About St. Mel · Fair Oaks, California
St. Mel Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Sacramento serving the village of Fair Oaks in Sacramento County, California. Catholic life in the community dates back to 1921, when it began as a mission of St. John's Parish in Folsom; on November 7, 1947, Bishop Robert J. Armstrong established St. Mel as an independent parish. Today the parish worships at its current church — dedicated on Trinity Sunday, June 17, 1973 — at 4745 Pennsylvania Avenue, and is supported by St. Mel Catholic School (TK–8), an active Legion of Mary praesidium, a Knights of Columbus council (Council #6066), Eucharistic Adoration, weekly devotions, and a Catholic Faith Formation program for children.
- Established
- 1947
- Patron
- St. Mel of Longford (5th-century Irish bishop-patron)
- Rector
- Rev. Desmond O'Reilly
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sacramento (American River Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Mel is a welcoming Catholic community in the heart of Fair Oaks where families can attend daily and Sunday Mass, send their children to the parish school (TK–8), and grow in faith through Catholic Faith Formation, OCIA, Legion of Mary, Knights of Columbus Council #6066, and the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel open 6 a.m.–10 p.m. daily. Sunday Mass is livestreamed on Facebook for the homebound, confession is offered every Saturday, and a weekly Mother of Perpetual Help devotion follows Tuesday Mass — making it easy to plug into the rhythms of parish life.
Mass times at St. Mel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Baptismal Room inside the church
- By appointment — call the church office at 916-967-1229
Adoration times
- Adoration Chapel open daily, 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Currently seeking adorers for Saturday 5:00–6:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00–11:00 a.m.
History of St. Mel Parish
Catholic faith came to Fair Oaks in 1921 when Auxiliary Bishop P.J. Keane dedicated a mission cross on Bridge Street, and 100 men from the surrounding region erected a rustic church shell in a single day on November 13 of that year. For 26 years the community was served as a mission of St. John's Parish in Folsom. Bishop Robert J. Armstrong established St. Mel as an independent parish on November 7, 1947, appointing Father Patrick Cronin as founding pastor. The parish then grew rapidly under Father William Horgan, who oversaw construction of the school, convent, rectory, temporary church, and the current permanent church, dedicated on Trinity Sunday, June 17, 1973.
- 1921 — Mission cross dedicated on Bridge Street by Auxiliary Bishop P.J. Keane
- Nov 13, 1921 — 100 men raise a rustic church shell in one day
- 1921–1947 — Mission of St. John's Parish, Folsom (served by 6 priests)
- Nov 7, 1947 — Parish established; Father Patrick Cronin named founding pastor
- Sept 8, 1959 — St. Mel School opens with the Sisters of Mercy from Doon, Ireland
- May 1961 — First Mass in the temporary church; dedicated October 1961 by Bishop Joseph McGucken
- Oct 1972 — Ground broken for permanent church on Pennsylvania & Sunset
- Jun 17, 1973 (Trinity Sunday) — Parish worships in its new church for the first time
Devotions
Two longstanding Marian devotions are central to the spiritual life of St. Mel. The Mother of Perpetual Help Devotion is prayed every Tuesday following the 8:30 a.m. Mass, and the Legion of Mary — itself founded at St. Mel by Father Cronin in 1948 — meets on Thursday mornings at 9:00 a.m. for prayer, work reports, and a new apostolic assignment.
- Mother of Perpetual Help Devotion — Tuesdays after the 8:30 a.m. Mass
- Legion of Mary — Thursday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in the church
- Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and Home Blessings through the Legion
- Legion makes hundreds of parish house calls and distributes Communion to ~500 patients annually
St. Mel Catholic School (TK–8)
St. Mel School has educated the children of the parish since opening on September 8, 1959 with the Sisters of Mercy from Doon, Ireland as its first teachers. Today the school serves Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade at 4748 Pennsylvania Avenue under Principal Megan French, with a full faculty listed on the school's website and a Spanish teacher for TK–8th. The school phone is 916-967-2814.
- Opened September 8, 1959 — Sisters of Mercy from Doon, Ireland
- Address: 4748 Pennsylvania Avenue, Fair Oaks, CA 95628
- Phone: 916-967-2814
- Principal: Megan French
- Spanish Teacher (TK–8): Maria Nuñez
- Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten programs offered
Catholic Faith Formation (CFF)
St. Mel's Catholic Faith Formation program welcomes children ages 5–14 for catechetical instruction in three groupings: First Communion/Reconciliation (grades K–2), First Communion/Reconciliation (grades 3–5), and Confirmation (grades 6–9). Classes meet Sunday mornings 9:15–10:15 a.m. in the school. CFF for sacramental preparation is a two-year commitment at $75 per student per year; Year 2 classes will begin in August 2026. For older children (15+) and adults preparing for baptism, OCIA coordinator Michael Faber can be reached at [email protected] or (916) 719-5565.
- Three Sunday-morning classes: 9:15–10:15 a.m.
- K–2 First Communion/Reconciliation (School Library)
- Grades 3–5 First Communion/Reconciliation (JP2 room)
- Grades 6–9 Confirmation (School Cafeteria)
- Two-year sacramental commitment, $75 per student per year
- OCIA/RCIA coordinator: Michael Faber
Knights of Columbus Council #6066
The Father Richard Doheny Council #6066 of the Knights of Columbus is one of St. Mel's most active lay organizations, sponsoring the annual St. Mel Parish Blood Drive, Pancake Breakfast, Monthly Food Collection for the Needy, Religious Appreciation Dinner, Parish Rummage Sale, Oktoberfest, St. Patrick's Day Dinner, Golf Tournament, Family Fun Knight, Wheelchair Breakfast, and Intellectual Disability Drive. The Council also administers the Father Richard Doheny Religious Education Fund in his memory to promote vocations through financial assistance.
- Council #6066 — 'The Father Richard Doheny Council'
- Contact: [email protected]
- Father Richard Doheny Religious Education Fund: [email protected]
- Major annual events include the Rummage Sale, Oktoberfest, St. Patrick's Day Dinner, and Golf Tournament
Contact & Office
The Parish Office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and is closed on holidays. Parishioners may drop envelopes in the brown locked mailbox to the left of the Parish Center doors, call 916-967-1229 (press 2 if you need a priest) or fax 916-967-5659, or email [email protected].
- Office hours: Mon–Fri, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Phone: 916-967-1229 (press 2 for a priest)
- Fax: 916-967-5659
- Email: [email protected]
- Envelope drop-box: brown locked mailbox to the left of the Parish Center doors
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Six mission priests from St. John's Parish, Folsom1921–1947
Served the Catholic faithful of Fair Oaks while St. Mel was a mission.
- Father Patrick CroninNov 7, 1947 – Feb 1956
Founding pastor; organized the Legion of Mary; oversaw completion of the rectory in 1948.
- Father William HorganApr 16, 1956 – Jun 1974
The 'building pastor' — oversaw acquisition of the Pennsylvania/Sunset property, school (opened 1959), convent, rectory, temporary church, and permanent church (dedicated June 17, 1973). Became Pastor Emeritus and retired in 1985.
- Monsignor Cornelius P. HigginsJul 28, 1974 – Jul 28, 1976
Simultaneously Chancellor of the Diocese of Sacramento; appointed first Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist.
- Father Richard DohenyMid-summer 1976 –
Converted confessionals into face-to-face reconciliation rooms with the 1977 New Rite of Penance; led major maintenance and the acquisition of three parcels across Pennsylvania Avenue for parking.
- Rev. Desmond O'Reilly
Current pastor.