About St. Patrick · Fortuna, California
St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Loleta, California, is a mission church serving the community alongside St. Joseph's Church in Fortuna, both under the same parish administration. Established in 1909, it has a rich history rooted in the early Catholic presence in Humboldt County, with its current structure built in 1925. The parish offers Mass in English and Spanish, sacraments, and community ministries including a food pantry and outreach programs. It is part of the Diocese of Santa Rosa and serves a rural, working-class population with a strong emphasis on pastoral care and faith formation.
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Fr. Gabriel Sanchez Navarro
- Diocese
- Diocese of Santa Rosa
Why belong here
Join a parish that offers compassionate pastoral care, including a food pantry and outreach programs. Experience Mass in both English and Spanish, and participate in vibrant ministries that serve the community. The parish has a long history of faith formation and sacramental life, rooted in the traditions of Humboldt County since 1909.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 4:00 pm on Saturday at St. Joseph Church
- 11:30 am on Sunday
- By appointment. Please call the Parish Office.
History
St. Patrick's was established as a mission church in 1925, originally serving the Loleta area under St. Joseph's in Fortuna. It was built to replace the Table Bluff Mission, which moved there. The parish was formally established in 1909 under Father Michael Gaffney, who also founded St. Joseph's Church in Fortuna in 1911. The Diocese of Santa Rosa was formed in 1962, and the parish became part of it. A school was built in 1964 and closed in 1971. The St. Joseph's Pantry Shelf was established in 1980 to provide emergency food assistance.
Sacraments
Sacraments are available including Reconciliation, Baptism, and Marriage. Reconciliation is offered at 4 p.m. on Saturday at St. Joseph Church and 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Baptisms and Marriages require an appointment with the Pastor.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Gabriel Sanchez Navarro2025
- Father Edilberto Ramon2018 - 2025
- Father Manuel Chavez2012 - 2018
- Father Ramon Pons2010 - 2012
- Father Louis Coddaire2006 - 2010
- Father James Trent1999 - 2006
- Father Norman Simoneau1995 - 1999
- Father Michael E. Kelly1994 - 1995
- Father Michaelraj Philominsamy and Fr. Mark Mosher1994
- Father Michael Cloney1988 - 1994
- Father Timothy O'Sullivan1985 - 1988
- Father Thomas W. Devereaux1979 - 1985
- Father Vincent Radvina1974 - 1979
- Father Norman Van Sile1970 - 1973
- Father John T. Butler1968 - 1970
- Father Daniel McCarthy1966 - 1968
- Father Michael Manogue1952 - 1966
- Father Michael Gaffney1940 - 1952
- Father James John Hynes1932 - 1940
- Father Patrick E. Meehan1931 - 1932
- Father Michael Gaffney1909 - 1931