History of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Indio, began as a Franciscan Mission in 1928. It became a quasi-parish in 1934 and was raised to full parish status in 1937. Fr. Patrick Kenny, its first pastor (1937-'44) built the first church in the same year. The '40s and '50s saw so rapid a growth in the Catholic population that the old church could no longer keep pace with the liturgical and sacramental services. Fr. John Rhatigan, pastor from 1958-'61, built the present church, which was solemnly blessed on April 24, 1960 and dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

The community has grown significantly over the years and much has been done to minister to the needs of the faithful and promote Catholic identity. Today the parish serves 2,900+ registered families. However, of the 53,000+ people who live in Indio, over sixty percent is Catholic due to the large number of Hispanics in the area. The community is growing in number, housing opportunities, and civic involvement. Youth are currently the number one priority in Indio with the parish and civic government working together. Indio has formed a Task Force to develop a Master Plan for the youth under the age of 18 who number aver 27,000.

The academic arm of the church's mission is Our Lady of Perpetual Help School which opened its doors in 1951 to 218 students.

The School flourished under the administration and tutelage of the Sisters of Notre Dame from 1951 to 1995. The school boasts over fifty years of history and tradition with many adult residents of Indio having attended the school in their childhood.

True to its Mission Statement and School Philosophy the school continues its commitment to provide quality Catholic education with a focus on the total development of the person, both mind and body, instilling morals and values, and all aspects of our Catholic identity.