About St. Mary · Chandler, Arizona
St. Mary Roman Catholic Parish is a large, multicultural Catholic community of more than 6,600 families in Chandler, Arizona, established in 1937 to serve the then-small "town" of Chandler and surrounding regions. The parish is dedicated to the honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and today operates as "one parish, two churches," with the historic St. Mary's Church in downtown Chandler and St. Juan Diego Church, dedicated September 23, 2017, in southeast Chandler. Masses are celebrated in English and Spanish (and a Kenyan Mass is offered monthly), making it one of the most diverse parishes in the Diocese of Phoenix.
- Established
- 1937
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (parish dedicated to the honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. Daniel McBride, V.F.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers a rare combination of a large, well-established parish (more than 6,600 families) with the warmth of an active, multicultural community. With two church campuses — the original St. Mary's in downtown Chandler and the newer St. Juan Diego in the southeast — it offers abundant Mass times in English and Spanish every day of the week, perpetual Adoration in the St. Mary's Adoration Chapel, a robust calendar of devotions (including Our Lady of Peñafrancia and Legion of Mary groups), and one of the few televised Spanish-language Catholic Masses in the country, reaching the homebound locally and viewers around the world.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- St. Mary's Church — Saturday 2:30 PM–3:15 PM
- St. Mary's Church — Tuesday 5:45 PM–6:15 PM
- St. Mary's Church — Wednesday 5:45 PM–6:15 PM
- St. Juan Diego Church — Saturday 8:00 AM–9:00 AM
- St. Juan Diego Church — First Friday 5:00 PM–6:00 PM
Adoration times
- St. Mary's Adoration Chapel — Perpetual Adoration (one hour per week commitment available)
- St. Juan Diego — First Friday Adoration 5:00 PM–6:00 PM
Parish History
St. Mary's Parish was established in 1937 to serve the Catholic faithful of Chandler and outlying rural communities, including Gilbert, Queen Creek, and what was then called Goodyear (now Ocotillo). Father Joseph Patterson became pastor in 1938 and laid the physical and pastoral foundations of the parish: he and parishioner Joe Martinez built the first four school classrooms next to the church on Williams Field Road, and the school — now St. Mary-Basha Catholic School — opened in 1944 under its first principal, Sister Mary Felix Clarey, with four other Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Classrooms were added in the late 1940s to bring the school up through eighth grade. For more than 75 years the parish has remained a family-centered community dedicated to the honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, growing to more than 6,600 families. In 2017 the parish opened a second church — St. Juan Diego — in southeast Chandler to serve the expanding city.
- Founded 1937
- Fr. Joseph Patterson became pastor 1938
- St. Mary-Basha School opened 1944 with Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill
- St. Juan Diego Church dedicated September 23, 2017
Mission & Identity
St. Mary Roman Catholic Parish describes itself as 'a place where faith meets everyday life' and as a multicultural community that strives to make the Catholic faith known through evangelization and catechesis, to celebrate Mass and the sacraments to foster the full, active, and conscious participation of the faithful, to promote works of charity toward the poor and needy, and to provide access to Catholic education. The parish frames itself around three marks: Service and Commitment, Active Sacramental Life, and Multicultural Community.
- Service and Commitment
- Active Sacramental Life
- Multicultural Community (English, Spanish, and a Kenyan Mass monthly)
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Daniel McBride, V.F. (Vicar Forane) as pastor, with three parochial vicars — Fr. Edgardo Iriarte, Fr. Miguel Solis, and Fr. Deva Gangolu — and seven deacons. Lay leadership is provided by a Parish Finance Council and a Parish Advisory Council. The staff also includes a Parish Administrative Services Director, music directors at each church, formation directors, a Hispanic ministries coordinator, and front-office and finance staff.
- Fr. Daniel McBride, V.F. — Pastor ([email protected])
- Fr. Edgardo Iriarte — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Fr. Miguel Solis — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Fr. Deva Gangolu — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Deacons: Bruce Bennett, Manuel Olivas, Joseph Ryan, Marvin Silva, Antonio Alvarez, Paul Hursh, Paul Muthart
- Cherise Bennett — Parish Administrative Services Director (x131)
- Sam Rayes — Music, St. Mary's (x104)
- George Rayes — Music, St. Juan Diego (x147)
- Parish Finance Council: Joe Wallace, Melissa Fraser, Larry Becker, Marilyn Felix, Frank Slate, Nathan Krick, Barb Gomez, Dave Hocevar, Dee Marsh
- Parish Advisory Council: Dan Martinez, Ursula Johnston, Dan Farkas, Gary Davis, Meghan McCarthy, Marc Sierra, Jill Hawbaker, Sharon Rogers, Ted Tessier
St. Mary's Church (Downtown Chandler Campus)
The original parish church sits at 230 W. Galveston St. in downtown Chandler and hosts the most Masses of the two campuses — including daily English and Spanish Masses, the Saturday Vigil, and a full schedule of Sunday English and Spanish Masses from 6:45 AM through 6:30 PM. It is also home to the parish's Perpetual Adoration Chapel, the Gift Shop run by the Daughters of Mary, the parish office (open Mon–Fri 9 AM–4 PM), and the school offices.
- 230 W. Galveston St., Chandler, AZ 85225
- Daily English Mass: 6:30 AM and 8:15 AM
- Daily Spanish Mass: 9:15 AM (Mon–Fri) plus Wed 6:30 PM
- Saturday Vigil: 4:30 PM (English)
- Sunday English: 6:45 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM
- Sunday Spanish: 8:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 6:30 PM
- Confessions: Sat 2:30–3:15 PM; Tue & Wed 5:45–6:15 PM
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel on site
St. Juan Diego Church (Southeast Chandler Campus)
Dedicated September 23, 2017, St. Juan Diego is the parish's second church at 3200 S. Cooper Rd., Chandler, AZ 85286. It serves the growing southeast Chandler community with a daily 11:30 AM English Mass, a Saturday Vigil, six Sunday Masses, and a special Kenyan Mass on the 3rd Sunday of each month. The SJD office is open Mon–Fri 9 AM–1 PM.
- 3200 S. Cooper Rd., Chandler, AZ 85286
- Dedicated September 23, 2017
- Daily English Mass: 11:30 AM
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM (English)
- Sunday English: 6:30 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:45 AM, 4:30 PM
- Sunday Spanish: 11:30 AM
- Kenyan Mass: 3rd Sunday, 1:00 PM
- Confessions: Sat 8:00–9:00 AM; First Friday 5:00–6:00 PM
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for children, youth, and adults is coordinated by a dedicated team. Religious Education for Pre-K through Grade 6 is directed by Teresa Warnick, with Sister Stacy Stephan serving as RE Coordinator for both St. Mary and St. Juan Diego. Youth Ministry for junior high and high school is led by Anthony Scroggins. Adult catechesis, including OCIA (formerly RCIA) in English, is co-led by Dcn. Bruce Bennett and Dcn. Joe Ryan; RICA in Spanish is coordinated by Fr. Edgardo Iriarte. Carolina Uribe serves as both Coordinator of Hispanic Ministries and Adult Catechesis Director.
- Religious Education Pre-K – Grade 6 (Teresa Warnick, x130)
- RE Coordinator STM & SJD — Sr. Stacy Stephan (x125)
- Youth Ministry Jr. High & High School — Anthony Scroggins (x122)
- OCIA English — Dcn. Bruce Bennett & Dcn. Joe Ryan
- RICA Español — Fr. Edgardo Iriarte
- Adult Catechesis Director — Carolina Uribe (x105)
St. Mary-Basha Catholic Elementary School
Founded in 1944 on Williams Field Road in south Chandler, St. Mary-Basha Catholic School has educated thousands of children in Catholic formation for more than 80 years. Originally opened by Fr. Joseph Patterson and the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, it is now a parish school serving Pre-K through 8th grade, with Kathleen Lyon serving as principal.
- Founded 1944 by Fr. Joseph Patterson and Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill
- First principal: Sister Mary Felix Clarey
- Opened with 123 students and four Sisters of Charity
- Reached full 8th grade in the late 1940s
- Pre-K through 8th grade
- Principal: Kathleen Lyon — 480.963.4951
Sacraments
Information for each of the seven sacraments is coordinated through the parish office, with dedicated staff contacts listed for Anointing of the Sick, Infant Baptism (through age 6), Baptism (age 7 through adult, through formation), Marriage Preparation, and Annulments. Emergency Anointing of the Sick is available 24/7 via the after-hours line.
- Anointing of the Sick: 480.963.3207 (M–F 9–4); After Hours 623.245.5292
- Infant Baptism (through age 6): Nicole Moore, x107, [email protected]
- Baptism (age 7 through adult): through Faith Formation
- Marriage Preparation: Carolina Uribe, x105, [email protected]
- Annulments: Asención Murga, x106, [email protected]
Parish Ministries & Service Organizations
St. Mary's supports more than two dozen lay ministries, organized around liturgical service, formation, family and life, outreach, and community-building. Two Knights of Columbus councils (Fr. Patterson Council #3121 and Fr. Louis Anthony Sigman Council #16277) anchor men's service; the Daughters of Mary coordinate linens, Adoration scheduling, and the parish Gift Shops; St. Vincent de Paul provides emergency food and assistance Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings; and the parish participates in Respect Life, Walking with Moms in Need, Help4Her crisis pregnancy help, Grief & Bereavement support, and Couples for Christ.
- Knights of Columbus — Fr. Patterson Council #3121 (Grand Knight Troy Revelette)
- Knights of Columbus — Fr. Louis Anthony Sigman Council #16277 (Grand Knight Don Cipicchio)
- St. Vincent de Paul — emergency food Mon, Wed, Fri 9:00–11:30 AM
- Daughters of Mary (linens, Adoration, Gift Shops)
- That Man is You Men's Group — Saturdays 6:30–8:00 AM
- WINGS — 'Women in God's Service' at St. Juan Diego
- Couples for Christ, Singles Bible Study, Boy Scouts
- Respect Life, Walking with Moms in Need, Help4Her, Martha & Mary Women's Outreach
Catholic Media & Livestreamed Mass
Under the direction of pastor Fr. Daniel McBride, the parish's Catholic Media Ministry produces a Spanish-language Mass that airs on Azteca America 41 each Sunday morning and is livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook. The broadcast has been described as a work of mercy — reaching the homebound, those in nursing homes, and people in prison who cannot attend Mass in person. The Catholic Sun reported in 2016–2017 that regular online viewers come from approximately 150 countries, with roughly 25–30% of viewers in Mexico.
- Spanish-language Mass on Azteca America 41 — Sundays 10:30 AM
- Livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook
- Viewers from ~150 countries; ~25–30% in Mexico
- Service to homebound, nursing homes, and prisoners
Visit, Contact & New Parishioners
Both campuses have their own offices and phone numbers. The main parish office at St. Mary's (230 W. Galveston St.) is open Monday–Friday 9 AM–4 PM and can be reached at 480.963.3207 or [email protected]; after-hours pastoral emergencies use 623.245.5292. The St. Juan Diego office (3200 S. Cooper Rd.) is open Monday–Friday 9 AM–1 PM at 480.734.2187 or [email protected]. The parish is also part of the AmazonSmile program, which donates 0.5% of eligible purchases to the parish at no cost to the shopper.
- St. Mary's Parish Office: 480.963.3207 — [email protected]
- St. Juan Diego Office: 480.734.2187 — [email protected]
- After Hours Pastoral Line: 623.245.5292
- AmazonSmile supports the parish at no extra cost
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joseph Patterson1938–
Built the first four school classrooms with parishioner Joe Martinez; opened St. Mary-Basha School in 1944; served the spiritual needs of Gilbert, Queen Creek, and Goodyear (Ocotillo) in addition to Chandler.