About St. Teresa of Avila · Carson City, Nevada
St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Community is a parish in Carson City, Nevada, in the Diocese of Reno. It is one of the oldest Catholic communities in the state, tracing its roots to 1858 when Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany of San Francisco sent Father Joseph Gallagher to the region. Today the parish worships in a 950-seat church and chapel built in 2001 on N. Lompa Lane, serves a vibrant bilingual community with a weekly Spanish Mass, runs St. Teresa of Avila School, and offers a full slate of ministries, faith formation, adoration, and outreach. The parish livestreams its Sunday Mass on YouTube and broadcasts on Channel 8.
- Established
- 1858
- Patron
- St. Teresa of Avila
- Rector
- Fr. Thomas Babu
- Diocese
- Diocese of Reno
Why belong here
St. Teresa of Avila offers one of the most active Catholic communities in northern Nevada: five weekend Masses (including a Spanish-language Mass at 2:00 PM), daily Mass Monday through Friday, weekday Eucharistic Adoration, Saturday confessions, and a livestream broadcast on YouTube and Channel 8. The parish runs a K-12 Religious Education program, the parish school (St. Teresa of Avila School), an R.C.I.A. process for adults, a youth ministry, four deacon-led apostolates (homeless, prison, baptism prep, centering prayer), and ministries to the homebound. With a history stretching back to 1858 and a 950-seat worship space built by and for the people, it is a rooted, generous, bilingual parish family where newcomers are easily folded into the life of the community.
Mass times at St. Teresa of Avila
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Adoration times
- Monday: 4:45 PM – 6:45 PM (Chapel)
- Thursday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Chapel/Church)
Parish History
The parish traces its origin to 1858 and has worshipped in three successive church buildings. A first church built in 1860 was destroyed in 1862; a second was built in 1865 and replaced in 1870 by Father John Grace. That 1870 structure received 1930s murals and a small hall, was braced with a brick veneer in 1949, expanded with a larger hall in 1980, and was finally outgrown by the early 2000s. The current 950-seat church and chapel, dedicated in December 2001, was made possible by a donated Shaheen Family parcel, two parish-wide fund drives, and Bishop Straling's approval.
- 1858 — Father Joseph Gallagher sent by Archbishop Alemany
- 1860 — First church built on purchased site
- 1862 — First church destroyed
- 1865 — Second church built
- 1870 — Fr. John Grace builds the third (long-serving) church
- 1930s — Murals added in 1870 style
- 1949 — Brick veneer applied to stabilize leaning walls
- 1980 — Hall added (named Chartz Hall by Fr. Jerry Hanley)
- 2001 — New 950-seat church and chapel opened in December
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Fr. Thomas Babu as Pastor and Fr. Rene Rodriguez-Huerta as Parochial Vicar, supported by four deacons, a Director of Music & Liturgy, a Director of Religious Education and Youth Ministry, an R.C.I.A. director, and office, business, facilities, and homebound-ministry staff.
- Fr. Thomas Babu — Pastor
- Fr. Rene Rodriguez-Huerta — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Craig LaGier — Homeless Ministry
- Deacon Gil Coleman — Baptism Class Preparation
- Deacon Michael Johnson — Prison Ministry
- Deacon Dennis Schreiner — Centering Prayer
- Alicia Rubio — Office Manager (Ext. 104)
- Gail Lee — Business & Finance Manager (Ext. 103)
- Jim Weismann — Director of Music & Liturgy (Ext. 101)
- Carol Tate — Environment & Homebound (Ext. 106)
- Ramon Guitron — Facility Maintenance (Ext. 108)
- Brenda Mendoza — Director of Religious Education (K-12) & Youth Minister (Ext. 113)
- Fabiola Arellano — Religious Education Admin (Ext. 114)
- Tina Akerley — Director of R.C.I.A. (Ext. 112)
- Monica Howk — Youth Activities Director
Religious Education & Youth Ministry
The parish's K-12 Religious Education program is directed by Brenda Mendoza, with Fabiola Arellano as administrative assistant. Sacramental preparation is offered for First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation, with Monica Howk coordinating youth activities. The parish also runs a formal R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program directed by Tina Akerley for adults entering the Church.
- Religious Education K-12 (Brenda Mendoza)
- R.C.I.A. for adults (Tina Akerley)
- Youth Ministry / Youth Activities (Monica Howk)
- First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
St. Teresa of Avila School
St. Teresa of Avila School is the parish's Catholic school, with a separate campus at 567 S. Richmond Ave., Carson City. Originally opened in 1957 and staffed by the Daughters of Charity, the school has been in lay hands since 1997. It carries on a faith-centered Pre-K through 8th-grade education deeply tied to parish life, including weekly all-school Mass on Wednesdays at 1:00 PM.
- 567 S. Richmond Ave., Carson City, NV
- Office: (775) 882-2079
- Website: www.stts.org
- Child Development Center (Rebecca Chappell, Director) — (775) 283-0261
- Faith formation integrated with parish life
Deacon-Led Apostolates
Four permanent deacons serve the parish, each with a distinct ministry: reaching the homeless, preparing parents for baptism, visiting the incarcerated, and leading centering prayer. Together they extend the parish's pastoral reach well beyond the walls of the church.
- Deacon Craig LaGier — Homeless Ministry
- Deacon Gil Coleman — Baptism Class Preparation
- Deacon Michael Johnson — Prison Ministry
- Deacon Dennis Schreiner — Centering Prayer
Music, Liturgy & Homebound Outreach
Jim Weismann directs Music & Liturgy for the parish. Carol Tate coordinates both the Environment of the worship spaces and the Homebound ministry, taking Communion and pastoral care to parishioners who cannot attend Mass in person.
- Jim Weismann — Director of Music & Liturgy (Ext. 101)
- Carol Tate — Environment & Homebound (Ext. 106)
Contact, Location & Office Hours
The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Visitors and parishioners can reach the office by phone, fax, email, or in person. The parish maintains an active presence on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, and broadcasts Sunday Mass on local TV.
- Address: 3000 N. Lompa Lane, Carson City, NV 89706
- Phone: 775-882-1968
- Fax: 775-883-7063
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- YouTube: St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Community Carson City NV
- Facebook & Instagram presence maintained
- Sunday Mass on Channel 8 at 9:00 AM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joseph Gallagher1858
Sent by Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany to Carson City; founded the parish.
- Fr. John Grace1870
Tore down the 1865 church to build a new St. Teresa of Avila church.
- Fr. Larry Quilici1980s
Co-led the 1980 church and hall expansion.
- Fr. Jerry Hanley1980s–early 2000s
Led the 1980 expansion (named the hall 'Chartz Hall'), then four years of planning for the new complex; oversaw the 2001 move into the new 950-seat church; welcomed Bishop Straling's approval and blessing of the land.