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Parish History and Facts
The two parishes of St. Leonard and Santa Paula of the Irvington District of Fremont were united on Jan. 1, 2000 and re-named St. Leonard-Santa Paula Parish. In February 2003 Bishop John Cummins bestowed a new name: Our Lady of Guadalupe.
St. Leonard Parish was established in 1959 under the direction of Msgr. Martin Walsh, the founding pastor. Fr. Edmund Hayburn (1978-86), Fr. Antonio Valdivia (1986-91), and Fr. Joseph Cantillon (1991-1999) were the succeeding pastors. The parish school was opened in September 1964.
Fr. Joseph Schwab led the establishment of Santa Paula Parish in 1965. He was succeeded by Fr. James Cummings (1980-97) and then Fr. Pascual Ramirez who tragically died in an auto accident in 1999.
Fr. Larry Silva, now the Bishop of Honolulu, HI, was given charge of uniting the two parishes in January 2000. Under the direction of Fr. Silva, a vision of building a new church was developed. The plan has been revised to renovating and expanding the current building at the Blacow Road campus which has temporarily closed as a church. All Masses and other liturgies were then held in the church at the Fremont Blvd. campus. He was succeeded by Fr. John Prochaska, in January 2004 ~ 2016. New church was inaugurated and dedicated on December 12, 2014. The current Pastor Fr. Joy Kumarthusseril, mf. was assigned from February 2016. Currently all the liturgies are celebrated at the Blacow site.
The two parishes of St. Leonard and Santa Paula of the Irvington District of Fremont were united on Jan. 1, 2000 and re-named St. Leonard-Santa Paula Parish. In February 2003 Bishop John Cummins bestowed a new name: Our Lady of Guadalupe.
St. Leonard Parish was established in 1959 under the direction of Msgr. Martin Walsh, the founding pastor. Fr. Edmund Hayburn (1978-86), Fr. Antonio Valdivia (1986-91), and Fr. Joseph Cantillon (1991-1999) were the succeeding pastors. The parish school was opened in September 1964.
Fr. Joseph Schwab led the establishment of Santa Paula Parish in 1965. He was succeeded by Fr. James Cummings (1980-97) and then Fr. Pascual Ramirez who tragically died in an auto accident in 1999.
Fr. Larry Silva, now the Bishop of Honolulu, HI, was given charge of uniting the two parishes in January 2000. Under the direction of Fr. Silva, a vision of building a new church was developed. The plan has been revised to renovating and expanding the current building at the Blacow Road campus which has temporarily closed as a church. All Masses and other liturgies were then held in the church at the Fremont Blvd. campus. He was succeeded by Fr. John Prochaska, in January 2004 ~ 2016. New church was inaugurated and dedicated on December 12, 2014. The current Pastor Fr. Joy Kumarthusseril, mf. was assigned from February 2016. Currently all the liturgies are celebrated at the Blacow site.
