SAINT ROSE CHAPEL
St. Rose was built as part of the new Saint Patrick Home which was relocated from Grass Valley to Sacramento in 1932. The church was originally intended as the chapel for the orphanage. It was dedicated by Bishop Robert Armstrong in August 1932. 

SAINT ROSE CHAPEL BECOMES A CHAPEL OF EASE FOR THE AREA
At first, about 20 families in the area attended Mass at Saint Rose Chapel with the children and staff of the home. By 1940, the number of Catholic families from the area who attended Mass at the chapel increased to 120. On February 10, 1940, Bishiop Armstrong officially announced the creation of a new parish for that area with Saint Rose Chapel desgnated as the parish church. 

THE DESIGN OF SAINT ROSE CHURCH
The church was designed by Harry Devine Sr., as a Venetian Gothic structure. The interior appointments of the church were contributed by Mrs. C.K. McClatchy. The altar was fashioned from two different types of Italian marble. 

FATHER BENNETT NAMED FOUNDING PASTOR
The founding pastor of the new Saint Rose Parish was Father Patrick J. Bennett. Prior to the creation of Saint Rose, the area was under the care of Immaculate Conception Parish on 32nd and Broadway. Father Bennett was named both pastor of the parish and executive director of Saint Patrick's Home which was located on the grounds of the newly created parish. 

ARRIVAL OF FATHER KAVANAGH AS ASSISTANT
In December 1948, Father Edward J. Kavanagh, a recent graduate of Saint Kiernan Seminary in Kilkenny, Ireland, arrived in Sacramento and became Father Bennett's assistant priest. However, two weeks after Father Kavanagh's arrival, Father Bennett suddenly died of a heart attack on December 21, 1948. In January 1949, Bishop Armstrong appointed Father Carroll W. Lawsen pastor of Saint Rose, succeeding Father Bennett, and director of Saint Patrick's Home. 

FATHER LAWSEN RESIGNS AS DIRECTOR OF SAINT PATRICK'S HOME
With the growth of the parish to 425 families, Father Carroll Lawsen decided to resign his position as director of the home in March 1945 so he could devote his full attention and energy to his pastorate of the parish. The task of serving as executive director of Saint Patrick's Home for Children fell to Father Kavanagh who was appointed to that position on February 23, 1954. Father Lawsen served as pastor of Saint Rose Parish until his death on June 21, 1962. Newly appointed Bishop Alden J. Bell named Father Kavanagh pastor of Saint Rose on July 21, 1962.

RAPID GROWTH OF SAINT ROSE PARISH
Beginning with the opening of the Campbell's Soup plant on Franklin Boulevard in 1947, the South Sacramento area served by Saint Rose Church began to grow rapidly. Between 1955 and 1961, five new parishes were carved out of what had been Saint Rose Parish. However, Saint Rose Parish continued to expand and because of the relatively small seating capacity of the Home's former chapel, Father Kavanagh had to increase the number of Sunday Masses from three to five, then seven and then to nine. 

In recognition of his devoted service to the people of Saint Rose and underprivileged children of the Northern California, Father Kavanagh was named a monsignor by Pope Paul IV. He was appointed Chaplain of His Holiness on July 21, 1965 and Honorary Prelate on January 21, 1977.

MONSIGNOR KAVANAGH RETIRES
At the age of 75, as bishops must offer a letter of resignation to the pope, pastors must also send a letter of resignation to their bishop. As Monsignor Kavanagh reached the age of 75 in 2000, he sent his letter of resgination to Bishop Weigand as required. The bishop allowed Monsignor Kavanagh to continue as pastor until he reached the age of 80. In 2005, the bishop accepted Monsignor Kavanagh's resignation. 

MONSIGNOR JAMES CHURCH APPOINTED PASTOR
With Monsignor Kavanagh's retirement, Bishop Weigand asked Monsignor James Church to be pastor of Saint Rose Parish. Monsignor Church was 75 at the time and ready to retire as pastor of Saint Charles Parish when Bishop Weigand asked him to be pastor of Saint Rose Parish. He served in tht role for eight years until he retired from active ministry in 2014.

As Monsignor Church began his ministry at Saint Rose, he extended an invitation to Monsignor Kavanagh to live in residence at the parish rectory. Monsignor Kavanagh accepted the offer and continued to live in the rectory until it was neccessary to move to Mercy McMahon Terrace in Sacramento. 

In the meantime, Father Francisco Hernandez-Gomez who was vocation director filled in at Saint Rose Parish for three months until Bishop Soto appointed a new pastor. 

FATHER JOVITO RATA APPOINTED ADMINISTRATOR 
Father Jovito Rata was serving as pastor of Saint Francis Parish in Burney when he was appointed administrator of Saint Rose. His time at Saint Rose ended up being only eight months when Bishop Soto chose him to be the new vocation director of the diocese, succeeding Father Francisco Hernandez-Tovar who became pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Sacramento. 

FATHER GUILLERMO HERNANDEZ APPOINTED ADMINISTRATOR
Father Guillermo (Memo) Hernandez began his ministry at Saint Rose on July 1, 2015 and on September 3, 2017 he was appointed pastor of Saint Rose. 

FATHER JOSE BELTRAN APPOINTED ADMINISTRATOR
Father Jose Beltran is our current pastor. He was appointed to Saint Rose on July 1, 2019.