About St. Patricks · Angels Camp, California
St. Patrick Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Stockton that worships at four sites across the Mother Lode country of the Sierra Nevada: St. Patrick's in Angels Camp (the main church and parish office), St. Patrick's in Murphys, Our Lady of the Sierra in Arnold, and St. Ignatius of Antioch in Copperopolis. The parish describes itself as a worshipping community centered on the Eucharistic Lord, seeking to follow Christ's call to holiness and proclaiming the truths of the Catholic faith. It serves a bilingual community with regular Spanish-language Masses and a Hispanic ministry, and it supports a Catholic preschool, faith formation for children, OCIA for adults, and a St. Vincent de Paul conference.
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. John Peter Pragasam
- Diocese
- Diocese of Stockton
Why belong here
St. Patrick Parish is a bilingual Eucharistic community with daily Mass, perpetual daytime adoration Monday through Friday, and a busy Hispanic ministry, so newcomers from any of the four foothill towns can find a Mass and a ministry in their own language. It runs a Catholic preschool, children's faith formation (CFF), Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA), a parish cemetery, and a St. Vincent de Paul conference for the poor, making it a real center of Catholic life for Calaveras County. The parish invites visitors to join Flocknote for updates and to follow the bulletin online.
Mass times at St. Patricks
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- St. Patrick's, Angels Camp: Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
- Advent & Lent: additional Wednesday 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Angels Camp
- Our Lady of the Sierra: Saturday 4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- St. Ignatius Mission, Copperopolis: Sunday 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- St. Patrick's, Angels Camp: Monday – Friday 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- St. Patrick's, Angels Camp: Family Holy Hour, Friday 5:30 p.m.
- St. Patrick's, Angels Camp: First Friday 7:00 a.m. through First Saturday 8:00 a.m. (overnight adoration)
- St. Patrick's, Murphys: Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Our Lady of the Sierra, Arnold: Friday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
About St. Patrick Parish
St. Patrick Parish is a Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Stockton that gathers for worship at four sites along the Mother Lode: St. Patrick in Angels Camp, St. Patrick Mission in Murphys, Our Lady of the Sierra in Arnold, and St. Ignatius of Antioch in Copperopolis. The parish describes itself as 'a worshipping community centered on the Eucharistic Lord, seeking to follow Christ's call to holiness, and proclaiming the truths of the Catholic faith.' It serves a bilingual English/Spanish congregation with regular Spanish Masses and a Hispanic ministry.
- Four worship sites in Calaveras County
- Diocese of Stockton
- Bilingual English/Spanish liturgy
History
Catholic life in the Angels Camp area stretches back to the Gold Rush, when missionary priests out of Stockton's St. Mary's served the Mother Lode mining towns. In 1856 Father Cornelius Delahunty was assigned to the lower Mother Lode district, including San Andreas, Murphy's, and Angel's Camp. The mission at Murphys was constructed 1858–1861 and dedicated on November 3, 1861. The parish was part of the Diocese of Sacramento in the early 20th century — in October 1949 Bishop Robert J. Armstrong appointed Father Daniel C. Cullinan as assistant pastor at St. Patrick's, Angels Camp. The parish came under the Diocese of Stockton when that diocese was created in 1962.
- Gold Rush–era missionary foundations
- Murphys church built 1858–1861, dedicated 1861
- Originally Sacramento diocese, transferred to Stockton diocese 1962
Worship Sites
The parish is structured as one canonical parish served across four church buildings. St. Patrick's in Angels Camp (820 S. Main St.) is the main church and location of the parish office. St. Patrick's in Murphys (619 Sheep Ranch Road), Our Lady of the Sierra in Arnold (1301 Linebaugh Avenue), and St. Ignatius of Antioch in Copperopolis (411 Main Street) each host Sunday Masses so worshippers do not have to drive far up or down Highway 4.
- St. Patrick, Angels Camp — main church, parish office
- St. Patrick, Murphys (619 Sheep Ranch Rd.)
- Our Lady of the Sierra, Arnold (1301 Linebaugh Ave.)
- St. Ignatius of Antioch, Copperopolis (411 Main St.)
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for all seven sacraments. Baptisms are scheduled through the parish office. First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation are prepared through the Children's Faith Formation program. Couples must contact the parish at least six months before a wedding for spiritual, liturgical, and canonical preparation. Anointing of the Sick and home/hospital/assisted-living Communion visits are arranged by calling the parish office.
- Baptism — call parish office
- First Communion / Confirmation — via Children's Faith Formation
- Marriage — 6 months advance preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — by request through the office
- Communion to the sick and homebound
Faith Formation
Children's Faith Formation (CFF) is directed by Brendan Wicke and prepares children for the sacraments of initiation. Adults seeking to become Catholic or to be received into full communion join the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA), led by Deacon couple Jared and Tara Hungerford along with Rainer and Hedi Blankenhorn. The parish also runs a Catholic preschool under director Winslow Steigerwald, with its own website at stpatrickscatholicpreschool.org.
- Children's Faith Formation — Brendan Wicke
- OCIA — Jared & Tara Hungerford, Rainer & Hedi Blankenhorn
- St. Patrick's Catholic Preschool — Winslow Steigerwald
Hispanic Ministry
The parish serves a significant Spanish-speaking community. A Spanish Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 7:00 p.m. at St. Patrick's, Angels Camp, and a Spanish Mass is offered at 6:00 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays. The Hispanic ministry also periodically sponsors a healing Mass (announced in the bulletin). Bulletins (boletines) are published bilingually, and parish announcements are posted in both English and Spanish.
- Spanish Saturday Vigil 7:00 p.m.
- Spanish Mass 2nd & 4th Wednesday 6:00 p.m.
- Healing Mass — announced dates
- Boletines en español
St. Vincent de Paul
St. Patrick Parish hosts a St. Vincent de Paul conference, the Catholic charitable organization that serves the poor and vulnerable through home visits, food, rent and utility assistance, and material aid. The conference is part of the parish's outreach mission and is featured as its own menu item on the parish website.
- Parish-based St. Vincent de Paul conference
- Home visits and direct aid to neighbors in need
Parish Staff
The parish is led by pastor Rev. Fr. John Peter Pragasam. A deacon couple, Jared and Tara Hungerford, assist with liturgy and OCIA, alongside OCIA team members Rainer and Hedi Blankenhorn. Children's Faith Formation is directed by Brendan Wicke and the preschool by Winslow Steigerwald. Office staff includes Cindy Ryan (Office Manager), Claudia Belmessieri (Bookkeeper), and Brigid Ramirez (Bulletins). Office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
- Pastor: Rev. Fr. John Peter Pragasam
- Deacon couple: Jared & Tara Hungerford
- OCIA: Rainer & Hedi Blankenhorn
- Children's Faith Formation: Brendan Wicke
- Preschool Director: Winslow Steigerwald
- Office Manager: Cindy Ryan
- Bookkeeper: Claudia Belmessieri
- Bulletins: Brigid Ramirez
Church Coordinators and Cemetery
Each of the four worship sites has a designated coordinator: Dewayne Brown for St. Patrick's Angels Camp, Kasey Musachia for St. Patrick's Murphys, Bob Greenberg for Our Lady of the Sierra, and Laurie Leone for St. Ignatius. Sue Ten Eyck serves as Cemetery Manager, indicating that the parish operates its own Catholic cemetery.
- Dewayne Brown — Angels Camp coordinator
- Kasey Musachia — Murphys coordinator
- Bob Greenberg — Our Lady of the Sierra coordinator
- Laurie Leone — St. Ignatius coordinator
- Sue Ten Eyck — Cemetery Manager
Stay Connected
Parishioners are encouraged to sign up for Flocknote to receive parish updates by email or text. The parish also subscribes to the Hallow prayer app, which is available to parishioners. Parish pictures, announcements, and bilingual bulletins are posted on the website at stpatricksangelscamp.com.
- Flocknote parish email/text updates
- Hallow app access
- Online bulletins and announcements
- Parish pictures gallery on the website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Daniel C. Cullinan1949–1952
First appointment as assistant pastor at St. Patrick Parish, Angels Camp; appointed by Bishop Robert J. Armstrong of the Diocese of Sacramento.