St. Mel, Patron saint of St. Mel's Parish.

St. Mel was the son of Conis and Darerca, the sister of St. Patrick.  He was a Briton by birth and a member of the Patrician Order.  St. Mel accompanied St. Patrick to Ireland and assisted him in evangelizing that country.

St. Mel and St. Patrick were friends of St. Brigid and it was St. Mel who received St. Brigid into the convent.

Little is known about St. Mel's younger years, but it is evident that he lived frugally, giving whatever he didn't need to the poor.

At one time, St. Mel was living with his aunt, Lupait.  Slanderous rumors sprang up about their relationship and St. Patrick himself went to investigate.  St. Mel vindicated himself by miraculously picking up a fish from the ground as if from a net, and Lupait likewise vindicated herself by carrying glowing coals without harming herself or her clothing.  St. Patrick was convinced of their innocence but nonetheless counseled them to avoid further scandal by living and praying apart from each other.

St. Patrick build the first cathedral at Ardagh and appointed his nephew, St. Mel, as first Bishop.  His reign lasted 53 years, the longest in the history of the diocese.  St. Mel died in 488 A.D., 27 years after the death of St. Patrick.

The feast of St. Mel is observed on February 6 in the United States.

Prior to becoming a parish in February, 1958 the modern boundaries for St. Mel's Parish were established.  The first church stood in old town Fair Oaks.

The pictures below show the new church that was built in 1974 on Pennsylvania Avenue, Fair Oaks

Father Doheny, our pastor emeritus,  came to St. Mel's in 1976.  He was ordained on June 13, 1948.

  Father Richard Doheny, pastor

In 1992, the parish was redecorated   -- replacing seating, altar, lighting, paint and carpet.

Welcome to St. Mel's Catholic Church.