About St. Linus · Stockton, California
St. Linus Parish is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in southeast Stockton, California, belonging to the Diocese of Stockton. Named after Pope Linus, the second successor of Saint Peter, the parish was founded in the mid-1950s by working-class Catholics — including residents of the Sierra Vista Housing Project — who built their own church with their own hands. Today St. Linus is a predominantly Spanish-speaking community offering Mass in both Spanish and English, with a robust weekly schedule, weekday adoration, and ministries such as the Legion of Mary, youth ministry, and altar servers. The parish's motto of perseverance — 'They lost their church, but not their faith' — was earned the hard way in 1978 when arson destroyed the original church and the community rebuilt it by 1980.
- Established
- 1957
- Patron
- Saint Linus (Pope Linus), second successor of Saint Peter
- Rector
- Rev. Benjamin Puente
- Diocese
- Diocese of Stockton (Deanery II)
Why belong here
St. Linus is a small, resilient, working-class parish in southeast Stockton with deep roots in the Chicano Catholic community and a steady bilingual rhythm of worship — four Sunday Masses in Spanish, one in English, a bilingual Wednesday Mass, daily Mass in Spanish Monday through Friday, and weekday adoration in the chapel from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Visitors are warmly welcomed, and parishioners can get involved through the Legion of Mary / Legión de María, Youth Ministry / Ministerio Juvenil, altar servers / monaguillos, parish leadership councils, and online giving. It is exactly the kind of parish where a newcomer can quickly become part of the family.
Mass times at St. Linus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 8:30 AM (also listed as 8:30 AM–9:30 AM by third-party sources)
Adoration times
- Weekdays 8:00 AM–7:00 PM, in the Chapel
Parish History
St. Linus Parish takes its name from Saint Linus, the second Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and the immediate successor of Saint Peter. According to the Liber Pontificalis, Linus came from Tuscany in western Italy, north of Rome, and Irenaeus (c. 130–202 AD) identifies him as the same Linus greeted by Saint Paul in 2 Timothy 4:21. Linus and his Roman colleagues guided the early Christian community through persecution, and his feast is celebrated on September 23. The parish itself was born in southeast Stockton. Beginning in 1955, local Catholics — including residents of the Sierra Vista Housing Project — worshipped together in the Sierra Vista gymnasium. In 1957 they built St. Linus Church with their own hands and moved in. On All Saints Day, November 1, 1978, the church was destroyed by fire; the Stockton Record later wrote, 'They lost their church, but not their faith.' By May 1980 a new church stood on the same site, rebuilt with the help of parishioners, California Youth Authority Chicano Wards, and the Bonetti and Butorac families.
- Named after Pope Saint Linus, second successor of Saint Peter
- Feast day: September 23
- First Masses celebrated in the Sierra Vista gymnasium beginning in 1955
- Original church built by parishioners and dedicated in 1957
- Original church destroyed by fire on All Saints Day, November 1, 1978
- Rebuilt church dedicated by May 1980 with help from parishioners, CYA Chicano Wards, and the Bonetti and Butorac families
Mass & Liturgy
St. Linus is a richly bilingual parish. Four of its five Sunday Masses are celebrated in Spanish, with one Sunday Mass in English at 9:30 AM. Daily Mass in Spanish is offered Monday through Friday at 5:00 PM, with a bilingual Mass on Wednesdays at 5:00 PM. The Saturday 5:00 PM Mass serves as the Sunday Vigil and is celebrated in Spanish. Confessions are heard on Saturday mornings at 8:30 AM.
- Sunday: 6:30 AM (Spanish), 8:00 AM (Spanish), 9:30 AM (English), 12:00 PM (Spanish), 1:30 PM (Spanish)
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM (Spanish)
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 5:00 PM (Spanish)
- Wednesday: 5:00 PM (Bilingual)
- Confession: Saturday 8:30 AM
Parish Life & Ministries
The parish describes itself with a single line: 'We follow our Lord Jesus Christ. He's our joy, our life, our love, and He is everything to us.' Parishioners are invited into a small but active set of ministries, with both English and Spanish names featured prominently on the parish site.
- Legion of Mary / Legión de María
- Youth Ministry / Ministerio Juvenil
- Altar Servers / Monaguillos — open to all children grades 4–12, who vest in alb and cincture and assist the priest at Mass
- Parish Leadership (councils and committees)
- Online Giving for stewardship and tithing
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Linus Parish is served by a single priest-pastor, with the parish welcoming visitors and newcomers through a bilingual welcome message and a personal message from the pastor on the home page. The Diocese of Stockton's official clergy roster confirms the pastor's assignment.
- Pastor: Rev. Benjamin Puente (ordained June 30, 2007)
- Parish is part of Deanery II of the Diocese of Stockton
Welcome & Becoming Part of the Parish
The parish home page greets visitors in both English and Spanish: 'That's okay. We love visitors. Even if you're not Catholic. We follow our Lord Jesus Christ. He's our joy, our life, our love, and He is everything to us. We invite you to come experience the joy and peace of knowing and following our Savior, who truly lives and reigns as our King and Prince of Peace.' The Spanish version reads, 'Seguimos a nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Él es nuestra alegría, nuestra vida, nuestro amor y lo es todo para nosotros. Te invitamos a que vengas a experimentar la alegría y la paz de conocer y seguir a nuestro Salvador, que verdaderamente vive y reina como nuestro Rey y Príncipe de Paz.' A message from Father Puente ('A Message from Fr. Puente / Mensaje del Padre Puente') is featured for new arrivals.
- Open invitation to visitors of all backgrounds
- Bilingual welcome message from the pastor
- Online Giving link on the home page for new and existing parishioners
Diocese of Stockton
St. Linus Parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton, headed by Bishop Myron J. Cotta (ordained September 12, 1987). Within the diocese, St. Linus sits in Deanery II, whose dean is Rev. Luis Navarro, alongside fellow Stockton parishes St. Mary of the Assumption, St. Edward, St. George, and St. Gertrude.
- Diocese: Diocese of Stockton
- Bishop: Most Reverend Myron J. Cotta, D.D.
- Deanery: Deanery II — Dean: Rev. Luis Navarro
- Deanery II parishes in Stockton: St. Linus, St. Mary of the Assumption, St. Edward, St. George, St. Gertrude
- Hospital chaplains assigned to the deanery: Rev. Christian Ezeh and Rev. George Okoro (St. Joseph's Hospital)