About St. Mary · West Haven, Utah
St. Mary Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish serving western Weber County, Utah, from its current home at 4050 S. 3900 W. in West Haven. Originally founded in 1957 as the parish church for Catholics in Ogden, Roy, Hooper and West Weber, it was run for decades by the California Province of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and relocated to its present West Haven site in early 2008. Today it is a bilingual English/Spanish parish in the Diocese of Salt Lake City with three Sunday Masses, a 12 pm Misa en Español, daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, an active OCIA program, CCD religious education in both languages, a youth ministry for ages 12–17, and an annual Fall Festival.
- Established
- 1957
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (parish namesake: St. Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. Rafael Murillo
- Diocese
- Diocese of Salt Lake City
Why belong here
St. Mary is a welcoming bilingual parish that has served western Weber County Catholics for nearly seventy years, now from a roomy, purpose-built West Haven campus with seating for nearly double its original capacity. It offers daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, three Sunday Masses including a Spanish-language celebration, every-Friday Confession and Adoration, plus Monthly Nocturnal Adoration and Men's and Women's Holy Hours. An active OCIA process, CCD classes in English and Spanish, a Tuesday-evening youth ministry for ages 12–17, and a long list of lay ministries — lectors, EM's, altar servers, music, greeters, the Militia of the Immaculata, and Pro-Life — make it easy for new parishioners to get involved.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm (weekly)
- By appointment — call the parish office at 801-621-7961
Adoration times
- Weekly Adoration: every Friday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Monthly Nocturnal Adoration: begins Friday 8:00 pm (Evening Prayer / Liturgy of the Hours) through Saturday 8:00 am, with a Communion Service Saturday at 8:00 am
- Men's Holy Hour: 1st Tuesday of each month, 7:00 pm
- Women's Holy Hour: 4th Tuesday of each month, 6:00 pm Rosary followed by 6:30 pm Adoration
Parish History
St. Mary's roots reach back to Santa Maria Mission, a small Ogden outreach to Spanish-speaking Catholics dedicated by Bishop Duane G. Hunt on October 21, 1945. The mission was turned over to the California Province of the Jesuits in July 1954, with Fr. Louis Kern, S.J. and (from August 1955) Fr. Neale Herrlich, S.J. organizing the Spanish-speaking community and teaching at St. Joseph's High School. Ground was broken on a new red-brick church on October 10, 1956; the parish was canonically constituted and the building dedicated September 8, 1957. About eight years before the move, the parish of roughly 700 families began planning a relocation, broke ground on an 18,000-square-foot worship and administration building on a 10-acre site in West Haven, and dedicated the new church on June 8, 2008 — bringing the original stained-glass windows with them and welcoming a new chapter under diocesan clergy.
- 1945 — Santa Maria Mission dedicated on W. 22nd St., Ogden
- 1954 — Jesuit priests from the California Province take over pastoral care
- 1956 — Construction begins (Oct. 10)
- 1957 — Parish canonically constituted; church dedicated Sept. 8, 1957
- 1974 — Fr. Kern retires as pastor emeritus; Fr. Herrlich becomes pastor
- 1985–1987 — Stained-glass windows installed and blessed
- 1993 — Fr. Martin I. Rock, S.J. becomes pastor and superior of all Utah Jesuits
- 2008 — Parish relocates from 2740 Pennsylvania Ave., Ogden to 4050 S. 3900 W., West Haven; new church dedicated June 8, 2008
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently led by Pastor Fr. Rafael Murillo, assisted by Deacons Jesse Ricardez and Jack Clark, with Deacon Thom Rodgers retired. The lay team includes Office Staff Erika Magana, Nydia Badillo, Yolanda Nietert, and Finance lead Charity Balce, alongside Director of Religious Education Soraya Guzman and OCIA coordinator Gina Medina.
- Pastor — Fr. Rafael Murillo
- Deacon Jesse Ricardez
- Deacon Jack Clark
- Deacon Thom Rodgers (Retired)
- DRE — Soraya Guzman ([email protected])
- OCIA — Gina Medina, LEM ([email protected], 801-645-8078)
- Office — Erika Magana, Nydia Badillo, Yolanda Nietert (Tue–Fri 9:00 am–1:00 pm; closed Mondays)
- Finance — Charity Balce
- Office: 801-621-7961 · Fax 801-394-1244
Religious Education & OCIA
Faith formation at St. Mary is led by Director of Religious Education Soraya Guzman. The parish runs Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes in both English and Spanish each year, hosts a Youth Ministry for ages 12–17 that meets Tuesday evenings from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, and offers the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) for those preparing to enter the Church through Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.
- CCD English — registrations and annual classes (English track)
- CCD Spanish — registrations and annual classes (Spanish track)
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — coordinated by Gina Medina, 801-645-8078; $45 class fee; classes begin in late August
- Youth Ministry (ages 12–17) — Tuesdays 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm in 2026: Jan 13 & 27, plus June 9 & 23, July 14, Aug 25
Parish Ministries & Volunteer Life
St. Mary has a long roster of lay-led ministries, and the parish regularly invites new volunteers to 'use their gifts' as good stewards. From liturgical roles like Altar Servers and Lectors to outreach like the Pro-Life ministry and the Militia of the Immaculata, plus a parish Gift Shop staffed after Masses, there is room for nearly every talent.
- Altar Servers
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EM's)
- Communion to the Sick
- Lectors
- Greeters
- Music / Choir
- Funeral Ministry (reception in Room 8)
- Pro-Life
- MI — Militia of the Immaculata (renew / make consecrations on St. Maximilian Kolbe's Feast Day each August)
- Gift Shop — open after Masses and during the week by calling the office
- Flowers for the Altar — volunteer donors
- Future Needs Endowment — capital planning for the parish's future
Giving & Parish Membership
The parish sustains itself through regular weekly giving, online donations, and participation in the Diocese of Salt Lake City's annual Diocesan Development Drive (DDD). The parish also maintains a separate St. Mary's Future Needs Endowment for capital needs. New parishioners and current members are asked to register their family information online (or by returning the form to the office) so the parish can minister more effectively.
- Online giving available through the parish website
- Mail donations to St. Mary Catholic Church, 4050 S. 3900 W., West Haven, UT 84401
- St. Mary's Future Needs Endowment — for capital / facility needs
- Diocesan Development Drive (DDD) — annual diocesan appeal
- Parish registration form — submit online or in the offering basket
Parish Events & Calendar
Beyond the weekly schedule, St. Mary maintains an active parish calendar featuring seasonal community events. The biggest annual gathering is the Saint Mary's Fall Festival, scheduled for Saturday, September 26, 2026, and the parish publishes upcoming CCD registration dates and special devotions (such as Masses for St. Maximilian Kolbe's feast day each August).
- Saint Mary's Fall Festival — Saturday, September 26, 2026
- CCD registration — July 19 and August 23 (English)
- Annual Mass intention schedule (requests submitted by Monday)
- Monthly Nocturnal Adoration (Friday 8 pm – Saturday 8 am)
- Men's and Women's Holy Hours (1st / 4th Tuesdays)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Louis Kern, S.J.1957–1974 (pastor emeritus until 1984)
First pastor; organized the Spanish-speaking community and built the original St. Mary's church, dedicated September 8, 1957. Retired as pastor emeritus in 1974.
- Rev. Neale Herrlich, S.J.1974–c.1993
Succeeded Fr. Kern in 1974 and also served as superior of all Utah Jesuit Communities. Oversaw installation of stained-glass windows (first twelve blessed by Bishop Weigand on June 4, 1985).
- Rev. Martin I. Rock, S.J.January 1993–
Took over as pastor and superior of all Utah Jesuit Communities in January 1993; remodeled parish offices and rectory and instituted the Children's Sunday Liturgies.