Saint Joseph of Cupertino Parish is a territorial parish

Parish

A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

 serving Latin Rite Catholics in Cupertino, California

Cupertino, California

Cupertino is an affluent suburban city in Santa Clara County, California in the U.S., directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 58,302 at the time of the 2010 census. Forbes...

, United States. The parish is named for Joseph of Cupertino

Joseph of Cupertino

Saint Joseph of Cupertino, O.F.M. Conv., was an Italian Franciscan friar who is honored as a mystic and a saint. He was said to have been remarkably unclever, but prone to miraculous levitation and intense ecstatic visions that left him gaping...

, and had its origin in a small wooden chapel at the Villa Maria retreat located in Stevens Creek Canyon (Stevens Creek was known in Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

 as Arroyo San José de Cupertino). Villa Maria was the country home of the Jesuit

Society of Jesus

The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...

 fathers of Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...

, who purchased the 320 acre (1.3 km²) tract in 1873. Shortly thereafter, Brother Tom Cunningham cleared the land for orchards and vineyards and built a simple frame chapel of redwood, 18 by 25 feet (5 by 8 m), in the mission style, with buttresses and towers.

The parish moved to a location near the center of Cupertino, on De Anza Boulevard. The parish is now a part of the Diocese of San Jose in California

Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California

The Roman Catholic Diocese of San José; in California is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. It comprises Santa Clara County, and is led by a bishop. Its patron saints are Saint Joseph and Saint Clare of...

. The pastor

Pastor

The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....

is Father Gregory Kimm.

External links

• Saint Joseph of Cupertino Parish