Name of Church St. Joachim Church
Address 401 West 5th Street, Madera, CA 93637
Phone number (559) 673-3290
Website www.sjoachim.org
Mass times Saturday vigil 5 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. (Spanish); Sunday 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m. (Spanish), 9:30 a.m.; 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. (Spanish), 4 p.m. (Spanish), 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m. (Spanish). Weekdays 7 & 8 a.m., with the 8 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday in Spanish and a Wednesday, 7 p.m. in Spanish. Saturday, 8 a.m.
Confessions Saturdays, 9-11 a.m., Wednesdays 6 p.m.
Names of priests Fathers John Warburton, pastor, Gustavo Lopez, rector, Shaji Athipozhi, James Catalano. The Oblates of St. Joseph are a religious congregation founded by St. Joseph Marello (1844-95), an Italian priest who later became Bishop of Acqui in Northern Italy. Marello’s community, originally known as the Company of St. Joseph, began with four candidates in 1878. Marello encouraged his nascent community to imitate the virtues and qualities of St. Joseph as they began their work, which included serving the elderly, handicapped and orphaned. The community came to California in 1931. They are known locally for their seven-acre Shrine of St. Joseph in Santa Cruz, where visitors are welcome to come for Mass and confession, as well as private prayer. The Oblates have about 30 priests in the U.S., but like many religious communities, have struggled for vocations.
School Pre-K through 8, located across the street from the parish. Sisters of the Immaculate Conception serve on the school staff.
Special parish groups Legion of Mary, Bible studies, Knights of Columbus, youth groups, weekday adoration (see the website for times), Italian Catholic Federation, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Hospital and Jail Ministry.
Music Depends on the Mass, cantors, choirs, organ and piano.
Fellow parishioners A mix of English and Spanish speakers.
Parking Plenty in a lot beside the church; on the weekend you can also park across the street at the school.
Acoustics Good
Cry room Yes
Additional observations St. Joachim is a parish of the Diocese of Fresno. The church is an older, cathedral-style church built in 1959 (planning is underway for a new church). Artwork includes a large mosaic of Christ behind the altar, a traditional crucifix, shrines of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and many other mosaics and a variety of statues. There are many colorful stained glass windows, including The Three Skulls in the sacristy, skulls wearing a biretta, miter and papal tiara to remind clergy of the brevity of life. The exterior entry of the church has a large mosaic of St. Joachim which was recently restored after high winds damaged it. (Listen to the pastor, Fr. Warburton, talk about the restored mosaic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLIcOL1SR50.) The church has also welcomed the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jGfwmDmkJY.) There is also a parish bookstore nearby which offers a variety of religious items. The parish serves two mission churches, St. Anne and St. Agnes.
Very active parish and wonderful priests there. The Oblates of St Joseph are the same order as Fr. Matthew Spencer OSJ who has a syndicated radio show in the afternoons on seeing opportunities for holiness in the everyday moments.
I visited this parish on a Saturday morning and all four confessional’s were occupied with lines at all of them. They were still hearing confessions two hours later.
Fr Warburton formerly at St Joseph in Santa Cruz. Wonderful preist. Authentic preaching. Very active in the prolife work here, too. He’d often stand in at Mass for other preists at other parishes, too.
For those looking for reliable NO Mass, this is your guy.
“The church is an older, cathedral-style church built in 1959 (planning is underway for a new church).”
What? That reads as though the writer (and the CCD) wold rather see a new church built in-the-round or in the ugly, irreverent amphitheatre style of Holy Spirit in nearby Fresno and sadly imposed in too many other places.
My parents were married at St. Joachim Catholic Church in Madera on March 8, 1942.
I am wondering if you might happen to have a photo of that Original church back than ?
I would like to include in their ‘Album with Story of their lives together. She is 96. He passed away 2010.
Thank you for any help.