Peace!

Welcome to our Catholic community here in Elk Grove, California.  I hope that your visit to our website will encourage you to visit our parish as well and maybe become part of our parish  family . The intent of this website is to provide access for our current  parishioners/non-parishioners with current news and events as to what is happening at our parish. Our website is also used to provide basic information regarding sacramental preparation and more importantly --- opportunities  for basic catechesis and ways in which we can growth in our life of faith. 

Our mission as a community is to provide a genuine and profound encounter with Christ through the various ministries we provide and serve.  We strive to be a community that truly speaks of our Catholicity --- that is “universal.” We celebrate the diversity of countries that comprise our assembly. We offer liturgies in English and Spanish, which are the two languages that the majority of our community speaks. There are many other opportunities to celebrate other cultural traditions in our parish.  What is of utmost importance for us is being the one family of God here in the City of Elk Grove (and beyond) no matter who we are, what we are, and where we are from.  We bring Christ to you as you bring Christ to us.

Enjoy going through our site, we appreciate comments. 
You can also visit us on our Facebook page.

 
In Christ ,
Father Julito 
 

¡Paz con Ustedes!
Bienvenidos a nuestra Parroquia Católica en Elk Grove, California.  Espero que su visita a nuestra página Web lo anime a visitar nuestra comunidad parroquiana y que tal vez decida unirse a nuestra familia.  La intención de esta página Web es proveerles acceso a nuestros feligreses y los aun no feligreses a noticias y eventos del momento en nuestra parroquia.  Además sirve para traerles información básica  acerca de las funciones y aun de mas importancia – oportunidades para que obtengan Catequesis Básica y crecimiento en nuestras vidas de fe.   

Recordamos que parte de nuestra misión como comunidad es de ser auténticos y profundos en nuestro encuentro con Cristo por medio de los ministerios que les proveemos y en los que servimos.  Deseamos ser una comunidad que realmente habla del Catolicismo – que es “universal.”  Celebramos la diversidad de nuestros países de origen que componen nuestra asamblea.  Ofrecemos liturgias en Ingles y Español, que son los dos idiomas que nuestra gran mayoría de feligreses habla.  Siempre hay muchas otras oportunidades de celebrar otras tradiciones culturales en nuestra parroquia.  Sin embargo, lo que si es de mayor importancia para nosotros es el ser una sola familia de Dios aquí en la Ciudad de Elk Grove (y mas halla) sin importar quienes somos, que somos y de donde somos.  Traemos a ustedes a Cristo como ustedes traen a Cristo a nosotros.

Disfruten de su recorrido por nuestro sitio, agradecemos sus comentarios. 
También les invitamos a que nos visiten en Facebook. 

Que Dios los bendiga y deseamos se decidan a ser parte de nuestra familia

En Cristo,
Padre Julito

Our Community History

        In 1850, Elk Grove was established as a hotel  stop and a transfer stop for the stage. Located about 15 miles south of historic Sutter’s Fort, and the state capitol for California, it became a crossroads for business , entertainment, mail service  and agriculture, and acted as home base for gold miners in nearby communities. After playing a role in the early gold rush and statehood history in California, a close-knit community evolved with a distinctly rural and western lifestyle, with a very mixed racial populace. For more information about the history of Elk Grove check out the Elk Grove Historical Society.
http://www.elkgrovehistoricalsociety.com/index.html


The Catholic Parish of St. Joseph --- On January 11, 1918, Bishop Thomas Grace .purchased a property on Grove Street in Elk Grove for a new Catholic church  . It was built and dedicated to “ St. Joseph ” that same year as a mission church of the parish in Galt (St. Christopher’s). Priests of other parishes donated the altar, original organ, and a stained glass window of St. Joseph, which was restored in 1985 and now adorns the north side window of the “new” church since its recent renovation. After forty-two years as a mission of Galt, St. Joseph became its own parish, with its own resident pastor, in 1962, serving the entire town of Elk Grove --- then numbering approximately 1,100 people. In December of 1972, the old church was sold, and a new church was built on six acres, the existing parish site on the Elk Grove-Florin Road across from Elk Grove Regional Park. Bishop Alden Bell dedicated the new church in 1973. With the huge population increases of the last 15 years, a new Catholic parish was created west of St. Joseph Parish in July of 1993 (Good Shepherd Parish). A social hall was dedicated in January of 1997, and the “old” new church was expanded in November of the same year. A mission of St. Joseph was established in Rancho Murieta in 1987, with a new church constructed there in 1999 for the three hundred families of that area.