Parish History

In April 1963, James Francis Cardinal McIntyre established St. Norbert Parish for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Father George Kass was named the founding pastor and he began to gather a group of local Catholic families for Sunday Mass at the Abrams Dance Studio on Orange-Olive Road in the city of Orange.

A year later, Mass was moved to a warehouse building on West Barkley, to accommodate the growing number of parishioners and to begin plans for the construction of a new church. Two years later, ground was broken for the construction of the permanent church at its current location.

On June 19, 1966, the first Mass was celebrated in the new church building, with approximately 750 registered families. Today, there are nearly 3,700 registered families at St. Norbert, and a parish school with nearly 300 school children enrolled.
 

Timeline

1963: St. Norbert Parish is established in April
1965: St. Norbert Catholic School opens and construction of permanent church begins
1967: First Mass celebrated in the new church building
1969: First graduating class from St. Norbert School
1969: Father Sinon Falvey is named pastor
1971: Rectory built on parish grounds
1975: Parish Hall completed
1983: New stained glass windows, murals, and Stations of the Cross added to church décor
1984: Weekly Sunday Spanish Masses begin
1988: St. Norbert parish celebrates 25th Anniversary
1989: Father John Janze is named pastor
1990: School celebrates 25th Anniversary; Kindergarten building added, along with first Kindergarten class
1992: Parish Hall refurbished
1996: Father John Joyce is named pastor
1999: Dedication of renovated St. Norbert Church on December 5
2001: Groundbreaking for new parish Ministry Center
2002: Ministry Center completed
2003: Parish celebrates 40th Anniversary
2003: Monsignor John Urell is named pastor
2005: St. Norbert Catholic School celebrates its 40th Anniversary
2007: Groundbreaking for remodel of old Parish Hall into Family & Youth Center
2008: Family & Youth Center completed
2008: Fr. Cirilo Flores is named pastor
2009: Fr. Cirilo Flores is named Auxiliary Bishop of Orange
2009: Fr. Patrick Rudolph is named pastor
2012: Remodel of St. Norbert Catholic School facade
2013: St. Norbert Parish celebrates its 50th Anniversary
2015: St. Norbert Catholic School celebrates its 50th Anniversary
2016: Fr. Bruce Patterson is named pastor.
2019: Fr. John Moneypenny is named pastor.
2020-2023: COVID-19 pandemic