About St. Mary's Church · Buttonwillow, California
St. Mary's Church in Buttonwillow, California is a small Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Fresno serving the farming community of Buttonwillow in northwestern Kern County. Established in 1941 according to GCatholic's records, the parish at 420 Main Street has long been closely tied to St. Mary's Parish in Taft, with the two communities placed under shared pastoral administration in 1985–86 and, since 1990, the pastor of St. Mary's in Taft having responsibility for the Buttonwillow mission. Worship is offered in both English and Spanish to reflect the area's bilingual community, and the parish remains an active presence in this rural stretch of the San Joaquin Valley.
- Established
- 1941
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fresno
Why belong here
St. Mary's Buttonwillow offers a welcoming, bilingual Catholic community in a small rural town, with Mass celebrated in both English and Spanish to serve the area's farmworking families. The parish is currently pastored together with St. Mary's Parish in Taft, so parishioners benefit from stable, long-term clergy connected to a larger neighboring community. With weekly Mass, Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays, and Saturday confessions before the vigil Mass, St. Mary's provides the regular sacraments and devotional life that a close-knit parish family depends on.
Mass times at St. Mary's Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 6:00 PM (before Mass)
Adoration times
- Friday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
St. Mary's Church, Buttonwillow
St. Mary's is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Fresno serving the small, predominantly agricultural community of Buttonwillow in the northwestern part of Kern County, California. The parish is located at 420 Main Street and has been an active worship site since its founding in 1941. Mass and the sacraments are offered in both English and Spanish, reflecting the bilingual character of the surrounding farming community.
History of the Parish
GCatholic records the establishment of the parish at 1941. Throughout its history, St. Mary's Buttonwillow has been closely tied to St. Mary's Parish in Taft (formally dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel, founded 1918). In 1985–86 the two parishes were placed under a single administration, and from 1990 onward the pastor of St. Mary's in Taft has been responsible for the parish in Buttonwillow. The parish has served multigenerational farm and oil-field families in the Buttonwillow area, and its lay faithful have long organized parish life through groups such as the parish council and men's club.
- Parish established: 1941
- Joint administration with St. Mary's Taft: 1985–86
- Continuous shared pastoral leadership: since 1990
Parish & Diocese
St. Mary's Buttonwillow is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno. It shares its pastor with St. Mary's Parish in Taft, and the two communities function together as one pastoral unit serving this part of western Kern County.
- Diocese: Fresno
- Sister parish: St. Mary, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Taft
Visiting St. Mary's Buttonwillow
The church is located at 420 Main Street in Buttonwillow, on Main Street north of Front Street (State Route 58), at the north end of the road. The parish office can be reached at (661) 764-5486. Visitors are warmly welcomed at any of the weekly Masses.
- Address: 420 Main St., Buttonwillow, CA 93206
- Phone: (661) 764-5486
- Location: north of Front St./SR 58 on Main Street
Notable Parishioners & Community Life
St. Mary's has been at the center of Catholic family life in Buttonwillow for generations. Lifelong parishioners have served on the parish council, men's club, and numerous community organizations through the parish. In 1996 Pope John Paul II awarded the Benemerenti Medal to longtime parishioner Arthur Ghilarducci in recognition of his outstanding service to the Catholic Church, an honor that reflects the deep commitment of families connected to this small rural parish.
- St. Mary's Church Council
- St. Mary's Men's Club
- Benemerenti Medal — Arthur Ghilarducci, 1996