About St. Katherine Mission · Del Rey, California
St. Katherine Catholic Mission is a small Roman Catholic mission church serving the rural community of Del Rey, California, in the Diocese of Fresno. It operates as a dependent mission of St. Mary's Parish in nearby Sanger, which is pastored by the Rogationist Fathers (R.C.J.). The mission is located at 5375 Carmel Avenue and offers Sunday Mass in English and Saturday evening Mass in Spanish, with confession available before the vigil Mass. Religious education for Del Rey-area families is coordinated through the parish's catechetical staff, and Catholic life in the Sanger–Del Rey–Reedley region is centered on this Rogationist family of parishes.
- Established
- 1944 (mission established); 1956 (present church building per GCatholic)
- Patron
- Saint Katherine (Saint Catherine of Alexandria)
- Rector
- Fr. John Bruno, R.C.J. (Rogarionist) — pastor of the parent parish, St. Mary's, Sanger; administered through Fr. Rene Panlasigui, R.C.J. (per the parish timeline)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
St. Katherine Mission offers a small, intimate Catholic setting in rural Del Rey where families can worship in both English and Spanish. As part of the Rogationist family of parishes, it draws on a deep tradition of Eucharistic devotion, catechesis for children and youth (elementary through OCIA), and outreach to the poor through the parish's Fr. Hannibal House and Social Center. Worshippers here belong to a wider communion of faith: St. Mary's (Sanger) and its mission at St. Anthony's Ranch, with shared sacramental preparation, faith formation staff, and bilingual Masses across the three locations.
Mass times at St. Katherine Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:15 PM – 5:30 PM (St. Katherine, before Vigil Mass)
- After Mass on Saturday and Sunday (per parish-wide confession policy)
Identity & Mission
St. Katherine Mission is the smallest of the three chapel communities in the Rogationist parish family of St. Mary's, Sanger. Its stated mission is to worship God in the Eucharist, to receive and share the Gospel of Jesus strengthened by the example of Mary and the sacraments, and to serve others — especially those in need. The Del Rey chapel extends this charism to the farmworkers, families, and elders of this rural community.
History
Catholic life in the Sanger–Del Rey area goes back to 1901, when 'Aunt' Mary Laffterty helped raise funds for a mission chapel on Seventh Street. St. Mary's itself became a parish on August 10, 1922, with Fr. J.W. Smiers as first pastor. In 1944 the parish extended its reach by establishing the mission of St. Katherine's Church in Del Rey under Fr. Robert H. Lewis. The pastoral care of the mission has traveled through the same pastors as St. Mary's: from the early Sanger pastors (Smiers, Lewis, Managan, Gallagher, Lahey, Eggert) to the arrival of the Rogationist Fathers on July 1, 1978, when Fr. Salvatore Ciranni, R.C.J., became the first Rogationist pastor. On August 10, 2021 Bishop Joseph Brennan presided at the parish's centennial, and the history of the mission lives on as a thread within that larger story.
Del Rey Mission (1944)
St. Katherine Mission was born as an outreach of St. Mary's Parish in 1944, when Fr. Robert H. Lewis guided the foundation of a chapel of ease for Catholic families in and around the village of Del Rey. GCatholic dates the present church building to 1956, suggesting a later construction of the physical structure that stands on Carmel Avenue today. Volunteer labor and Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions funds helped the mission develop over the decades.
- 1944: mission established under Fr. Robert H. Lewis
- 1956: present church building (per GCatholic)
- Located at 5375 Carmel Avenue, Del Rey, CA 93616
The Rogationist Charism
Since 1978 the parish has been served by the Rogationists (R.C.J.), the religious congregation founded by St. Hannibal Di Francia and dedicated to prayer for vocations and service of the poor. The order's outreach is embodied locally in the Fr. Hannibal House and Social Center, founded in 1989, which continues to serve those in need across Sanger, Del Rey, and the surrounding towns.
- Rogationist Fathers (R.C.J.) at St. Mary's since July 1, 1978
- Founder: St. Hannibal Di Francia
- Fr. Hannibal House and Social Center founded 1989
Centennial & Living Memory
On August 10, 2021, the parish opened its 100th anniversary celebration with a Mass presided over by Bishop Joseph Brennan (his first visit to Sanger after being named Bishop of Fresno), followed by a procession with Mariachi De la Tierra to a new mural of Our Lady of Guadalupe painted by Ramiro Martinez. The event underscored the unbroken mission that includes Del Rey's St. Katherine.
- Centennial Mass: August 10, 2021
- Bishop Joseph Brennan presided
- Mural of Our Lady of Guadalupe unveiled by artist Ramiro Martinez
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education for Del Rey families is coordinated through St. Katherine's mission office on Carmel Street, with separate coordinators for English and Spanish tracks and for elementary, junior high, senior high, and OCIA candidates. Catechists include Sister Ana Rosa (Elementary, English) and Maria Morales (Elementary through High School, Spanish). The parish Agape youth group, begun under the Rogationists in the early 1980s, continues to provide Catholic education and fellowship for young people across the parish.
- Elementary (English) — Sister Ana Rosa
- Jr. High, High School, OCIA — Julia Flores, 559-643-7533
- Elementary / Jr. High / High School (Spanish) — Maria Morales, 559-888-2889
- Agape Youth Group
Parish Office & Communications
All parish records, sacramental preparation, weddings, and funerals are coordinated through the St. Mary's parish office at 828 O Street, Sanger, which is open Monday–Friday 9 AM – 5 PM (closed 12–1 PM). The bulletin email is [email protected].
- Parish office: 828 O Street, Sanger, CA 93657
- Office hours: Mon-Fri 9 AM – 5 PM (closed 12 – 1 PM)
- Phone: (559) 875-2025; Fax: (559) 875-2618
- Bulletin email: [email protected]
Visiting St. Katherine
Visitors and new parishioners are warmly welcomed at the Sunday English Mass or the Saturday Spanish Vigil. Because the mission has limited on-site staff, weekday needs (weddings, anointing of the sick, inquiries about baptisms or OCIA) are best routed through the Sanger parish office, where the Rogationist Fathers can attend to the mission's faithful alongside the Sanger and St. Anthony's Ranch communities.
- Address: 5375 Carmel Avenue, Del Rey, CA 93616
- Phone (mission Religious Education): (559) 888-2889
- Phone (parish office): (559) 875-2025
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend J.W. Smiers1922-1924
First pastor when St. Mary's was established as a parish on August 10, 1922 (history of the parent parish).
- Reverend Robert H. Lewis1935-c.1945
Under his guidance St. Katherine's mission was established in Del Rey (1944).
- Reverend Michael Managan1945-1953
Built the present St. Mary's church on O Street and its rectory; first Mass April 6, 1947.