Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara Pastoral Region

It covers Deaneries 1-4 and there are 37 parishes in the region in 19 cities that are located in the two counties of Ventura and Santa Barbara – the largest in area of the five regions.

Four of the original California Missions are in the region – La Purisima Concepcion (1787), Santa Ines (1804), Santa Barbara (the Queen of the Missions) (1786), and *San Buenaventura (1782).

*San Buenaventura is now a Minor Basilica. 

The most remote inland parish is in New Cuyama -Immaculate Conception- and the most remote from Los Angeles is in Guadalupe on the Central Coast -Our Lady of Guadalupe. Three chapels are on military bases -Port Hueneme, Point Mugu and Vandenberg.

St. John’s Seminary for the archdiocese is in the region, opened in 1939 and is located in Camarillo. The region is home to over 1 million Catholics.

On August 15, 2022 Archbishop Gomez appointed Reverend Leon Hutton as Episcopal Vicar for the Santa Barbara Pastoral Region. The succession for the region includes Most Reverend Robert E. Barron (2015-2022), Msgr. Michael J. Jennett (Episcopal Vicar, 2013-2015), Bishop Thomas J. Curry (1994-2013), Msgr. John Rohde, Episcopal Vicar (1992-1994), and Bishop Patrick Ziemann (1986-1992).

Parishes in this Region

Cemeteries: 

• Assumption Cemetery & Mausoleum, Simi Valley
• Calvary Cemetery & Mausoleum, Santa Barbara
• Santa Clara Cemetery & Mortuary, Oxnard