About St. Therese · Isleton, California
St. Therese Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish located at 100 4th Street in Isleton, California, in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. Established in 1953, it is one of the older Catholic communities in Sacramento County and is part of the Diocese of Sacramento's Southern Suburbs Deanery. Since at least the 2010s it has shared pastoral staff, offices, and a website with neighboring St. Anthony Parish in Walnut Grove, forming a single two-church pastoral team under one pastor. The parish serves a largely Spanish-speaking Delta community, offering Mass in both English and Spanish, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and ongoing religious-education programs for children preparing for First Communion and Confirmation.
- Established
- 1953
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux
- Rector
- Rev. Edgardo J. Garcia Velazquez (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sacramento (Sacramento County, Southern Suburbs Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Therese is a small, family-oriented Delta parish where Mass is offered in both English and Spanish, weekly Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is held on Thursdays, and the parish shares close-knit ministry with neighboring St. Anthony's in Walnut Grove. It is a welcoming community for Spanish-speaking farmworker families and longtime Delta residents alike, with active religious-education classes preparing children for First Communion and Confirmation. Visitors will find an unpretentious, prayerful Catholic home in the heart of Isleton, served by a permanent pastor and deacon who also staff St. Anthony Parish next door.
Mass times at St. Therese
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (St. Therese, during Adoration; per the parish website)
- Saturday 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM (per Diocese of Sacramento parish listing)
- Sunday 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM (per Diocese of Sacramento parish listing)
- Or by appointment by calling the Parish Office
Adoration times
- Thursday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (St. Therese, with confessions during adoration)
About St. Therese Parish
St. Therese Parish is a small Roman Catholic community serving the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta town of Isleton, California. Established in 1953 and part of the Diocese of Sacramento, it shares pastoral staff, a parish office, and a website with neighboring St. Anthony Parish in Walnut Grove. The unified 'St. Anthony and St. Theresa Parish' ministry is led by a parochial administrator and a permanent deacon, and serves a bilingual congregation with both English- and Spanish-language Masses.
- Established 1953 (Diocese of Sacramento)
- Diocese of Sacramento, Sacramento County, Southern Suburbs Deanery
- Located at 100 4th Street, Isleton, CA 95641
- Pastoral partner: St. Anthony Parish, Walnut Grove (founded 1931)
History
St. Therese was founded in 1953 to serve the Catholic families of Isleton and the surrounding Sacramento Delta farmland. Its establishment came during a mid-century wave of new parish creation across Sacramento County, and it has continued to minister to a largely immigrant and bilingual population, including longstanding Portuguese-heritage Delta families and more recent Mexican-American farmworker communities. In recent decades the parish has been joined pastorally with nearby St. Anthony's in Walnut Grove under a single pastor and staff.
- Founded 1953 — listed in the diocesan Official Catholic Directory table of Sacramento County parishes, 1850–2005
- Has shared pastoral leadership with St. Anthony Parish, Walnut Grove since at least the mid-2010s
- Joint parish identity referenced as 'St. Anthony and St. Theresa Parish' on the shared parish website
Clergy, Staff & Parish Office
St. Therese is served by a Parochial Administrator and a permanent deacon, both of whom also serve St. Anthony Parish in Walnut Grove. The parishes share a religious-education director, a music director, and additional support staff, with the combined parish office located in Walnut Grove.
- Rev. Edgardo J. Garcia Velazquez — Parochial Administrator / Pastor
- Deacon Jose Gerardo Martin
- Myrna Flores — Music Director (916-277-5317)
- Lynn Ortega — staff (916-776-1980)
- Ron Squaglia — Director of Religious Education, St. Therese (916-776-1330)
- Cathy Baranek — staff
- Parish Office: 14012 Walnut Avenue, Walnut Grove, CA 95690
- Parish Office Phone: (916) 776-1330
- Parish Office Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Monday 5:00–7:30 PM, Wednesday 5:00–7:30 PM, Saturday 10:30 AM–12:30 PM (closed Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun)
Sacraments & Devotions
In addition to Sunday and weekday Mass, St. Therese offers weekly Eucharistic Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Thursday afternoons, during which Confessions are also heard. Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation is provided through the parishes' joint Religious Education program. Other sacraments — Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick — are arranged by appointment through the parish office.
- Eucharistic Adoration — Thursdays, 4:00–5:00 PM
- Confession — Thursdays 4:00–5:00 PM (during Adoration); also by appointment
- Religious Education (CFF) — First Communion & Confirmation preparation for children
- First Communion celebrated jointly with St. Anthony Parish (e.g., May 15, 2026 at 5 PM)
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick — by appointment via the parish office
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Continuing Faith Formation (CFF) classes for St. Therese are coordinated jointly with St. Anthony Parish through Director of Religious Education Ron Squaglia. The program prepares children in the two Delta parishes for the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation, with First Communion typically celebrated in a shared liturgy at one of the two parish churches.
- Continuing Faith Formation (CFF) classes — registration by announcement
- Director of Religious Education (St. Therese): Ron Squaglia, 916-776-1330
- First Communion preparation — next celebration: May 15, 2026 at 5 PM
Music Ministry
Music for liturgies at St. Therese is coordinated by Music Director Myrna Flores, who leads the musical life of the parish as part of the shared St. Anthony–St. Therese pastoral team.
- Music Director: Myrna Flores (916-277-5317)
Visiting & Contact
Visitors and parishioners can reach the combined parish office in Walnut Grove by phone, email, or in person during posted office hours. The parish website provides driving directions to the Isleton church at 100 4th Street and to the Walnut Grove office at 14012 Walnut Avenue.
- Church address: 100 4th Street, Isleton, CA 95641
- Parish office: 14012 Walnut Avenue, Walnut Grove, CA 95690
- Phone: (916) 776-1330
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.churchofsaintanthony.org/
- Office Hours: Monday 5–7:30 PM; Wednesday 5–7:30 PM; Saturday 10:30 AM–12:30 PM (closed Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun)