About St. Leo the Great · Sonoma, California
St. Leo the Great is a Roman Catholic parish in the Sonoma Valley, located at 601 W. Agua Caliente Road on the west side of the town of Sonoma, California (mailing address: P.O. Box 666, Boyes Hot Springs, CA 95416). Founded in 1966, the parish belongs to the Diocese of Santa Rosa and is served by the Congregation of Missionaries of Faith (MF), with Rev. JoJo Puthussery, MF as current pastor. The parish is bilingual, celebrating Mass in both English and Spanish, and supports a wide range of liturgical, spiritual, youth, hospitality, and outreach ministries alongside Faith Formation for children and adults.
- Established
- 1966
- Patron
- St. Leo the Great (Pope Leo I)
- Rector
- Rev. JoJo Puthussery, MF
- Diocese
- Diocese of Santa Rosa
Why belong here
St. Leo the Great is a bilingual, family-friendly parish in the heart of Sonoma Valley where English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics worship together. The parish offers daily and weekend Masses in both languages, a robust Faith Formation program for children and an RCIA process for adults, a dedicated Youth Ministry (SLYM) for junior high and high school teens, a strong Music Ministry with a separate Spanish choir, weekly Eucharistic Adoration and devotions, and outreach through the St. Vincent de Paul conference, Ladies Guild, and Men's Group. Served by the Missionaries of Faith, the parish combines the warmth of a smaller community with the depth of long-standing liturgical, charitable, and formation ministries.
Mass times at St. Leo the Great
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–4:45 PM
- Wednesday 6:30 PM
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month: exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for one hour following the 8:30 AM daily Mass
Welcome & Parish Identity
St. Leo the Great describes itself as a bilingual, family-friendly Catholic community in the Sonoma Valley, called to nurture a diverse and welcoming local community and to form Disciples of Christ. The parish identifies its patron as St. Leo the Great (Pope Leo I), whose feast is November 10, and offers a single campus on West Agua Caliente Road that includes the church, parish offices, and Religious Education spaces.
- Founded in 1966 in the Diocese of Santa Rosa
- Served by the Congregation of Missionaries of Faith (MF)
- Bilingual English/Spanish parish community
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is led by Rev. JoJo Puthussery, MF, pastor, of the Missionaries of Faith. Fr. Jim Fredericks is also associated with the parish and is featured in the homilies section of the website. The lay staff includes Michelle Levesque (Office Manager, ext. 17), Mayra Alvarez (Office Support / Bookkeeper, ext. 18), Rosa Chavez (Religious Education Program, ext. 12), Nancy Gibson (Coordinator of Youth Ministry, 707-291-1916), and Sherrill Peterson (Music Coordinator, 707-935-3986). The parish also maintains a Parish Council and a Finance Council.
- Rev. JoJo Puthussery, MF — Pastor
- Fr. Jim Fredericks
- Michelle Levesque — Office Manager (ext. 17)
- Mayra Alvarez — Office Support / Bookkeeper (ext. 18)
- Rosa Chavez — Religious Education (ext. 12)
- Nancy Gibson — Coordinator of Youth Ministry (707-291-1916)
- Sherrill Peterson — Music Coordinator (707-935-3986)
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the liturgies of St. Leo's as Altar Servers, Lectors, and Eucharistic Ministers, with a published Ministry Mass Schedule to coordinate volunteers. The Music Ministry leads sung worship at English Masses, and a separate Spanish Music Ministry accompanies the Spanish Masses, reflecting the bilingual character of the parish.
- Altar Servers
- Lectors
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Music Ministry
- Spanish Music Ministry
Spiritual Ministries & Devotions
A rich devotional life surrounds the Mass schedule at St. Leo's. The parish offers a Daily Rosary before the 8:30 AM Mass during Advent and Lent, a Mother of Perpetual Help Novena each Tuesday after Mass, a weekly Hospital Rosary on Thursday mornings at Sonoma Valley Hospital, and a Rosary Group in which parishioners pledge to pray the Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and the prayer of St. Gertrude the Great each week. Spiritual ministries include Centering Prayer, Small Church Communities, Eucharist to the Sick, and a Bereavement Ministry.
- Daily Rosary (Advent & Lent)
- Mother of Perpetual Help Novena — Tuesdays after Mass
- Hospital Rosary — Thursdays at Sonoma Valley Hospital
- Rosary Group (weekly at members' convenience)
- Centering Prayer
- Small Church Communities
- Eucharist to the Sick
- Bereavement Ministry
Youth Ministry (SLYM)
St. Leo Youth Ministry, or SLYM, coordinates faith and service opportunities for the parish's young people, led by Nancy Gibson (Coordinator of Youth Ministry). The program is organized by age and sacramental stage, with a Junior High Youth Group, a High School Youth Group, Confirmation Preparation, and Youth Service Opportunities, plus a dedicated Youth Ministry Calendar.
- Junior High Youth Group
- High School Youth Group
- Confirmation Preparation
- Youth Service Opportunities
- Youth Ministry Calendar
Hospitality & Parish Groups
Parish life at St. Leo's extends beyond Mass through a number of community-building groups. The Ladies Guild and Men's Group gather parishioners for fellowship and service, while the St. Vincent de Paul conference ministers to those in need in the Sonoma Valley. A Bocce Club offers social recreation, and the parish also supports a CarePartners Initiative.
- Ladies Guild
- Men's Group
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Bocce Club
- CarePartners Initiative
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's Faith Formation program offers faith education for children and adults. Children Faith Formation and First Holy Communion preparation lay the foundation for younger parishioners, with Confirmation preparation continuing into the teen years. Adults who have not yet been fully initiated are welcomed through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), and ongoing Adult Education / Faith Formation programs are offered throughout the year. Rosa Chavez coordinates the Religious Education Program from the parish office.
- Children Faith Formation
- First Holy Communion
- Confirmation Preparation
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults)
- Adult Education / Faith Formation
Sacraments
St. Leo's celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, Marriages, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders are prepared through dedicated formation processes. The parish also hosts Quinceañera celebrations as part of its Hispanic ministry. Parishioners can request copies of sacramental records, register for sacramental preparation, and arrange Funerals through the parish office.
- Baptism
- Eucharist
- Confirmation
- Confession / Reconciliation
- Marriage (Wedding Preparation)
- Holy Orders
- Anointing of the Sick
- Quinceañera (Spanish ministry)
- Funeral
Spanish Ministry & Resources
The parish maintains a substantial Spanish-language section of its website and active ministries for the Hispanic community. Spanish resources include Bautismo (Baptism), Primera Comunión (First Communion), Confirmacion, Quinceañera, Matrimonio (Marriage), Funeral and Lecturas Para Funerales, plus an RE Calendario and Servicios y Información. The Horario de la Oficina (Office Schedule) is also published in Spanish.
- Boletín (Spanish bulletin)
- Bautismo (Baptism)
- Primera Comunión
- Confirmación
- Quinceañera
- Matrimonio (Marriage)
- Funeral / Lecturas para Funerales
- Horario de la Oficina
Giving & Stewardship
St. Leo's offers a variety of ways to support the parish financially, including an Online Giving portal, Weekly Collection envelopes, a Development Fund, and Monthly Credit Card Donations. Online Giving is accessible directly from the parish homepage, and other giving options are listed under the Give section of the site.
- Online Giving
- Weekly Collection
- Development Fund
- Monthly Credit Card Donations
- Other Ways to Give
Resources, Bulletins & Homilies
The parish maintains an extensive archive of resources on its website. Sunday Bulletins are published online going back to 2017, alongside weekly homilies from Fr. Jim Fredericks from 2020 through 2025. Parishioners can also find a Mass Intention Request form, parish registration forms, sacramental-record request forms, and Sunday Liturgical Readings. A long-running series of Sunday Essays by Geoff Wood is published for adult faith enrichment.
- Sunday Bulletins (2017–2025)
- Homilies (2020–2025)
- Sunday Essays by Geoff Wood (2016–2023)
- Liturgical Readings
- Mass Intention Requests
- Parish Registration Form
- Request for copy of Sacramental Record
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Leo the Great at the parish office, 601 W. Agua Caliente Rd., Sonoma, CA 95476 (mailing: P.O. Box 666, Boyes Hot Springs, CA 95416). The phone line is 707-996-8422 (fax 707-996-3984) and the general email is [email protected]. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM; the office is closed on Saturday and Sunday. The parish is also active on Facebook.
- Phone: 707-996-8422
- Fax: 707-996-3984
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009870524405