A Brief History of Holy Family Parish

In the early days, Citrus Heights Catholics worshipped in an abandoned army chapel at a three-acre site on Old Auburn Road. The chapel from Camp Kohler near McClellan Air Force Base in North Highlands was purchased and moved to Citrus Heights.

On June 5, 1949, Pentecost Sunday, the army chapel was dedicated as Holy Family Church by Bishop Robert Armstrong. For four months, Holy Family was a mission of St. Rose Church in Roseville, after which the bishop made it a parish under founding pastor, Msgr. Mistretta.

Responding to the needs of a growing Citrus Heights community, the building of Holy Family School was begun. The Sisters of Charity of the Infant Mary, from Argentina, established a North American foundation in 1959, and joined Holy Family as grade school teachers. By 2005, Holy Family School was the largest grade school in the diocese, teaching 680 students, preschool through eighth grade, in a number of new classroom buildings.

By the early 1960s, the old chapel was becoming too small for the growing number of parishioners. Ground was broken, and on June 7, 1965, Bishop Alden Bell dedicated the new church. The old army chapel was moved behind the parking lot to serve as a social hall. A chapel was added where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed daily for adoration.

Upon Msgr. Mistretta’s retirement in 1990, Fr. Simon Twomey became Holy Family’s second pastor, followed by Fr. John Cantwell in 1993, Fr. Troy Powers in 2001 and Fr. Michael Kiernan in 2005.  Holy Family has been served by 23 Parochial Vicars throughout the years and has on occasion had the assistance of priests from Christ the King Retreat Center, a Passionist community located within the parish.

In the year of Holy Family’s 50th Anniversary, construction was completed on the new Holy Family Parish Community Center, dedicated by Bishop William Weigand.  The facility includes a gymnasium, theater stage, offices for the staff of Religious Education and Youth Ministry programs, Catholic Faith Formation classrooms, a large industrial kitchen and multipurpose meeting rooms – St. Mary Hall and St. Joseph Hall among others.

Today some 2,000 families are registered at Holy Family Parish, where liturgy, prayer, faith formation and social justice are emphasized. Eucharist is taken to those who are shut-in, sick, or dying.

Holy Family has many programs for the religious education of parishioners of all ages, including child and adult faith formation programs, a comprehensive youth ministry, RCIA and Catholics Returning Home. Bible studies have been offered in English and Spanish since 2001 when an Hispanic ministry was launched.

There are dozens of ministries in the parish including four councils which assist the parish priests in the administration of the parish – the Pastoral Council, Liturgy Council, Finance Council and Stewardship Council. Hundreds of parishioners serve in liturgical ministry roles. 

Prayer groups include Blue Army, Mothers Prayer Group, Prayer Cenacle, and Rosary Makers. For the cause of social justice, many parishioners work with St. Vincent de Paul Society, Catholic Ladies Relief Society, Knights of Columbus, Feed the Needy, Health Ministry, and others.