Dolores Mission Church and School

Dolores Mission Parish is a Roman Catholic Parish of the Los Angeles Archdiocese under the direction of the Jesuits. It has become known for its prophetic work among former gang members and for its work for social justice on local, national and global issues. The parish cares for the spiritual, social and material needs of its parishioners who come primarily from the immediate neighborhood, the poorest area of Boyle Heights.   

In 1950, Dolores Mission School opened in one of the toughest and poorest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, Boyle Heights. The school continues to serve the families who live in the local housing projects and the surrounding areas. Dolores Mission Church and School stand as strong pillars in the community and walk alongside the most vulnerable members of our community. In the last ten years, Dolores Mission School has become an example of a stellar inner city school. The academic programs of the school continue to expand and improve to serve the neediest children in our community. As a result, more students are attending college after high school. The impact of the school is creating systemic change in a disenfranchised community.

Dolores Mission School consists of grades TK-8^th and serves 260 children. Our student population is 95% Latino and 5% African-American. More than 80% of the transitional kindergarten class is challenged with academic English vocabulary and primarily speak Spanish at home. Nearly 94% of our students qualify for a free or reduced breakfast and lunch program and 100% receive financial aid to pay for their tuition. Our reality is that 54% of our families earn less than $25K a year and 73% earn $35K or less.