Why Catholic Parishes in LA Are Choosing Ministry Scheduler Pro for Volunteer Scheduling

Krista Kutz

Growth & Impact Manager

For more than 20 years, Ministry Scheduler Pro has supported parishes across the country— helping ministry leaders save time, reduce stress, and keep volunteers engaged. Today, over 3,800 churches rely on MSP to schedule ministries each week.

Whether serving a small parish team or a large, multilingual community, churches share a common challenge: coordinating people who feel called to serve. Across coastal parishes, valley communities, and foothill churches in the greater Los Angeles area, ministry leaders value how MSP saves time, streamlines communication, and grows participation in ministry.

Photo credit to San Roque Church

Photo credit to San Roque Church

San Roque Church

Dedicated as a new parish in 1965, San Roque Church is a mightily busy parish with many ministries, where all are welcome to serve.

Location: Santa Barbara, CA
MSP User Since: 2016
Ministers Scheduled: Lector, Altar Server, EMHCs, Eucharistic Minister for the Sick, Hospitality, Usher, Presider, Liturgy of the Word
In Their Own Words:

"MSP takes the headaches out of scheduling, finding subs, and planning for holy days and holidays. All our ministers' contact information is in one place and quickly accessible — much handier than our larger church management software.

MSP gives me back time. Time is a great gift, and when tools help us create time instead of take it, everyone benefits."

— M. Noël Fuentes, San Roque Church (Santa Barbara, CA)

Photo credit to Our Lady of Lourdes

Our Lady of Lourdes

Located in the San Fernando Valley, Our Lady of Lourdes serves a diverse Catholic parish and school community. Mass is celebrated in English and Spanish, and services are live-streamed every week.

Location: Northridge, CA
MSP User Since: 2015
Ministers Scheduled: Altar Server, EM, Lector, Usher, Collection, Sacristan, Livestream, Powerpoint
In Their Own Words:

"I love MSP. It allows our busy volunteers to have input into their schedules. We have less scrambling during Mass thanks to the sub request feature. Even our older volunteers can use the friendly app to view their schedule, find subs, and get reminders."

— Dianne Walker, Our Lady of Lourdes (Northridge, CA)

Photo credit to St. Barbara Parish

St. Barbara Parish

Located at Old Mission Santa Barbara, founded in 1786, and situated on 15 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean, St. Barbara Parish's reputation as a warm and welcoming community is largely thanks to many dedicated volunteers who practice the Franciscan tradition of radical hospitality.

Location: Santa Barbara, CA
MSP User Since: 2015
Ministers Scheduled: Lectors, EM, Adoration, Acolyte (Thurifer, Cross, Candle), Usher, Sacristan
In Their Own Words:

"What I like about MSP is that it makes it very easy for our volunteers to sign up from their phones. With the mobile app, people can see who else they will be serving with. The lead usher at every Mass uses MSP Sign-In Kiosk to see who's scheduled to serve. MSP does exactly what we need and makes it easy."
—Dale Francisco, St. Barbara Parish (Santa Barbara, CA)

Photo credit to St. Dorothy Catholic Church

St. Dorothy Catholic Church

Nestled at the base of the San Gabriel foothills, St. Dorothy is a diverse and growing Catholic community with a parish and school. There are ministries for every age, and countless opportunities to serve.

Location: Glendora, CA
MSP User Since: 2021
Ministries Scheduled: Presider, Deacon, Sacristan, Master of Ceremonies, EMHC, Lector (Daily, Sunday, and Student Masses), Altar Server, Cantor, Music Slides, Homebound Minister, Ash Distribution
In Their Own Words:

"Over the past year, MSP has saved us over a hundred hours of scheduling. The headache of ministry scheduling basically disappeared overnight.

St. Dorothy Church also loves the ease in which we can sign up for open positions or request a sub. The ministers love being able to have their schedule both on their phones and their computers.

Overall, MSP has been an excellent choice and wonderful upgrade for our ministries!"

—Fr. Ron Clark, St. Dorothy Catholic Church (Glendora, CA)

Photo credit to Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Just blocks from the Pacific Ocean, Our Lady of Guadalupe's history of service goes back to 1920. Their ministries are powered by volunteers, and their buildings by the sun! On Earth Day in 2010, they became the first parish in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to convert to solar power.

Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
MSP User Since: 2018
Ministries Scheduled: Greeter, Lector, EM, Martha Ministry, Altar Server, Sacristan, Usher, Lyrics Clicker, Camera Crew
In Their Own Words:

"MSP is very easy to use. With everyone's busy schedules, the ability to quickly check for openings at any Mass is right at their fingertips.

There are so many features I appreciate about MSP. For example, I can email only the Lectors or only the Ushers without having to track down each person individually. Another is the ability to label altar servers as "New" or "Experienced," ensuring that there is always at least one experienced server at each Mass. The system prevents scheduling all new servers together, which keeps everything running smoothly.

I could go on and on about all the features that make organization easier and help our Masses run more smoothly. I honestly can't imagine how we would manage all of this without MSP."

—Monique Akker, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (Hermosa Beach, CA)

Photo credit to Our Lady of the Assumption

Our Lady of the Assumption

With its origins in the citrus-picking barrio located in east Claremont during the 1920s, Our Lady of the Assumption has grown in size and diversity, always rooted in service. Liturgies—celebrated in Spanish, English, and Vietnamese—are planned by a team of parishioners who represent hundreds of liturgical ministers.

Location: Claremont, CA
MSP User Since: 2014
Ministries Scheduled: Presider, Concelebrant, Deacon, EM, Sacristan, Lector, Altar Server, Music Minister (Song Leader, Accompanist, Ensemble Leader), Master of Ceremonies, Confessor, Sight & Sound, Docent, Bereavement
In Their Own Words:

"We've been using Ministry Scheduler Pro for over 10 years now, and we can't imagine managing our parish without it! With seven regular weekend Masses and hundreds of volunteers, scheduling used to be a real challenge. This program has truly made a world of difference.

It's so easy to keep track of everyone's availability and preferences—and we love that we can schedule family members together with just a click.

Before we started using it, five different ministry leaders were juggling spreadsheets and notes to create separate schedules. Now, everything is in one simple system that one person can manage, and volunteers can update their own availability whenever they need to.

One of our favorite features is how simple it is for volunteers to request or accept a sub when something unexpected comes up. Ministry Scheduler Pro has made our scheduling smoother, our communication easier, and our volunteers happier!"

—Mary Kunz, Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Community (Claremont, CA)

Photo credit Josefifin Photography

St. Junipero Serra Parish

Located in the Antelope Valley, St. Junipero Serra Parish invites everyone to engage in communal life — from liturgical and social justice ministries to beloved annual events like the parish picnic. With a large base of Ministers for Mass, MSP keeps everyone connected.

Location: Lancaster, CA
MSP User Since: 2013
Ministries Scheduled: EM/Ministro, Lector/Lectores, Communion to the Sick
In Their Own Words:

"MSP makes it so much easier to schedule Ministers, as most of them are able to figure out the extremely user-friendly interface, which is what I appreciate most about MSP. That, and only having to click ONE button to schedule ALL the Ministers at ALL the Masses, for a whole month! I cannot imagine trying to schedule Ministers without it."
—Dan Vernor, Saint Junipero Serra Parish (Lancaster, CA)

Built for Parish Ministries, From the Very Beginning

Fittingly, MSP itself has deep California roots.

It began in California, when a parish leader at St. Monica's Church in Moraga was trying to solve a very specific, familiar challenge: scheduling Altar Servers.

Rather than forcing a generic software tool to fit parish life, he partnered with a local computer programmer who listened carefully to the parish's needs and began building a tool specifically designed for ministry scheduling.

That collaboration — between a Catholic parish and a programmer who wanted to help — became the foundation of Ministry Scheduler Pro. It grew organically, parish by parish, into a scheduling tool now trusted by thousands of churches and ministries across the country, like these in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Try MSP for 30-days free

If your parish is ready for a smoother, more reliable way to schedule ministry, start your free trial today.