Help Save St. Richard Catholic Church in Borrego Springs

For more than 70 years, St. Richard's has been there for Borrego. Now it needs Borrego.

St. Richard Catholic Church is facing the hardest time in its history. After two very hard years, the parish's savings are gone. Each month, it now costs more to keep the church open than comes in.

If you've been near Church Lane lately on a Saturday afternoon or a Sunday morning, you may have heard it: the bell at St. Richard Catholic Church is ringing again. It rings before the 4:30 and 6 p.m. Masses on Saturdays and the 9 a.m. Mass on Sundays, and the parish hopes to ring it before daily Mass, too.

That bell came from an old California mission. It has hung in the tower since 1954. And right now, the church it calls people to is in danger of closing.

Mass at the hotel

Borrego Springs was founded in 1946, the dream of A.A. Burnand Jr., a grape grower who saw a resort town where others saw open desert. As families moved in during the late 1940s, it was clear the new town needed a Catholic church.

Bishop Charles F. Buddy of the Diocese of San Diego gave the job to Father Francis Lobell, pastor of St. Elizabeth's in Julian. During the Easter season of 1949, local residents put up a large cross on the ridge above the top of T Anchor Drive, and the area became known as the church area. There Father Lobell secured land donated by Burnand for what was called the de Anza Catholic mission, named for the Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza, who crossed the Borrego Valley in 1774 and 1775.

Until it was built, Father Lobell held Mass at Hoberg's Desert Resort, now The Palms at Indian Head.

Built by 16 families

Fundraising started in 1952, and by the summer of 1953 the church was going up. Volunteers did most of the work. The money came from the 16 Catholic families living in Borrego and from many others in town.

Father Lobell never saw it finished. He died in October 1953, just as construction was wrapping up. Father William Cooney of Julian saw it through.

On April 25, 1954, hundreds of people, including church leaders from across Southern California, came to Borrego for the dedication. After a Solemn High Mass, Bishop Buddy dedicated the building as St. Richard Catholic Church.

The new church had statues of the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph and St. Richard, each carved in Italy from a single piece of wood. Carl Abel of Desert Center carved the Stations of the Cross. The pews were mahogany from the Philippines. A marble statue of the Sacred Heart above the main door honored Father Lobell, the parish founder.

Fire

On April 18, 1960, a fire badly damaged the church. State park rangers and neighbors fought the flames with garden hoses for more than an hour until a fire crew arrived from Julian. The altar, the crucifix and the organ were lost, and several pews and the statues of Mary and Joseph were charred. Sunday Mass moved to the Desert Lodge, now La Casa del Zorro, until the church was repaired.

A parish of its own

In 1965 the pastor, Father William Mooney, proposed building a home on the church grounds for a priest who would live in Borrego. The fund drive did so well that a meeting hall for classes was added, too. With a resident priest, St. Richard's went from a mission of the Julian church to a full parish.

A good neighbor

Father Lawrence Gatt was pastor from 1972 to 1989. He re-roofed the church and rectory, built a ramada for parish gatherings and added a mothers' chapel.

He also opened the doors to another congregation. From 1976 to 1986, the new St. Barnabas Episcopal congregation held its services at St. Richard's, until it moved into its own church just down the road. The Church Lane congregations still gather together for the Easter sunrise and Thanksgiving Eve services, and St. Richard's is part of the Borrego Ministers Association.

When A.A. Burnand Jr. died in 1981, parishioner Victor Lugo, whom Burnand had helped when he first came to the valley in 1952, asked to build a memorial garden for him. Victor and nine other men, including Juan Esparza, Francisco Murillo, Jose Rivera and Felipe Salinas, built it in their spare time: a large fountain, a tile walkway and plaques for Burnand and his son Perry. Plaques for his son A.A. "Sonny" Burnand III and stepson George "Bud" Kuhrts were added later. The memorial still stands at the front of the church.

Our Lady's shrine

The shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe behind the church started with a dream. Francisco Murillo's mother, Josefina, dreamed that Our Lady asked her to build a shrine in her honor. Francisco carried that dream with him for years. In 1991 he asked the pastor, Father Robert Callahan, if he could build a shrine on the church grounds. With help from Jesus Cortez, Juan Esparza and Eleazar Madrid, he built it to his own design, put a low fence around it and planted roses. It was dedicated on May 31, 1991. A plaque at its foot reads "In Memory of Josefina Murillo E."

Under Father Simon Lefebvre, a small cemetery grew around the shrine. Longtime parishioner Thomas McGuire told Father Simon he wanted to rest at St. Richard's, and when he died in 1995, his ashes were buried near the shrine. Many other parishioners have joined him since.

Light behind the altar

Volunteers built a larger meeting hall, finished in 2000 and later named Guadalupe Hall. In 2001 a stained glass window, 8 feet by 8 feet, was installed behind the altar, filling the once-dark sanctuary with light. Made with glass from France and Germany by Canadian artist Sarah Hall, it was unveiled on Easter Sunday. It joins the side windows made about 30 years earlier by Julian artist James Hubbell.

Father Brian Hayes upgraded the rectory and halls, and in 2006 he oversaw a renovation of the church inside: new paint, stone tile floors and refinished pews. Father Victor Maristela became pastor in 2007.

Through the years

On June 24, 1964, nearly 1,000 people braved 114-degree heat for the opening of Montezuma Road, the "glass elevator" down into the valley. Father William Mooney, the newly appointed pastor of St. Richard's, gave the closing blessing.

In January 2010, Borrego Ranch Resort closed and many people lost their jobs. Father Victor Maristela said 17 families in the parish had already received help, and he spoke to the whole town. "Do not be afraid to ask for help," he said. "We will do our best to help you, but we won't know of your need if you don't step forward."

In 2011, Father Maristela blessed new church signs on Christmas Circle, made by volunteers Tracey Alexander, Frank Murillo and Bill Engstrom to replace signs that had fallen apart. That February the parish threw a family fiesta with children's dances, a bounce house, homemade food and a mechanical bull.

By 2011, St. Richard's and Catholic Charities were holding monthly Feeding America food giveaways in the church parking lot, open to anyone in need, with no forms and no questions. When the pandemic hit, the need grew. On April 20, 2020, at least 165 families came to each of Borrego's three food banks, and St. Richard's was one of them.

In December 2013, bicycles left in the sheriff's evidence room were fixed up and delivered to the Catholic church to give to local children for Christmas.

Each October, St. Richard's joins the other Borrego churches for the Blessing of the Animals.

St. Richard's today

Father Emilio A. Magaña became pastor of St. Richard Parish on July 1, 2026. He also leads Christ the King Mission in Desert Shores, serving Catholics across the eastern desert.

Before he became a priest, Father Magaña worked for the San Diego Police Department, focusing on juvenile crime, auto theft and incarcerated youth. He was good at it, but "I felt something was missing," he said before his ordination. Through prayer, guidance from priests and his work with the diocese's Office for Youth and Young Adults, he came to see he was being called to the priesthood. He studied at the University of San Diego and St. John's Seminary in Camarillo and was ordained for the Diocese of San Diego in 2003. Before coming to Borrego, he served at St. Mark's Parish in San Marcos.



Today the bell rings again before Mass, and all are welcome.

St. Richard Parish

Pastor: Rev. Emilio A. Magaña

611 Church Lane, P.O. Box 1128, Borrego Springs, CA 92004

Telephone: 760-767-5701

Mass Schedule / Horario de Misas

• Saturday/Sábado: 4:30 p.m. (English) and 6 p.m. (Spanish)
• Sunday/Domingo: 9 a.m. (English)

Our Lady of Guadalupe

For many Borregans, St. Richard's means December 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The day starts before dawn with "Las Mañanitas," morning songs sung inside the church. Then comes the procession, Mass and food for everyone.

In 2010 more than 100 people walked Church Lane with candles, singing to the Virgin Mary. The Mass was standing room only, the grounds filled with carne asada tacos and tamales, and the shrine was covered in fresh flowers. The tradition is still going strong.

On Saturday, December 13, 2025, Fr. Anthony "Tony" Stanonik led the procession from Christmas Circle, past the Borrego Art Institute and the post office, to the church.

Traditional music filled the route, and some walkers wore masks and clothing honoring Our Lady. Families, longtime residents and visitors walked together, and the day ended at St. Richard's with Mass and an evening celebration.

The people

A church is its people. Arline Szabo played the organ for years and kept the books. Albert Porter served as church council president. Maria "Chuy" de Jesus Perez volunteered at church events and was known all over town for her cooking. Tom Stemnock ushered, raised money, served on committees and helped people find housing. Victor Lugo and Francisco Murillo built with their own hands. Many more have ushered, cooked, raised money and looked after their neighbors.

Help keep St. Richard's open

St. Richard Catholic Church is facing the hardest time in its history. After two very hard years, the parish's savings are gone. Each month, it now costs more to keep the church open than comes in. If nothing changes, St. Richard's in Borrego Springs and Christ the King Mission in Desert Shores could close by the middle of 2027.

The parish finance council is working hard to find new income. The Guadalupe festival helps, but it won't be enough to carry the parish through the year.

The church that 16 families built by hand in 1953 is asking Borrego for help. Every gift counts, large or small. A gift that comes every month helps the most, and local businesses can make a real difference.

Ways to help St. Richard's:

• Donate online at strichardborrego.com/donate.
• Mail a gift to St. Richard Catholic Church, P.O. Box 1128, Borrego Springs, CA 92004.
• Come to the Guadalupe celebration in December , and bring friends.
• Come to Mass. All are welcome.
• Share this story with anyone who loves Borrego Springs.

For questions, call the parish office at 760-767-5701, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Learn more at strichardborrego.com.

Learn More About Borrego Springs