About St. Therese of Lisieux · Patagonia, Arizona
St. Therese of Lisieux is a small Roman Catholic parish in Patagonia, a border town in Santa Cruz County in southern Arizona, belonging to the Diocese of Tucson. The parish was established in 1955 and serves the faithful of the high-desert grasslands around Patagonia, alongside its mission church, Our Lady of the Angels in nearby Sonoita. Worship is offered in an intimate setting at 222 Third Avenue, with a Saturday Vigil Mass, Sunday morning Mass, and weekday Masses — including a winter/summer schedule adjustment. The parish is also closely connected with the monastic community of Santa Rita Abbey, a Cistercian (Trappist) abbey in Sonoita.
- Established
- 1955
- Patron
- St. Therese of Lisieux (Thérèse de l'Enfant-Jésus et de la Sainte-Face), the 'Little Flower,' declared a Doctor of the Church in 1997
- Rector
- Fr. Simon Ityo (parish priest, reported serving the parish from around 2019 onward; member of the Via Christi Society, originally assigned to Tucson by his order from Nigeria)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tucson
Why belong here
St. Therese of Lisieux offers a quiet, close-knit place of Catholic worship in the small town of Patagonia, where the entire community can comfortably gather for Mass, confession, and Eucharistic Adoration. With a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Sunday morning Mass, and weekday Masses (plus Adoration twice a week), the parish gives the faithful of southern Arizona's Santa Cruz County multiple ways to encounter the Eucharist each week. Beyond liturgy, the parish supports faith formation (including a youth confirmation class) and connects the local community with outreach such as the Angel Wings Thrift & Gift Shop in neighboring Sonoita.
Mass times at St. Therese of Lisieux
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM (and by appointment at any time)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Patagonia)
- Friday 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Patagonia)
About St. Therese of Lisieux Parish
St. Therese of Lisieux is a small Catholic parish serving the borderlands of southern Arizona from its home at 222 Third Avenue in Patagonia. Founded in 1955 and a member parish of the Diocese of Tucson, it is named for the French Carmelite known as 'the Little Flower,' a Doctor of the Church whose 'little way' of spiritual childhood continues to inspire devotion worldwide. The parish extends its ministry beyond Patagonia through Our Lady of the Angels Mission in Sonoita and by sharing in the liturgical life of Santa Rita Abbey, a nearby Cistercian monastery.
- Parish name: St. Therese of Lisieux
- Location: Patagonia, Santa Cruz County, Arizona
- Diocese: Diocese of Tucson
- Year established: 1955
- Site contact: 222 Third Ave / PO Box 435, Patagonia, AZ 85624
History
Established in 1955 in Patagonia — a small town nestled in the high-desert grasslands of Santa Cruz County near the U.S.–Mexico border — St. Therese of Lisieux grew to serve a wide rural catchment, eventually planting a mission in the neighboring town of Sonoita. The Our Lady of the Angels Mission was a grassroots 1980s effort by parishioners who had previously gathered for Mass in the local fire hall; the project was jump-started by the donation of 4.2 acres of land by U.S. Representative Rick Renzi and his family, and sustained by community fundraisers and a thrift store, Angel Wings.
- 1955 — Parish founded under the Diocese of Tucson (per GCatholic).
- 1980s — Lay initiative to create a mission in Sonoita; parishioners met in the local fire hall.
- 4.2 acres for the mission donated by Rep. Rick Renzi and his family.
- Angel Wings thrift store established as a parish fundraiser.
- Nearby Santa Rita Abbey (Cistercian) founded in the early 1970s; remains an active ecumenical neighbor.
Sacraments
As a full Catholic parish, St. Therese of Lisieux prepares the faithful for and celebrates all seven sacraments. Baptism, Confirmation (including a youth Confirmation class held on Sundays), First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick are coordinated through the parish office. Confession, of course, is also available as described above.
- Baptism — preparation by appointment with the parish office
- Confirmation — youth classes confirmed in parish bulletins
- First Reconciliation / First Eucharist — through Religious Education
- Matrimony — couples meet with the parish priest
- Anointing of the Sick — available on request
- Reconciliation — see the Confession schedule
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious Education is coordinated through the parish office and led by staff such as Elvia Miranda. The parish has run youth Confirmation classes on Sundays; bulletins also reference ongoing formation for children and seasonal adults preparing for the sacraments. In such a small mission community, faith formation tends to be family-sized and intergenerational.
- Religious Education office: (520) 313-4813
- Youth Confirmation class — held on Sundays per bulletin announcements
- Intergenerational catechesis common in a small parish setting
Outreach and Community Life
The parish maintains a strong outreach presence through Angel Wings Thrift & Gift Shop, located in Sonoita, which supports the parish's mission work and offers deeply discounted merchandise to volunteers — a quietly effective community ministry in a rural area. The parish also publishes regular bulletins (available via the official site) and accepts Prayer Request entries that are remembered at Mass.
- Angel Wings Thrift & Gift Shop — Sonoita
- Prayer Request ministry noted in bulletins
- Volunteer opportunities, especially at the Angel Wings shop
Mission Church: Our Lady of the Angels (Sonoita)
Our Lady of the Angels is a mission church of St. Therese of Lisieux located in Sonoita, Arizona. It was born in the 1980s out of parishioners' shared dream of having a chapel closer to their homes; they began by holding Mass in the local fire hall. Land was donated by U.S. Representative Rick Renzi and his family, and the project was funded through creative community fundraisers — including dog-biscuit sales and aluminum-can recycling — culminating in the construction of the present church and the adjacent Angel Wings thrift store.
- Mission address: 22 Los Encinos Road, Sonoita, AZ 85637
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 AM
- Wednesday Mass: 9:00 AM
- Funded by community fundraisers and the donation of 4.2 acres from the Renzi family
Neighboring Monastery: Santa Rita Abbey
A few minutes' drive from Patagonia sits Santa Rita Abbey, a Cistercian (Trappist) monastery in Sonoita where monks follow a contemplative schedule of prayer and work. The abbey and the parish cooperate in several ways — most visibly through the Thursday morning community Mass offered at the abbey chapel. This close relationship with a monastic community is a distinctive grace of life in this part of the Sonoran foothills.
- Santa Rita Abbey — Cistercian (Trappist) monastery
- Thursday morning Mass — 7:30 AM at the abbey
- Spiritual highlight of the parish's broader geography
Visiting and Getting Involved
Visitors to Patagonia are warmly welcomed at Mass and at the twice-weekly hour of Eucharistic Adoration. The parish bulletin (linked on the official website) carries the most up-to-date announcements, including special Mass intentions, religious-education schedules, and volunteer calls. For those wishing to get involved, the parish invites involvement in Religious Education, the Angel Wings Thrift & Gift Shop, and the Prayer Request ministry.
- Parish Office Hours (as published): Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon
- Phone: (520) 394-2954
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stccpatagonia.com/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. George Holleyat least through 2018
Listed as Pastoral Administrator in the parish bulletin of November 25, 2018; pastoral phone (520) 237-5029
- Fr. Simon Ityofrom approximately 2019
Nigerian-born priest of the Via Christi Society; sent from Nigeria to Tucson in 2019 by his religious order; former national-level soccer player who plays a role, he has said, in keeping him joyful in ministry. Featured in a Patagonia Regional Times profile.