After Father Albert Utzig arrived at St. Mary’s in 2013, the parish continued fundraising efforts and recognized the need for a new church building. St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Fontana marked the consecration and grand opening of the new building on Jan. 1, 2026, a date chosen for its spiritual significance in the Catholic faith.
The consecration coincided with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, a major feast day and holy day of obligation. Father Eulices Godínez said the date was intentionally selected to honor the parish’s Marian roots and to symbolize a new beginning for the community.
“Jan. 1 is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. As St. Mary’s is a Marian parish, this date was chosen to place the new church under her protection,” Godínez said. “Celebrating the consecration on this day symbolizes a new beginning, not only for the building itself, but for the spiritual life of the parish community.”…