About St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church · Santa Maria, California
St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church is a historic parish of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles located at 414 East Church Street in Santa Maria, California. Founded in 1905 as the first Catholic parish serving the Santa Maria Valley, it is the mother church of Catholicism on the Central Coast between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, having given rise to the parishes of St. Louis de Montfort (1963) and St. John Neumann (1987). Today it ministers to a multicultural congregation in both English and Spanish, with weekday and weekend Masses, daily adoration, Saturday confessions, and a school, parish hall, and outreach programs rooted in more than a century of faith.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of her Assumption into Heaven
- Rector
- Following the 2023 reassignment of Fr. Rolando B. Clarin to St. Raphael Catholic Church in Santa Barbara, the parish is currently served by clergy of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. (Specific current pastor name not confirmed from the official parish website in this search round.)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Los Angeles (Metropolitan Archdiocese)
Why belong here
St. Mary of the Assumption is the original Catholic parish of the Santa Maria Valley, founded in 1905, and remains a vibrant, multicultural worshiping community with a clear rhythm of daily and weekly devotions. Visitors and parishioners are drawn by its bilingual English/Spanish Mass schedule, daily 12:00 PM Mass Monday through Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoon adoration, Saturday confessions, and an active OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program for those discerning the Catholic faith. It is also a parish with deep institutional roots—an original 1906 brick church, the architect-designed 1958 church with its 100-foot bell tower, a parish school that has served generations of Central Coast families, and a Catholic hospital (Marian) that grew out of Monsignor Murphy's 1939 vision—and an obvious choice for anyone seeking a historic, pastorally attentive parish on California's Central Coast.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM (and by appointment; call the Rectory at 805-922-5826)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM (in the church)
- Thursday 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM (in the church)
- Note: The Blessed Sacrament Chapel was previously listed as closed following COVID-19 guidelines until further notice.
Our History
St. Mary of the Assumption was founded in 1905 as the first Catholic parish in the Santa Maria Valley. The first Mass was celebrated on August 20, 1905 at McMillan's Hall by Fr. Mathias Ternes, appointed first rector by Bishop Thomas J. Conaty. Within months the original brick-veneer church at Cypress and Miller Streets (cornerstone Feb 11, 1906, capacity 400) and its rectory were built. The parish grew rapidly under successive pastors, including Fr. Cohen (who graded the streets himself), Fr. Dubbel (who thwarted the local KKK during WWI), Fr. Albert Hurley, and Monsignor Thomas V. Murphy (pastor from Aug 10, 1933) — under whom the parish school, convent, and Marian hospital were established. In 1957 architect George J. Adams designed the present 1,000-seat church with its 100-foot bell tower holding the old bells; it was dedicated by Cardinal McIntyre on March 15, 1959. Daughter parishes St. Louis de Montfort (1963) and St. John Neumann (1987) were carved from the original territory as the valley's Catholic population grew.
- First Mass: August 20, 1905, McMillan's Hall, by Fr. Mathias Ternes
- First church cornerstone blessed February 11, 1906
- Present church dedicated March 15, 1959 by Cardinal McIntyre
- St. Louis de Montfort created March 1963
- St. John Neumann established 1987
- Centennial Anniversary Mass celebrated August 20, 2005 with Bishop Thomas Curry
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all the usual sacraments and welcomes inquiries. Baptisms, First Communion, and Confirmation are prepared through the Office of Religious Education; older children and unbaptized adults enter through the OCIA process. Marriages, Quinceañeras, and Anointing of the Sick are arranged by appointment with a priest through the Rectory. Sacramental Certificates can be requested in person for $15 per certificate, or by email for those living out of town (along with a copy of a valid ID).
- Baptism — through Religious Education
- First Eucharist & Confirmation — Religious Education or OCIA for Children (ages 7+)
- Marriage — by appointment with a priest
- Quinceañera — by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick / Spiritual guidance — by appointment
- Sacramental Certificates — $15 each (in person or by email)
OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly RCIA)
OCIA is the ancient, Vatican II–restored process by which adults typically become Catholic. The parish offers tracks for unbaptized adults, baptized Christians seeking First Communion and Confirmation, and adapted tracks for children and adolescents (ages 7+). The four stages are Inquiry, Catechumenate, Enlightenment/Purification, and Mystagogy, marked liturgically by the Rites of Entrance, Election, and Initiation — with the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist ordinarily received at the Easter Vigil. The Adult OCIA coordinator is Orlando Rios; the Adolescent OCIA coordinator is Aime Becerra; the Office of Religious Education can be reached at 805-925-2007 or [email protected].
- Adult OCIA Coordinator: Orlando Rios
- Adolescent OCIA Coordinator: Aime Becerra
- Office of Religious Education: 805-925-2007, [email protected]
- Stages: Inquiry → Catechumenate → Enlightenment/Purification → Mystagogy
- Rites: Entrance, Election, Initiation (typically at the Easter Vigil)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for children and youth is coordinated through the Office of Religious Education under the Parish Catechetical Leader. In addition to ongoing catechesis, the parish welcomes children over the age of 7 who are unbaptized or uncatechized into the OCIA adapted for children and teens, walking with families through the journey to Baptism, First Eucharist, and Confirmation.
- Office of Religious Education: 805-925-2007
- Email: [email protected]
- OCIA for Children & Teens (ages 7+)
Parish Identity & Heritage
St. Mary of the Assumption is the mother Catholic parish of the Santa Maria Valley, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of her Assumption into Heaven (feast day August 15). Its patroness and historic mission are reflected in the multicultural fabric of its congregation — English and Spanish are both integral to parish life, and the 1906 cornerstone ceremony itself featured preaching in Portuguese, English, and Spanish by Monsignor Ribeiro of the Azores.
- Patroness: The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Title: The Assumption
- Feast Day: August 15 (Solemnity of the Assumption)
- Bilingual parish: English & Spanish
Facilities & Buildings
The parish campus centers on the 1958 church (architect George J. Adams, ~1,000 seats, 100-ft bell tower with the original 1906 bells), an adjacent two-story rectory, and a Parish Hall. The original 1906 brick-veneer church at Cypress and Miller was eventually replaced by a Parish Hall dedicated on February 6, 1966. A second Parish Center on West Orchard Street, blessed on April 27, 1973, later became St. John Neumann's Parish Hall when that parish was established in 1987. The historic parish school and convent built under Monsignor Murphy (1938) housed the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity.
- 1958 church with 100-foot bell tower
- Two-story rectory
- 1966 Parish Hall on the former 1906 church site
- 1973 Parish Center (now St. John Neumann's)
- Parish school and convent (built 1938, additions in 1948 and 1951)
Getting Involved & Contact
New parishioners are encouraged to register online through the parish website (stmary-sm.org) or in person at the Rectory. Volunteers are recruited across liturgical, faith-formation, and outreach ministries; the registration form explicitly invites people to opt in to volunteering. Mass Intentions, sacramental certificates, special blessings, and appointments with a priest (for marriage, Quinceañera, spiritual guidance, or confession) are all arranged through the Rectory at 414 East Church Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454 — phone (805) 922-5826, email [email protected].
- Address: 414 East Church Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454-5295
- Phone: (805) 922-5826
- Email: [email protected]
- Religious Education: [email protected] / 805-925-2007
- Online registration & volunteer sign-up at stmary-sm.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Mathias Ternes1905–
First rector of St. Mary of the Assumption; ordained in Rome Oct 31, 1902; appointed by Bishop Thomas J. Conaty of the Diocese of Monterey and Los Angeles; celebrated the first Mass in Santa Maria on Aug 20, 1905 at McMillan's Hall; built the first rectory (completed Dec 26, 1905) and the original brick-veneer church (cornerstone Feb 11, 1906).
- Rev. Cohen
Early pastor after Fr. Ternes; famously borrowed a plow and grader to repair the unpaved streets himself after the city refused his request for help following heavy rains.
- Fr. Dubbelca. 1917–1918 (during WWI)
Pastor during the First World War; forceful and vigorous, made many converts and was instrumental in thwarting the budding KKK in the Santa Maria Valley so that it never gained a real foothold.
- Fr. Albert Hurley
Succeeded Fr. Dubbel; remembered as one of the most popular pastors in Santa Maria's early Catholic history.
- Rev. Thomas V. MurphyAugust 10, 1933 –
Irish-born pastor who built the parish's institutions: the parochial school and convent (completed Sept 1938, only $20,000 debt), a $40,000 school addition in 1948, property across the street, an enlarged convent in 1951, and the groundbreaking (Nov 22, 1939) for the Sisters of St. Francis hospital (now Marian Regional Medical Center) at 125 Airport Avenue.
- Monsignor Kieran MarumAdministrator July 1964 – 1974
Ordained June 19, 1943 at St. Patrick's Seminary, Maynooth, Dublin, Ireland; arrived in Los Angeles 1948, taught high school and held other parish assignments before coming to St. Mary's; appointed administrator under Msgr. Murphy in July 1964; oversaw building of the Parish Center (1973); reassigned to St. Finbar's in Burbank in 1974.
- Monsignor James Colberg1974 – retirement 1999
Succeeded Msgr. Marum as pastor in 1974 and led St. Mary's for a quarter century until his retirement in 1999.
- Fr. Rizalino 'Riz' Carranza1999 – July 1, 2012
Appointed to lead St. Mary's into the new millennium; presided over the Centennial Anniversary Mass on August 20, 2005 (with Bishop Thomas Curry); reassigned July 1, 2012 to St. Peter Claver in Simi Valley; later served as Vicar Forane of Deanery 4 in the Santa Barbara Pastoral Region.
- Fr. Paul O'DonnellJuly 1, 2012 – 2013
Assumed functions as administrator on July 1, 2012 after Fr. Carranza's reassignment; served for approximately one year.
- Fr. Rolando B. Clarin2013 (Administrator Pro-Tempore) – July 1, 2015 (Administrator) – July 1, 2023 (Pastor)
Took over as Administrator Pro-Tempore in 2013; formally appointed Administrator (and later Pastor) of St. Mary of the Assumption in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles' 2015 assignment cycle; reassigned effective July 1, 2023 to St. Raphael Catholic Church, 5444 Hollister Avenue, Santa Barbara.