About St. Peter Canisius · Sun Valley, Nevada
St. Peter Canisius is a Catholic parish in Sun Valley, Nevada, in the Diocese of Reno, serving one of the fastest-growing Hispanic Catholic communities in the Reno-Sparks area. The parish was originally built in the 1950s and formally established in 1970, and it was renamed Our Lady of Guadalupe when the church was re-consecrated on September 15, 2024 after a $5.5 million expansion. Under Father Edgar Villanueva, who became pastor in 2016, the parish is now celebrated as a diocesan center of Hispanic ministry offering bilingual and Spanish Masses, sacramental preparation, and an extensive outreach program including food drives, healthcare help, tax assistance, and 'Know Your Rights' immigration workshops.
- Established
- 1970
- Patron
- St. Peter Canisius (Dutch Jesuit, Doctor of the Church)
- Rector
- Rev. Edgar (Edgar) Villanueva
- Diocese
- Diocese of Reno (Catholic Diocese of Reno)
Why belong here
St. Peter Canisius is the spiritual home of one of the largest and fastest-growing Hispanic Catholic communities in northern Nevada, with Mass celebrated in both English and Spanish every Sunday. Beyond weekend liturgy, the parish operates kermeses, jaripeos, food drives, healthcare help, tax-assistance clinics, and 'Know Your Rights' immigration-law workshops — making it as much a community-services hub as a church. After the 2024 renovation the sanctuary now seats close to 800, with a brand-new baptismal font and a permanent confessional added for the first time.
Mass times at St. Peter Canisius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Friday: 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM (per Diocese of Reno Mass Times page)
Parish Identity & History
St. Peter Canisius Parish was first built in the 1950s on land donated by local benefactor Paul Gepford and was formally established as a parish in 1970 in the Diocese of Reno. Originally founded to serve Irish-American families in the working-class Sun Valley neighborhood northeast of Reno, the parish gradually transitioned into a bilingual and predominantly Hispanic Catholic community as the region's demographics shifted. After a $5.5 million expansion completed in 2024, the rebuilt church was re-consecrated and renamed Our Lady of Guadalupe on September 15, 2024, although the parish is still canonically listed as St. Peter Canisius on the diocesan register.
- First church built: 1950s
- Parish formally established: 1970
- Original founder/land donor: Paul Gepford
- Re-consecration and renaming to Our Lady of Guadalupe: September 15, 2024
- Listed by Aleteia as one of '5 Notable Catholic Sites to Visit in Nevada' (Feb 2025)
Pastor: Father Edgar Villanueva
Father Edgar Villanueva has served as pastor of St. Peter Canisius since his appointment by the Diocese of Reno in 2016. A native of Sinaloa, Mexico, he came to Reno at age 19 and worshiped at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church, where Monsignor Elwood James LaVoy famously told him he would one day 'build a church in Sun Valley for your people.' Father Edgar drove the parish's expansion campaign, organizing kermeses and jaripeos that raised more than $800,000 from the congregation and personally partnering with donor Tom Dolan to complete the project. He celebrated the first Mass in the renovated church on September 15, 2024 together with Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg.
- Originally from Sinaloa, Mexico
- Pastor since 2016
- Led $5.5 million expansion and 2024 re-consecration
Sacraments
The parish prepares and celebrates all the usual Catholic sacraments. Baptisms are scheduled on the 2nd and last Saturday of each month at 10:00 AM, with a required preparation class on the last Monday and Tuesday of the month from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Weddings require at least six months' advance notice so couples can complete marriage preparation. The Rite of Anointing of the Sick is available on request and on the First Friday/Sunday of each month.
- Baptism — 2nd & last Saturday of the month, 10:00 AM
- Baptism prep class — last Mon & Tue of the month, 6:00–8:00 PM
- Reconciliation — Mon–Fri, 1:00–8:00 PM
- Marriage — 6 months' advance notice required
- Anointing of the Sick — on request & 1st Friday/Sunday of the month
Hispanic Ministry & Community Outreach
St. Peter Canisius is one of the Diocese of Reno's designated parishes with Hispanic Ministry (Ministerio Hispano) and serves as a major center of Hispanic Catholic life in the Reno–Sparks area. The parish's outreach extends well beyond the sanctuary to include food drives, healthcare-help clinics, tax-assistance events, and 'Know Your Rights' workshops on immigration law, making the parish a year-round resource hub for working families in Sun Valley.
- Designated parish with Hispanic Ministry (Ministerio Hispano) in the Diocese of Reno
- Food drives for parish and neighborhood families
- Healthcare-help clinics
- Tax-assistance clinics
- 'Know Your Rights' immigration-law workshops
- Kermeses (community fairs) and jaripeos (Mexican-style rodeos) as fundraisers
The 2024 Expansion & Renovation
On October 15, 2023 the parish broke ground on a $5.5 million expansion project that was completed and consecrated on September 15, 2024. Only about 10% of the original 1950s building was retained; the new sanctuary seats close to 800 worshippers, up from 220. For the first time the parish now has a permanent confessional and a baptismal font. The congregation itself raised more than $800,000; the rest came from private donors led by Sir Thomas S. 'Tom' Dolan, president of the Dolan Auto Group, who chose the paint colors and pew design. The re-consecrated church was rededicated in Tom Dolan's memory after his death on September 12, 2024.
- Groundbreaking: October 15, 2023
- Re-consecration: September 15, 2024 (by Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg & Fr. Edgar Villanueva)
- Total cost: $5.5 million
- Congregation raised: $800,000+
- Lead donor: Sir Thomas S. 'Tom' Dolan (Dolan Auto Group)
- Capacity: ~800 (up from ~220)
- Added: permanent confessional and baptismal font (first in parish history)
- New paved parking lot
Visit & Contact
St. Peter Canisius is located in central Sun Valley, a working-class neighborhood northeast of Reno, Nevada. The parish office is reachable by phone during regular hours. Because the parish does not maintain its own standalone website, the most reliable current information — including Mass times, sacraments, and special announcements — is published through the Diocese of Reno's High Desert Catholic website.
- Address: 225 E. Fifth Avenue, Sun Valley, NV 89433
- Phone: (775) 673-6800
- Fax: (775) 673-2028
- Diocese of Reno website: highdesertcatholic.org
- Live Consecration replay: Diocese of Reno YouTube playlist (September 15, 2024)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Elwood James LaVoy
Mentor of Father Edgar Villanueva at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church in Reno; the monsignor famously told the young Villanueva, 'one day you are going to build a church in Sun Valley for your people.'
- Rev. Edgar Villanueva2016–present
Originally from Sinaloa, Mexico; appointed pastor of St. Peter Canisius by the Diocese of Reno in 2016; led the $5.5 million expansion and 2024 re-consecration as Our Lady of Guadalupe.