About St. Joseph the Worker · Williams, Arizona
St. Joseph the Worker is a Roman Catholic parish in Williams, Arizona — a small Route 66 town known as the 'Gateway to the Grand Canyon' — within the Diocese of Phoenix. Founded in the late 1920s along historic Route 66, the parish shares its pastor with two mission churches further along the Mother Road: St. Anne in Ash Fork and St. Francis in Seligman. It serves around 160 registered families with weekday and Sunday Mass, regular adoration, confession, children's sacramental preparation, and outreach through the local St. Vincent de Paul conference. Liturgies are celebrated in English and Spanish, and the parish was designated the official Diocesan pilgrimage site for the 2021–2022 Year of St. Joseph by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted.
- Established
- circa 1928
- Patron
- St. Joseph the Worker
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Thielo Ramirez
- Diocese
- Diocese of Phoenix
Why belong here
St. Joseph the Worker welcomes Catholics and visitors to a small, family-sized parish along historic Route 66 with daily and weekly Mass, three weekly hours of Eucharistic adoration, and frequent confession times. Active ministries include the local St. Vincent de Paul conference (food pantry and utility assistance), bilingual sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, Confirmation, and First Communion, a Safe Environment program, and parish councils that guide the life of the church. Bilingual (English/Spanish) liturgy, an active Flocknote communication network, and the rare pilgrimage-site designation from the Diocese of Phoenix make this a distinctive community for anyone living in or passing through Williams.
Mass times at St. Joseph the Worker
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday: 5:00 PM (before 5:30 PM Mass, at St. Joseph, Williams)
- Tuesday: 9:30–10:30 AM (during Adoration, at St. Joseph, Williams)
- Wednesday: 3:15–3:45 PM (at St. Anne, Ash Fork)
- Saturday: 9:00–10:00 AM (during Adoration, at St. Joseph, Williams)
- Saturday: 3:15–3:45 PM (at St. Anne, Ash Fork)
- Sunday: before 8:00 AM Mass (at St. Francis, Seligman)
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 9:30–10:30 AM (at St. Joseph, Williams)
- Thursday: 9:00–10:00 AM (at St. Joseph, Williams)
- Saturday: 9:00–10:00 AM (at St. Joseph, Williams)
About St. Joseph the Worker
St. Joseph the Worker is a Roman Catholic parish in Williams, Arizona, part of the Diocese of Phoenix. Williams is a small city along historic Route 66 known as the 'Gateway to the Grand Canyon,' and St. Joseph the Worker is its only Catholic parish. The parish shares its pastor with two mission churches further west along Route 66 — St. Anne in Ash Fork and St. Francis in Seligman — forming a tri-site vicariate. Mass and other liturgies are celebrated bilingually in English and Spanish.
- Diocese of Phoenix parish
- Bilingual (English / Spanish) community
- Tri-site Route 66 vicariate: St. Joseph (Williams), St. Anne (Ash Fork), St. Francis (Seligman)
- Located on historic Route 66, 'Gateway to the Grand Canyon'
Parish History & Heritage
The parish dates to the late 1920s, when Catholic communities were being planted along the newly completed Route 66 across northern Arizona. By 2017 the Catholic Sun (Diocese of Phoenix) described it as an '89-year-old parish,' placing its founding near 1928. In June 2021 Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted officially designated St. Joseph the Worker as the pilgrimage site for the Diocese of Phoenix during Pope Francis's Year of St. Joseph, an honor that drew 129 pilgrims to the parish by early November of that year.
- Founded circa 1928
- Williams, Arizona — last Route 66 city bypassed by Interstate 40
- 2021–2022: official Diocesan pilgrimage site for the Year of St. Joseph
- Longtime parishioner Carol Delander attended for 45+ years (as of 2021)
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is led by Rev. Fr. Thielo Ramirez, Pastor, who also serves the two Route 66 mission parishes. Deacon Chris Giannola assists in diaconal ministry. Lay leadership is organized through both a Pastoral Council and a Finance Council at each of the three sites, and the parish employs a Religious Education / Safe Environment Coordinator.
- Rev. Fr. Thielo Ramirez — Pastor
- Deacon Chris Giannola — Parish Deacon
- Mr. John Calley — Pastoral Council Chair, St. Joseph
- Mrs. Anna Dick — Finance Council Chair, St. Joseph
- Mrs. Carol DeLander — Pastoral Council Secretary, St. Joseph
- Mrs. Robbi Martinez — Finance Council Chair, St. Anne; Sacrament Records
- Mrs. Rosy Quinonez — Pastoral Chair, St. Anne (Ash Fork)
- Mrs. Joane Curly — Pastoral Council Chair, St. Francis
- Mrs. Patti Walrod — Finance Chair, St. Francis
- Mrs. Obdulia Mayoral — Religious Education Coordinator; Safe Environment Coordinator
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all the usual Catholic sacraments. Sacramental preparation for children (First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation) is offered bilingually and is coordinated by Mrs. Obdulia Mayoral. The parish has a published Sacraments Policy that requires regular attendance at Sunday Mass at one of the three parishes for at least six months before a family or individual can be admitted to sacramental preparation — including Baptism, Marriage, Confirmation, Eucharist, and Quinceañera.
- Baptism — by arrangement with Fr. Ramirez
- First Reconciliation & First Communion — children's sacramental preparation classes
- Confirmation — children's sacramental preparation classes
- Marriage — inquire with Fr. Ramirez after Sunday Mass or via the website contact form
- Quinceañera — covered by the parish Sacraments Policy
- Anointing of the Sick — emergency line (928) 890-9507
- Reconciliation (Confession) — see schedule above
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Faith formation for children is coordinated by Mrs. Obdulia Mayoral and is offered bilingually. A required parent information and registration meeting is held each year before classes begin, and parents must present a copy of the child's birth certificate and Baptism record at sign-up. The parish also promotes Ascension Press's 'Catechism in a Year' podcast and the diocesan TILMA Year 2 formation program.
- Children's Sacramental Preparation (bilingual): Primera Reconciliación, Confirmación, Santa Comunión
- Religious Education Coordinator: Mrs. Obdulia Mayoral
- Safe Environment Coordinator: Mrs. Obdulia Mayoral
- Catechism in a Year (Ascension Press) — parish-promoted podcast
- TILMA Year 2 — Diocesan formation program
Outreach & Charity
St. Vincent de Paul ministry is active at the parish. The St. Vincent de Paul hotline operates as a food pantry and, when funds are available, assists with utility bills. The parish also publishes the Triduum and Easter Schedule each year and a bilingual Lenten Guide to support the spiritual life of the community.
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference — hotline (928) 308-3294 (food pantry, utility assistance when funds are available)
- Triduum and Easter Schedule — published annually
- Lenten Guide — English and Spanish
Stay Connected — Flocknote
The parish uses Flocknote to send updates and announcements for all three Route 66 parishes (St. Joseph, St. Anne, St. Francis). Parishioners and visitors can register online or by text message.
- Online: https://ssjaf.flocknote.com/everyone
- By text: text 'ssjaf' to 84576
- Weekly Sunday bulletin published and emailed
Contact & Visit
The parish office is located at 900 West Grant Avenue, Williams, AZ 86046. Telephone (928) 635-2430; general email [email protected]. Messages to the pastor and to the Religious Education coordinator can also be sent through the website's contact form. A separate emergency phone number, (928) 890-9507, is reserved exclusively for Anointing of the Sick when someone is actively dying and for funeral planning — other messages left on that line will not be returned.
- Address: 900 West Grant Avenue, Williams, AZ 86046
- Phone: (928) 635-2430
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://ssjaf.weconnect.com/
- Emergency Anointing line: (928) 890-9507 (actively dying / funeral planning only)
- St. Vincent de Paul hotline: (928) 308-3294