Two parishes, established the same day, mark 50 years of service to the local Catholic community May 12.

The following parishes celebrate a birthday this month. Is yours one of them?

Only two of them are younger than the diocese itself with the others established before Dec. 2, 1969.
*=still the only Catholic church serving the city

  • May 5, 1956     St. Henry* (Buckeye)
    The second of three parishes established that year.
    Currently raising funds for a new church with donors in 43 of the 50 states so far plus pledges from the Philippines and several other countries.
    Parish website and capital campaign site
    1,200 families
  • May 10, 1969     Our Lady of the Lake* (Lake Havasu City)
    Second-to-last parish established before the Diocese of Phoenix was formed.
    Parish website
    2,476 families
  • May 11, 1947     St. Margaret Mary* (Bullhead City)
    First chapel was purchased in the area that is now “Davis Camp” on the Nevada border.
    Fr. Peter Dobrowski has been pastor since 1991.
    1,308 families
  • May 11, 1965     St. John Vianney* (Sedona)
    Grounds include three prayer grottos and a Mary Garden
    Parish website
    794 families
  • May 12, 1962     St. Jerome (35th Avenue north of Peoria Avenue)
    Eudist Father Andres Arango, pastor since 2005, is the parish’s fifth pastor
    Parish website
    1,980 families
  • May 12, 1962     St. Louis the King (Maryland and 43rd Avenue in Glendale)
    Tucson’s Bishop selected the parish name to honor Arizona’s early French missionaries.
    Parish website
    1,084 families
  • May 13, 1961     St. Daniel the Prophet (Hayden Rod north of McKellips in Scottsdale)
    Named in honor of Tucson’s retired bishop
    First Mass celebrated in a Motorola Plant for 647 people
    Parish website
    1,500 families
  • May 15, 1953     Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral (27th Avenue north of Bethany Home Road)
    The diocese’s Mother Church and the seat of the bishop
    Parish website
    4,568 families
  • May 20, 1988   St. Steven* (Dobson and Riggs in Sun Lakes)
    Originally a mission of St. Mary Parish in Chandler
    Parish website
    1,619 families
  • May 22, 1946   St. Catherine of Siena (Central Ave. south of Southern)
    First church was an Army barracks building that parishioners remodeled.
    Parish website
    4,431 families
  • May 25, 1980   St. Patrick (Shea Blvd. west of Loop 101 in Scottsdale)
    Fr. Eric Tellez has been pastor since 1995.
    Parish website
    4,211 families