About St. Theresa · South Lake Tahoe, California
St. Theresa Catholic Church (formally Saint Theresa of Lisieux Parish) is a Roman Catholic parish in South Lake Tahoe, California, in the Diocese of Sacramento (Gold Country Deanery, El Dorado County). Established in 1951 by Fr. Patrick Lyons on Forest Service land on Lyons Avenue — a street named after the founding pastor — the parish today serves roughly 1,100 registered families in a resort community that swells with summer visitors and skiers in winter. Worship is offered in English and Spanish, with a strong Latino ministry and the annual feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe among its most popular traditions. The parish is best known for its bold 2000 decision to build the present church debt-free and for the Bread & Broth community meal program that feeds the South Shore.
- Established
- 1951
- Patron
- St. Theresa of Lisieux (Thérèse of Lisieux)
- Rector
- Rev. Marcel Emeh, SDS (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sacramento (Gold Country Deanery, El Dorado County)
Why belong here
St. Theresa is a mountain parish with a small-town heart: about 1,100 registered families gathered on the shore of Lake Tahoe, with daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration twice a day, Saturday Vigil and two Sunday English Masses, plus a Spanish Mass each Sunday. Parishioners feed their neighbors through the long-running Bread & Broth hot-meal program and Back Door Pantry, support women in crisis pregnancies, and gather in dozens of ministries from Knights of Columbus to the Little Way Fellowship for young adults. With active faith formation, sacramental prep, bilingual liturgy, and a debt-free church dedicated in 2000, it offers a real parish home for year-round residents and the thousands of visitors who walk through its doors each year.
Mass times at St. Theresa
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Friday: during the hours of Eucharistic Adoration (approach the priest in the church)
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (in the confessional)
- Also available by appointment (call the parish office)
Adoration times
- Monday–Friday: 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM (Holy Hour before the noon Mass)
- Monday–Friday: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (evening Holy Hour)
Parish History
Founded in 1951 by Fr. Patrick Lyons for fewer than twenty Catholic families in the tiny town of Al Tahoe (about 200–300 permanent residents), St. Theresa grew with the ski-resort and casino boom that transformed South Lake Tahoe in the 1950s. The first small church, built in 1953 on U.S. Forest Service land, was replaced by a much larger current church dedicated by Bishop William Weigand in April 2000, debt-free. The 50th anniversary was celebrated in 2001.
- 1951 — Parish established; Fr. Patrick Lyons named founding pastor
- 1953 — First church built on Forest Service land
- 1956 — Fr. Lyons dies Feb 29; Fr. John Grace appointed April 18
- 1960 — St. Theresa Catholic School opens (Immaculate Heart sisters staff it)
- 1969 — School closes unexpectedly
- 1993 — Msgr. Murrough Wallace arrives as pastor
- 1994 — Parish school reopens (K–8)
- 1998 — Fr. Grace retires after 42 years as pastor
- 2000 — Present church dedicated by Bishop Weigand, debt-free
- 2001 — 50th anniversary
- 2003 — Little Flower preschool opens
- 2014 — Both parish school and Little Flower preschool close
Founding Pastor: Fr. Patrick Lyons
Fr. Patrick Lyons, founding pastor of Saint Theresa Parish, was appointed in 1951 when the town was known as Al Tahoe. He obtained Forest Service permission to build a small church on the parcel where the present church still stands, and he added an outdoor seating area to handle summer vacation crowds and two rooms to the priest's house for visiting priests. He died of leukemia on February 29, 1956 — Leap Day — at St. Mary Hospital in Reno at age 38, just a month short of his 39th birthday. The street outside the church, Lyons Avenue, was later named in his honor.
The Long Pastorate of Fr. John Grace (1956–1998)
Bishop Joseph McGucken signaled at Fr. Lyons's funeral that Fr. John Grace would be the next pastor; the formal letter of appointment came on April 18, 1956. Fr. Grace served 42 years — his only pastorate — guiding the parish through the explosive growth that followed Heavenly Valley's ski development and the arrival of the casinos. Finding the church overcrowded (200 inside, 400 outside in summer), he installed large sliding side doors and, when the Forest Service denied a new church, added two wings that raised seating to 600 indoors with 400 more outside. He also oversaw construction of the parish school in 1960. After retiring in 1998, he continued to live in a home about a mile from the parish.
The 2000 Church and Capital Campaign
By the late 1990s the parish had outgrown its 1953 church (even with Fr. Grace's wings), fueled by an influx of Hispanic and Filipino workers and the constant flow of visitors to the Lake Tahoe Basin. The bold decision to build the present church was funded by years of generous donations, savings, and a successful capital campaign — and the new church opened with no debt when Bishop William Weigand dedicated it in April 2000.
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is currently served by Rev. Marcel Emeh, SDS as Parochial Administrator. The Diocese of Sacramento lists him as the canonical administrator. He is a Salvatorian (Society of the Divine Savior) priest originally from Nigeria, where he was the third of six children. Fr. Joseph Sebastian, CMI — who had been away from the parish for 15 months (nine months in India, then five months in Argentina improving his Spanish and gaining mission experience) — returned to the parish on December 30. Both are listed in recent parish bulletins.
- Rev. Marcel Emeh, SDS — Parochial Administrator (Salvatorian)
- Rev. Joseph Sebastian, CMI — Parochial Administrator (cell 916-508-5048, [email protected])
- Alejandra Jimenez — Parish Secretary (530-544-3533)
- Susan Lohmeier — Bookkeeper ([email protected])
- Maureen (Moe) Leonard — Music Director (530-307-0151, [email protected])
- Karin Holmes — Music Minister (530-318-3397)
- Danette Winslow — Director, Religious Education ([email protected], 530-544-4788)
- Joanie San Agustin — Technology Minister ([email protected])
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Theresa Parish Religious Education Program exists to provide faith enrichment and spiritual formation for all ages, ethnic and cultural groups. The parish recognizes that faith formation begins in the home and is an ongoing, lifelong process. Catechists and staff strive to pass on the Church's teachings, encourage full and informed participation in the liturgy, and build households of faith that support one another. Religious education is available for all school-age children; sacramental preparation covers Penance, Eucharist, and Confirmation.
- Religious Education for school-age children (contact 530-544-4788)
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (contact pastor or DRE)
- Sacramental Preparation: Penance, Eucharist, Confirmation
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry at St. Theresa leads the parish in worship and praise through singing at the various liturgies. Music ministers aim to inspire the congregation to more fully participate in the celebration of the Word of God and the Most Holy Eucharist. The team is led by Music Director Maureen (Moe) Leonard and Music Minister Karin Holmes.
Outreach & Charity: Bread & Broth
Bread & Broth is a ministry of St. Theresa Catholic Church and an all-volunteer, community food outreach program whose mission is to ease hunger in the Lake Tahoe South Shore community. Hot, nutritious meals are served twice weekly to all who come to the doors, and the B&B 4 Kids program provides healthy, kid-friendly food to children from 18 months up to 18 years old during the school year and summer break. Monday hot dinner service is held at the church 4:00–5:30 PM; see breadandbroth.org for more.
- Bread & Broth — hot meals twice weekly (breadandbroth.org; @breadandbrothtahoe on Facebook/Instagram)
- B&B 4 Kids — kid-friendly food for ages 18 months to 18 years
Back Door Pantry & Food Assistance
The Back Door Pantry offers free non-perishable food for those in need and is located on the south side of Grace Hall at the first window. It is open every Friday from 3:00 to 4:30 PM. A drop-off pantry box is located at the back of the church for donations of non-perishable items only.
Knights of Columbus
The parish Knights of Columbus council is a charitable group of Catholic men who volunteer to cook for special occasions, support church activities on request, and host pancake breakfasts on the first Sunday of every month in Grace Hall after the 9 AM Mass. The Grand Knight is Romeo Alaoen (530-318-4408).
Little Way Fellowship (Young Adults)
The Little Way Fellowship is the parish's ministry for young adults ages 18–39. The group meets every Thursday at 6:45 PM after Adoration and offers meet-and-greets, Saint Analysis, Bible Study, Mass, Adoration, and more. They are active on Instagram @llittlewayfellowship and can be reached through Brian Grajeda (530-318-0916, [email protected]).
Respect Life
The parish's Respect Life ministry offers practical help to any woman facing a crisis pregnancy, with a special concern for both mother and unborn child. Confidential help is available by calling the parish office at (530) 544-3533.
Devotions
Beyond the regular Mass and Adoration schedule, the parish gathers weekly for Marian devotion and seasonal prayers, and the parish's annual celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of its most popular events. A Prayer for Vocations is recited every second Sunday of the month.
- Wednesdays after the noon Mass: Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and novena prayers to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Second Sunday of each month: Prayer for Vocations
- Annual celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Latino ministry)
Sacraments
St. Theresa prepares parishioners for all the major sacraments. Baptisms require preparation classes scheduled through the Religious Education Office (530-544-4788). Weddings, Anointing of the Sick, and RCIA inquiries go through the parish office at (530) 544-3533. Sacramental preparation for Penance, Eucharist, and Confirmation is offered through the Faith Formation office.
- Baptism — prep classes via Religious Education Office
- Penance / First Communion / Confirmation — Sacramental Preparation
- Weddings — call parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — call 530-544-3533 or Fr. Joseph at 916-508-5048
- RCIA — adults entering the Church
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Patrick Lyons1951–1956
Founding pastor; built the first church (1953) on Forest Service land; the street was later named Lyons Avenue in his honor. Died of leukemia on Feb 29, 1956 at age 38.
- Fr. John (Joseph) Grace1956–1998
Second pastor; served 42 years in his only pastorate. Built the parish school (1960), added two wings to the church, oversaw rapid growth from ski-resort and casino boom.
- Msgr. Murrough Wallace1998–
Reopened the parish school in 1994 (actually arrived 1993); Little Flower preschool opened 2003. Both schools closed 2014.
- Fr. Joseph Sebastian, CMI
Parochial Administrator; returned December 30 after 15 months away (India Oct 2024–Jul 2025; Argentina Jul–Dec 2025).
- Fr. Marcel Emeh, SDS
Salvatorian priest, born in Nigeria; currently listed as Parochial Administrator on the diocese and parish About page.