In September 1993 Mike Simmons was a third year deacon candidate for the Diocese of Santa Rosa, California.  As a summer project, Mike decided to hold a meeting of Catholics in American Canyon to ask what they wanted for a faith based community in their new city.

Only four people showed up the first meeting and two of them were Mike and his wife Ann.  One person drove from Napa and the other was the city’s new Mayor Tom Orlando.  The next meeting there was 15 people present and was held at American Canyon Baptist Church.  Everyone agreed they wanted to have a Catholic Mass in American Canyon.

The first Mass was celebrated on January 19 th, 1994 at 9:00 A.M. in the city’s recreation center.

The second week, the crowd had grown to over 120 people.

On February 19, 1994, the Catholic Community of American Canyon met at the American Canyon Baptist Church with Bishop Patrick Ziemann, who committed to establishing a parish in American Canyon.  He later would later name it Holy Family Parish.

In March 1994, Fr. Pat Stephenson arrived in American Canyon and began celebrating the 9:00 A.M. Sunday Mass.  Early on a Building Fund and Leadership Team were established to work towards the goal of purchasing a property site and building a church.

In 1997, Holy Family purchased 5.14 acres in American Canyon, securing a location for a future church site.

In October 2007, Victor Leach began formation to enter the permanent diaconate program for the Diocese of Santa Rosa.  As of April of 2012 he was nearing completion of his formation and had begun the final process towards ordination into the permanent diaconate program.  The ordination was scheduled for August of 2012.

Fr. Pat Stephenson continued to celebrate Mass in the Community Center Gym until May of 2011 when he announced his retirement.  Fr. Pat leaves a legacy of service and pastoral care with the parish and the entire American Canyon community.

In June of 2011, Father Frederick Kutubebi was appointed the new parish administrator of Holy Family Parish.  Fr. Fred has continued the tradition of service and pastoral care that Fr. Pat began but has also put his own stamp of “style” on the parish.