About St. Mary · Cutler, California
St. Mary is a Roman Catholic parish in the small unincorporated community of Cutler, in the rural eastern San Joaquin Valley of California (Tulare County), within the Diocese of Fresno. Founded in 1953 and listed as part of the Fresno Rural Vicariate, the parish serves a predominantly Spanish-speaking farm-working community at 12588 Avenue 407. It is currently administered by Rev. Juan Antonio Garcia, F.M.M. (a Franciscan Missionary of Mary), serving as Administrator Pro-Tem, with daily and weekend Masses offered in both Spanish and English, alongside weekly Confession and several days of Eucharistic Adoration.
- Established
- 1953
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (parish name: St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Juan Antonio Garcia, F.M.M. (Administrator Pro-Tem, Franciscan Missionaries of Mary)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
St. Mary offers a full weekly schedule of Spanish and English Masses, with at least one Mass every day of the week except Monday making it easy for working farm families to fit liturgy into their week. The parish maintains long blocks of Eucharistic Adoration four days a week (Wednesday through Saturday) and offers regular Confession Friday and Saturday evenings. As a small, bilingual rural parish under the pastoral care of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, it serves as an accessible, community-centered spiritual home in the Cutler–Orosi farming region of Tulare County.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 6:00 PM
- Saturday 5:00 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM
- Thursday 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM
- Friday 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM
- Saturday 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Parish Identity & Diocese
St. Mary is a Roman Catholic parish in Cutler, California, founded in 1953 and belonging to the Diocese of Fresno. It is one of the parishes grouped in the Fresno Rural Vicariate, which serves rural communities in Fresno County and neighboring areas of the Central Valley. The parish's mailing address is 12588 Avenue 407, Cutler, CA 93615, and it is listed under GCatholic ID 21507.
- Diocese: Diocese of Fresno
- Vicariate: Fresno Rural Vicariate
- Founded: 1953 (per GCatholic)
- Address: 12588 Avenue 407, Cutler, CA 93615
- GCatholic Church ID: 21507
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently administered on a temporary basis by Rev. Juan Antonio Garcia, F.M.M., a member of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. The office is supported by Yesenia Meraz, the parish Office Manager. The parish is listed in diocesan directories as an 'Administrator Pro-Tem' assignment, which is common for smaller parishes staffed by religious-order clergy.
- Administrator Pro-Tem: Rev. Juan Antonio Garcia, F.M.M. (Franciscan Missionaries of Mary)
- Office Manager: Yesenia Meraz
History & Pastoral Succession
St. Mary was founded in 1953 to serve the farming community of Cutler and the surrounding Orosi area, a region shaped by agricultural labor and a large Spanish-speaking population. Diocesan assignment records show that Rev. Jose Luis Vega Sanchez was appointed Pastor of St. Mary, Cutler in 1996, after serving in several other parishes in the Diocese of Fresno; he retired in 2004 and returned to Mexico. The parish has since been administered by other clergy, and today is led by a member of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.
- 1953: Parish founded
- 1996–2004: Rev. Jose Luis Vega Sanchez served as Pastor
- Current: Rev. Juan Antonio Garcia, F.M.M., Administrator Pro-Tem
Languages & Community
St. Mary Parish reflects the demographic character of its Cutler–Orosi neighborhood in the rural eastern San Joaquin Valley, where most parishioners are bilingual Spanish/English speakers with deep roots in Mexican Catholic tradition. Spanish is the dominant liturgical language, with at least one Sunday Mass celebrated in English for English-speaking faithful.
- Primary liturgical language: Spanish
- Secondary liturgical language: English (one Sunday Mass)
- Region: Cutler–Orosi, Tulare County, eastern San Joaquin Valley
Contact & Online
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Mary by phone, email, or through the parish's Facebook page. Because this is a smaller rural parish, the parish office (managed by Yesenia Meraz) is the primary point of contact for scheduling sacraments, requesting records, or obtaining information about Mass intentions and ministries.
- Phone: (559) 528-3566
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocesan parish page: http://dioceseoffresno.org/parishes/fresno-rural-vicariate/st-mary-cutler/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/St-Marys-Catholic-Parish-100064604294835/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jose Luis Vega Sanchez1996–2004
Assigned as Pastor in 1996 after serving in several other diocese parishes; retired in 2004 and returned to Mexico.