History of St. Elizabeth of Hungary

St. Elizabeth Catholic community is located in Desert Hot Springs, a small community in the Coachella Valley. St. Elizabeth started as a mission in 1944-45. Mass was celebrated in private homes until 1948 when a Mission-Style church was built. The first Mass was celebrated there on April 17, 1948.

St. Elizabeth embraces years of growth and development and involves hundreds of people, many active both in their parish and civic communities. What started with 14 people celebrating Mass in private homes has now grown to more than 1,500 registered families.

In January 1981 a building fund was launched for a new church to accommodate the growing parish membership. The community celebrated Mass in the new church on April 4, 1985.

St. Elizabeth is in the heart of a tourist area with year-round parishioners and "snowbirds" that flock in for the winter to enjoy the warm winters. It has also embraced parishioners coming from different ethnic backgrounds and Masses are now celebrated in English and Spanish.

Fr. Edward McGuinness, who was pastor of St. Elizabeth's community from 1992-2005, was instrumental in leading the parish into a vibrant, Spirit-filled worshiping community. The present administrator is Fr. Dennis Legaspi. The parish website is www.stelizabethofhungarydhs.catholicweb.com