St. Mary's Parish has stood in Vacaville for more than 150 years. Today the parish sits at the corner of Stinson Avenue and Hemlock Street, a mission-style Catholic church serving a bilingual community of English-speaking and Spanish-speaking families in the Diocese of Sacramento. Across the street from the church building, the parish hall is the busy center for youth nights, faith-formation classes, rosary groups and funeral receptions. Across town, Notre Dame School carries the parish's name into classrooms for grade-school children, and the Caligiuri Ranch extends the parish footprint into the Vacaville countryside.
From a 50-Seat Mission in Elmira to a Bilingual Parish on Stinson Avenue
The parish traces its roots to 1867, when the first church was built in Elmira, then called Vaca Station. That original mission church seated 50 people and served as an outreach of St. Peter's Catholic Church in Dixon. As Vacaville grew, a larger St. Mary's was built in town at Mason Street and Catherine Street, between today's downtown and the busy train and commercial area of Depot Street. A 1903 photograph shows that church, and a later view from Andrews Park, taken before 1910, reveals a tall, narrow belltower, a steeple and a rose window, with seating for 150. The building burned down in the early 1920s, and for a time the Catholics of Vacaville had no local church.
In 1926, Father Edwin J. Keller built a third St. Mary's on the corner of Merchant Street and Walnut Street, a mission-design church with a single bell tower and seating for 230. That building still stands and is now used as a local government building. In 1947, St. Mary's ceased to be a mission and was established as the parish church for Vacaville, with Father Michael F. Garvey as her first pastor. Father Peter Kelly succeeded him in 1953. By 1956 the parish had outgrown that church and was relocated to what was then the outskirts of town, to its present location at Stinson Avenue and Hemlock Street.
In 2004, Father Michael McFadden proposed a renovation of the church honoring the tradition and design of the California missions. Renovations began in 2008 and have given the parish the timeless, mission-style building parishioners enter today.
Sunday Masses, Weekday Masses and the Bilingual Rhythm of the Parish
St. Mary's keeps a steady rhythm of Mass in two languages. Saturday evening brings the Sunday vigil with Mass in English at 5:00 PM and Mass in Spanish at 7:00 PM. Sundays offer Mass in English at 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM, and Mass in Spanish at noon. Daily Mass in English is celebrated Monday through Saturday at 8:00 AM, with an additional Wednesday morning Mass in English at 6:30 AM. Tuesday evening brings a Spanish Mass at 6:30 PM, and on the first Friday of each month a Spanish Mass is offered at 7:00 PM.
Reconciliation is heard on Tuesday afternoons from 5:30 to 6:15 PM and on Saturday afternoons from 3:30 to 4:45 PM, with appointments available by calling the parish office. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament runs Monday through Friday from 3:00 to 6:00 PM, and on the first Friday of every month from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM. Parishioners who arrive before Sunday Masses are invited to pray the Rosary at 9:30 AM in English and at 11:30 AM in Spanish.
The parish also carries Filipino tradition through its annual Simbang Gabi novena of dawn Masses leading into Christmas Eve, a beloved devotion in the wider community.
To Jesus through Mary: The Parish Vision and Mission
St. Mary's motto is To Jesus through Mary. The parish vision statement reads, "That everyone hears God's call and respond's to his love." The mission statement is, "We exist to love God in all aspects of our lives and to invite everyone we encounter to share in his life as disciples of Jesus Christ." From that mission, the parish draws a list of commitments: surrendering life completely to Jesus Christ, encountering him in the Holy Eucharist, being a sign of his presence in the community, praying and adoring, studying Sacred Scripture, cultivating authentic devotion to Mary the Mother of God, serving through works of mercy, caring for youth and young adults, the homebound, those in crisis, those who hunger or thirst, those who mourn, the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, assistance to women facing difficult or crisis pregnancies, life-affirming women's reproductive health care, the strengthening of family life, and the discernment of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Parishioners are formed in prayer through a rich set of resources. Father Brian Soliven publishes his homilies through a podcast and a personal homily site. The parish points to daily readings from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Liturgy of the Hours prayed online, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the US Catholic Catechism for Adults, and a free parish-wide subscription to FORMED, a Catholic video and study platform, using the parish zip code 95688.
A Family of Faith: Faith Formation from Baptism to Confirmation
Faith formation at St. Mary's is built around the family. The parish runs a whole-family program with two meetings a month on Wednesday evenings from 5:00 to 6:30 PM in the parish hall. Parents gather for a parent talk during the session, while students stay with their catechist for lessons and activities. At home, parents support their children in learning prayers and attending Mass regularly, including holy days of obligation, and students complete activity booklets, build a prayer life and discern their readiness for sacraments. Each family is asked to complete three hours of community service per year.
Sacramental preparation follows a readiness approach. A child receives a sacrament when the child understands what it means, knows basic Catholic prayers and fulfills diocesan requirements of a minimum of two years. Confirmation classes meet Tuesdays from 5:00 to 6:30 PM in the parish hall for both Year 1 and Year 2 candidates. First Communion preparation meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays in English and the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays in Spanish, all from 5:00 to 6:30 PM. The Faith Formation office is open Monday from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Thursday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and Friday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and can be reached at (707) 509-3352 or Faithformation@stmarysvacaville.com.
For the youngest children, the parish offers Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-style catechetical program in its own atrium. The parish also welcomes adults and young adults into the church through the OCIA process (formerly known as RCIA), the Christian Initiation for Adults and Young Adults classes that meet for those discerning baptism or reception into full communion with the Catholic Church.
Teens in the Parish Hall, Young Adults on Friday Nights
Youth Group is open to all teens in grades 8 through 12 and meets on Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM in Parish Hall Rooms 1 and 2. The group is described by its Spanish-language motto: Compasión, Amistad, Amor, Compromiso - compassion, friendship, love, commitment - "bringing young people closer to Jesus in a friendly, healthy and fun way," with personal and spiritual growth as young people discover the faith and the decisions of their lives. The parish runs an annual calendar of youth events that includes kick-off nights, lock-ins, paintball outings, mission trips, snow trips, summer camps, the Walk for Life and trips to Steubenville NorCal. Permission slips and driver forms are available in both English and Spanish.
Young adults have a parallel set of offerings. The Christian Iron Path is a 7-week Friday-evening series of talks and discussion, meeting from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in Parish Hall Room 7. Young Catholic Professionals gathers periodically on Sunday evenings. The Narrow Path is an annual young adults retreat hosted with Singles for Christ. A monthly Young Adult Mass is also celebrated, and a Baccalaureate Mass each spring honors high school and college graduates with a blessing and a small gift.
St. Mary's Adult Ministry: Rosaries, Grief, Knitting and Funeral Receptions
St. Mary's Adult Ministry is the umbrella for several small communities that accompany parishioners through the stages of adulthood. The Women's Rosary Group meets on the third Wednesday of every month from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM in Room 7 of the parish hall. The women bring their own lunch, pray the rosary, play bingo and share fellowship. The Men's Prayer Group meets every Wednesday at 9:00 AM in Room 5 for coffee and faith-filled discussion on applying the faith to daily life. Hearts and Hands meets every Monday from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM in Room 7 to knit and crochet items that are then donated to community organizations.
The Holy Family Grief Support Group offers a place of consolation for those who mourn. The Helping Hands Funeral Reception Ministry coordinates the parish hall and food for funeral receptions, while the Funeral Services Ministry helps families plan the funeral liturgy, including readings, songs and other liturgical concerns.
Beyond these gatherings, the parish runs the Yours, Mine & Ours Wellness Seminar, a half-day program with a free lunch, and offers Natural Family Planning through Full of Grace FertilityCare Services, which teaches the Creighton Model as a way of monitoring reproductive health in a way that is cooperative with a couple's fertility.
Respect Life: A Ministry of Prayer, Witness and Presence
The Respect Life Ministry promotes the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death through prayer, education and support for crisis pregnancy homes and centers. Members participate in the Annual Walk for Life in San Francisco and partner with the Respect Life Ministry of Holy Spirit Church in Fairfield for the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil campaign outside the Planned Parenthood on Travis Boulevard in Fairfield. The ministry meets jointly with The Gabriel Project on the second Thursday of each month from 6:00 to 7:30 PM through the Lifesize video conferencing platform. A "No-Not-This-One" anonymous text campaign engages anyone who learns of a woman considering abortion, sending a quiet request for prayer.
The parish also publishes immigration resources for the Spanish-speaking community, reflecting the parish's wider pastoral concern for the most vulnerable.
Charitable Ministries: Food, Meals and a Society of St. Vincent de Paul
St. Mary's is a hub of charitable outreach in Vacaville. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers emergency short-term help based on the need of the person in crisis and can be reached at (707) 421-5488. St. Mary's Food Locker, dedicated to helping those in Vacaville who need food assistance, is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 to 11:45 AM and Thursday from 5:00 to 6:30 PM. The food locker serves approximately 375 families (around 1,300 people) per month and purchases 20 to 30 racks of sliced bread, 80 to 100 dozen eggs and 72 half gallons of milk every week, along with thousands of dollars of food from the Solano Contra Costa Food Bank. Local grocery stores - Safeway, Sprouts, Walmart and WinCo - donate 500 to 600 pounds of food every week, and roughly 100 parish volunteers pick up, sort, store, organize and distribute the food. To qualify, a client must be a Vacaville resident with an ID showing a current Vacaville address.
From Thy Bounty has been making hot lunches for those in need since 2013. On the first and third Monday mornings, the ministry prepares 50 hot lunches - sloppy joes, burritos or chicken sandwiches with chips, fruit, bottled water and a snack - and delivers them to Opportunity House to distribute to those in the shelter and to others who are homeless. Feed My People partners with the Church of the Epiphany for the Joint Church Community Meals program, with hot dinners served on Fridays from 4:30 to 6:30 PM and hot lunches on Tuesdays from 1:00 to 2:00 PM at the Church of the Epiphany on West Street and Buck Avenue.
Knights of Columbus Council brings Catholic men's fellowship and service to the parish, and the parish's Environment Committee and Building Maintenance Committee care for the church building and grounds. The Vocation Awareness Committee fosters prayer for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
The People Who Shepherd St. Mary's
The parish is pastored by Father Brian J. Soliven, who also publishes weekly homilies through his podcast and homily site. Assisting him is Msgr. Carlos Avilés, Parochial Vicar. Deacon Rob Vandergraaf serves in diaconal ministry. Andreya Arévalo directs Family and Faith Formation, FertilityCare Services and Weddings/Marriage Preparation. Dominick Dicarlo is Music Director. Armida Ramírez is the Religious Education Coordinator, and Flor Hernandez leads the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium. Leslie Maligaya serves as Youth Minister. The parish office is staffed by Office Manager Sandra Ruiz and Bookkeeper Terri Brawner, while David Hernandez manages the grounds and Esteban Vargas serves as grounds keeper. A religious store on site carries devotional items for parish families.
Notre Dame School and Caligiuri Ranch
Notre Dame School is the parish's K-8 elementary school at 1781 Marshall Road in Vacaville. The school can be reached at (707) 447-1460 or office@notredamevacaville.org. Totus Tuus, the parish summer catechetical program, is held at Notre Dame each June, with a daytime program for students entering grades 1 through 6 and an evening program for students entering grades 7 through 12.
Caligiuri Ranch, the parish property at 3829 Cantelow Road, extends the parish into the Vacaville countryside and offers space for retreats, parish gatherings and outdoor ministry.
Getting Connected at St. Mary's
The parish office is open Monday from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The office closes from 1:00 to 2:00 PM for lunch. The main parish number is (707) 448-2390 and the general email is office@stmarysvacaville.com. New parishioners are invited to register through the parish's online form. Online giving is available through the parish's giving portal, and the parish keeps a Religious Store on site. The MyParish App sends instant notifications about parish events, and the parish is on Facebook. Formation, prayer, and charitable outreach continue to find new ways to deepen the encounter with Christ that has defined St. Mary's since 1867.