New Catholic Church site coming to northwest Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, CA- It has been in the works for years, and this weekend, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church will break ground on a permanent site. They say it's the first new Catholic Church built in our area in more than 40 years.

The site is at the corner of Riena and Old Farm roads. Although It's just an empty lot now, there are big plans the property.

Msgr. Perry Kavookjian said, "I'm ready to have our own building that we can settle into, call home."

For nearly six years parishioners at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church have been going to mass at Frontier High School. Every Sunday, volunteers transform the school's theater into a church; hauling the alter, sound system, podium and other items needed for mass.

"People have been very enthusiastic and very supportive, definitely very generous," said Kavookjian.

He says with the expanding population, there is a need for another Catholic Church.

Kavookjian said, "Chances are, if you don't get there early enough, you're going to sit outside, or stand up. We've known for a while that some of those churches are bursting at the seams, which is a good problem to have."

Over the years, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton's congregation has grown to 1,000 families.

"Definitely the need is here and people have been waiting a while for a church to be built in this area," he said.

Soon, they'll have a place to call their own. The church will break ground on a 24 acre lot Saturday, beginning the first of three phases of construction.

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New Catholic Church site coming to northwest Bakersfield