A Radial Sanctuary in North Phoenix
St. Paul Roman Catholic Parish sits on West Coral Gables Drive on the north side of Phoenix, in the open landscape below the foothills. The parish began as a mission of Most Holy Trinity Parish and took its present shape when its church was completed in 1987 under the pastoral direction of Father Eugene O'Carroll and Bishop Thomas O'Brien. O'Carroll Hall followed in 2002, dedicated by the parishioners in honor of Father's 40th anniversary of ordination.
The worship space reflects a single idea: that the gathered assembly is the body of Christ. Seating is arranged in a radial pattern that brings the congregation close to the sanctuary, and a chapel at the front of the main worship area hosts daily Mass. The roof rises in stepped, gabled forms over the central aisle, with vertical breaks that flood the interior with natural light. Honduras Mahogany, polished granite, and copper are used throughout, and the furnishings were custom designed to complement the architecture. A large stained-glass window over the sanctuary and a baptistery window at the entrance anchor the central axis, each telling a moment in the life of St. Paul.
The stained glass and ceramic sculptures are the work of Maureen McGuire. The sanctuary window captures the moment Saul of Tarsus was struck from his horse by a vision of the risen Christ; the baptistery window shows his baptism, when he took the name Paul; the chapel window traces his journeys, including the escape from Damascus in a basket, the founding of the Church at Antioch, his preaching and writing, his hardships, his arrest, and his martyrdom. The glass is mouth-blown antique imported from Germany, with some colors made exclusively for the parish. Suzanne Young's Stations of the Cross in the chapel are recessed into the wall and color-tuned to the chapel tones, with the twelfth station placed at the highest point of the wall. The figures of Christ, the Madonna, and St. Paul were modeled and fired to 2200 degrees by Michael Myers, who describes them as traditional in nature but with a Southwest flavor all their own.
Mass and Liturgy Schedule
The parish offers Mass seven days a week. Monday through Saturday, Mass is celebrated at 7:30 AM, with an additional noon Mass Monday through Friday. Saturday brings the 5:00 PM Vigil, and Sunday Masses are offered at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM, and 12:00 noon. The Friday noon Mass is celebrated by the St. Andre Inner Healing Ministry. On the first Sunday of each month, October through May, the 9:30 AM Mass takes on a particular character as the Youth and Children's Mass, with the parish's Youth Music Ministry leading the music.
The Rosary is prayed thirty minutes before every Sunday Vigil and daily Mass, and an active tradition of Marian devotion extends through the year. Confessions are heard Tuesday and Friday at 11:30 AM and Saturday at 3:30 PM, or by appointment. The Chapel and Adoration Chapel are kept open for private prayer throughout the week, and the Rosary for Life is prayed monthly in front of Planned Parenthood by the Knights of Columbus on the second Sunday.
The 9:30 AM Sunday Mass is livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person.
Twenty-Four Hours Before the Blessed Sacrament
One of the defining features of St. Paul is its Perpetual Adoration Chapel, where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration around the clock. The ministry that staffs this chapel is the Disciples of the Holy Eucharist, known by the acronym DOTHE. Over a hundred committed adorers spend time in the chapel, and substitutes are always welcome. Adorers can sign up for a minimum of one hour per week through the parish's online adoration platform, and the DOTHE team also coordinates three Eucharistic processions each year: Corpus Christi Sunday, Christ the King Sunday, and Holy Thursday.
In addition to perpetual adoration, a Holy Hour is held in the main church on First Fridays after the 7:30 AM Mass, and Exposition is held in the Adoration Chapel from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM on First and Third Saturdays. The parish's stated goal is to restore perpetual adoration around the clock, every day of the year.
Many Voices, One Parish
The parish's music ministry reflects the diversity of its congregation. Four choirs serve the weekend Masses: a Traditional Hymns choir for the Sunday 7:30 AM Mass, a Blended choir for the Saturday Vigil and Sunday 9:30 AM, and a Contemporary ensemble for the Sunday 9:30 AM and Noon Masses. The Young Adults Music Ministry leads the Sunday Noon Mass, while a Youth and Family Music Ministry welcomes singers, cantors, and instrumentalists in grades 6 through 12 and their families to lead the 9:30 AM Mass.
Jojo Concepcion, the Director of Music and Young Adults, oversees the program. The ministry seeks cantors, choir singers, instrumentalists, and multimedia techs who run ProPresenter slides and sound. The guiding image comes from St. Augustine: he who sings prays twice. A periodic Music Concert brings the parish's choirs together with ensembles from across the diocese for an evening of worship, fellowship, and fundraising, including the Hearts For Music ensemble of musicians with disabilities and the Kingdom Voices gospel choir.
Faith Formation for the Whole Family
St. Paul's approach to catechesis is built around the family. In January 2019, the parish moved from a traditional Religious Education model to the Family Formation Program, in which children and parents gather on the first Sunday of each month for a shared lesson on a topic of the Catholic faith. Children work with trained catechists in grade-level classrooms while parents receive the same lesson in a parallel track, and the family continues the conversation at home throughout the week using a curriculum rooted in Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The program covers pre-kindergarten through sixth grade and runs October through May.
For adults, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) meets weekly from August through May. The program uses the Augustine Institute's Symbolon series along with supplementary video courses from Bishop Robert Barron and Dr. Edward Sri, covering Catholic teaching, the Eucharist, the Mass, scripture, the saints, and approved Marian apparitions. Adult Faith Study also includes Bible Study, Lectio Divina, and the Catechism, with periodic retreats and missions throughout the year, plus an annual Women's Spiritual Retreat coordinated with the Women's Guild.
Sacrament preparation for children includes Reconciliation for grades 2 through 4, First Holy Communion and Confirmation for grades 3 through 4, and the Order of Christian Initiation for Children (OCIC) for grades 5 through 12, with classes offered twice monthly. Infant Baptism Preparation classes are offered monthly. The Marriage Preparation Coordinator guides engaged couples through the Diocese of Phoenix's nine-month program, which includes a marriage inventory, married life skills training, God's Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage (based on St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body), Natural Family Planning instruction, and a final meeting with the pastor before the wedding.
Ascend and Life Teen: Youth Ministry
The parish runs two youth programs under the Director of Youth Ministry. Ascend is a parish youth group for students in grades 4 through 6, meeting on the second and fourth Sunday of the month from 10:45 AM to 12:15 PM during the Religious Education hour. It offers a fun, dynamic way to grow in the Catholic faith and meet new friends.
For students in grades 7 through 12, the Youth Group meets every Sunday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in the teen room, with dinner provided. The ministry's stated mission is to bring teens closer to Christ in all aspects of their life, offering a safe and fun environment where teens can find Catholic community, ask questions, learn the faith, and encounter Christ in a personal way. The youth ministry also runs annual trips, retreats, and service events, and coordinates with the parish's safety and formation programs.
The Branches of the Vine: Young Adult Ministry
Young adults ages 18 through 39 have a packed calendar of programs under the direction of Jojo Concepcion. The Branches of the Vine Bible Study meets on Saturdays from 6:30 to 8:30 PM in Rooms 5 and 6, with study drawn from John 15 and other scripture. On the last Saturday of each month, instead of Bible study, the group serves at Andre House in downtown Phoenix from 2:45 to 6:45 PM, helping with meal service and outreach to those experiencing homelessness.
CION Small Groups offer weekly Scripture study and reflection for groups of six to eight young adults, including singles, young couples, and young married couples with children. Group leaders and hosts are sought, and groups can meet at homes, coffee shops, or at the parish. The Young Adults Music Ministry leads the Sunday Noon Mass and is recruiting musicians, including bass, lead guitar, drums, and strings, as well as sound and ProPresenter techs. A Hiking Club organizes trips throughout the Phoenix area and beyond for all ages, with family and young adult subgroups being formed. Cathedral Rock in Sedona, the Phoenix Mountain Preserves, and the North Mountain Trails are among recent destinations.
Knights of Columbus Council #15001
Council #15001 was chartered in March 2010 and includes more than one hundred men of the parish. The Council earned a Star Council rating in its first year and continues to support both the parish and the broader community. Members pray the rosary monthly in front of Planned Parenthood, sponsor seminarians and priests, host Donut Sundays, conduct blood drives, sponsor the Sunshine Soccer League for autistic children, work with the parish's Boy Scout Troop, and volunteer at the Life Choices Women's Clinic. They organize the annual Poor Clare's Nun Run to Tonopah, host the Priest Appreciation Dinner, decorate the campus for Christmas, and co-host the Diocesan Young Men's Conference.
General meetings are on the first Wednesday of the month, with officers meeting on the third Monday. All men of the parish over the age of 18 are invited to join.
Walking with Those in Need
The parish's outreach extends through several ministries. The St. Vincent de Paul Society provides physical, financial, and spiritual aid to neighbors in need within the parish boundaries. Teams telephone those who reach out, visit the needy in pairs, and connect them with additional resources, with meetings twice a month.
The Homeless Sleeping Mat Project has produced over 300 mats from recycled plastic bags, keeping more than 300,000 bags out of landfills. Volunteers cut, join, and roll plastic bags into plarn, then crochet them into mats. The group meets on the second Saturday of each month, except December, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM in Room 10. The Hygiene and Beauty Bags Project collects small hotel-sized toiletries and distributes them to St. Vincent de Paul, Andre House, Maggie's Place, and Catholic Charities, with a drop-off box in the church vestibule.
The Legion of Mary operates a chapter at St. Paul with active members attending weekly meetings and performing service, while auxiliary members pray the daily rosary and the Tessera. The Divine Mercy Prayer Group meets weekly for about thirty minutes to honor God's mercy through the Divine Mercy devotion, and a Divine Mercy Novena begins on Good Friday each year and culminates with a Holy Hour, Adoration, and Confession on the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday. The parish has a Foster Family Support Ministry that aids families discerning foster care, offering mentorship, advocacy, and prayer for children in difficult circumstances.
The Nullity Ministry
For those who have been divorced, the parish offers a Nullity Ministry staffed by Edward Seymour, certified by the Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Tribunal. He guides parishioners through the annulment process, which is a Church investigation into whether a valid marriage bond was created at the time of the wedding. An annulment is not a divorce; it is a statement that, due to some factor recognized in Church law, the bond of marriage was never created. The formal process typically takes 12 to 18 months once the Tribunal receives the case, and the Diocese of Phoenix does not charge fees.
Liturgical Ministries
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass depends on a wide range of lay volunteers. The Liturgy and Worship ministry coordinates Altar Linen Ministers who care for the sacred linens, Altar Servers who assist the priest, Lectors who proclaim the readings, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who assist with distribution to the assembly and the homebound, Psalmists and Cantors who lead the sung prayer, Sacristans who prepare the liturgical books and vestments, and Ushers who welcome the faithful and take up the collections. The parish's four choirs, described above, also fall under this umbrella. Training is provided for all roles, and Safe Environment Training is required for those working with young people.
Joining the Parish
St. Paul welcomes new parishioners and visitors alike. Parishioners can register online or by submitting a paper form to the Parish Office. The parish office is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Wednesday from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and Sunday morning from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, with Mondays and Saturdays closed. In case of danger of death, the emergency line is 602-212-6708. Online giving is available through Our Sunday Visitor, allowing parishioners to set up recurring contributions and direct giving to Diocesan appeals. The parish keeps in touch through Flocknote email updates, Facebook, and the YouTube channel that streams the Sunday 9:30 AM Mass.