St. Thomas Arvin

In April 1776, the first recorded exploration of California by Europeans was done by Father Francisco Garces. Traveling in and around what is now Arvin, Father Garces was the first of anyone to baptize in the Central Valley. A statue of Father Garces was donated to the chruch by the Kern County Chamber of Commerce and stands in the courtyard of the church to this day.

St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church has a rich history. The original land for the church was donated by Thomas Derby, who was not a Catholic. Built and opened in 1939, the church was consecrated by Bishop Philip Scher (Pictured here) in the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno, before it became the Diocese of Fresno.

The first priest of the parish was Father Anthony Stuhlman, a German-born priest exiled from Mexico during the Cristero War and Catholic persecution. The church's first resident priest was Father Harold Goodwin, who celebrated his first Mass on July 7, 1940.

In 1952, the Tehachapi earthquake destroyed the parish. One year later, in 1953, the current church building was constructed.