About St. Mary of the Valley · Yucca Valley, California
St. Mary of the Valley is a Roman Catholic parish in Yucca Valley, California, belonging to the Diocese of San Bernardino and serving the High Desert communities of Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree. Founded in 1953, the parish offers Mass in both English and Spanish, a robust Religious Education program, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and more than two dozen lay ministries — from a monthly Soup Kitchen to a Pro-Life Rosary to RCIA. Its current pastor, Very Rev. Mark E. Kotlarczyk, V.F., also serves as Vicar Forane of the diocese's Low Desert Vicariate. The parish's stated mission is to be 'a Community of Believers in Jesus, the Christ, called to impact Family, Neighborhood and Society with the Gospel so that People's lives are filled with Hope.'
- Established
- 1953
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (under the title Mary of the Valley)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Mark E. Kotlarczyk, V.F.
- Diocese
- Diocese of San Bernardino
Why belong here
St. Mary of the Valley is a mid-sized High Desert parish with a genuinely bilingual identity (English and Spanish Mass every Sunday), strong sacramental life (daily Mass four days a week, Friday morning Adoration, Saturday confessions, Lenten Stations of the Cross), and a strikingly active lay community — more than two dozen named ministries including RCIA, a Music Ministry, Altar Servers, Eucharistic Ministers, a Pro-Life Rosary, a Monday Night Prayer Group, and a monthly Soup Kitchen for the homeless. Worship is complemented by Religious Education for children preparing for First Communion and Reconciliation, and the parish extends its mission outward, from local fellowship to international aid like a recent clean-water project in Honduras.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Valley
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays at 9:30 AM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Fridays 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM (per the parish homepage)
- Thursdays 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, September through April (per the Ministries page)
About St. Mary of the Valley
St. Mary of the Valley Catholic Community is a parish of the Diocese of San Bernardino serving the High Desert communities of Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree, California. The parish's stated mission is: 'We are a Community of Believers in Jesus, the Christ, called to impact Family, Neighborhood and Society with the Gospel so that People's lives are filled with Hope.' It was founded in 1953 and today offers Mass in both English and Spanish, a full slate of sacraments, Religious Education, and more than two dozen lay ministries.
- Diocese: San Bernardino
- Mission: Community of Believers called to impact Family, Neighborhood and Society with the Gospel
- Founded 1953
Parish History
The parish traces its origin to Palm Sunday 1953, when Father Norman Smith celebrated the first Mass in a small building at the corner of Onaga and Church Streets in Yucca Valley. Father Edward Creighton assumed duties as pastor the following November, formally establishing the parish. In 1954 the parish recorded its first Confirmation (14 candidates), First Communion (4 children), a marriage, and a funeral of that same bride. The first Mass in the 'old church' was offered June 5, 1955, and the first Mass in the present-day 'new church' followed on June 12, 1994 — exactly one year shy of 40 years later. The parish website noted that parishioners were eagerly anticipating the 50th anniversary of the parish's founding.
- Palm Sunday 1953: First Mass by Fr. Norman Smith at Onaga and Church Streets
- November 1953: Fr. Edward Creighton assumes duties as pastor
- 1954 sacramental firsts: Confirmation (14), First Communion (4), one marriage, one funeral
- June 5, 1955: First Mass in the 'old church'
- June 12, 1994: First Mass in the 'new church' (current building)
Devotions
Outside of Mass and Adoration, the parish maintains a strong rhythm of Marian and devotional prayer. The Rosary is prayed Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM, and is also recited Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings at 7:30 AM before daily Mass. During Lent, Stations of the Cross are prayed on Friday evenings at 6:30 PM in the Chapel, followed by soup and sharing in Sacred Heart Hall.
- Rosary: Sunday 9:00 AM
- Rosary: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 7:30 AM before Mass
- Stations of the Cross: Fridays 6:30 PM in the Chapel during Lent, followed by soup in Sacred Heart Hall
- Monday Night Prayer Group: 7:00 PM in the Convent Chapel (Gospel, Liturgy of the Hours, intercessory prayer, alternating Rosary or Divine Mercy)
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Very Rev. Mark E. Kotlarczyk, V.F., who serves both as Pastor of St. Mary of the Valley and as Vicar Forane of the Low Desert Vicariate (since July 1, 2023). Deacon Glenn Miller assists, and the lay staff includes the Parish Secretary/Bookkeeper, the Hispanic Ministry/Religious Education coordinator, and the Youth Ministry coordinator (the same person currently serves both Religious Education and Youth Ministry roles).
- Pastor: Rev. Mark Kotlarczyk — [email protected]
- Deacon: Glenn Miller
- Parish Secretary / Bookkeeper: Mary Agre — [email protected]
- Hispanic Ministry / Religious Ed: Maggie Giron (760-365-2287; [email protected])
- Youth Ministry: Maggie Giron (760-365-2287)
- Main office line: (760) 365-2287
Religious Education & Sacraments
The Religious Education office, under Maggie Giron, prepares children for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion and supports Confirmation candidates. Preparation involves in-home study, attendance at Sunday Mass, weekly lessons turned in the following Sunday, and a six-month course before the Sacrament is celebrated. The 2021 family fee was $100, with no child turned away for inability to pay. The parish also runs the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) for adults seeking Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist, and Baptism Preparation for parents of infants.
- Office hours: Wednesday–Friday, 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM
- Sacrament preparation: Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation
- RCIA for adult candidates
- Baptism Preparation for parents
- Contact: Maggie Giron, 760-365-2287 (text 760-660-2534), [email protected]
Lay Ministries & Groups
St. Mary of the Valley lists more than two dozen active ministries and groups, ranging from liturgical roles to fellowship and outreach. Musicians rehearse Tuesday evenings; the Men's Group meets every other Saturday morning; the Women's Group gathers as scheduled with babysitting available; the Monday Night Prayer Group reads the upcoming Sunday's Gospel in the Convent Chapel. Outreach includes a monthly Soup Kitchen for the homeless. Liturgical ministries include Altar Servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Communion (Eucharistic Minister), Lectors, Greeters, Ushers, Sacristans, and the Liturgical Linen Service. Advisory and support ministries include the Finance Council, Parish Pastoral Council, Offertory Counters, Fellowship Committee, and Flowers and Grounds.
- Music Ministry — Tuesday 7:00 PM rehearsals, sings 11:30 AM Sunday Mass (note: site text)
- Men's Group — every other Saturday 7:30–8:50 AM
- Women's Group — as scheduled, babysitting available
- Monday Night Prayer Group — 7:00 PM in Convent Chapel
- Pro-Life Rosary
- Eucharistic Adoration — Thursdays 9 AM–3 PM (Sept–April)
- Baptism Preparation, Eucharistic Minister, Finance Council, Fellowship Committee, Offertory Counters
- Flowers and Grounds, Parish Pastoral Council, Greeters, Lector
- Senior Altar Server, Liturgical Linen Service, Stations of the Cross (Lent)
- RCIA, Usher, Sacristan, Soup Kitchen (monthly, for the homeless)
Locations & Mission Chapel
The main parish is at 7495 Church St, Yucca Valley, CA 92284 (phone 760-365-2287). St. Christopher of the Desert, located at 61261 Sunburst Dr, Joshua Tree, CA 92252 (760-366-8710), is a mission chapel of St. Mary of the Valley. As of the current parish website, all Masses are celebrated in Yucca Valley and there are no services at St. Christopher of the Desert at this time.
- St. Mary of the Valley: 7495 Church St, Yucca Valley, CA 92284 — (760) 365-2287
- St. Christopher of the Desert (mission chapel): 61261 Sunburst Dr, Joshua Tree, CA 92252 — (760) 366-8710
Outreach & Charity
Parishioners at St. Mary of the Valley live out the Works of Mercy locally and internationally. The parish runs a monthly Soup Kitchen that provides hot meals to the homeless in the High Desert. During Lent, Friday soup dinners are collected as almsgiving, and in one recent Lent these donations — together with other parish contributions — were directed as a $5,000 gift through Food For The Poor toward a multi-year clean-water and sanitation project serving the people of Choluteca, Honduras. The parish also partners with Food For The Poor by hosting visiting missionary priests who speak at weekend Masses.
- Monthly Soup Kitchen for the homeless
- Lenten Friday soup-dinner almsgiving tradition
- $5,000 donation through Food For The Poor for clean-water project in Choluteca, Honduras
- Hosts Food For The Poor missionary priests for weekend Masses
Contact, Giving & Online Resources
The parish office can be reached by phone at (760) 365-2287, by online contact form, or by mail at 7495 Church St, Yucca Valley, CA 92284. The parish website is hosted on the Our Sunday Visitor platform, which provides online giving, daily readings, Catholic news links, and an online contact form. Parish Secretary Mary Agre can be emailed at [email protected]. The parish also maintains a public Facebook presence under the page name 'St. Mary of the Valley Catholic Church' (facebook.com/stmaryvalley).
- Phone: (760) 365-2287
- Website: https://www.stmaryofthevalley.com/
- Online giving, daily readings, Catholic news via Our Sunday Visitor platform
- Facebook: facebook.com/stmaryvalley
- Parish Secretary email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Norman Smith1953
Celebrated the parish's very first Mass at the corner of Onaga and Church Streets on Palm Sunday 1953.
- Fr. Edward Creighton1953 –
Assumed duties as pastor in November 1953, formally establishing the parish.