Parish · Est. 1913 · Camarillo, California
St. Mary Magdalen Church in Camarillo was established on July 1, 1913, when the Camarillo family dedicated its new chapel on a hilltop overlooking the city SMM Church Camarillo+1. The project was initiated by Juan E. Camarillo and his brother Adolfo, who had long envisioned replacing the overcrowded one-room wooden family chapel atop El Camino Real SMM Church Camarillo. The brothers were inspired by a mission-style church they saw near their father’s birthplace in Mexico City, and they commissioned architect Albert C. Martin to design the new structure SMM Church Camarillo. The chapel was built in honor of their parents, Don Juan Camarillo and Martina Hernandez, and named for their oldest sister, Magdalena SMM Church Camarillo. The design included an east wing, a family crypt, and a picturesque courtyard foundation modeled after one at the Santa Barbara missions SMM Church Camarillo. The east courtyard quickly became a popular gathering spot and bird bath for parishioners SMM Church Camarillo. The cornerstone dedication ceremony featured Adolfo Camarillo’s youngest daughter, Carmen, who handed a box containing family history and memorabilia to the priest, who placed it inside the cornerstone SMM Church Camarillo. For the first years, Mass was celebrated by a priest who drove from Oxnard, and the church served as a central religious and social hub for the growing city.
8:30 AM · 4:00 PM
8:00 AM · 10:00 AM · 12:00 PM · 5:00 PM
6:30 AM · 5:15 PM
Wednesday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM · Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
2532 Ventura Blvd.
Camarillo, California, 93010
Phone: (805) 484-0532