About St. Philomene · Sacramento, California
St. Philomene Catholic Church is a bilingual (English and Spanish) parish in the Arden-Arcade neighborhood of Sacramento, California, founded in 1948 by Msgr. Daniel Twomey as the first post-war suburban Catholic parish in the Sacramento area. Today it serves roughly 850 registered families and operates St. Philomene School (Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade), with worship offered in both English and Spanish and an active complement of lay-led ministries including a food pantry, a weekly meal program for the poor, faith formation (CCD), and a parish school. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Sacramento (American River Deanery) and is currently pastored by Rev. Victor Gutierrez, with Rev. Gerald J. Ryle serving as Pastor Emeritus.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- St. Philomena (legendary virgin and martyr)
- Rector
- Rev. Victor Gutierrez
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sacramento (American River Deanery, Sacramento County)
Why belong here
St. Philomene is a bilingual, multicultural Catholic community with deep roots in the Arden-Arcade neighborhood of Sacramento, founded in 1948 and now serving about 850 families in both English and Spanish. The parish combines a historic sanctuary and bell tower, a parish school (TK–8), and a wide range of lay-led ministries — including Faith Formation, Music, St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, and Sharing God's Bounty meals — so there are many ways to worship, learn, and serve. Its welcoming mission statement emphasizes unity in Christ and embraces the diversity of its members as a gift from God.
Mass times at St. Philomene
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (English and Spanish)
History of St. Philomene Parish
St. Philomene Parish celebrated its very first Mass in 1948 in the Bungalow Club, a Sacramento dance hall, with twenty-nine people present. Founded by Fr. Daniel Twomey as the first suburban Catholic church of the post-war era in Sacramento and named after the legendary virgin and martyr St. Philomena, the community moved a year later into a new two-wing building on seven acres at El Camino Avenue and Bell Street. Working with the architectural firm Dean & Dean, Twomey commissioned a sanctuary, school, and auditorium decorated with frescoes by John De Rosen, stained-glass windows, a hammered-copper baptismal font by Hans Crag, and a custom-built organ; a bell tower completed in 1961 now holds over two tons of bronze bells forty-nine feet above the ground. The parish grew so rapidly with the Arden-Arcade housing boom that it eventually spun off three daughter parishes — Our Lady of Assumption, St. Ignatius, and Presentation — and today serves about 850 families in a multicultural, bilingual setting. The history is documented in S. Avella, The Diocese of Sacramento — A Journey of Faith (Booklink, 2006), p. 241.
- Founded 1948 by Msgr. Daniel Twomey
- First Mass held in the Bungalow Club dance hall, 29 attendees
- 1949: school opened with six Loretto sisters; new sanctuary built at El Camino & Bell
- Architecture by Dean & Dean; frescoes by John De Rosen; baptismal font by Hans Crag
- Bell tower completed 1961; over two tons of bronze bells 49 feet above ground
- Daughter parishes: Our Lady of Assumption, St. Ignatius, Presentation
Clergy and Staff
St. Philomene is currently pastored by Rev. Victor Gutierrez, with Rev. Gerald J. Ryle serving as Pastor Emeritus after previously leading the parish from 2005 to 2009. The parish office team supports the pastor in administration, faith formation, music, and facilities, and is reachable through the main number 916-481-6757 with the extensions listed below.
- Rev. Victor Gutierrez — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Gerald J. Ryle — Pastor Emeritus
- Diana Jimenez — Bookkeeper / Administrative Assistant (ext. 1203, [email protected])
- Gabriela Valadez — Secretary / Parish Administrator (ext. 1200, [email protected])
- Music Coordinator (ext. 1204)
- Miluska Beltran — Volunteer Faith Formation Director ([email protected])
- Janitorial staff
Faith Formation and Religious Education
St. Philomene's Religious Education program (CCD) welcomes children from 1st grade through High School and is focused on the history and foundations of the Catholic Church, the seven sacraments, a personal relationship with God, and community with other parish children. Each class is led by a trained volunteer catechist and assistant; students must be enrolled for two consecutive years to receive First Communion and Confirmation. Registrations open in June each year, and the program runs September through May with two language tracks.
- Director: Miluska Beltran (Volunteer Faith Formation Director)
- English session: Wednesdays 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
- Spanish session: Thursdays 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
- Two consecutive years of enrollment required before First Communion and Confirmation
- Office located in the Marian Center on the parish campus
St. Philomene School
St. Philomene School is the parish's own Catholic school, opened in 1949 with six Loretto sisters teaching the first six grades. Today it is a Transitional Kindergarten through 8th-grade, inclusive, multicultural, dual-immersion community where students achieve academic excellence and become leaders committed to service. The school is a ministry of St. Philomene Parish in the Diocese of Sacramento and is led by Principal Kerri Bray.
- Established 1949 — six grades taught by six Loretto sisters
- Transitional Kindergarten through Grade 8
- Inclusive, multicultural, dual-immersion community
- Principal: Kerri Bray
- School address: 2320 El Camino Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95821
- A ministry of St. Philomene Parish, Diocese of Sacramento
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry invites parishioners to share their talents and time in the parish's liturgical celebrations as pianists, guitarists, cantors, and choir members. Those interested can contact the parish office at (916) 481-6757 ext. 1204 for more information.
- Open to pianists, guitarists, cantors, and choir members
- Contact: parish office, (916) 481-6757 ext. 1204
- Music Coordinator on staff
Outreach and Charity
St. Philomene runs two signature outreach programs that serve the poor and food-insecure of the surrounding Sacramento community, alongside a broader St. Vincent de Paul Conference. Adult volunteers must complete diocesan Safe Haven training and live-scan fingerprinting before serving.
- St. Philomene Food Closet (St. Vincent de Paul Conference) — open Mondays 9:00 AM – 12:15 PM; fresh produce and pastries available Mondays only
- Sharing God's Bounty — serves a hot, nutritious meal to the poor and underprivileged Tuesday evenings; volunteers help cook, serve, distribute bread and groceries, and clean up
- Information, job, housing, and social-service referrals provided through Sharing God's Bounty
- Adult volunteers must complete Safe Haven training and live-scan fingerprinting
Comité Hispano — Spanish-Speaking Community
The Comité Hispano works collaboratively with the pastor for the spiritual care of Spanish-speaking Catholics at St. Philomene. Its members include representatives from the Choir, Ushers, Eucharistic Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, Music, and Faith Formation, and the Comité plans and leads major celebrations throughout the year including the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Las Posadas, as well as other special services.
- President: Lucia Beltran
- Sub-groups: Choir, Ushers, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Music, Faith Formation
- Annual celebrations include Our Lady of Guadalupe and Las Posadas
- Bilingual Masses and sacraments offered alongside the English schedule
Sacraments
St. Philomene prepares parishioners for and celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments at the parish level, including Baptism (with a required Pre-Baptismal Class for English and Spanish families), First Communion and Confirmation (through the Religious Education program), Reconciliation on Saturdays, and daily and Sunday Mass. Couples and individuals seeking Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, or other sacraments are invited to contact the parish office.
- Baptism — Pre-Baptismal Class required (English and Spanish)
- First Communion and Confirmation — via Religious Education, two consecutive years of enrollment
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 4:00–5:00 PM (English and Spanish)
- Mass — daily and weekend, English and Spanish
Visit, Register, and Contact
New parishioners are warmly invited to register with the parish through the website's online registration form; existing parishioners can use the same form to update their information. The parish office is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 PM) and is closed Mondays. Messages can be sent to specific staff via the website's contact form, or callers can reach the office directly at 916-481-6757 (fax 916-481-1603).
- Parish address: 2428 Bell Street, Sacramento, CA 95825
- Phone: 916-481-6757 · Fax: 916-481-1603
- Office hours: Tue–Fri 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 PM); Mon closed
- Online new parishioner registration available on the website
- Online donations available via the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rt. Rev. Msgr. Daniel Twomey1947–1968
Founder of the parish; first pastor; oversaw construction of sanctuary, school, and bell tower
- Msgr. R. Renwald1968–1973
Pastor
- Rev. James O'Dea1973–1982
Pastor
- Msgr. Patrick M. Nolan1983–1994
Pastor
- Msgr. James F. Church1994–1999
Pastor
- Rev. John Hannan2000–2003
Pastor
- Rev. Rodolfo Delgado2004–2007
Pastor
- Rev. Gerald J. Ryle2005–2009
Pastor; now Pastor Emeritus
- Rev. Eduino Silveira2009–2014
Pastor
- Rev. Martin Ramat2014–2019
Pastor
- Rev. Francisco Velazquez2019–
Parochial Administrator (per parish history page; succeeded as Pastor by Rev. Victor Gutierrez)