About St. Mary of the Mountain · Stonyford, California
St. Mary of the Mountain is a small Catholic mission church in the rural community of Stonyford, Colusa County, California, in the Sutter Buttes Deanery of the Diocese of Sacramento. It is administered as a mission of St. Monica Parish in Willows, with Mass celebrated there on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month at 9:30 AM. The church, originally built in 1896 and physically relocated three miles to its current site on 2nd & Geary Streets in 1908, is considered one of the historic gems of the early Sacramento diocese.
- Established
- 1896
- Patron
- St. Mary (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Sherwin Colaste (Parochial Administrator, St. Monica Parish, Willows)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sacramento
Why belong here
St. Mary of the Mountain offers worshippers a chance to experience Mass in a small, lovingly restored historic country church tucked into the hills of Colusa County. As a mission of St. Monica Parish in Willows, it connects rural Stonyford-area Catholics to the wider diocesan family while preserving an intimate, community-run worship space cared for by local parishioners and parish historian John Huttman. For those who value a quiet, historic setting rooted in 1896 mission heritage, it is a singular local treasure.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Mountain
Weekly Mass schedule
History of St. Mary of the Mountain
The Catholic story of Stonyford goes back to Father Michael Wallrath, who laid the cornerstone of the original Saint Mary Church in the spring of 1896 at Catholic Point, three miles from Stonyford and less than a mile from the post office of Zachary. Built as a summer retreat for the Ursuline Sisters who taught at Saint Aloysius Convent School in Colusa, the church was dedicated in 1899 as Our Lady of the Visitation (also known over the years as Mount Saint Mary and Mount Saint Zachery). When East Park Dam flooded Zachary, the church was cut into three sections, hauled to Stonyford on flat-bed wagons in 1908, and reassembled on land sold by John and Eunice McDaniel on Second Street. After roughly four decades of disuse, a five-year community restoration under Father Nicholas Phelan returned the church to life; Bishop Francis Quinn rededicated it as Saint Mary of the Mountain on March 16, 1980.
The Move from Zachary to Stonyford (1908)
When construction of East Park Dam doomed the town of Zachary, Father Wallrath oversaw the relocation of the church to its present site on Second Street in Stonyford. J.N. Stephens directed the moving operation; the building was cut into three sections and reassembled on flat-bed wagons. The belfry was not replaced, and the bell, stored inside the church, mysteriously disappeared. The Catholic cemetery near the original Zachary site was also relocated to Stonyford.
The 1975–1980 Restoration
By 1975, after almost forty years of non-use, the church had fallen into neglect. Under Father Nicholas Phelan, a five-year community restoration returned it to worship. Glenn McCune crafted replica shutters and matching carved gingerbread pieces for the altars; youngsters from nearby Fouts Springs Boys Camp refinished the pews; Father Phelan donated the crucifix and Stations of the Cross; and Warren and Mary Stone of Dobbins donated a new bell hung in front of the church. The church reopened on Christmas Eve 1979, and Bishop Francis Quinn rededicated it on March 16, 1980.
The 1984 Stained-Glass Window
In 1984, Daryl and Joyce Bond presented a three-by-six-foot stained-glass window to the church, with the design taken from a prayer card. They were assisted by Robert Tavonatti, craft instructor at Fouts Springs Boys Camp, and one of the boys.
Parish Leadership & Clergy
St. Mary of the Mountain Mission is administered as a mission of St. Monica Parish in Willows. The parochial administrator is Rev. Sherwin Colaste. Deacon Joaquin Lara also serves at St. Monica. The parish is overseen locally by parish historian John Huttman and other area parishioners.
- Rev. Sherwin Colaste — Parochial Administrator
- St. Monica Parish, Willows — parent parish (1129 West Wood Street, Willows, CA 95988)
Visiting & Contact
The mission is located at the corner of 2nd and Geary Streets in Stonyford, Colusa County, California (ZIP 95979), in the Sutter Buttes Deanery of the Diocese of Sacramento. Because the parish is administered from St. Monica Parish in Willows, inquiries are best directed to the St. Monica Parish office at 1129 West Wood Street, Willows, CA 95988, phone 530-934-3314.
- Address: 2nd & Geary Streets, Stonyford, CA 95979
- Parish office (St. Monica, Willows): 1129 West Wood Street, Willows, CA 95988
- Phone: 530-934-3314
- Deanery: Sutter Buttes Deanery, Diocese of Sacramento
Architecture & Notable Features
The mission is a modest, wood-frame country church whose simple lines reflect its 1896 origins and its journey from Catholic Point to Stonyford. Interior features include replica gingerbread carvings by Glenn McCune, refinished original pews, a crucifix and Stations of the Cross donated by Father Nicholas Phelan, several stained-glass windows including the 1984 Bond window, and a small historic confessional. The original wood stove was replaced by the baptismal font and the building has been air conditioned.
- Replica gingerbread shutters and altar carvings by Glenn McCune
- Crucifix and Stations of the Cross donated by Father Nicholas Phelan
- Exterior bell donated by Warren and Mary Stone of Dobbins
- 1984 stained-glass window donated by Daryl and Joyce Bond
Heritage & Anniversary
The parish community marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the original Saint Mary Church in 1996, with Bishop William K. Weigand participating in the celebration. Information about the mission has been drawn from 'Sentinels of Love, Rural Churches of California' by Bette R. Millis and Jeanne Mord, and from the records of parish historian John Huttman. The Sacramento Diocesan Archives have described the church as 'one of the gems of the early days of the Sacramento diocese.'
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Michael Wallrath1896–early 1900s
Built the original Saint Mary Church at Catholic Point (Zachary) in 1896 and oversaw its relocation to Stonyford in 1908.
- Father Nicholas Phelanc. 1975–1980
Led the five-year community restoration of the church; donated the crucifix and Stations of the Cross.