About St. Sebastian · Santa Paula, California
St. Sebastian Catholic Church is a Roman-Latin rite parish located at 235 N. 9th Street in Santa Paula, Ventura County, California, in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Founded in 1896 and currently comprising roughly 600 families, it is the third oldest parish in Ventura County. The parish has been staffed by the Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception (CRIC) for nearly two decades and operates the parish school (K-8) and a robust religious education program. The present concrete church building was constructed in 1955 to replace an earlier wooden turn-of-the-century church, and the parish is known in the area for its reverent liturgy, traditional music, and devotion to the Magisterium.
- Established
- 1896
- Patron
- St. Sebastian
- Rector
- Fr. Pasquale Vuoso, C.R.I.C.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Why belong here
St. Sebastian's is an English-speaking Catholic community of about 600 families that combines small-town warmth with the spiritual rigor of the Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception, a religious order known for orthodox preaching and fidelity to the Magisterium. The parish offers reverent liturgies with traditional hymns, chant, and organ music, weekly Eucharistic Adoration running from Friday morning after the 8:30 a.m. Mass through Saturday morning, and an active sacramental and catechetical life — including the parish school (K-8), First Reconciliation/First Communion and RCIA programs, Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Blue Army, Respect Life, and YLI. It is also a natural spiritual home for faculty and families of nearby Thomas Aquinas College, giving the parish a notably family-and-faith-centered character.
Mass times at St. Sebastian
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Friday 8:15 AM (immediately after the 8:30 AM Mass) — runs continuously overnight through Saturday morning until 8:00 AM
History & Heritage
St. Sebastian's Catholic heritage traces back indirectly to 1782, when Father Junípero Serra founded Mission San Buenaventura — the ninth of the California missions. That Ventura mission later generated Santa Clara Parish near El Rio in 1885, and from there St. Sebastian's began as a mission church in 1889 to serve the small agricultural community of Santa Paula in the central Santa Clara Valley. The mission was formally established as a parish in 1896, with a territory that initially stretched east to Rancho Camulos near Piru and north through the eastern Ojai Valley to the Ventura–Los Angeles county line near Gorman. The parish celebrated its centennial on October 6, 1996, marking 100 years since that 1896 founding.
- Established as a parish in 1896 (mission church from 1889)
- Third oldest parish in Ventura County
- Descendant of Mission San Buenaventura (1782) via Santa Clara Parish (El Rio, 1885)
- Centennial celebrated October 6, 1996
The Church Building
The present St. Sebastian Church was constructed in 1955 to replace the original turn-of-the-century wooden church that had served the parish for decades. It was dedicated in 1956. The new building features approximately 1½-foot-thick reinforced concrete walls that were intended — and still read — as a sign of permanence, a deliberate contrast to the wooden mission-era building it replaced. The interior follows a traditional cruciform plan suited to the post-Vatican II Roman Rite, with a cry room at the back of the nave, stained glass, an organ, choir loft, and traditional devotional statuary. The architecture is broadly mid-century in style, faithful to the vernacular Catholic church-building tradition of Southern California in the 1950s.
- Built 1955, dedicated 1956
- 1½-foot-thick concrete walls
- Replaced the original wooden turn-of-the-century church
- Includes cry room, organ, choir loft, and stained glass
Parish Staff & CRIC Community
St. Sebastian has been served by the Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception (CRIC) for nearly two decades. The CRIC, a religious community founded in France in 1871, maintains its novitiate house near the parish. The current pastor is Fr. Pasquale Vuoso, C.R.I.C., who is known for his solid, orthodox preaching and his well-known love of golf. He is assisted by Fr. Thomas Dome, C.R.I.C., and Fr. Thaddeus Haynes, C.R.I.C., is listed as in residence. The parish website's dedicated CRIC page describes the order and its work at St. Sebastian's.
- Pastor: Fr. Pasquale Vuoso, C.R.I.C.
- Assistant: Fr. Thomas Dome, C.R.I.C.
- In residence: Fr. Thaddeus Haynes, C.R.I.C.
- Staffed by the CRIC for nearly 20 years
- CRIC novitiate house located near the parish
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs a complete religious education program for children in grades 3 through 7, with First Reconciliation and First Communion catechism classes that begin each fall. For 2025–2026, First Reconciliation/First Communion registration took place in August 2025 in the Parish Center, with classes beginning Sunday, September 7, 2025. The fee is $100 (cash or check), and a copy of the child's baptismal certificate is required at registration. For adults interested in becoming Catholic, the parish offers RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), coordinated by Jo Ann Guilin at the parish office.
- Religious Education Grades 3–7
- First Reconciliation / First Communion preparation
- RCIA — Adult Religious Education, contact Jo Ann Guilin at (805) 525-2149
- Registration: Saturday, August 9, 2025 (10 AM–12 PM); Wednesday, August 13 (5:30–7 PM); Saturday, August 16 (10 AM–12 PM) in the Parish Center
Baptism & Sacraments
The parish prepares parents and godparents for the Baptism of infants and young children through a required Baptism Class, which is offered for parents and godparents only (no children). The parish also coordinates the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, and Anointing of the Sick. Older children and adults interested in First Communion are welcomed. Those interested in scheduling a Baptism or any other sacrament should contact the parish office at (805) 525-2149.
- Baptism Class (parents & godparents only)
- First Reconciliation
- First Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage / Matrimony
- Anointing of the Sick
Parish Ministries & Groups
St. Sebastian's is known for its active lay apostolate and devotions, with several long-standing groups that meet on parish grounds and in parishioners' homes. The community places particular emphasis on fidelity to the Magisterium and the Holy Father, and its priests are described by outside observers as orthodox and unafraid to preach the truth on difficult topics.
- Knights of Columbus
- Legion of Mary
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Blue Army
- Respect Life
- YLI (Catholic women's organization)
- Men's Bible Study
- Various prayer groups
Liturgy & Music
St. Sebastian's liturgies are described as reverent, with music that varies by Mass and includes cantors, an organ, and choirs. The parish is known for its traditional hymns and chant, with the occasional introduction of new hymns written in the spirit of older repertoire. Music is treated as an integral part of worship rather than as filler. The parish's English-only liturgical life is paired with the Hispanic community served by the nearby Our Lady of Guadalupe parish.
- Reverent liturgies
- Cantors, organ, and choirs
- Traditional hymns and chant
- Occasional new hymns in the traditional style
St. Sebastian School
The parish operates St. Sebastian School, a private Catholic school serving grades K-8 and located in Santa Paula. The school draws students from Santa Paula and surrounding communities including Fillmore and Piru. Beyond standard academics, the school emphasizes faith formation — including First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation for second graders, an active altar server program led by older students, and ongoing religion classes integrated into the curriculum. The school has its own website (spsaints.weebly.com / saintsebastianschool.com) with admissions and formation information.
- Private Catholic school, K-8
- Serves Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru
- First Reconciliation / First Communion prep in 2nd grade
- Student-led altar server program
- School website: spsaints.weebly.com
Visiting & Practical Information
St. Sebastian is located at 235 N. 9th Street in central Santa Paula, two blocks off Santa Paula Street. Street parking is available around the church, and a cry room is provided at the back of the nave for families with small children. The parish office can be reached at (805) 525-2149. The parish belongs to the Santa Barbara Pastoral Region, Deanery D3, of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and is geographically convenient for visitors and faculty from the nearby Thomas Aquinas College.
- Address: 235 N. 9th Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060
- Phone: (805) 525-2149
- Parking: street parking around the church
- Cry room at the rear of the church
- Santa Barbara Pastoral Region, Deanery D3, Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Various diocesan priests (1896–~2005)1896–c.2005
From its founding as a parish in 1896 until the mid-2000s, St. Sebastian's was staffed by diocesan priests of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The LA Times centennial article (1996) quotes a parish figure 'Rothe' discussing parish history, but does not name individual pastors in the excerpt found. A complete succession of the diocesan-era pastors was not surfaced in available online sources.
- Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception (CRIC)c.2005–present
St. Sebastian's has been entrusted to and staffed by the CRIC for nearly twenty years. The order, founded in France in 1871, also maintains a novitiate house near the parish.
- Fr. Pasquale Vuoso, C.R.I.C.current
Current pastor as listed on the parish website and in the California Catholic Directory. Known for occasionally weaving golf stories into his homilies.
- Fr. Thaddeus Haynes, C.R.I.C.in residence (recent years)
Listed by California Catholic Daily as in residence at the parish.
- Fr. Thomas Dome, C.R.I.C.current assistant
Listed by California Catholic Daily as assistant priest at the parish.
