Tulare's first Catholic church was built in 1889. In 1893, it was finally dedicated. This church, St. Aloysius, was recognizd as a mission church of St. Mary's, Visalia in 1896. St. Aloysius became a parish in 1905. The first St. Aloysius Church was located on Kern Avenue and the northeast corner of F Street. It was a small, wood-framed stucture.

In 1925 a replica of the Royal Presidio Church in Monterey ( a mission-style brick building) replaced the original tiny wood-framed church.

The Tehachapi Earthquake of 1952, while causing no damage to St. Aloysius, raised some major concerns about the safety of the unreinforced structure. The search for a new site for a new church building was soon underway. Property was found east of the railroad tracks. Fundraising began in the late 1960s. On September 21, 1969, ground was broken, and the new St. Aloysius was completed on November 29, 1970.

Chaix and Johnson of Los Angeles were the architects of the new Modernist building. The main features of the structure are the 87-foot bell tower, the 20-foot cross that tops it, and a seating capacity of 800. Generous donors provided the marble altar and matching baptismal font as well as all the stained-glass windows in the church. After this church on Pleasant Avenue was dedicated, the City of Tulare razed the old church.

St. Aloysius Church 1896-1925

St. Aloysius Church 1925-1970

St. Aloysius Church  1970 - Today