About St. Vincent de Paul · Rancho Murieta, California
St. Vincent de Paul is a Roman Catholic mission church in the gated community of Rancho Murieta, California, in Sacramento County. It is operated as a mission of St. Joseph Parish in Elk Grove within the Diocese of Sacramento and has served the foothill communities south of Sacramento since its dedication on March 29, 1999. The parish offers weekend and weekday Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and an active prayer and service life rooted in the vision of its founding pastor, Monsignor Albert O'Connor.
- Established
- 1999
- Patron
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Rector
- Rev. Julito R. Orpilla
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sacramento (Sacramento County, Southern Suburbs Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Vincent de Paul is a small, welcoming foothill community where parishioners know one another by name and ministry is hands-on. The mission offers the full rhythm of Catholic life — Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass, a Wednesday weekday Mass, an extended day of Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday, and a Monday Night Prayer Group praying the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul conferences from both St. Joseph's and the Mission volunteer weekly at Loaves and Fishes in Sacramento, and the parish has its own historic cemetery, a memorial prayer garden with a grotto to the Blessed Mother, and a published strategic plan for its next chapter of growth.
Mass times at St. Vincent de Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM (before 5:00 PM Vigil Mass)
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM (following the 8:30 AM Mass)
Mission Church of St. Vincent de Paul
St. Vincent de Paul is the mission church of St. Joseph Parish in Elk Grove, serving the gated Rancho Murieta community and surrounding foothill area within the Diocese of Sacramento. It is located at 14673 Cantova Way, Rancho Murieta, CA 95683, with parish office hours Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Phone: 916-354-2403 (fax 916-354-2404). The mission shares its pastor, parochial vicar, and staff with St. Joseph Parish.
- Address: 14673 Cantova Way, Rancho Murieta, CA 95683
- Phone: 916-354-2403
- Fax: 916-354-2404
- Office Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 9:00 AM–1:00 PM
- Pastor: Rev. Julito R. Orpilla
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Bibin Zacharia, C.M.I.
- Administrative Assistant: Margaret 'Maggie' Scruggs
History of St. Vincent de Paul
Catholic life in the Rancho Murieta area stretches back to a small church built between 1853 and 1860 by Irish settler John Driscoll and other pioneers, served by a circuit-riding priest from San Francisco. The modern mission traces its roots to 1986, when the first Mass in the Rancho Murieta planned community was celebrated at the country club with about 100 people, and Monsignor Albert O'Connor later led the effort to build a permanent church on land donated by Fred and Pat Anderson.
- Mid-1800s: original church built by John Driscoll and settlers (1853–1860); closed in early 1990s, cemetery preserved.
- 1986: First Mass in Rancho Murieta held at the Country Club (~100 attendees); later at FAA building, parkway location, and the firehouse.
- June 1998: Bishop William K. Weigand dedicated the church site.
- March 29, 1999: St. Vincent de Paul formally dedicated by Bishop Weigand.
- May 2004: Auxiliary Bishop Richard Garcia blessed the expanded complex (social hall, offices, classrooms).
- December 2006: Bishop Weigand dedicated the prayer garden and grotto.
- August 18, 2024: 25th anniversary celebrated with founding parishioner Bill Hathaway recounting the story.
Prayer Life and Devotions
Beyond the Mass schedule, the mission nurtures an active devotional life rooted in Eucharistic Adoration, the Rosary, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. A quote from St. Pope John Paul II — 'Jesus waits for us in this Sacrament of Love. Let us be generous with our time' — frames the parish's invitation to spend time with the Blessed Sacrament on Wednesdays.
- Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- SVdP Mission Church Monday Night Prayer Group (Coordinator: Corinne Drymon) — Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and other prayers
- Prayer Shawl Ministry (knit and crochet shawls, lap blankets, and pocket prayer pieces)
Ministries and Service
St. Vincent de Paul parishioners are active in outreach, particularly through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which partners with St. Joseph Parish to send weekly volunteers to Loaves and Fishes in Sacramento. The mission shares The Grove youth ministry and other parish programs with St. Joseph Parish in Elk Grove.
- Society of SVdP — Loaves and Fishes volunteering (Mission volunteers every Friday except the 1st Friday; carpool or meet at 1351 North C St., Sacramento by 10:45 AM, done by 1:15 PM)
- The Grove Youth Ministry (Junior High, High School, and young adults)
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
- Adult Faith Enrichment Program
- Respect for Life
- St. Joseph Grief Support Ministry
Prayer Garden, Grotto, and Cemetery
Next to the mission church sits a prayer garden with grotto dedicated by Bishop William K. Weigand in December 2006. It features a 1,100-pound statue of the Blessed Mother and 14 pedestals for the Stations of the Cross. The mission also cares for the original non-denominational SVdP Cemetery, a link to the area's 19th-century Catholic heritage.
- Prayer garden and grotto — dedicated December 2006
- Blessed Mother statue — 1,100 lbs, placed by Dick Valadao and Bill Hathaway
- 14 pedestals for Stations of the Cross
- SVdP Cemetery — non-denominational, descended from the 1853–1860 mission-era church property
Getting Involved and Giving
The mission maintains an active 'Join a Ministry' invitation on its website, alongside a published 'St. Vincent de Paul Strategic Plan' outlining its growth priorities. Online giving is available through a dedicated link for the mission, separate from St. Joseph Parish's giving portal.
- Join a Ministry — sign-up via the parish website
- Online Giving — secure link on the St. Vincent de Paul page
- St. Vincent de Paul Strategic Plan — available from the mission website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Albert O'Connorc. 1986–2005 (19 years as pastor of St. Joseph and St. Vincent de Paul)
Driving force behind the mission; secured land donation from Fred and Pat Anderson, gathered stained-glass, pews and Italian Stations of the Cross for the new church, and oversaw its 1999 dedication and 2004 expansion.