About St. Jude · Easton, California
St. Jude Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish serving the small unincorporated community of Easton in California's Central Valley, in the Diocese of Fresno. The parish was established as a mission in 1967 and elevated to parish status in 1996; in 2004 it was joined with Our Lady of the Assumption Church in nearby Caruthers to form a single Catholic community served by one priest. Today the parish celebrates Mass at its church on West Jefferson Avenue in Easton as well as at its mission chapel, Our Lady of the Assumption, in Caruthers, with daily Mass, Saturday Vigil, and four Sunday Masses spread between the two locations.
- Established
- 1967
- Patron
- St. Jude (Thaddeus)
- Rector
- Reverend Oscar Saul Medina Zermeno (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
St. Jude offers the full sacramental life of a Catholic parish in a small-community setting: bilingual (English/Spanish) Vigil and Sunday Masses at two locations, weekday Masses, a long-running CCD/religious-education program for grades 1–10 including First Communion and Confirmation, plus preparation for Baptism, Marriage, Quinceañeras, and Anointing of the Sick. As a combined parish with Our Lady of the Assumption in Caruthers, members get the warmth of a tight-knit rural community while still being fully part of the Diocese of Fresno.
Mass times at St. Jude
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Holy Hour / Confessions: 5:00 p.m. Thursday in Caruthers
Adoration times
- Holy Hour: 5:00 p.m. Thursday in Caruthers (combined with Confessions)
About St. Jude Catholic Church
St. Jude Catholic Church is a bilingual Catholic parish of the Diocese of Fresno serving the unincorporated community of Easton, California, just south of Fresno in the Central Valley. The parish was established as a mission in 1967 and raised to full parish status in 1996. In 2004 it was joined with Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Caruthers, about ten miles south, to form a single Catholic community with one pastor and shared ministries. The principal church, St. Jude, sits at 208 West Jefferson Avenue in Easton.
History
St. Jude was founded as a Catholic mission in 1967, the same year the Diocese of Fresno itself was created from the former Diocese of Monterey-Fresno. It was elevated to parish status in 1996. In 2004 the Diocese of Fresno formally established the Catholic Community of St. Jude (Easton) and Our Lady of the Assumption (Caruthers) by joining the two Catholic communities under one pastor. The parish has maintained an active bilingual sacramental and faith-formation life since at least the early 2010s, with CCD religious-education programs running from grades 1 through 10, regular quinceañera and marriage preparation, and participation in the annual Diocesan Congress and Youth Day.
- 1967 — St. Jude established as a Catholic mission.
- 1996 — Raised to parish status.
- 2004 — Merged with Our Lady of the Assumption (Caruthers) into one Catholic community.
Parish Staff
The parish is led by an Administrator with support from parish office and faith-formation staff listed on the parish's homepage.
- Reverend Oscar Saul Medina Zermeno — Administrator
- Stephene Flores — Administrative Assistant
- Cherie Pinheiro-Quinonez — CCD Religious Education Office (559-485-3870 ext. 104; [email protected])
Sacraments
The parish prepares and celebrates all the usual Catholic sacraments. The parish office asks families to plan well in advance, particularly for Baptism and Marriage.
- Baptisms — contact the parish office at least two months before the desired date
- Marriage — contact the parish office at least six months before the desired date
- Quinceañeras — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — for those seriously ill, infirm due to advanced age, or preparing for surgery; call the parish office
- First Holy Communion and Confirmation — through the CCD program
Faith Formation & Religious Education (CCD)
The parish operates a CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) religious-education program serving children and youth in grades 1 through 10, including the immediate preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Registration and orientation are held in the parish hall before classes begin each fall. The current contact is Cherie Pinheiro-Quinonez; earlier years' bulletins list Lisa Crespin and a Director Joseph (353-1179) as coordinators. Past CCD events have included Sunday-morning sessions for grades 1–6, Wednesday-evening Confirmation classes for grades 7–10, and a Special Needs catechist slot.
- CCD Registration held in August at St. Jude Hall, Easton
- Grades 1–6: Sunday mornings
- Grades 7–10 / Confirmation: Wednesday evenings
- First Holy Communion Year 1 and Year 2 classes
- Confirmation Year 1 and Year 2 classes
- Volunteer catechists and special-needs helpers needed each year
Our Lady of the Assumption Mission (Caruthers)
Since the 2004 merger, Our Lady of the Assumption Church at 13540 S. Henderson Road, Caruthers, CA 93609 (telephone 559-864-8224) has served as the mission church of the combined parish, sharing the pastor of St. Jude in Easton. It hosts the 8:00 a.m. English and 1:00 p.m. Spanish Sunday Masses, two weekday evening Masses, and the Thursday Holy Hour and Confessions. The parish also celebrates an annual Our Lady of the Assumption festival in August with Mass, food, games, bazaar, raffle, DJ, and live music.
- Address: 13540 S. Henderson Road, Caruthers, CA 93609
- Phone: 559-864-8224
- Sunday Masses: 8:00 a.m. English, 1:00 p.m. Spanish
- Weekday Masses: 6:00 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday
- Thursday Holy Hour & Confessions: 5:00 p.m.
- Annual Our Lady of the Assumption festival in August
Parish Office & Hours
The parish office serves both St. Jude (Easton) and Our Lady of the Assumption (Caruthers). Office hours are posted in English and Spanish on the parish website.
- Address: 208 West Jefferson Avenue, Easton, CA 93706
- Phone: 559-485-3870
- General email: [email protected]
- CCD email: [email protected]
- Closed Monday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Friday 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Diocese & Wider Catholic Community
St. Jude belongs to the Diocese of Fresno, in the Central Vicariate of the diocese. Parishioners participate in diocesan life through the annual Diocesan Congress and Youth Day, Safe Environment training for volunteers, and Serra Club support for seminarians. The combined parish of St. Jude and Our Lady of the Assumption is listed on the diocese's history timeline among notable parish events.
- Diocese: Diocese of Fresno
- Vicariate: Fresno Metropolitan Vicariate (per Wikipedia list)
- Annual Diocesan Congress and Youth Day participation
- Safe Environment training for parish volunteers