St. Pius X Catholic Church sits along Lyons Valley Road in Jamul, the quiet, rolling country east of San Diego where Highway 94 gives way to ranch land and chaparral. The parish describes itself with a single line that has become its identity: "A Tiny Church with a Big Heart." Founded under the Diocese of San Diego and named for Pope St. Pius X, the patron whose pontificate (1903-1914) shaped the church's devotion to frequent Communion, the parish carries his motto as its own: Instaurare Omnia in Christo - "Restore all things in Christ." Despite its modest size, St. Pius X is a full Roman Catholic parish serving English-speaking and Spanish-speaking families, with daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, religious education, youth and young-adult ministry, and a calendar of community events that draw members from across east San Diego County.
Sunday Mass in English and Spanish
Weekend Masses are the rhythm of parish life. Saturday's vigil Mass is celebrated in English at 5:00 PM. Sunday offers three Masses: 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM in English, followed by a 12:30 PM Mass in Spanish. On the third Sunday of each month, the 11:00 AM English Mass becomes a Children's Mass, with children serving as altar servers, lectors and members of the children's choir. On the fourth Sunday, the 8:30 AM English Mass becomes the Youth Mass, when the parish's confirmation candidates take on the visible ministries of the liturgy.
The Spanish-language community is woven into the parish rather than set apart. The 12:30 PM Sunday Mass is celebrated in Spanish, and a Wednesday evening Spanish Mass is offered at 7:00 PM, except on the third Wednesday of every third month, when that time slot becomes a Spanish Healing Mass. A weekly Holy Rosary and a Spanish Hora Santa (Holy Hour) round out the devotional life for Spanish-speaking parishioners.
Daily Mass, Adoration, and Reconciliation
Tuesday through Friday, the parish gathers for a 7:30 AM Daily Mass in English. There is no Monday Mass. On the first Friday of the month, the parish keeps a special Holy Hour of Reparation beginning at 6:00 PM and concluding with a 7:00 PM Eucharistic Celebration. An English Healing Mass is offered at 7:00 PM on the third Tuesday of every third month.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament fills Thursdays at St. Pius X. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed from 8:30 AM and continues until 5:00 PM, giving parishioners a long, quiet window for prayer before the reserved Sacrament. The parish also keeps the traditional 1st Saturday devotion, with a 9:00 AM Mass that month.
Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on Saturdays at 4:00 PM, the hour before the vigil Mass, or by appointment through the parish office. The Diocese of San Diego notes that confessions can also be arranged in Spanish through the parish.
Faith Formation: Generations of Living Faith
Religious education at St. Pius X is organized under the name G.O.L.F. - Generations of Living Faith - and is led by Jose Olivares, Director of Catechetical Ministry. The program welcomes families each year beginning August 1, when online registration opens. Classes for children in kindergarten through tenth grade meet on Sunday mornings from 9:50 AM to 10:55 AM, fitting neatly between the early English Mass and the 11:00 AM Mass and giving parents a place to be during the gap. Catechists teach by grade level, with two dedicated Confirmation year groups - Confirmation 1 for ninth graders under Ana Knudsen, and Confirmation 2 for tenth graders under Ed Knudsen - and a multi-year CIC track for children whose families prefer continuing formation in Spanish.
Adults preparing for full initiation into the Catholic Church join the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process by contacting the parish office. First Reconciliation is celebrated with third graders in the spring, First Communion follows shortly after, and Confirmation is conferred on tenth graders in a 6:30 PM Mass scheduled each year by the diocese. Children preparing for sacraments are required to provide a copy of their birth and sacramental certificates to the Catechetical Ministry Office.
An early-bird discount applies when registration is paid in full before the third Sunday in September. The registration fees, online payment link, and downloadable forms are posted on the parish's Faith Formation page in both English and Spanish.
Children's Mass, Bulletins, and Family Resources
Children are not an afterthought at St. Pius X. In addition to the monthly Children's Mass, the parish keeps a Children's Page with weekly Gospel activity booklets, coloring pages, beginning-reader worksheets, and quizzes tied to the Sunday readings. The materials come from Holy Heroes Mass Prep and are refreshed each week so that families can engage the same Scripture proclaimed at Mass. A separate archive of bulletins going back to 2014 is published online in both English and Spanish, and parents can subscribe by Flocknote for email or text updates.
Knights of Columbus Council #9659
The Jamul Knights of Columbus council is one of the most visible ministries of the parish. Council #9659 supports the parish with breakfasts, workdays, and fundraising, including an annual Mother's Day breakfast. Knights were behind the 2025 concrete project that rebuilt the youth ministry playground and the ramp between classrooms, with Eduardo Fontes, Guillermo García, and Thomas Mascarenas donating the construction know-how. In 2024, the Knights also built a new ornamental gate for the parish grounds and served as tea servers at the Mother Mary's Ladies Guild's 9th Annual Tea. Their annual dues are paid through an online store on the parish site, and the council observes the traditional Knights' devotional schedule, including prayer gatherings like the 1st Saturdays program.
Mother Mary's Ladies Guild and Women's Fellowship
Mother Mary's Ladies Guild brings the women of the parish together for prayer, service, and the kind of intergenerational hospitality the founders had in mind. The guild hosts an annual Mother's Day Tea (the 9th was held in April 2024), a Cookie Party each December, a Day of Recollection, and a January outing - past trips have taken the group to Mission San Juan Capistrano. The guild also supports parish-wide initiatives through volunteer work and fundraiser hosting.
Men's Fellowship on the First Saturday
The Men's Fellowship of St. Pius X meets on the first Saturday of each month at 7:30 AM in Keenan Hall. The format is simple and durable: a light breakfast, a short talk on a spiritual topic chosen by the men who attend, and small-group discussion. Sessions last about an hour so members can be home before the day's activities begin. The fellowship also meets on Zoom for those who cannot be there in person. Recent topics have included apologetics; a two-part handout is distributed for those who miss a meeting.
Youth Ministry and Young Adults
St. Pius X's youth ministry gathers on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM for faith conversation, games, and the kind of community that keeps teens engaged through high school. The youth serve as lectors and gift-bearers at Masses throughout the year, take an annual retreat in Pine Valley, and attend Steubenville conferences when they are offered nearby. Community service is built into the program: youth feed the homeless with the parish's Help the Homeless project, pack Boxes of Joy with the El Cajon Deanery, and assist at the parish food distributions. Attendance and volunteer hours are tracked online through dedicated links, and permission slips for offsite events are posted in both English and Spanish.
The parish is preparing its young people for World Youth Day Seoul 2027, with the Young Adults Ministry taking the lead on fundraising. That ministry is for adults ages 18 to 39 (per the Diocese of San Diego's definition) and is led by Alvaro and Tia Noriega. The group meets for activities like bowling nights at Parkway Bowl and a summer Luau, with announcements shared through their Instagram feed.
Hispanic Community and Spanish-Language Ministries
The Hispanic Community at St. Pius X is a full partner in parish life, not a satellite. Spanish-language programming includes the 12:30 PM Sunday Mass, the Wednesday evening Spanish Mass, the third-Wednesday Spanish Healing Mass, the Santa Rosario (Holy Rosary), and a yearly Hispanic Group Retreat. Maria Mendez serves as Coordinadora de Liturgia, and Gricelda Lopez edits the bilingual bulletin so that both communities are kept informed. Children's religious education is offered in Spanish through the CIC track, and the registration form, fees, and parent handbook are published in Spanish.
Bible Study and Adult Faith
Bible Study is listed among the parish's standing ministries, and adult faith enrichment is supported through the OCIA process for those preparing to enter the Church, as well as through the parish's online giving of Sunday bulletins and quarterly "All Things In Christ" newsletter, which is published in both English and Spanish.
Sacraments and Sacramental Preparation
The parish prepares parishioners for the seven sacraments in the usual Catholic pattern. Baptism is scheduled through the parish office at least six weeks in advance, and parents are expected to attend pre-baptismal classes. First Reconciliation and First Communion are received in third grade, after two years of catechesis. Confirmation is conferred on tenth graders following a two-year preparation that includes a retreat. Couples preparing for marriage, those discerning Holy Orders, and those requesting Anointing of the Sick can arrange sacraments through the parish office. A page devoted to the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, quoting Pope St. Pius X that "Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to heaven," anchors the parish's Eucharistic devotion.
Jamulfest, Wine Festival, and Parish Traditions
Two annual celebrations draw the wider community to the parish. Jamulfest is the parish's signature family event - a long-running festival paired with a Gymkhana that brings parishioners, neighbors, and visitors together for food, games, and parish fellowship. The Jamul Premier Wine Festival, hosted on parish grounds in late spring or early summer, is the parish's major fundraiser and has been featured on regional television. Other recurring events include Bingo nights, the Children's Mass, the Holy Hour/Hora Santa, the Songs that Uplift Our Soul evening, the parish picnic, the Valentine Dinner Dance, the St. Patrick's Day Dinner Dance, and the Mother Mary's Ladies Guild Annual Tea.
Parish Staff and Pastoral Team
The parish is led by Fr. Higinio Garcia, Pastor, who also writes the bilingual pastor's letter that opens each issue of the bulletin. Jose Olivares serves as Director of Catechetical Ministry and oversees Faith Formation and OCIA. Laura Dray and Linda Coppola coordinate the liturgical ministers, with Maria Mendez serving as Coordinadora de Liturgia. Gricelda Lopez serves in a dual role as Bookkeeper and Bulletin Editor, and Ithzel Barron serves as Administrative Assistant. The Knights of Columbus #9659 and the parish's ministry coordinators round out the operational team, and the parish is accountable to the Diocese of San Diego.
Giving, Communication, and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can support St. Pius X through online donations via Vanco, by check delivered to the office, or through the annual diocesan appeal. Online registration is available for new parishioners, with separate English and Spanish forms, and visitors can subscribe to Flocknote for parish news by email or text. Mass is livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel, and a calendar of events is kept up to date on the parish site. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and the building is located at 14107 Lyons Valley Road, Jamul, CA 91935, with driving directions from Highway 94, Jamacha Road, and Willow Glen Drive listed on the parish's Directions page. Reporting of sexual abuse by clergy, employees, or volunteers follows the Diocese of San Diego's protocols, with contact information posted on the parish site.
A Parish Built Around the Eucharist
St. Pius X's identity flows from the Eucharist. The namesake saint is remembered for lowering the age of first Communion and encouraging frequent reception of the sacraments, and the parish has made that conviction the center of its week: Sunday Masses in two languages, daily Mass on four mornings, a full day of Eucharistic adoration on Thursdays, Reconciliation every Saturday, First Friday and First Saturday devotions, and a steady rhythm of Healing Masses for those who need them. Around that center, the parish has built the parish life it promises in its mission - celebrating God's Word, living the Eucharist, and reaching out in peace and justice to all of God's people, building a loving and supportive community in Jamul. The motto on the parish's mast sums it up. To restore all things in Christ is the work of every parish, and at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Jamul, that work is carried out quietly, generously, and with the kind of devotion Pope St. Pius X would recognize as his own.