About Us
We are a thriving Catholic Community in North Natomas. All are Welcome!
Our Blessed History
We want you to know about our history, and how our Church came to be – truly we were built by love but sustained by stewardship.
First Mass
In September 2004, Fr. Cesar Ageas, Pastor at St. Joseph Parish, met with a Core Group of Natomas residents to locate a building where the faithful could celebrate Mass. The core group rented a small hall in the Natomas Unified School District and our first Mass was celebrated on September 26, 2004. But there was one problem – the hall was too small for the overwhelming turnout. A larger space was located, and then- Bishop William Wiegand joined the faithful for a Mass a month later.
Fr. Cesar Ageas Named as Founding Pastor
Seeing the need, in January 2005 Bishop Wiegand appointed Fr. Cesar as Founding Pastor of the new Natomas Parish. But what should the Parish be called?
Father Cesar tells that he was inspired after serving at Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Joseph Parish, and thought of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph. He suggested the name “Divine Mercy” because, of the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ and for him, it completed the Holy Family. Bishop Wiegand gave his approval, and Divine Mercy became the 100th Parish in the Diocese of Sacramento.
There were many obstacles to getting our Church built, including a severe recession and building moratorium, but despite this we moved forward. To help us, the Diocese donated the land where our Church is currently situated and provided $500,000 “seed money” to get started. This building would be our FIRST church, and once this was paid for, additional structures – a final church and multipurpose building – would be added.
Rectory was Purchased
A Rectory was purchased, and attendance continued to grow. When it appeared, we could financially support a church, $3.8 million was borrowed from the Diocese with the understanding that there would be several Capital Campaigns (every 3 – 4 years) until the debt was repaid over a 20 –25-year period. During this evolving period, Mass was being celebrated at a local school.
First Capital Campaign
In 2007, the first Capital Campaign was launched, and 320 registered families pledged $1.1 million dollars and construction began in 2008. The $1.1 million dollars was applied towards the building construction only, and Fr. Cesar asked the faithful to donate interior decorations from a parish “Wish Book”.
Divine Mercy Catholic Church Dedication
Through the generosity of early parishioners, all of the interior decorations we now have (pews, statues, baptismal font and altar) were donated. A year and a half later, on September 5, 2009, our Divine Mercy Catholic Church was dedicated in a celebration overseen by Bishop Jamie Soto.
Fr. Soane Kaniseli Appointed as New Pastor
In January 2010, the Diocese appointed a new Pastor, Fr. Soane Kaniseli, to lead our Parish. Soon after, our second capital campaign began. Additional money was borrowed from the Diocese to allow us to add portable meeting rooms/classrooms to accommodate the growth of Catholic Faith Formation (CFF) and various Ministries in our Parish. At the time there was a building moratorium in Natomas, and portable buildings were our best option. The City approved the use of portable buildings with the understanding that, when the moratorium lifted, the portable buildings would have to be moved.
3rd Capital Campaign Ends
In December 2018, our third Capital Campaign ended and focused on reducing our mortgage debt. New Parish families are invited to assist in the mortgage reduction effort. This ongoing stewardship is necessary to maintain all of the services our Church provides its members.
Fr. Eric Flores Appointed as New Pastor
Upon the retirement of Fr. Soane Kaniseli on June 30, 2020, the Diocese appointed Fr. Eric Flores to be our new pastor. Fr. Eric was previously the Pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Anderson, CA.
Today
Our Church today has grown to more the 1,500 households—three times the size of our fledgling church community. Divine Mercy now offers many ways to participate in the spiritual, educational, social, and service ministries of our church. It is through the continued generosity of all Parish families, past and present, that enables our Church to provide daily Mass and Sacraments to our Catholic community.
Our Pastors Through the Years
Fr. Eric Flores
Fr. Eric Flores was born in the Philippines (Pangasinan) on May 30th. He graduated from St. Patrick Semiruuy in Menlo Park. CA He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Jaime Soto on June 7, 2014. After ordination to the priesthood he was assigned as Parochial Vicar of St. Mary’s in Vacaville, St. Katherine Drexel in Jackson and Our Lady of Mercy in Redding. He then became Pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Anderson, CA. He is now the current Pastor of Divine Mercy Parish in Natomas.
Fr. Eric’s vocation to the priesthood was inspired by his parents and different priests he met along the way. He loves to meet people, share ideas, and visions. He speaks English, Spanish, Tagalog and the local dialect Ilocano and Pangasinan.
Rev. Soane T. Kaniseli
Fr. Soane Tuikolongahau Kaniseli was the Pastor of Divine Mercy Parish from Jan. 1, 2010 until his retirement in June 30, 2020. He was previously the Founding Pastor of St. Maria Goretti in Elk Grove from June 13, 2007 until his reassignment to Divine Mercy Parish. Fr. Soane still resides in South Sacramento and still helps around the Diocese of Sacramento and often visits his home island of Tonga.
Rev. Cesar Ageas
Fr. Cesar Ageas, a beloved priest of the Diocese of Sacramento for nearly 24 years, died on Aug. 3, 2020 in Fair Oaks, where he resided at St. Mel Parish. He was 66 and had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Fr. Cesar was the Founding Pastor of Divine Mercy Parish. He was a Parochial Administrator and then Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Auburn from July 2012 until his retirement on June 30, 2019. He served for 23 years in seven parishes in the Diocese of Sacramento. Before coming to Sacramento, he served for 13 years in two dioceses in Mindanao in the southern Philippines.