — contact Lynn Thacher
- Auction item donations for the Annual Banquet Fundraiser
- Parish/Finance Council and lay-organization service
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Thomas McKeon1925–
Pastor in Calistoga who began saying Mass in Middletown on a regular basis (Saturday mornings).
- Fr. Augustine Quinan1954–
Pastor in Calistoga under whom Sunday Mass was added at St. Joseph's.
- Fr. Vincent Radvina
Pastoral presence with Fr. Albert Gray after St. Joseph's became a mission of Our Lady Queen of Peace, Clearlake in 1967.
- Fr. Albert Gray
Assisted at the Clearlake mission church serving Middletown.
- Fr. William Hinesuntil 1972
Served the mission church; left in 1972 when Middletown became a self-sustaining mission.
- Fr. Charles Tracy1972–
First resident administrator when St. Joseph's became a self-sustaining mission.
- Fr. Wilfred SheehyMarch 1979–
Built parish garage/storage; led mortgage-burning in the 1980s.
- Fr. George Risden
Administrator after Fr. Sheehy's retirement (mission era).
- Fr. Alex McAllister
Mission-era administrator.
- Fr. Fergal McGuinness
Mission-era administrator.
- Fr. Thomas Kieffer
Mission-era administrator.
- Fr. Andrew Metcalf
Mission-era administrator.
- Fr. Ray Rioux
Mission-era administrator.
- Fr. James McSweeney2002–2020
Drew up the parish 'Vision Plan'; led St. Joseph's into its 2004 designation as an official parish of the Diocese of Santa Rosa. Died August 17, 2020.
- Fr. Adam Kotas2020–2021
Parochial administrator appointed by Bishop Robert Vasa on August 18, 2020; also served Queen of Peace, Clearlake.
- Fr. Marlon Atendido2021–
Parochial administrator appointed July 2021; later co-administrator with Fr. Lawrence.
- Fr. Lawrence MendozaDecember 2021–present
Appointed assistant December 2021, then co-parochial administrator, and on December 31, 2022 appointed pastor by Bishop Vasa.