About St. Paul · Knights Landing, California
St. Paul Parish is a Catholic parish serving the small Yolo County community of Knights Landing, California, established in 1949 and part of the Diocese of Sacramento's Yolo Deanery. The parish celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish each Sunday and ministers to farm-working families along the Sacramento River bottomlands. It is closely paired with its mission church, St. Agnes in nearby Zamora, sharing clergy and religious education staff.
- Established
- 1949
- Patron
- St. Paul (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. Ryan Mahar (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sacramento (Yolo Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Paul Parish is a welcoming bilingual Catholic community that celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish every Sunday, making it a natural fit for the multi-generational farm-working families of Knights Landing and the surrounding Yolo County bottomlands. It offers daily weekday Mass, weekly confession, and Eucharistic adoration, as well as religious education staffed by a parish catechist. Worshipping here also means being part of the historic St. Agnes Mission in nearby Zamora, sharing clergy and parish life across two small rural communities.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday: 7:00 PM (per 2021 diocesan directory)
- Before Mass or upon request (per parish listing)
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 7:00 PM
Parish Identity and History
St. Paul Parish was established in 1949 to serve the farming community of Knights Landing in the Sacramento River bottomlands of Yolo County. It belongs to the Diocese of Sacramento and is one of eight parishes in the Yolo Deanery, alongside Holy Cross and Our Lady of Grace in West Sacramento, Holy Rosary in Woodland, St. Anthony in Winters, St. Peter in Dixon, and St. James in Davis. The parish is listed on the diocese's website as established in 1949 and has historically been served by Irish-born and Latino clergy alike. Early pastor Fr. Paul Degnan went on to lead St. James Parish in Davis from 1952 to 1963.
- Founded: 1949
- Diocese: Sacramento
- Deanery: Yolo
- Current Yolo Dean: Rev. Antonio Racela
- Patron: St. Paul the Apostle
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently administered by Rev. Ryan Mahar as Parochial Administrator according to the Diocese of Sacramento website. The 2021 diocesan directory lists Rev. Eugenio Lopez as pastor and identifies two deacons and a parish catechist supporting the community. Because the parish shares a mission church and is rural, diocesan priests are periodically reassigned to it.
- Rev. Ryan Mahar — Parochial Administrator (current, per scd.org)
- Rev. Eugenio Lopez — Pastor (per 2021 directory)
- Dcn. Antonio Gonzalez
- Dcn. Hermenegildo Varela
- Sheila Cruickshank — Religious Education
St. Agnes Mission, Zamora
St. Paul Parish's satellite mission is St. Agnes Church at 9865 Main Street in Zamora, also in Yolo County. The mission shares the parish's clergy and contact number. Mass at St. Agnes is celebrated Saturday afternoon (4:30 PM in winter, 5:30 PM in summer), and Holy Day Masses rotate between St. Agnes and St. Paul. St. Agnes itself is the older church: it was built in 1906–1909 on land donated and funded by Agnes Bemmerly, and was dedicated in May 1909.
- Address: 9865 Main Street, Zamora, CA 95698
- Phone: (530) 735-6478 (shared with St. Paul Parish)
- Mass: Saturday 4:30 PM (winter) / 5:30 PM (summer)
- Holy Day Mass: 5:30 PM English at St. Agnes
- Original St. Agnes church dedicated May 1909
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish coordinates Religious Education for the children of Knights Landing and Zamora through a parish catechist, supported by the Diocese of Sacramento's Office of Family and Faith Formation. Programs serve both English- and Spanish-speaking families, reflecting the parish's bilingual Sunday schedule.
- Catechist: Sheila Cruickshank
- Diocesan liaison: Office of Family and Faith Formation, (916) 733-0123
- Bilingual faith formation for English- and Spanish-speaking families
Diocese of Sacramento and Yolo Deanery
St. Paul Parish is part of the Yolo Deanery of the Diocese of Sacramento, one of several geographic groupings the diocese uses to organize parishes across Northern California. The current dean of the Yolo Deanery is Rev. Antonio Racela. The Yolo Deanery also includes Holy Cross (West Sacramento), Our Lady of Grace (West Sacramento), Holy Rosary (Woodland), St. Anthony (Winters), St. Peter (Dixon), and St. James (Davis).
- Diocese: Sacramento (headquartered in Sacramento, CA)
- Deanery: Yolo
- Yolo Dean: Rev. Antonio Racela
- Sister parishes include St. James (Davis) and St. Anthony (Winters)
Visiting and Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Paul Parish by phone during parish hours, and mail is directed to P.O. Box 176, Knights Landing, CA 95645. The parish is listed at two slightly different street addresses in diocesan materials: 222 Sycamore Way and 513 Locust Street, both in Knights Landing.
- Street: 222 Sycamore Way, Knights Landing, CA 95645
- Alternate street: 513 Locust Street, Knights Landing, CA 95645
- Mailing: P.O. Box 176, Knights Landing, CA 95645
- Phone: (530) 735-6478
- Fax: (530) 735-9498
- Diocesan website: scd.org/parish/st-paul-parish-knights-landing
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Paul Degnanbefore 1952
Pastored St. Paul Parish in Knights Landing before being appointed pastor of St. James, Davis on November 14, 1952; born 1907 in County Leitrim, Ireland, ordained 1932 in San Francisco.
- Rev. Eugenio Lopezlisted 2021
Listed as pastor of St. Paul Parish in the 2021 diocesan directory.
- Rev. Ryan Maharcurrent
Listed by the Diocese of Sacramento as current Parochial Administrator of St. Paul Parish.