About St. Mary Catholic Church · Kingman, Arizona
St. Mary Roman Catholic Church is the historic Catholic parish of Kingman, Arizona, the seat of Catholic life in Mohave County's oldest community. The parish traces its origins to the late 19th century, when itinerant Jesuit missionaries rode in from Peach Springs to celebrate Mass in local homes, and has worshipped in the same building — a 1906–07 tufa-stone Mission Revival church — ever since. Today it serves a bilingual English/Spanish community with daily and Sunday Mass, a parochial school history (1944–1985), Eucharistic Adoration, a robust set of lay ministries, and active outreach through St. Vincent de Paul and other groups. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.
- Established
- 1906
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (parish is named "St. Mary")
- Rector
- Rev. Chris Axline (Father Christopher Axline, appointed Pastor effective July 1, 2025)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix
Why belong here
St. Mary's welcomes both English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics of Kingman and the wider Mohave County into a parish life that is more than a century old. Members enjoy a full week of Masses — daily in the historic 1907 chapel plus three Sunday options including a Spanish vigil and a Sunday Spanish Mass — along with Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays, Saturday Reconciliation, and a deep bench of lay ministries for men, women, teens and families. Whether you want to pray with a small group, sing in the choir, help through St. Vincent de Paul, prepare for the sacraments through RCIA/OCIA, or simply find a faithful Catholic community at the heart of Kingman, St. Mary's offers a long-established home for it.
Mass times at St. Mary Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Additional Tuesday/Thursday 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM confessions during Lent (Feb 24 – Mar 31, 2026 per bulletin)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays in the chapel (sign up in advance with the parish coordinator)
Parish History
St. Mary's origins reach back to the 1880s, when a Jesuit priest rode by mule from Peach Springs to say Mass in the homes of Catholic families in the new railroad town of Kingman. After years of petitioning — most notably by Fr. Cypriano Vabre, who wrote to Bishop Henry Granjon of Tucson in 1901 — the parish built its first permanent church in 1906–07. Constructed from locally quarried volcanic tufa stone by craftsmen including John Mulligan and stonemason "Pendy" Pendygast, the Mission Revival building was completed in May 1907 and remains in continuous use today. The first resident pastor, Fr. Edward Albouy, arrived in 1917. The parish also gave birth to a school (1944–1985), was led for many years from Tucson, Gallup and finally Phoenix, and grew enough by the 1960s to require a larger worship space, dedicated in 1967 by Bishop Bernard T. Espelage, O.F.M. The full parish history — including the story of 17 missionary stations across Mohave County — is published on the parish's website history page.
- 1882: Kingman founded as Arizona Territory railroad/mining town
- Late 1800s: Jesuit priest begins riding from Peach Springs to say Mass in homes
- 1901: Fr. Cypriano Vabre petitions Bishop Granjon of Tucson for a church in Kingman
- 1906–07: Construction of original tufa-stone Mission Revival church
- 1913: First recorded baptism (child of Justice Anson H. Smith)
- 1915: First recorded marriage (Miguel Zozoya & Manuelita Trevino)
- 1917: Fr. Edward Albouy becomes first resident pastor; rectory built
- 1939: Parish reassigned to the new Diocese of Gallup under Bishop Espelage
- 1944: St. Mary School opens (Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan)
- 1966: New school building dedicated (Sept. 18)
- 1967: Larger modern church dedicated by Bishop Espelage (October)
- 1969: Phoenix becomes an independent diocese; St. Mary's joins the Diocese of Phoenix
- 1985: St. Mary School closes (July 31)
- 1991: St. Mary's Catholic Church Museum and Gift Shop established
Architecture of the Historic Church
The original 1907 church is a rare example of Mission Revival style executed in stone rather than the more typical stucco, giving Kingman a building of real architectural distinction. Native tufa stone from the Metcalfe Quarry near Kingman forms the rusticated-cut walls, and the design uses round-arched windows and doors with mullions, a divided round-arched window over the central entry, and a cross atop the round-arched belfry on the front gable. The Arizona State Historic Property Inventory describes it as 'a rare example of Mission Revival influence executed in stone.' It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as entry #86001166.
- Mission Revival style in locally quarried volcanic tufa stone
- Stone sourced from the Metcalfe Quarry near Kingman
- National Register of Historic Places #86001166
- Still in use today for weekday Mass and Adoration
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is currently led by a pastor and parochial vicar with support from a permanent deacon, parish staff and an active Hispanic Community coordinator. Day-to-day operations are handled by a parish secretary, a parish accountant, a religious education coordinator, a facilities manager/custodian and the Gift Shop volunteer. The parish is supported as well by a parish council (chaired by Jac Dollarhide) and a Parish Council with both men's and women's organizations.
- Rev. Chris Axline — Pastor (appointed July 1, 2025)
- Rev. Johnson Vadakkumcherry — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Francis Staab — Parish Deacon
- Rigoberto Ramirez — Hispanic Community
- Olivia Torres — Parish Secretary
- Alex Lozano — Parish Accountant
- Crystal Palmer — Religious Education Coordinator
- Francisco Mejia — Facilities Manager / Custodian
- Jesse Briggs — Gift Shop
- Jerome Llagas — Organist
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education at St. Mary's is organized under Religious Education Coordinator Crystal Palmer and covers the entire life of the parish — children, teens, adults, and families preparing for the sacraments. Children's programs include the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (ages 3–12) meeting on weekday evenings, Children's Confirmation and First Communion preparation, and Scouts. Teens meet for Teen Time (ages 13–17), Teen Formation, and sacramental prep. Adult offerings have historically included Adult Formation/RCIA; the parish notes that its OCIA adult program is currently paused while leaders are sought.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (ages 3–12)
- Children's Confirmation & First Communion Prep
- Teen Time (ages 13–17)
- Teen Formation / sacramental prep
- Adult Sacramental Preparation (Baptism, Confirmation, First Eucharist, First Confession)
- Small Group / Family of Faith option for Religious Education at home
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — currently paused, catechists wanted
Small Groups & Family Discipleship
St. Mary's runs an active Small Groups ministry aimed at building Catholic community outside of Sunday Mass. Groups of 6–12 individuals (or 3–6 families) commit to meeting three to five times a month for at least nine months, with each gathering built around fellowship, prayer and group study. There are three tracks to getting involved: Leader Training (1-to-1 Discipleship), being plugged into an existing group, or self-assembling your own. Family small groups also serve as the parent session of the Family of Faith religious education curriculum — a built-in option for home-based faith formation.
- Groups of 6–12 people or 3–6 families
- 3–5 meetings per month, nine-month minimum commitment
- Leader Training / 1-to-1 Discipleship track
- Plug-In track for joining an existing group
- Self-Assembled Small Group track
- Family Small Groups integrated with Family of Faith religious education
Ministries, Outreach & Parish Life
Beyond the liturgy, St. Mary's runs a wide spectrum of lay ministries and service groups — described in its own bulletin as the heartbeat of parish life. Liturgical needs are met by Ushers, Choir, and the Committee for Spanish Liturgy & Affairs. Outreach is led by St. Vincent de Paul and the Our Daily Bread feeding program. Formation and family life include Natural Family Planning and the Belles Women's Hospitality group, while parish life is enriched by the Knights of Columbus, Women's Bible Study, Women's Fellowship, and Meet & Greet / Softball. The parish also operates a Jail Ministry and active Pro-Life and Hispanic Community ministries.
- Liturgical: Ushers, Choir, Spanish Liturgy Committee
- Outreach: St. Vincent de Paul, Our Daily Bread, Jail Ministry, Pro-Life
- Service: Knights of Columbus, Belles (Women's Hospitality)
- Formation: Natural Family Planning, Women's Bible Study
- Fellowship: Women's Fellowship, Meet & Greet, Softball, Scouts
- Hispanic Community ministry coordinated by Rigoberto Ramirez and Ancelmo Nava
Sacraments at St. Mary's
Information on every sacrament — Baptism, First Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders — is published on the parish website, with named coordinators and the forms or preparation required. Infant Baptism requires that parents be registered parishioners in good standing; adult baptism and the other sacraments of initiation are handled through the OCIA process.
- Baptism preparation — contact Donna Wicker
- First Eucharist & Confirmation preparation for children and teens
- Reconciliation — Saturday 8:30–9:30 AM
- Marriage preparation and Nullity of Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick on request
- Holy Orders / vocations information
- OCIA for unbaptized adults and adults needing Confirmation/Eucharist
St. Mary's Museum & Gift Shop
Since 1991, the original 1907 tufa-stone church has housed the St. Mary's Catholic Church Museum and Gift Shop — a tangible link to the parish's pioneering role in Catholic Arizona. A plaque at the entrance records the founding of the church in 1906 under the Diocese of Tucson (Bishop Henry Granjon, with Fr. Cyprian Vabre as pastor) and the dedication of the Museum and Gift Shop in 1991 under the Diocese of Phoenix (Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien, with Fr. Dennis Riccitelli as pastor). Today the Gift Shop is staffed by Jesse Briggs and is open Sunday mornings before Mass.
- Established 1991 in the original 1907 church building
- Open Sundays 8:00–9:00 AM and by appointment
- Run by volunteer Jesse Briggs ([email protected])
- Commemorated by a historical marker on the entrance door
Visiting, Office Hours & Practical Info
St. Mary's sits at 302 East Spring Street between Third and Spring Streets in central Kingman. Parish Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 PM), and Friday 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM. Sunday Mass times are 9:00 AM English and 2:00 PM Spanish, with the Saturday Vigil at 4:00 PM. The Gift Shop in the original stone church is open Sundays from 8:00 to 9:00 AM. Parish bulletins, schedules, and staff contact information are posted regularly to stmarykingman.com and as PDF bulletins under /uploads/docs/bulletins/.
- Address: 302 East Spring Street, Kingman, AZ 86401
- Parish Phone: (928) 377-3435
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–5:30 PM (closed 12:00–1:00 PM); Fri 8:30 AM–12:00 PM
- Historic Church located between 3rd and Spring Streets
- Free Catholic streaming via Formed.org available to parishioners
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Cypriano Vabrecirca 1901–1906
Missionary priest who in 1901 petitioned Bishop Granjon of Tucson for permission to build a Catholic church in Kingman and oversaw its construction.
- Fr. Edward Albouy1917
First resident pastor of St. Mary's; built the parish rectory east of the original church.
- Rev. Dennis Riccitellicirca 1991
Pastor at the dedication of the St. Mary's Catholic Church Museum and Gift Shop (1991), under Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien of the Diocese of Phoenix.
- Fr. Chris Axline2025–present
Appointed Pastor of St. Mary Parish in Kingman (and Our Lady of the Desert Mission in Dolan Springs) effective July 1, 2025, by the Diocese of Phoenix.