St. Ignatius Loyola Parish sits on Arden Way in Sacramento's Arden-Arcade neighborhood, a long-standing Jesuit Catholic community that has grown from a borrowed lumberyard storage building called "The Barn" into a parish of about 3,000 families. Founded in 1954 at the invitation of Sacramento's Catholic bishop and the local community, the parish has been staffed by the Society of Jesus from the beginning and is built around daily Mass, faith formation for all ages, a parish school, and a wide range of outreach ministries rooted in Ignatian spirituality.
A Parish Born in "The Barn"
The story of St. Ignatius begins in a humble rented building. In 1954, with no church of its own, the new congregation gathered in "The Barn," a storage structure on the corner of Watt Avenue and Arden Way. A temporary church followed shortly after, and in 1959 the present permanent church was built and dedicated. A rectory was added in 1961, the Parish Center, with a gym and the Garden Room, in 1989, and a new Parish Office and School building opened in 2019. Sacramento County roadwork along the Arden Way corridor between Watt and Howe Avenues is adding a new bike lane, enhanced sidewalks, and refreshed landscaping in front of the property.
The founding pastor was Fr. Fred Cosgrove, S.J., who was followed by nine other Jesuit pastors over the decades, including the current pastor, Fr. Tom Lucas, S.J., who took the parish's reins in 2020. Ten Jesuit pastors in all have shaped the life of the parish across its seventy-plus years.
Education has been central since the start. St. Ignatius School opened alongside the parish in 1954, originally staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Names until 1975, when a Lay School Board was established to keep the school open after the Sisters left. The Jesuits went on to found two other Sacramento-area schools, Jesuit High School in 1963 and Cristo Rey High School Sacramento in 2006 in partnership with the Sisters of Mercy. Long-time parishioners and their families are still worshiping alongside newcomers who have moved into the changing Arden-Arcade community.
Sunday Masses, Reconciliation, and the Weekday Rhythm
Sunday Masses are celebrated on Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 5:30 p.m. The 9:30 a.m. Mass is livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person. Reconciliation is heard on Saturday afternoons from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the chapel, with worshippers entering through the chapel vestibule beneath the bell tower. The priest remains until the confessions of all present have been heard, and appointments outside that window can be made through the Parish Office.
Weekday Masses follow a regular pattern: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:00 a.m., and Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m. On First Fridays, a Holy Hour of Adoration follows the 8:00 a.m. Mass. On Holy Days of Obligation, Masses are offered at 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The church is home to a Fratelli Ruffatti pipe organ, and the parish draws on a music and technology team that includes the Parish Choir, a 5:30 p.m. Ensemble, a Children's Choir from the parish school, and volunteers who run the sound board and livestream cameras.
The Seven Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics for each of the seven sacraments, with the Eucharist at the center of parish life. Baptisms for infants are arranged through the parish office, with parent classes held on the second Tuesday of each month. Children typically receive First Eucharist and First Reconciliation in the second grade, after two years of preparation either in St. Ignatius School or the Religious Education Program. Older children receive these sacraments through the Children's Initiation Program.
Confirmation is a two-year process at the junior high level, with Pre-Confirmation in the first year and the sacrament itself in the second. Adults who have not yet been confirmed can join an Adult Confirmation class, and adults who wish to become Catholic or complete their sacraments of initiation join the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, called OCIA. The priests of St. Ignatius are available for Anointing of the Sick by appointment.
Weddings are celebrated at the parish, and a wedding information packet is available. The parish also maintains a Consolation Ministry that helps families plan the Vigil, Funeral Mass, and Committal, working closely with funeral homes and offering guidance for cremation as well as burial. Jean Nelson serves as a parish advocate for the Diocese of Sacramento for annulment cases.
Faith Formation for Children and Teens
Children's Faith Formation is a major part of parish life, with Religious Education classes for students in kindergarten through eighth grade meeting on Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Registration for the new program year runs through mid-September, with classes beginning in late September. The fee is $100 per child, and a baptismal certificate is required.
During the 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mass, children in kindergarten through fourth grade are invited forward for Children's Liturgy of the Word, an interactive fifteen to twenty minute program held in the Rose Room across from the Chapel. All children are welcome, whether or not they are enrolled in Religious Education or the school. The Junior High Confirmation program is a two-year track that begins with Pre-Confirmation.
Adult Faith Formation, OCIA, and Faith Alive
For adults, OCIA classes meet throughout the year for those seeking to become Catholic or to complete their sacraments of initiation. A newer offering called Faith Alive is a pilot continuing-formation program for adults who want to explore the Catholic faith more deeply through brief weekly readings or audio recordings, reflection questions, and a monthly Zoom gathering. Adult Confirmation classes are offered for Catholics 18 and older who missed the sacrament earlier in life. Catholics Come Home is offered as needed for those who have been away from the Church and wish to return. Volunteers for all of these programs must complete Safe Environment training and a background check through the Diocese of Sacramento.
Music, Liturgy, and the Worship Team
The music ministry is led by the Director of Music and Liturgy and is open to singers, instrumentalists, and those with technical gifts. The Parish Choir sings weekly at the 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mass, with rehearsals on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the church. A separate 5:30 p.m. Ensemble, which grew out of the Young Adult Ministry, leads a praise-and-worship style at the 5:30 p.m. Sunday Mass and welcomes all comers, young adult or young at heart.
The St. Ignatius School Choir sings at school liturgies throughout the academic year, and a Parish Children's Choir made up of children in third through eighth grade from any school sings at the Christmas Eve Mass. A Sound Board Ministry runs the church's mixing system at weekend liturgies, and a Videography Ministry livestreams the 9:30 a.m. Mass and special events for those who cannot be present in the church.
Outreach: The Mission of Service
Outreach is one of the most visible expressions of the parish's Jesuit identity. Sharing God's Bounty is a free community dinner served on the last Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the parish center, open to anyone who is hungry. The program serves more than 600 meals a year, with toiletry kits available to guests and volunteer nurses staffing an Ask-A-Nurse table.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society operates as a lay-led network of parishioners committed to person-to-person service for the poor and marginalized, providing rental and utility assistance, food, furniture, and other essentials to struggling families. The society works in tandem with Arden Arcade HART, the Homeless Assistance Resource Team, which assembles forty complete meals and hygiene kits each month and delivers them directly to unhoused neighbors in the area.
The Xavier Ministry sends trained lay ministers into the homes of parishioners who are homebound, bringing Holy Communion and a visible sign of the parish's care. The Legion of Mary meets every Thursday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Banchero Room for prayer and spiritual work. Stitches 4 Good gathers on the first Wednesday of each month from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the Ministries Room to knit and crochet items for local charities, while Quilting for a Cause produces quilts that are blessed and given to Xavier Ministry and other ministries, including the Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home.
The parish maintains a long-standing relationship with its sister parish, San Ignacio Loyola in El Progreso, Honduras, and the pastor there, Fr. Jack Donald, visits annually. Forgiveness, advocacy, and education are gathered under the umbrella of the Social Justice Ministry, established in the fall of 2025 and focused on education in Catholic Social Teaching, accompaniment of immigrant brothers and sisters, and reflection and action through small group discussions and letter-writing campaigns. A monthly Catholic Social Doctrine Speaker Series meets on Sunday afternoons in the church.
Mental Health Ministry and Bereavement Support
St. Ignatius has one of the more developed mental health ministries in the region, with a leadership team certified in Mental Health First Aid. The ministry connects parishioners with resources and trained professionals, builds a community of accompaniment and prayer, and works to reduce the stigma around mental illness. An Accompaniment Support Group for those caring for someone facing mental health challenges meets twice a month on Sunday afternoons at 1:00 p.m. in the Ministries Room, and the ministry sponsors community wellness and education events throughout the year.
A separate Bereavement Support Group meets on the first and second Sundays of each month from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Parish Office, offering a confidential space for those carrying lingering grief.
St. Ignatius Parish School
St. Ignatius Parish School is a Catholic faith community grounded in Jesuit principles and dedicated to cultivating excellence in mind, body, and spirit. With about 400 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, the school is led by Principal Paula Romo and operates with an active Lay School Board. Students participate in school liturgies throughout the year, and the school choir sings at the 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mass from time to time. An 8th Grade Baccalaureate Mass is celebrated in the spring, and the school's Academic Decathlon team won first place overall in the 2026 Diocesan Competition.
Fellowship, Bible Study, and Parish Groups
Parish life extends well beyond Mass and formation. Bingo for Seniors meets on the first Thursday of each month from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the Garden Room of the Parish Center, with games at fifty cents each and coffee, water, and cookies provided. A Young Adult Ministry for parishioners aged 18 to 35 is relaunching in the fall with core meetings called Rooted in Christ following the 5:30 p.m. Sunday Mass. The Filipino American Community offers a cultural and faith home for Filipino-American parishioners, and the Knights of Columbus Council 4970 is active in service and parish life. A parish Bible study, the Quest small-group program, and a Coffee and Donuts fellowship after Sunday Masses round out the calendar.
Leadership and Pastoral Council
The parish is led by Fr. Tom Lucas, S.J., as pastor, with Fr. Dennis Marzan, S.J., and Fr. Michael Tyrrell, S.J., as associate pastors, and Deacon Jack Gualco in diaconal ministry. Fr. Tom is a native of Placerville and a 1970 graduate of Jesuit High School. After entering the Jesuits in 1975, he was ordained in 1985 and went on to a distinguished academic career that included a doctorate in Theology and the Arts from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, before returning to parish ministry. He was honored in 2025 with the St. Thomas More Society of Sacramento's Father Charles Sylvester McDermott Award for Integrity.
Alan Nissila serves as Director of Music and Liturgy, Heather Derenzo as Coordinator of Adult Faith Formation, and Madison Winn as Coordinator of Children's Faith Formation. The Parish Pastoral Council, chaired by Rich Romo, works closely with the pastor as a consultative body on parish priorities, ministries, and long-range planning. The parish office, open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., sits at 3235 Arden Way, Sacramento, and can be reached at (916) 482-9666. New parishioners can register online or by requesting a hardcopy form, and online giving is available through the parish's REALM database for one-time gifts, recurring offertory, memorial and tribute gifts, the Capital Campaign, Mass intentions, and donations to Sharing God's Bounty, the Sister Parish in Honduras, and other ministries.