St. Joseph Mission

St. Joseph Mission — Stratford, California

St. Joseph Mission is a Roman Catholic mission church located at 19300 Empire Street in the small Kings County town of Stratford. It is administered as a mission of St. Peter Prince of Apostles Parish in neighboring Lemoore, within the Diocese of Fresno. The mission exists primarily to bring the Eucharist and the sacraments to Spanish-speaking Catholic families in the Stratford farming community. Its Sunday noon Mass in Spanish is the central weekly gathering of this faith community, and all other pastoral services — baptisms, marriages, faith formation, quinceañeras, and devotions — are coordinated through the St. Peter Prince of Apostles parish office.

Our Clergy & Parish Staff

St. Joseph Mission is led by the same pastoral team that serves St. Peter Prince of Apostles Parish in Lemoore. The pastor/administrator, Rev. Hector Lopez, oversees the entire parish cluster including the Stratford mission. A permanent deacon, Rev. Mr. Joseph Biangone, assists with liturgy, baptism preparation, and parish administration. Parish office staff and faith-formation personnel in Lemoore support the mission's sacramental and catechetical needs.

• Rev. Hector Lopez — Pastor / Administrator, St. Peter Prince of Apostles Parish (oversees St. Joseph Mission)
• Rev. Mr. Joseph Biangone — Deacon, St. Peter Prince of Apostles
• Parish office: 870 N. Lemoore Avenue, Lemoore, CA 93245 — phone (559) 924-2562
• Parish office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Parish Ministries & Faith Life

Although St. Joseph Mission itself centers on its weekly Sunday Spanish Mass, Stratford parishioners are invited to participate in the broad range of ministries and devotional groups offered by St. Peter Prince of Apostles Parish. These include prayer, formation, service, and fellowship groups in both English and Spanish — many of them long-established within the Lemoore-area Catholic community.

• Prayer Quilt Ministry
• Our Lady of Fatima Novena
• Knights of Columbus (3rd and 4th Degree)
• Legion of Mary / South Valley Curia
• Bible Studies — Men's, Mother's, and Thursday Bible Study
• Grief Ministry
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help devotion
• Holy Family Prayer Group
• Padres y Madres Orantes (Spanish)
• Grupo de Oración (Spanish prayer group)
• Hora Apostólica (Spanish)
• Our Lady of Guadalupe devotion
• Spanish Youth Group
• Altar Society, Altar Servers (English & Spanish)
• Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (English & Spanish, including homebound and hospital visitation)
• Lectors, Ushers, and Liturgy Committee
• St. Peter's Charitable Work / outreach to the poor

Sacraments

All seven sacraments are available to St. Joseph Mission parishioners through St. Peter Prince of Apostles Parish. The parish Sacramental Registrar and the deacon coordinate baptism preparation in both English and Spanish; marriage preparation, First Communion, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and funerals are likewise arranged through the Lemoore parish office.

• Baptism (English) — Deacon Joe Biangone, (559) 924-2562 ext. 103, [email protected]
• Baptism (Spanish) — Sr. & Sra. Pulido, (559) 924-0440
• Marriage — contact the parish office to begin preparation
• First Communion & Confirmation — through the parish CCD/Religious Education program
• Anointing of the Sick and Pastoral Care — by request through the parish office
• Funerals — coordinated through the parish office

Religious Education & Youth Ministry

Faith formation for children, youth, and adults at St. Joseph Mission is administered through the Religious Education program of St. Peter Prince of Apostles Parish. The program offers traditional CCD classes, sacramental preparation, and a Spanish-language youth group, with separate parish-school tuition available at Mary Immaculate Queen School (K–8) in Lemoore for families seeking Catholic elementary education.

• Religious Education Director — Pat Garrett, (559) 924-2826 ext. 209
• Religious Education Secretary — Ariana Ramirez, (559) 924-2826 ext. 207
• Stratford Pastoral Assistant / D.R.E. — Sr. Soledad Mendoza, (559) 380-6487
• Youth Ministry Coordinator — Pat Norris, (559) 947-3395
• Youth Ministry Director — Shawn Barboza, (559) 772-7190
• Spanish Youth Group — Juan Torres, (559) 924-1325
• Mary Immaculate Queen School (K–8), 884 N. Lemoore Avenue, Lemoore — Principal Sr. Beena Joseph, C.S.S.T., (559) 924-3424, www.miqschool.org

Getting to St. Joseph Mission

St. Joseph Mission is conveniently located in the small town of Stratford, south of Lemoore in Kings County. From Highway 41, travelers turn east on Laurel Avenue / Main Street into town, then turn north on Empire Street and continue one block — the church is on the right. On-site parking is available. The mission shares its office and mailing presence with St. Peter Prince of Apostles Parish, whose offices at 870 N. Lemoore Avenue, Lemoore, are open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

• Street address: 19300 Empire Street, Stratford, CA 93266
• Parish office (mailing): 870 N. Lemoore Avenue, Lemoore, CA 93245
• Phone (parish office): (559) 924-2562
• Driving directions: From Hwy. 41, east on Laurel Ave./Main St., north on Empire St. one block; church on the right
• Diocese: Diocese of Fresno (Bishop Joseph V. Brennan); Vicariate: Kings

Online Giving, Bulletins, and Parish News

Parishioners and visitors can support St. Peter Prince of Apostles Parish — and by extension the Stratford mission — through the parish's online giving system. The parish website (saintpeterpoa.org) publishes the weekly bulletin, the parish Mass and event calendar, and ministry sign-up information. The Facebook page for the parish is linked from the homepage of the website.

• Parish website: https://saintpeterpoa.org/
• Online Giving: available through the parish website
• Weekly Bulletin: available in PDF form on the parish website
• Parish Facebook page: linked from the saintpeterpoa.org homepage