St. Frances of Rome Catholic Church sits at 21591 Lemon Street in Wildomar, a quiet city in western Riverside County. Bilingual signs, Spanish and English Masses stacked back to back, and a quinceañera retreat that draws girls from across the valley all mark this parish as a place where two Catholic cultures live under the same roof. The community has worshipped on this site since 1887, making it one of the older Catholic parishes in the inland reaches of southern California. Today the parish belongs to the Diocese of San Bernardino and follows the pastoral leadership of Bishop Alberto Rojas.
A Parish Root in the Valley
The parish traces its origins to 1887, nearly four decades before Wildomar became a city. Generations of ranching and citrus families built the Catholic community here, and the current parish continues that long local story. The parish summary declares: "We, the Catholic Community of St Frances of Rome, are dedicated to the propagation of the faith in our community and surrounding areas. We will accomplish this through an increase in communication to our parishioners and the surrounding communities by updating our weekly bulletin… We will increase our spiritual life through the availability of workshops and retreats. We will build a new church in a timely manner, which will help to build a strong sense of community within the parish. With God's grace guiding us, we hope to affect a positive change in the St Frances of Rome Community."
The longer mission statement weaves the same hopes into broader language: "We the people of Saint Frances of Rome Catholic Church in Wildomar, CA are a sacramental community united in Jesus Christ, rooted in the Gospel and animated by a spirit of welcome and belonging. We worship joyfully, serve gladly and are stewards of God's gifts. We nurture spiritual growth through faith formation. We support one another; invite all people from diverse walks of life to make a community with us; offer comfort to the alienated and marginalized; spread the gospel; and practice our faith in our daily lives." The parish's identity centers on the Eucharist, faith formation, and gathering people of many backgrounds into one Catholic household.
Masses in English and Spanish, Every Day of the Week
The parish runs one of the more thorough bilingual Mass schedules in the western Riverside County stretch of the Diocese of San Bernardino. Each day of the working week opens with a Mass that alternates between English and Spanish.
- Monday: 8:00 AM English.
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM English.
- Wednesday: 6:00 PM Spanish.
- Thursday: 8:00 AM English.
- Friday: 8:00 AM English.
The weekend lineup is even fuller. Saturday begins with an 8:00 AM English Mass on the first Saturday of each month, then the vigil Masses follow: 4:00 PM in English and 5:30 PM in Spanish. On Sunday, four Masses cover the morning and afternoon: 7:00 AM English, 9:00 AM Spanish, 11:00 AM English, and 1:00 PM Spanish.
Confession is offered twice a week on a regular schedule. On Saturdays from 8:30 AM to 9:45 AM, and on Wednesdays from 6:30 PM to 7:45 PM, priests are available in the confessional. Confession can also be scheduled by appointment by calling the parish office.
Wednesday Adoration and the Eucharistic Heart of the Week
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a weekly anchor at St. Frances of Rome. Every Wednesday afternoon, from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM, the parish gathers in quiet prayer before the Eucharist. Once a month the chapel stays open for longer prayer: on the third Wednesday of the month, Adoration runs from 12:00 PM to 5:30 PM, giving anyone who can step away from work or errands a longer midday to sit with the reserved Sacrament. The Spanish-language Mass on Wednesday evening is timed so that worshipers can move from Adoration into the celebration of the Eucharist.
Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, and More
The parish teaches that "Sacraments are the principal and fundamental actions whereby Jesus Christ unceasingly bestows his Spirit on the faithful." All seven Catholic sacraments are part of life at St. Frances of Rome, and each one comes with its own process.
Baptism is the first step. The parish welcomes children whose parents are registered members, and parents and godparents must attend a pre-Baptismal class in person; online classes are not accepted. Parents who live outside parish boundaries must bring a permission letter from their own pastor. The parish asks that children seven years and older be enrolled in the R.C.I.C. program for catechesis before baptism. A copy of the child's birth certificate, and certificates of Baptism, Confirmation, and (where applicable) Marriage for each godparent are required. A non-refundable fee of $75 per child is collected. Godparents are expected to be at least sixteen, fully initiated Catholics, and (if married) married in the Catholic Church.
Reconciliation is the sacrament through which Catholics encounter "God's unconditional forgiveness; as a result we are called to forgive others." It is offered at the scheduled confession times noted above and by appointment.
Eucharist is understood as both a sacrifice and a meal, the real presence of Jesus who died for our sins. The parish celebrates this presence at every Mass and sustains it through Adoration.
Confirmation is treated as "a Catholic Sacrament of mature Christian commitment and a deepening of baptismal gifts." The parish runs a dedicated two-year youth Confirmation program described below.
Marriage preparation begins with a packet of guidelines in either English or Spanish. Couples work with the parish priest or deacon through the steps the Diocese of San Bernardino requires before the celebration of Holy Matrimony. The parish's bilingual welcome makes it a popular venue for English-Spanish couples.
Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick round out the seven. The Anointing is offered not only for physical illness but "also for mental and spiritual sickness," appropriate for anyone facing serious health concerns rather than reserved only to the dying.
The Quinceañera: A Signature Parish Ministry
If a single ministry captures St. Frances of Rome's character, it is the quinceañera program. The parish hosts celebrations "in group of more than one quinceañera and no more than four per celebration," with the liturgy offered in Spanish or bilingually. The program's roots are deep enough that the parish has built a whole rhythm around it.
To participate, families must be registered members of St. Frances of Rome, and the application must be turned in at the parish office three months in advance. The family provides copies of the young woman's Baptism and First Communion certificates, and the cost is $600 per girl, paid one month before the celebration. Choir and floral arrangements are billed separately; families who want to bring in a choir from outside the parish need to coordinate with the parish's Music Director.
Several months of formation come first. The young woman attends a Saturday retreat that runs from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, while her parents join her for the first talk. The retreat covers five themes: "The Significance of the Quinceañera and its Roots," "Who am I?" (a self-discovery reflection), "Who is Jesus?" (described by the parish as the most important talk of the retreat), "The role of the Woman in our society," and "My youth and the values." A working lunch is provided. Parents sign a promise to enroll their daughter in Confirmation classes if she is not already signed up, and the family commits to attending five Masses together before the celebration. The dress rehearsal is held the Friday before the celebration at 6:00 PM, and the young woman is asked to arrive half an hour early on the day.
Family Religious Education and Youth Confirmation
The parish's Family Religious Education program serves school-aged children with weekly catechesis during the academic year. Registration for the next school year opens on July 1, and the program is offered to registered families of St. Frances of Rome and families outside the parish boundaries who have permission from their home parish.
Youth Confirmation is a structured two-year program designed for teenagers. The first year meets from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM, and the second year meets from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. Students work from a bilingual digital workbook that the parish distributes through Ascension Press; parents are asked to create an account with the email they used at the parent information meeting so the workbook syncs correctly. Angie Aguilera, who coordinates both Youth / Young Adult Ministry and Youth Confirmation, can be reached for any registration questions.
Special-needs children age seven and older enter the R.C.I.C. track for Baptismal catechesis, which prepares them to receive the sacraments of initiation alongside their peers.
Music Ministry
Annette K. Betts directs the Music Ministry and oversees the choir and musicians who serve at Sunday Mass, quinceañera celebrations, weddings, and other liturgies. Choirs are an essential element of the parish's bilingual worship, especially on Saturday and Sunday when English and Spanish Masses follow one another. The quinceañera program relies on the Music Ministry to coordinate singers and musicians, and families who wish to bring in outside choirs are asked to give advance notice.
Worship Helpers and Lectors
Like every Catholic parish, St. Frances of Rome depends on a wide circle of lay volunteers to serve at the altar, read at Mass, distribute Communion, and assist with hospitality. The parish's prayer for quinceañeras comes from the first letter to Timothy: "Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity," and the wider parish community lives that call in every Mass they share.
Pastoral Team and Staff
The parish is led by Rev. Henry Sseriiso, Pastor, who oversees the spiritual life of the community. Rev. Alfredo Olmos serves as Parochial Vicar and assists with the celebration of the sacraments and daily preaching. Dc. Joseph Franco and Dc. Trinidad Guadarrama are the parish's two deacons; Deacon Franco is available by appointment, and Deacon Guadarrama can be reached through the parish office.
Ministers of formation and youth work include Lety Pablin, Director of Religious Education, who oversees the Faith Formation program for children and coordinates sacraments of initiation. Angie Aguilera directs Youth and Young Adult Ministry as well as the two-year Youth Confirmation program. Annette K. Betts directs the Music Ministry and serves as the contact for quinceañera choir arrangements.
Office Hours and Parish Office
The parish office keeps weekday hours that work for working families. Monday through Thursday the office is open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with a lunch break from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. Friday hours are 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The office is the entry point for scheduling Baptisms, quinceañera applications, Marriage preparation, funeral arrangements, and letters of permission for parishioners who live outside the parish boundaries.
The phone number is (951) 674-6881, and the email is stfrancesofrome@sbdiocese.org. The mailing address and parish location are the same: 21591 Lemon Street, Wildomar, CA 92595.
Online Giving and Parish Stewardship
The parish runs an online giving program through the Diocese of San Bernardino's platform. Donations can be set up as one-time gifts or as recurring Sunday collections. Credit cards (Visa, Master Card, Discover) and bank drafts are both accepted, and contributors may give anonymously if they wish. Gifts can be paused, changed, or stopped at any time through the donor's account.
For mobile giving, a dedicated Online Giving app is available; parishioners link their account by entering parish code 4319. The parish also accepts gifts through the OSV Hub login, and contributions made online are automatically recorded for the donor's annual tax statement.
Diocesan Connections and Outside Resources
The parish is part of the Diocese of San Bernardino and shares in the diocese's communication with Bishop Alberto Rojas. The parish carries diocesan notices, including the Bishop's dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass for those who are legitimately impeded, and statements on community concerns such as immigration enforcement.
Parishioners who want to deepen their faith beyond the parish have access to a wide library of Catholic resources the parish recommends: the Vatican, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Answers, the Catholic Encyclopedia, Catholics Come Home, Lighthouse Catholic Media, St. Joseph Communications, The Byte Online, Zenit, Wordnet Productions, EWTN, and Rachel's Vineyard (a post-abortion healing ministry).
Youth and Young Adult Ministry
The parish's youth work is built around the Confirmation journey but extends beyond it. Angie Aguilera leads ongoing outreach to middle school and high school youth, with the Youth Ministry having its own Facebook presence in addition to the main parish page. Young adults are welcomed into the parish's regular rhythm of weekday Mass, Wednesday Adoration, and parish social life through the same office. The two-year Confirmation program deliberately leaves room for ongoing formation so that young people who complete the sacrament stay connected to the life of the parish.
Visiting for the First Time
First-time visitors to St. Frances of Rome find a parish that is bilingual, family-oriented, and accustomed to receiving newcomers. Most weekend Masses draw the strongest crowds; the 9:00 AM Spanish Mass and 11:00 AM English Mass on Sunday are typically the largest gatherings. Confession lines form on Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings; the Saturday 8:30 to 9:45 AM window is the most popular. Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 5:30 PM is open to anyone who wants to spend an hour in prayer, and the third Wednesday of every month extends the time from noon for those who can pause midday.
Families preparing for a quinceañera or a wedding should plan months in advance; Baptism and Confirmation both require formation that meets the parish's published guidelines. Parish registration is required for many parish programs and is the easiest first step for anyone who plans to call St. Frances of Rome home.
The Parish at a Glance
- Patron: St. Frances of Rome
- Established: 1887
- Diocese: Diocese of San Bernardino
- Bishop: Alberto Rojas
- Pastor: Rev. Henry Sseriiso
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Alfredo Olmos
- Deacons: Dc. Joseph Franco, Dc. Trinidad Guadarrama
- Languages: English and Spanish
- Weekend Masses: Saturday 4:00 PM English, Saturday 5:30 PM Spanish, Sunday 7:00 AM English, 9:00 AM Spanish, 11:00 AM English, 1:00 PM Spanish
- Weekday Masses: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:00 AM English; Wednesday 6:00 PM Spanish
- Confession: Saturday 8:30 to 9:45 AM, Wednesday 6:30 to 7:45 PM, by appointment
- Adoration: Wednesday 4:30 to 5:30 PM, with extended 12:00 PM to 5:30 PM hours on the third Wednesday of each month
- Religious Education: Family catechesis for children, two-year Youth Confirmation program
- Parish Office: Monday to Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (closed for lunch 12:00 to 1:00 PM), Friday 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Phone: (951) 674-6881
- Email: stfrancesofrome@sbdiocese.org
- Address: 21591 Lemon St., Wildomar, CA 92595
From its 1887 foundation to its present bilingual life, St. Frances of Rome Catholic Church offers Wildomar and the surrounding communities a deeply sacramental parish: a church that celebrates the Eucharist every day, hears confessions twice a week, welcomes the curious and the baptized alike, and walks with families through the milestones that mark Catholic life.