St. Rita in the Desert

About this church

St. Rita in the Desert is a Catholic parish at 13260 East Colossal Cave Road in Vail, Arizona, home to the Shrine of Santa Rita, built in 1935 in memory of Dr. Jokichi Takamine. Sunday Mass is celebrated at the St. John XXIII Center at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and noon, with the noon Mass in Spanish, and a Saturday vigil is held there at 5 p.m. Daily Mass is Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. in the shrine. Confession is offered Saturdays at 3:30 p.m., and shrine adoration takes place Fridays from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., with parish adoration on the first Sunday of each month from 3 to 4 p.m.

Faith formation for children uses the Word of Life curriculum and prepares students for the sacraments, with registration each school year, and the site also has adult formation and a section for people new to the Catholic faith. Parish ministries include a youth group, welcome committee, altar society, lectors, ushers and music, along with men's and women's prayer groups, a sewing and quilting ministry, and Mujeres de Fe. Groups such as the Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul and Legion de Maria also operate in the parish. Times can change, so confirm on the website before visiting.

Researched from the church’s official website and reviewed October 5, 2026. Sources: Home page: Mass times and shrine history · News and events: weekly schedule · Children's faith formation program · Contact: address and phone

Service times

Confirm current times directly with the church before visiting.

Hours

Published hours can change. Confirm them directly with the church before visiting.

Location