On a wide stretch of Junction Boulevard in western Roseville, St. Clare Catholic Church has grown from a single weekend Mass celebrated in an Episcopal sanctuary in nearby Antelope into the largest parish in the Diocese of Sacramento, with more than 8,000 registered families, 71 ministries, and over 600 children enrolled in faith formation. The parish describes itself as a joyful and welcoming Eucharistic community, united by faith in Jesus Christ and shaped by the many backgrounds its members bring to a shared worship life. Mass is offered in English throughout the week and in Spanish on the first Sunday of each month, a Filipino choir carries traditional devotions, and choirs from children's voices to a young adult ensemble fill the church each weekend. Distinctive offerings include adaptive faith formation for children with disabilities, a sensory-friendly Mass, a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Seoul, and a multi-purpose hall rising on the parish grounds to serve the next generation.
From a Rectory in Antelope to the Largest Parish in the Diocese
St. Clare was created in 1992 when Bishop Quinn announced a new parish for the Antelope area. The very first Mass was celebrated by Fr. Ben Deleon that August in the rectory of a local parish, and regular weekend Masses began the next month in the sanctuary of St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Antelope. In 1993 Fr. John Boll replaced Fr. Deleon and the community moved to North Country Elementary School. As it became clear that the Antelope site could not hold a growing congregation, a larger plot was chosen at the corner of Baseline and Junction Boulevard.
In December 1994 Fr. Colin McDonald was appointed the first pastor of St. Clare. By the year 2000 the parish had more than 600 registered families, and the new church was completed and dedicated on January 27, 2002. Growth continued steadily: by 2006 nearly 3,500 parishioners were registered, and the parish center, Morris Hall, was dedicated that same year. The Evangelist Center followed in 2013. Today St. Clare is the largest parish in the Diocese of Sacramento, and a multi-purpose hall is being added to the campus to support the demands of a parish that continues to expand. The master plan reserves room for a school one day and a new rectory.
Mass Times, Confession, and Eucharistic Adoration
Mass is offered at St. Clare every day of the week. The Saturday vigil is at 5:00 PM. On Sunday, Masses are celebrated at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 5:00 PM. A Mass in Spanish is offered at 1:30 PM on the first Sunday of each month. Weekday Mass is at 8:30 AM Monday through Saturday. On the first Wednesday of each month, the Mother of Perpetual Help Novena Mass is added at 6:30 PM.
Confessions are heard on Tuesdays at 4:00 PM and on Saturdays at 9:15 AM. Parishioners are invited to wait in the church and form a line for the attending clergy.
Eucharistic Adoration is offered on Fridays from 12:00 PM to 5:30 PM. The Hour of Mercy follows at 3:00 PM, when Fr. George Snyder, Jr. leads the Chaplet of Divine Mercy during Adoration. A Taizé prayer service is held on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 PM in the church. An online Rosary is prayed by Zoom every Monday at 7:00 PM, organized by a parishioner who welcomes anyone to join the call.
All weekend and daily Masses are livestreamed on the parish YouTube channel, with a permanent collection of recent Masses archived online.
The Music Ministry: Choirs for Every Generation
Music at St. Clare is built around the idea that the primary music minister is the assembly itself, encouraged through the leadership of cantors and choirs to participate fully, actively, and consciously in the Holy Mass. The Music Ministry is led by chairperson Susie Plaza, with directors for each ensemble.
The youngest singers belong to JAM, Jesus and Music, the children's choir for grades K through 5. JAM sings at the 11:30 AM Mass on the second Sunday of each month and at the 9:30 AMP Mass on the first and third Sundays, with weekly rehearsals on Thursdays at 6:30 PM under co-directors Tim Desrochers and Liza Lacambra.
AMPED, the youth choir for grades 6 through 12, leads music at the 5:00 PM Sunday Mass. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM under director Susie Plaza.
Adult choirs serve the regular weekend schedule. The Saturday 5:00 PM choir and the Sunday 9:30 AM choir both rehearse on Thursdays at 7:00 PM under Patty Murphy. The Sunday 7:30 AM choir, facilitated by Joseph Campagna, rehearses on a published schedule. The Glory & Praise choir, led by Jackie Castle, sings at the 11:30 AM Mass with rehearsals on Wednesdays at 7:15 PM.
Two ensembles give voice to the parish's ethnic heritage. The Barangay Santa Clara Filipino Choir sings at the 5:00 PM Mass on the third Saturday and the 7:30 AM Mass on the first Sunday, directed by Jojo Lazaro. The Hispanic Choir serves the first Sunday Spanish Mass at 1:30 PM, directed by Andres Gonzalez and coordinated by Aileen Douglas. A Young Adult Choir sings at the 5:00 PM Mass on the fourth Sunday of each month, with rehearsals twice a month, and welcomes singers and instrumentalists with no prior experience required.
Faith Formation from Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade
Faith Formation at St. Clare aims to create a program of lifelong formation centered on the teaching and love of Jesus. The parish describes the family as the domestic church, the first place a child encounters Christ, and frames its programming around the call of Pope Francis during the 2020-2021 Year of St. Joseph to make Christ the center of family life.
The Family Catechesis program is designed for families with children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Families gather for monthly in-person sessions, attend Sunday Mass weekly, and participate in parish special events. Between monthly gatherings, families are given resources to nurture faith at home. Sacrament preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist is a two-year consecutive process beginning in first grade. Children must be baptized and provide a baptismal certificate if not baptized at St. Clare. The first year, called SPY1, follows the Family Catechesis monthly session with at-home lessons. The second year, SPY2, adds a monthly student sacrament preparation class, retreats in winter and spring, and continued parish involvement.
Confirmation is a two-year process for youth in seventh through twelfth grade who have already received Baptism, First Reconciliation, and First Communion. The journey typically includes youth nights, service hours, parent and sponsor sessions, a retreat, and the Fired Up! Confirmation Conference. Both years require some involvement in Youth Ministry, with Middle School Ministry for seventh and eighth graders and High School Ministry for ninth through twelfth.
Children and teens who have not been baptized are welcomed through OCIA Adapted for Children and Teens, a two-year program with no fee. The first year mirrors Family Catechesis with monthly sessions and at-home lessons; the second year adds twice-monthly in-person sessions, OCIA rites, and retreats.
Adaptive Faith Formation and the Sensory-Friendly Mass
St. Clare's Adaptive Faith Formation program serves students who have developmental or intellectual disabilities, along with their families. The team of dedicated catechists works with each child according to his or her gifts, beginning with an interview with the lead catechist to determine the best placement. Focus areas include preparing to receive the sacraments, building the skills needed to attend Mass, and participating in the life of the parish. A Sensory-Friendly Mass is offered quarterly, with Father George presiding, and extends a special invitation to any person with sensory issues and their families.
Becoming Catholic: OCIA for Adults and Teens
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults welcomes adults who are exploring the Catholic faith or seeking to complete their sacraments. Adults in need of Baptism, adults baptized in another Christian tradition who desire to become Catholic, and baptized Catholics in need of First Communion and Confirmation are all served. Sessions are held on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 PM in the St. Matthew Room; newcomers are welcome any week without calling ahead. Adult Confirmation is available for those who have received Baptism and First Eucharist but did not receive the sacrament of Confirmation, deepening baptismal gifts through a series of sessions centered on a closer walk with Jesus and the Church he founded. OCIA Coordinator Michelle Klear and Deacon Ken Crawford oversee the ministry.
The Filipino Community: Simbang Gabi, Santo Niño, and Mother of Perpetual Help
The Filipino Ministry carries Filipino Catholic traditions into the life of the parish. Every Wednesday at 6:30 PM the community gathers for devotion prayers to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, with the prayers said within Holy Mass on the first Wednesday of each month. During Simbang Gabi, the traditional Filipino dawn Masses of Advent, daily Mass is celebrated at 6:00 AM from December 15 through December 23 with traditional Filipino Christmas carols. On Easter Sunday the Salubong begins at 5:00 AM, a candlelight procession in which men bear the image of the Risen Jesus and women carry the Blessed Virgin Mary separately around the church grounds; the two processions meet inside the church and the veil of mourning is lifted from the Virgin as the Regina Coeli is sung by the children of the parish, followed by the Easter Dawn Mass at 5:30 AM. The Santo Niño Fiesta on the third Saturday in January includes 10:00 AM devotion prayers, an 11:00 AM Mass with the traditional blessing of the images, and the Sinulog procession on the church campus. The ministry is coordinated by Jojo Lazaro.
Misa en Español, Quinceañeras, and the Spanish-Speaking Community
The Spanish Ministry, started under Fr. Steven Foppiano at the call of Bishop Jaime Soto to provide Spanish evangelization across the diocese, gathers the Spanish-speaking community through prayer, formation, and fellowship. Ana Moreira serves as the coordinator.
The Spanish Mass is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month at 1:30 PM in the church. Encuentro con Cristo meets on Tuesdays from 6:45 PM to 8:00 PM in the St. Matthew Room for group reflection on the Sunday Gospel, prayer, and discussion. The Family Holy Hour, on the first Friday of each month from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, includes Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Rosary, litanies, and blessing, with pizza afterward. The Pilgrim Queen of the Family program sends a shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe from home to home for a week of family Rosary prayer, with Family Rosaries organized in the church on Marian feasts. The Spanish Choir rehearses on Wednesdays from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM in the St. Francis Room, directed by Andres Gonzalez.
The ministry also coordinates the diocesan Father-Son Program in the fall and the Mother-Daughter Program in the winter, each a six-hour course based on the Theology of the Body, and a February couples' retreat with Mass. Quinceañeras are celebrated with spiritual preparation through a request form and follow-up with Monica Echevers in the parish office.
Middle School, High School, and Young Adult Ministry
Middle School Ministry welcomes sixth through eighth graders for monthly Tuesday sessions from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM in Morris Center, supplemented with social nights, Adoration nights, retreats, and community service. High School Ministry invites ninth through twelfth graders to deepen their relationship with Christ through catechesis, discussion, service, and community, with the mission of cultivating a ministry where teens can Belong, Believe, and Be. Andres Gonzalez serves as the Youth and Young Adult Coordinator, supported by permission and driver forms for off-campus events.
Young Adult Ministry is open to 18-39 year olds, generally gathering on the first and third Friday of each month from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM for activities that range from Bible study and prayer nights to game nights, karaoke, movie nights, and arts and crafts. A separate group of Young Adult Franciscans meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM. The Young Adults stay connected through a private GroupMe app with threads for prayer requests, resources, memes, and gender-specific gatherings. The Young Adult Choir sings at the 5:00 PM Mass on the fourth Sunday of each month.
St. Clare is organizing a pilgrimage to Seoul, South Korea for World Youth Day 2027, running from July 26 to August 10, 2027, with an extension into Japan. The parish is also planning a trip with Fr. George that includes both countries, and a young adult is preparing for a related discernment experience.
Women of St. Clare, Arise Men's Ministry, and Golden Hearts
Women of St. Clare is a ministry for women of every age to grow in faith, friendship, and service. Monthly gatherings feature Catholic formation, prayer, meaningful conversation, and authentic friendship. More than 110 women attended the inaugural Faith & Fellowship evening, and the October gathering, themed Let It Be: Trusting God When You Don't Know the Plan, explores Mary's courageous yes as a model for surrender and peace in seasons of uncertainty. The co-coordinators are Veronica Romero and Michelle Weigand.
Arise Men's Ministry exists to form and strengthen Catholic men in faith and virtue as missionary disciples through prayer, formation, and fraternity. The parish describes it as a place for men to support one another in growing in holiness and becoming better husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons. Monthly meetings draw on the lives of saints and servants of God for formation, and the parish points to 1 Corinthians 16:13: Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
Golden Hearts Ministry nurtures the spiritual, social, emotional, and physical well-being of senior parishioners aged 55 and older. Activities include prayer and retreats, fellowship events, lifelong learning and cultural opportunities, service to other parish ministries and youth mentoring, and pastoral care for homebound and isolated seniors through visits and calls.
Respect Life, Vocations, and Reaching Those at Home
The Respect Life Committee carries out its work in the diocesan four-part plan of formation and education, prayer and worship, pastoral care, and legislative advocacy. Highlights include Respect Life Month in October and Pro Life Month in January, spring and fall participation in the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil in Sacramento, and pastoral resources such as the Gabriel Project, the Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home, the Sacramento Life Center, and the Mother Teresa Maternity Home. Post-abortion care is available through Project Rachel.
Vocations Ministry encourages prayerful discernment of God's call to priesthood, religious life, marriage, and the single life. Parishioners can sign up to take home a Vocations Ministry Prayer Satchel containing prayer materials and the icon Christ the High Priest for a week of devoted prayer. A traveling Parish Vocation Cross moves from home to home, and the committee hosts seminarians for dinner after their annual retreat.
The Homebound Ministry brings Holy Communion to parishioners who are unable to attend Mass due to injury, illness, advanced age, or circumstance. Ministers visit private homes, apartments, care centers, and assisted living facilities within the St. Clare parish boundary in Roseville.
Weddings and Funerals
Wedding Coordinators work with engaged couples to finalize details of the wedding liturgy, manage county-required forms, facilitate rehearsal and preparation, and uphold the reverence and beauty of the Sacrament of Matrimony. Couples are guided through the diocesan requirements for marriage preparation and connected to the Wedding Ministry team.
The Funeral Ministry assists families in planning the Vigil Service, Funeral Mass, Funeral Service without Mass, and Committal Service. Coordinators meet with the family, communicate with clergy and deacons, prepare the church, and assist family members with readings, gifts, and Holy Communion. A long list of suggested music is provided for live parish musicians, including Be Not Afraid, On Eagle's Wings, Here I Am Lord, Amazing Grace, and In Every Age, drawn from a wide repertoire of Catholic funeral hymns.
Library, Bible Study, and Digital Prayer
The Library Ministry in the St. Clare Room off the narthex offers books and resources for all ages, with no library card required and a brochure in the narthex listing the collection. The Reading with Jesus challenge encourages children, teens, and adults to read for four hours during the month in exchange for a small Jesus figurine, with completed forms collected after the first full weekend Masses of each month.
Adult Bible Study aims to balance Eucharist, prayer, and Scripture in a balanced spirituality. Deacon Ken Crawford organizes parish Bible study. The Exploring the Bible podcast with parishioner Mel Barror offers recorded Bible study sessions on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Radio Public, with monthly written commentaries published for each Sunday and major feast going back through the Church year.
St. Clare partners with Hallow, the Catholic prayer app, and offers a free trial and parish page experience. Through the parish zip code 95747, parishioners can join prayer challenges, share prayer requests, and access thousands of prayer, meditation, rosary, and Bible story sessions. Other resources promoted by the parish include Formed, Word on Fire, and the USCCB daily readings.
Building for the Future: The Multi-Purpose Hall
A new multi-purpose hall and loop road project is being constructed on the St. Clare campus, with construction planned to begin in the summer of 2026. The Capital Campaign, with the theme With Faith & Light We Build Together, invites parishioners and supporters to make a four-year pledge. Donations may be made online through the parish giving portal, with stock and securities gifts supported by a downloadable form for financial advisors. Once complete, the multi-purpose hall will join Morris Hall and the Evangelist Center as a third major gathering space on a campus designed to serve a parish that shows no signs of slowing down.