I WILL UNTO

ifo
THEALTAROFGOD
- -------------
I WILL GO UNTO THE ALTAR OF GOD
A history of the Church cif the Blessed Sacrament
Written by Voiza O. Arnold
Cover Layout and Typing
Janet Wheeler Evelyn Sulley
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Establishment of the. mission
1956-1969 .... 5
Growth and disruption
A summer of waiting
Renewal and growth
1969-1978 ... 20
1978. . . . . 24
1978-1981 . . . . 26
Appendix A: Vitae of priests 33
Appendix B: Points of interest 38
Appendix C: Vestry lists ... 45
SIGNIFICANT DATES IN THE HISTORY OF
THE CHURCH OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
First planning meeting regarding the establishment of a
mission in Placentia, with formal petition drawn up with
sixteen signatures. Meeting held in home of Hilmer and
Dorothy Lodge, 15761 E. Palm Drive, Placentia January 30, 1956
Permission granted to form a mission in Placentia, In
letter from Bishop Sloy June 29, 1956
First Mass of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament,
celebrated by Father Scully, Founder and first Vicar October 7, 1956
Dedication of the land December 7, 1957
Groundbreaking for the church October 9, 1960
First Mass in the church August 20, 1961
Dedication of the new church building January 28, 1962
Completion of the Irethlehem R.oom late 1962
Purchase of the Vicarage (later the Rectory) 1964
Retirement of Father Scully February 28, 1969
March 1, 1969
Father Couper joins the staff
November, 1973
In anticipation of the attainment of parish status, the
Vestry names Father Scully "Rector Emeritus"
January 22, 1976
Attainment of parish status / Father Rasch becomes
first Rector
March 16, 1976
Parish Hall completed and named "Scully Hall"
October 13, 1976
Division of the congregation and resignation of Father Rasch
March 1, 1978
Father Rasch becomes second Vicar
Father Couper maintains services for the remnant of the
parish during the search for a Rector
March - October, 1978
Father Baumann becomes second Rector
October 15, 1978
Father Scully's 50th anniversary of ordination
to the priesthood
May 31, 1981
The church's siIver anniversary celebrated with the
consecration of the church
September 27, 1981
o SEND OUT THY LIGHT AND THY TRUTH..
THAT THEY MAY LEAD ME
Psalm 43
Even today in 1981 there are large portions of Yorba Linda and Brea
which retain a country-like, small-town flavor. Indeed, much of the
land is still zoned for horses, goats, rabbits, and chickens. Pla-
centia, bordering both cities on their southern and western rims has
only made the transition from groves of lemons, oranges, and avo-
cados to tracts of homes in the last fifteen years. Imagine this
area twenty-five years ago when the nucleus of families desiring to
establish a mission of the Episcopal Church in this section of Orange
County first met. Certainly they were pioneers geographically as
well as spiritually. They were bound together not only by their
comparative isolation from the churches in the south county, but
also by their desire to form a parish centered around the Anglo-
Catholic tradition.* They were aided in this desire by the mercurial
growth of Orange County, growth which was becoming increasingly
apparent to the Diocese as well as those presenting their petition
to the Diocese requesting permission to establish a mission. In
January of 1956, the group met at the home of Dorothy and Hilmer
Lodge on Palm Drive in Placentia to draft its petition. Enclosed
in the petition was the list of sixteen male names residing in the
Placentia, Yorba Linda, and Brea areas then required by the Diocese,
including those of Hilmer Lodge, Clyde M. Daniels, and Chester Palmer.
Other names to be important in the early growth of the Mission, such
as Thompson, Dalessi, and Maurer did not appear on the list simply
because they resided in Fullerton. The Diocese responded to their
request by saying that Orange County was currently being assessed
as to its need for new parishes; by June 29, 1956 they had theoffic-
ial approval of the Bishop and the Standing Committee. After the
first official meeting of the mission several businessmen donated
* Anglo-Catholicism is a tradition within the Anglican Communion
emphasizing devotion to God through the beauty of worship, the
practice and teaching of the undivided Church, and continuity with
the Apostles. Anglo-Catholic, or "High Church, 11 practices at this
time embellish the rituals of the Episcopal Church from medieval,
Roman Catholic, and other sources.
5
As these two one a 195? budget and the other
a list for a parish potluck somewhere around the same show -
Some things have changed lot!
THE EPISCOPAL CHURC!i OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
Placentia, Yorba Linda
PROPOSED BUDGED FOR 1957
Vicar's salary - $400.00
Pension fund - 0 .. 60.00

Vicar's auto allowance :300.00
Utilities for vioarage :300.00
Rent for vicarage 100 .00
Office expense 300.00
Altar expense 70.00
Diocesan assessment . :300.00
Church School material 65.00
Every Member Canvass 20.00
Treasurer's bond . 5.00
Payment on land - per year. :3,000.00
Payment on proposed buildings, (church,
and par1sh - per year .10,000.00
Total proposed $15,000.00
6
while some things never change!
Some of the names may be different but the food's the same

J, 71Iuv..tt -

money to buy one hundred folding chairs (which are still in use),
Mrs. Blanche Bagnall Garfield volunteered the Bagnall Ranch r e r ~
tion hall for church services, and Hilmer Lodge constructed a
portable altar. Mr. Clyde Daniels was appointed treasurer and
Dorothy Lodge wrote to the Diocesan Altar Guild reQuesting basic
altar supplies; (these included: one fair linen, two corporals,
one pall, one chalice veil, four purificators, two lavabo towels,
and one burse and veil of each color). In replying to Mrs. Lodge's
letter, Mrs. F. L. Capers, Diocesan Altar Guild Directress, bemoaned
the fact that then, as now, "we find it very difficult to get anyone
to do white work." Perhaps the most important eQuipment to arrive
from the Diocese was human in form: Bishop Francis Eric Bloy
selected Father Ernest W. S. Scully to be vicar to the new mission.
On October [, 1956 the new mission celebrated its first Mass, mark-
ing the union which was destined to make a permanent landmark in
the city of Placentia, and in the hearts of many. This date was
to be kept in later years as the parish's "Feast of Dedication."
At the initial meeting of the new mission held early in 1956 the
handwritten minutes suggest that several names for the mission
were being considered for eventual submission to and approval by
the Bishop. One of Father Scully's first acts as vicar was to
settle this Question by selecting and sticking to the name of
Blessed Sacrament. He desired that the focus of worship in the
new body be Eucharistically centered.
The man chosen by Bishop Bloy to lead the new mission in the first
crucial months of its development was a fighter. A small, compact
man, Father Scully is one of those people who except for white
hair and a few >-lTinkles looks the same at nearly eighty as he did
at twenty or at forty. Although diffident and somevlhat reserved,
he is tenacious in his goals and stalwart in his beliefs and
opinions, Qualities which illustrate his Scottish background and
parentage. Certainly they were attributes which were to stand
the newly-formed mission in good stead during the next fel, years.
Born Ernest William Syme Scully on December 30, 1901 in Glasgow,
Scotland (which explains, perhaps, his choice of St. Andrew as a
favorite saint), he found himself in seminary at Nashotah House
in Wisconsin where he was ordained a priest in 1931. Serving a
tbtal of five parishes in the states of Wisconsin, Indiana, and
8
Illinois between the years of 1930-42, Father Scully joined the Air
Force as a chaplain during World War II and served until 1946,
eventually finding himself in the Westchester area of Los Angeles
serving at the Anglo-Catholic Church of the Holy Nativity until
shortly before he was appointed
1956. During this period he vras
as Vicar of Blessed Sacrament in
filling-in at Saint Mary of the
Angels for Father James
Jordan, the rector, who was
ill. Father Scully was asked
by Bishop Bloy to consider
coming to the ne',l mission
in Placentia and \.Thile he
was still in the process of
making up his mind he was
visited one Sunday by two
ladies from the new mission,
Beth Patterson and Shirley
Nissen. After church they
took him out to breakfast
and asked him to please
come to the new mission;
they had heard of his work
at Holy Nativity and wanted
someone Hith a clearly
Anglo-Catholic background.
Father Scully recalls that
one of them said, "We are
really burgeoning out ther e!
We have 1100 people (in the
city of Placentia) and
Father Scully and wife Dorothy (on his right) could raise $1500 at the
~ t with parishions (from left to right)
drop of a hat!" He had
Sh"rley Hopper, her mother Shirley Nissen,
the impression that the
Beth Patterson and Mia Skinner outside the
Bethlehem c:hape l. women thought that this
sum would pay for the land.
Needless to say he was a
bit more sceptical.
Although this visit was not decisive for Father Scully, he
remembers it fondly as his first contact with people who were to
become his parishioners at the new mission. Indeed, it was at
this church that he was to find the culminating ministry of his
career, as he shaped the parish from its very inception. Its
9
pari shi oners came to love the feisty Scotsman whose energetic
exterior hid a poet whose dedicat ion to the Blessed Sacrament he
shaped int o a poem:
THE BREAD OF LIFE
At early dawn I left my bed
Refreshed in body and in
And went to where His Altar spread
A Banquet for us human kind.
And there I found myself
But for the priest to say the Mass;
And Him upon His Altar
with saints to sing the glorias.
My Blessed Lord I there received
To strengthen and
And knew my heart to be relieved
with promise of His heavenly goal.
To daily task I then set
whate'er that task might bring to me
Of or earthly
ray Sacrament would strengthen me.
And at my bed at fall ofnight
I knelt in fervent prayer;
And knew that until morning light
My Lord and God would still be there.
Cl early Bless ed Sacrament had received someone very special
in the person of Ernest Scully.
10
AND BRING ME UNTO THY HOLY HILL, AND TO THY DWELLING .
Fat her Scully 's sense of t he ultimate destiny and immediate move-
ment of the fledgling mission were very clear, right fr om t he
beginning. Nowhere i s this more clearly illustrated than i n a
lett er, dated Oct ober 10 , 1956, to Canon Billig, Executive Assis-
tant t o the Bishop, three days after the first Mas s was celebrated.
He says t o Canon Billig:
What with moving, getting the house in some semb1ence
of order, a meeting or two, and the first service
last Sunday there has not been much time to get out
an informal word or two as to prospects for the future,
plans, and hopes.
The first service of the Church of the Blessed
Sacrament was the Holy Eucharist last Sunday, the
Nineteenth after Trinity, at 10:30, in the Bagnall
Rancho Recreation Building. There were ninety persons
present, with fifty communions, and the offering (only)
dollars. There were people from the three
immediate communities of Yorba Linda, Brea, and Placentia,
and a fe,,, from Fullerton, and Whittier.
It was a most happy occasion and certainly "Eucharist"
is the only word which fully expresses the feelings of
everyone, and despite the fact that arrangements had to
be made with many makeshifts, there was a sense of per-
manenc e with the congregation responding in its parts
of the service with strong voice, and together. We had
no music since we had no hymnals, but even this did not
dampen the enthusiasm. Of course, much of the pleasure
was over the turn out of so many people in response to
the publicizing of the first service, but over and above
this was a sense of gratitude to God for this beginning
of what promises to be a good work.
And now we must go to work to bring about a fulfillment
of this promise, and tonight there will be the first of
the sessions of a School of Religion which will meet
for instruction in the Faith and practice of the Church.
11
This will be for adults. There will be a class for
Confirmation instruction for the youngsters on Saturday
mornings. We have a number of candidates in both age
groups, and should have a reasonable number to present
to the Bishop for our first class sometime next fall.
It is clear from the very beginning that the question of land
was a crucial one. Having obtained the promise of $15,000 worth
of assistance from the Diocese, Father Scully and the Bishop's
Committee set about its search for a suitable spot, large enough
for a church, parish hall, and eventual day school. Meanwhile
the congregation met in the Lodges' recreation room for 7:30 a.m.
Sunday Mass, and moved to the Bagnall Ranch (located at what is
now the southeast corner of Kraemer and Golden) for the 10:30 a.m.
service where worshippers were often surrounded by decorations
left from a Saturday night party. Father Scully says that there
was a vine in a window over the spot where the altar was situated,
and that some of the quieter places in the Christmas Midnight Mass
where deeper devotion was called for would be punctuated frequently
with sharp intakes of breath
from the congregation as a
rat would suddenly appear
and run across the vine.
Mid-week Masses, confes-
sions, and confirmation
classes were held at the
vicarage, an old Placentia
ranch house, mmed by the
Harold Lang family and
located on Carolina Avenue
(nmT Kraemer Avenue).
~ i s old house was appar-
ently occupied by a
poltergei s t whose favorite
trick was to turn clear
water in the shower into
a muddy, rust-colored
substance . Thankfully by
1957, three acres at the
corner of Morse and Angelina
A typical Sunday Mass held in the Bethlehem Chapel. were purchased from Jack
Crosley, to be followed
12
later by the acquisition of two more acres. Having arrived at the
"promised land," formal dedication of the grounds occurred on
Dec ember 7, 1957.
In the interlude between the acquisition of property and the con-
struction of the present church building in 1960 makeshift
arrangements needed t o be made. A building which had done earlier
service as a horse barn on the Daniels' property was restored
by the men of the congregation. Arthur Maurer who constructed
the east wall behind the crucifi x in the present church did the
same in the makeshift chapel. The first Mass in the chapel was
celebrated on Palm Sunday of 1958. Although it was sometimes
j okingly referred to as "St . Barnabas Chapel," an only slightly
veiled allusion t o its humble origins, this building came to be
called the "Bethlehem Chapel," reminding those who worshipped
there, both visitors and parishioners, of that first stable in
the town of Bethlehem, s i gnaling both the birth of -Jesus and the
birth of one of its missions. Indeed, nowhere was the name of
Blessed Sacrament more appropriate than in its temporary chapel
named f or Bethlehem - or "the house of bread," translated fr om
Hebre"l-r.
The present church building.
13
The question of the
permanent church building
was a more complicated one,
and itwas to be two years
before ground could be
broken. Father Scully
and the Bishop's Committee
busied themselves gathering
money, architects, permits,
and all the paraphernalia
necessary for so large a
task. An architect was
chosen, Everett Childs,
and designs submitted for
approval. At this stage
Father Scully showed his
Scotch stubborness by
confronting the Diocese
which wanted the mission
to construct an all-
The new. Church is dedicated on a rainy,
but prop&tious Sunday (January 28, 1962)
purpose parish hall before
it constructed the church
building proper. His answer to their request was a flat "no."
Blessed Sacrament would have its church first and continue using
the Daniels' farm buildings for a parish hall. This hurdle over-
come, the ground breaking was held October 9, 1960. The building
was to be completed in less than a year and on August 20, 1961 the
first Mass was celebrated, with the dedication held on January 28,
1962. The congregation was home at last!
The next hurdle faced by the congregation was yet another building
project. Father Scully explained the situation in a letter to
Canon Noble L. Owings, Executive Assistant to the Bishop, dated
April 6, 1962:
Things have been so quiet about here for the past
several months, except for the every day activities
of a busy mission church, that, ifI were given to
portents, I would have known that this was a calm
before a storm.
As you know for the past three years we have been
blessed with the free use of the farm buildings of
Mr. and Mrs. Daniels. Now the axe which has hung
over our heads, the sale of this property, has
finally fallen. We must vacate the building the
latter part of June. This leaves us with no place
to house our church school, and we are faced with
the necessity of considering the possibility of
going into another building program.
He goes on to say that the estimated cost will be around
fifteen thousand dollars and (like a good Priest, he always
asks) could the Diocese help with yet another loan. Money
matters worked out and the building which presently houses the
kitchen, Bethlehem Room and nursery was constructed that same
year.
Joan Sive and baby Valerie chat with v ~ e SuUey and babu Beth in the ol d parish hall,
which is now the Nursery and Bethlehem Room.
GOOD SCRIPT-Smiling over lines in Episcopal Thf'at er Guild script read by ,"Irs.
Clyde Daniels are, from right, Mmes. lack Wilson, Arthur Maurer and H. G. Ladge.
The play is part of a benefit show for Placentia Church of Blessed Sacrament. 1957
'Ilmeg photo
The final major building acquisition of Father Scully's ministry
came in 1964 in the form of the present Rectory (then Vicarage)
on Annajeanne Drive directly behind and to the north of the church
lot, made possible through the gift of the down payment and
financing of the l oan by a parishioner. In less than ten years
Father Scully and his pioneer congregati on had put together vith
love, time, energy and faith a beautiful physical plant as witness
to the Catholic Faith. Indeed, the growth necessitated the
services of an ass i st ing priest, Father Richard Lockwood from
1967-69.
16
During these eight years
the common life of the
parish had developed just
as the buildings had. The
Altar Guild was formed in
1957 as had St. Elizabeth's
Guild, a group which was
prove an indomitable and
indefatigable fund-raiser
in the years to come.
The standard rummage
sales, bake sales, and
bazaars were interspersed
with more imaginative
endeavors such as two
productions in 1957 and
1958 sponsored by St.
Elizabeth's and staged
by the Episcopal Theatre
Guild, an organization
uf professional actors
Mary DaLessi in oostume for st.
GuiLd Fashion Show, June 1963.
ELizabeth's
(also Episcopalians)
including such well-
known names as Robert
Young and Barbara Baines, ,.,rho would donate proceeds from program
advertising and ticket sales to the mission or parish hosting
them. The Guild also catered wedding receptions in the Bethlehem
Room to raise money. The Adults' Club provided opportunities for
fellowship . . The parish sent items to service men during the
Vietnamese War and sponsored an Indonesian family. Money was
sent to buy sheep for the Indians in Bluff, Utah as well as
clothing, a contact revived in 1981 with yet another trip with
clothing in tow.
In short, when Father Scully announced his retirement in 1969;
he had achieved all and more than he had been sent by his Bishop
to do. He had not only fed his flock, but he had seen them well-
housed; he had ministered to both their physical and their
spiritual needs.
In one of the final newsletters which Father Scully sent out to
his parish (dated November, 1968) he included the following
editorial summing up not only his years at Blessed Sacrament,
but his years as a priest. He says, liAs I write this I am
reflecting nearly thirty-eight years of being a priest. These
have been joyous years, the joys far outstripping the pains and
anxieties, although there were these intrusions." He goes on to
say that his years as a priest have consisted in touching the lives
of many people, most of whom "... but for the fact that our Blessed
Lord had granted me the privilege of being a priest I would never
have met '" and so my life would have been most dreary and drab
by comparison." He admits in his letter that the future holds
"... many imponderables, some of which cause me concern from a
personal standpoint, II but he cites the ",ords from the preparation
before the Mass, "0 put thy trust in God, for I will yet give Him
thanks, "rhich is the help of my countenance and my God. " Although
he is "... not unmindful of the fact that I will no longer have the
enjoyment of the close association \{hich has characterized our
life together for the past twelve years ... " he reminds his flock
that they will continue to be present in his memories and in his
daily prayers. He concludes by reminding them of their continued
responsibility to grow spiritually, "This places a great respon-
sibility upon everyone of you, for as you gain in spiritual
strength there will be more and more demanded of you."
Patronal Festivals often took on the flavor of old time carnivals.
18
Father Scully and Dorothy left Blessed Sacrament for Mission Viejo
and a well deserved rest in retirement, but needless to say he
did not leave the hearts and memories of the parish he helped to
found and the people to whom he had spent his life ministering. In
1976, which marked the twentieth year of his first coming to Blessed
Sacrament and the forty-fifth anniversary of his ordination as a
priest he was designated as Rector Emeritus of Blessed Sacrament by
resolution of the vestry. A copy of this resolution has been placed
in the parish hall. A portrait of Father Scully, painted by parish"...
ioner George Doherty, also hangs in the parish hall, re-named in
his honor in 1978 as Scully Hall. This year, 1981, Father Scully
celebrates both the twenty-fifth anniversary of Blessed Sacrament
and the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.
His career in the service of his Lord brings to mind the concluding
words of that 1968 farewell ne1iTsletter, "Nothing worth having is
ever bought at a cheap price, for it is only as we have sacrificed
that we appreciate what we have received."
An early Confirmation Clas s in the newly completed church building.
19
AND UPON THE HARP WILL I GIVE THANKS UNTO
THEE 0 G O ~ MY GOD . . .
Father Rasch's birthday, 1974
When Anthony Frank Rasch came to Blessed Sacrament in 1969, he
inherited .from Father Scully a thriving parish which greeted him
warmly. He very quickly made it clear that he wished to continue
the traditional kind of worship in the Anglo-Catholic mode,
established by Father Scully and the founders of the mission.
Under his leadership the parish was to continue its growth, both
in numbers of communicants and in the size of its physical plant.
This time period was also to mark the end of Blessed Sacrament as
a mission; on March 16, 1976 the Church of the Blessed Sacrament
became a Parish.* Teas at the Vicarage became teas at the Rectory;
the Bishop's Committee became the Vestry.
Brought up as a Roman
Catholic, Father Rasch
took a circumferential
route to the Anglican
priesthood, exploring
many other religions
upon the way. After
acknowledging his call
to the priesthood and
attending seminary in
England, he vlaS duly
ordained and eventually
installed at Blessed
Sacrament. He began
his ministry on a
positive note. A young
and attractive man, he
seemed particularly able
to relate to the older
* The Diocesan rule for advancing to Parish Status included three
stipulations:
1) Three years of complete self-support, including being
current on all assessments and loans.
2)
3)
Major building erected or well on the way.
Church must be able to offer a stipend at least $1,000
over the minimum pay for vicars.
20
parishioners, assuaging their fears that he would attempt to over-
turn all that Father Scully had accomplished. This was not to be
the case; indeed, Father Rasch spent the time between 1969 and 1976
in embellishing, refining and expanding the physical plant that
Father Scully had put together. Between 1971 and 1975 new chancel
furniture and a new altar carpet were installed, the shrines of St.
Joseph and St. Mary were refurbished and dedicated, the Holy Rood
Scene was installed, and the poly-chromed Stations of the Cross
hung. After a mysterious fire in the chancel area in November of
1969 which destroyed the electronic organ, twelve ranks of pipes
were installed along with a too-small console, ultimately replaced
in 1981.
Along with the general refurbishment of the church building itself,
it was becoming ~ u i k l y apparent that the Bethlehem Room was too
small to serve the needs of the growing number of parishioners,
many of whom had small children. The area which is now the office
was serving as a very cramped nursery, while the present "workroom"
was a cheerless and cluttered office. The staff had been expanded
to include three "worker" priests, Father James Sigmund in 1972,
Father Clive Couper in 1973, and Father Don Seeks in 1975, all of
w.bom assisted in the Sunday services. Father Sigmund had come to
Blessed Sacrament from a parish in the Southwest. A somewhat
rotund man, he possessed an informal, jocular manner which proved
a marked complement to Father Rasch's personable formality. Per-
haps best remembered for the extemporaneous manner of his sermon
delivery, he left Blessed Sacrament in 1977 prior to Father Rasch
and was eventually established in a parish of his own in Barstow
in 1978. Father Donald Seeks, a tall, robust man who combined
warmth and friendliness with a personal spiritual commitment to
Christ, brought with him a strong interest in youth ministry. He
enriched the church by providing an active, enthusiastic youth
fellowship and his faith and dedication inspired many young people
from Blessed Sacrament as well as other parishes. He remained
until Easter of 1977 when he accepted a call to be vicar of a
mission in Woodlake, California. Father Couper, a retired engineer
turned priest, had a spiritual vigor and enthusiasm which was to
serve this parish well in the future. In short, the growth of the
parish had led to the need to expand the present one-room, all-
purpose parish hall to include a larger nursery, more restroom
facilities, and a larger room for church school and social activ-
ities. In November of 1975 ground was broken for the new building
21
which was to be completed and dedicated October 13, 1976; in March
of 1976 Blessed Sacrament became a Parish. In September of that
same year the National Convention of the Episcopal Church took steps
which were to endanger the very life of the parish. The ministry
which Father Rasch had begun on such a positive note began to take
on a more severe and gloomy tone, ironically at the same time that
the parish was at the strongest in its history, having attained
parish status and once again entering into an ambitious building
program.
WHY ART THOU SO H E V Y ~ 0 MY SOUL? AND
WHY ART THOU SO DISQUIETED WITHIN ME?
Having survived the political activism of the sixties, the National
Church was under increasing pressure from two groups: those wishing
the ordination of women to the priesthood, and those desiring the
revision of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. At the November conven-
tion in 1976, both groups achieved their goals--women were allowed
to be ordained to the priesthood and a proposed new prayer book was
accepted with permanent adoption scheduled for September of 1979.
To many of those at Blessed Sacrament both these steps signaled
anathema, and served as signs of spiritual weakness invading the
Church from purely secular forces of equal rights and textual modern-
ization. As a parish it had always been both traditional and "high"
in its mode of worship, utilizing the more complex and enriched
Anglican Missal in its service rather than even the 1928 Book of
Common Prayer. This reaction against the movements of the National
Church drew similar response from other scattered groups and talk
of separation from the Episcopal Church became, if not pervasive,
at least not uncommon.
Father Rasch who from the beginning had been in the middle of such
controversy gradually found himself in the camp of those most con-
cerned with action against the National Church. Two of his closest
friends were priests who found themselves involved similarly in
their parishes. The question became for many not whether to leave
the National Church, but when and how . By 1977 four such parishes
in the Los Angeles area (Our Savior, St. Matthias, St. Mary of the
Angels, Holy Apostles) had broken with the National Church, taking
with them a majority of parish members, and were involved in liti-
gation with the Diocese of Los Angeles over their parish property.
This was not to be the case at Blessed Sacrament for several reasons.
22
Perhaps the most important of these reas ons was that, unlike the
other parishes who had a clear mandate from their congregations in
the form of a majority opinion of some sort, the issue never came
to a vote. Despite the fact that much discussion took place, formally
and informally, and meetings on the Proposed Book of Common Prayer
took the place of Bible study, itbecame increasingly clear that while
many did not approve the actions of the National Church or often of
our own Diocese, this did not mean that they wished to leave the
Church. Likewise, those wishing to leave became more and more im-
patient. Perhaps most unfortunate were those who were alienated by
a parish in contention and simply stopped coming at all. Blessed
Sacrament found itself in the Fall of 1977 at an impasse. Compli-
cating the issue of "to leave or not to leave" was the very concrete
fact that the church buildings belonged quite clearly to the Diocese
and any legal fight for them would ultimately result in their loss.
In the Spring of 1978, the group wishing to leave drew itself to-
gether, and meeting outside Blessed Sacrament issued a call to
Father Rasch to become their rector, naming themselves the Church of
Saint Mary Magdalene and associating themselves with other groups
vTho had banded together under the name of "The Anglican Church of
North America."
23
o PUT THY TRUST IN GOD: FOR I WILL YET GIVE HIM
WHICY IS THE HELP OF MY AND MY GOD .
Undoubtedly any Hollywood casting director vould be delighted if
Clive Richard Hamilton Couper vere to "\v'alk into his office to
audition for the part of an English vicar in some mystery movie.
Tall, veIl-built, vith vhite hair and gentlemanly bearing, Father
Couper is veIl loved by all vho meet him. It is hard to imagine
that this very sincere and affable man spent the early part of
his life as an arthritic invalid and only came to the priesthood
some nine years ago. During the transition period betveen Father
Rasch's departure and the arrival of his successor, Father Couper
vas to provide more than just the picture of a priest, hovever;
he vas to provide the on-going Eucharistic center of Sunday vor-
ship vhich vould enable the once again small congregation to
continue its vitness to God vhile searching for a nev leader.
Indeed, in Father Couper, Blessed Sacrament had found a man much
like St. Joseph is often thought to have been: a supportive and
loyal man, vaiting in the background to serve vhen called, an
exemplary husband and father, vho very fittingly had vood-vorking
as a hobby. The needs of his family delayed Father Couper's call
to the priesthood and it vas only when the last of four children
had graduated from college that he entered Bloy House.* Born in
Rome, Italy, June 20, 1913, (his mother and father vere both art
students vho met in Paris) Father Couper spent his early years
in New York City, moving to Santa Barbara vhen he vas tvelve.
Plagued by ill health and arthritis as a child and young man, it
vas only after age hlenty-five that he vas able to lead something
resembling a normal life. He met Louisa Victoria Prill in Santa
Barbara and they vere married there on December 21, 1940. After a
brief stint in the Army, Father Couper took the engineering train-
ing he had received and began a career vhich culminated in a move
to Fullerton in 1958 to vork for Hughes Aircraft until he retired
in 1970. It vas at this time that he began attending Bloy House
and received his Certificate of Theological Schooling in 1972.
* Bloy House, located in Claremont, is an institution devoted to
the education of those established in secular jobs vho vish to
pursue a theological education. Completion of a four year
program of veekend study is sufficient for ordination.
24
During his years in Fullerton he had become active at St. Andrew's
Church, being confirmed in 1960 and continuing on to become a lay
reader and member of the vestry, answering a felt call to God
through a lay ministry which led eventually to Bloy House and to
Blessed Sacrament in October of 1973.
Four and one-half years later he found himself surrounded by a
nucleus of remaining parishioners, united in their common goal
of finding a new priest and keeping together those who had re-
mained until that job was accomplished. Father Couper offered
the services, and the parish offered the fellowship, hosting
picnics and barbecues which are remembered still for their warmth
and hospitality. In many ways those who remained at Blessed
Sacrament that summer became a very close family, as is often the
case when trouble or bad luck strikes. The vestry provided leader-
ship and everyone prayed for a happy ending to what had been a
very emotionally draining experience for all concerned.
"Colonel" Joe FZandeT's, head chef, POUT'S some of his famous "Mr>s. Blassingame's"
baT'becue sauce on t ~ chicken as Doug MUiT'head turns and Dave Heil
and K& tty SpaT'T'OW look on and away.
25
AND THAT I MAY GO UNTO THE ALTAR OF G O ~
EVEN UNTO THE GOD OF MY JOY AND GLADNESS
As a boy of twelve David Michael Baumann first felt the call to
Christ which was to result some ten years later in his entering
the Anglican Theological College, Vancouver, British Columbia,
in September, 1970. Growing up in the San Fernando Valley,
Father David was, he recalls, always active in the Church, never
rebelling against it, as many do, during his teen or college
years. During his later school years he cultivated interests
in astronomy, logic, fantasy literature, gymnastics, music com-
position, archery, and history_ It was shortly before his
graduation from UCLA with a mathematics major that he became
firmly convinced of his call to the priesthood. It was also at
this time that he met his wife, Sherri, a theatre major, who
married him in June of 1971. Completing his Master of Divinity
in 1973, he was ordained deacon in September of 1973 , and priest
in March of the next year.
After a fifteen-month stint as curate of St. Clement's Church,
San Clemente, Father David became the first curate of St.
Anselm's Church, Garden Grove in February of 1975, later be-
coming assistant to the rector, Father Samir Habiby, and
eventually priest-in-charge, upon the rector's resignation
to become Executive Director of the Presiding Bishop's Fund
For World Relief. St. Anselm's offered him many kinds of
26
preparation for his later ministry at Blessed Sacrament. Because
Father Habiby was very active in diocesan affairs, and consequently
often absent from the parish he left a great deal of the actual
parish work to Father David. The establishment of the Indochinese
Refugee Resettlement Center at St. Anselm's made it a focus for
many diocesan as well as national and international activities.
Father David often coordinated the visits of dignitaries, both
lay and clerical. In short, he grew in his abilities as admin-
istrator and politician, two important qualities in any good priest.
He grew also in the area of personal spirituality, that third
important quality so necessary in a priest. While at seminary in
Canada he had very quickly attached b.imself to the "Anglo-Catholic"
group of traditionalists, who paradoxically provided the seminary's
non-ritualistic majority with a "radical" wing. Developing simul-
taneously an interest in liturgy and in theology, particularly
that of the early Anglican Church, Father David during his years
at Garden Grove, where he was, for all intents and purposes a
"closet" Anglo-Catholic, found himself evolving towards a concept
of the Church which was neither "Anglo" nor "Roman" but truly
Catholic, in every important sense of that word. It was this
concept of the Church as a Catholic body which was to provide the
means for healing the broken and scarred fabric of the Church of
the Blessed Sacrament.
Father David brought with him the
institution of the I oe Cream Festival"
here enaot ed by the Episoopal Young Churohmen
in 1980.
When Father David came
to Blessed Sacrament in
October of 1978 he came
not to a house divided
but to a house shrunken
to a shadow of its former
self. Over half of the
active members had left
with Father Rasch's
group while probably
half again as many had
simply faded away to
other churches or to
secular disillusionment.
The remaining core of the
shrunken house, minis-
tered to by Father Couper
awaited its vestry's choice of a priest. Led by its senior warden
Doug Muirhead, and supported in its search by the Diocese, the
vestry maintained its integrity and unity during this very trying
period. The choice of a new priest, never an easy task, was, of
course especially important to Blessed Sacrament, in its emaciated
state, financially, emotionally and spiritually. When Father
David arrived with his new son Benjamin, born the preceding July,
and his wife Sherri to move into the Rectory and into the life of
Blessed Sacrament he was greeted with joy and enthusiasm, permeated
by hidden reservations. His ministry of healing had begun.
Father David is a slightly-built man, whose youth and physical
stature belie the strength of purpose and determination which are
hallmarks of his personality. Good humor, warmth and patience
blended with devotional sincerity and a regard for duty make him a
priest both to respect and to confide in . He began his task of
preserving the traditions of Blessed Sacrament, while at the same
time providing a fertile ground for new growth and change. Under
his tutelage the parish has tripled from an initial core of 150
to over 375 members in just three years. Supported by a congre-
gation committed to renewal through warm fellowship and traditional
services, Blessed Sacrament is entering the decade of the 80's
stronger than ever before. This renewal and revitalization can be
seen in every aspect of parish life, including the various guilds
and organizations, the physical plant, evangelism and outreach,
and most importantly, the services offered to the glory of God.
Indeed, all of these things culminate in the essence of Father
David's sense of what the Catholic faith is all about. For
Father David, and for Blessed Sacrament, the Catholic faith is
one which permeates all aspects of each and every parishioner's
life. Above all things it is incarnational and sacramental,
preserving a dignified defined and shaped by a sense of
its Apostolic roots and history. It is incarnational because it
sees the material world as a gift of God, created by God, and
therefore, good; it is sacramental because it sees within the
material world God has given us, the means of grace and a
consequent return of man to God. A dignified liturgy means more
than simply the use of incense or vestments; it suggests that we
continually offer to God the very best that we have, and that
underlying the movements of the service itself is an intense and
personal sense of the presence of God fostered by Spirit-filled
prayer life and a deep personal commitment to Christ. This
28
prayer life is in turn fed by scriptural studies, by continual
learning about the tradition and history of the Church and buoyed
by an awareness of our partners in prayer, Saint Mary and the
Communion of Saints.
The lay ministries of Altar Guild, Junior Altar Guild, Lay Readers,
Acolytes, Chalice Bearers, Choirmaster and Choir, and Ushers,
enrich the service, while groups such as the Society of Mary and
the Prayer Chain offer all members an opportunity for deepening
our spiritual lives.
The expanded fabric of the lay participation in the services of
the Church extends to the area of fellowship to the area of fellow-
ship and outreach, particularly in services performed by the Guilds
and organizations of the parish. The needs of our youth are served
by our Christian Education program and the Episcopal Young Churchmen
group offers fellowship, service, and Bible studies for junior and
senior high school age. The Episcopal Churchwomen, or St. Eliza-
beth's Guild, continues to provide both fund-raisers and fellowship
opportunities for the women of the parish. In addition to the
yearly bazaar and rummage sale, quarterly Saturday meetings enable
working women to participate. Besides tithing portions of profits
to such places as Hillsides Home for Children and St. JUde's Ranch,
the Guild has made countless improvements to the physical plant of
the parish, including new concrete walk-ways, and kitchen renovations.
This group has also hosted ,nany lovely receptions for the parish.
Another group offering fellowship is the Saints and Sinners, pro-
viding potlucks, barbecues, and theatre parties, satisfying the
most eclectic of tastes. The parish as a whole has extended out-
reach to a Vietnamese refugee and to the Navajo Indians in Bluff,
Utah. We have grown in many ways since Father David came to us in
1978.
An yet, in just as many comforting and satisfying ways we are
still the same parish which started in a stable, and grew by love and
perseverence, to be a constant reminder of God's presence in the
world, and especially in our little corner of it.
And now we have come to the twenty-fifth year of our existence.
We have spent a year preparing and planning the celebration and
commemoration of this event. We have refurbished and renewed the
buildings and the grounds. We have been encouraged by our priests
and vestry to renew and refurbish, with God's help, ourselves
29
spiritually as well. We have tried in our preparation to
duplicate that sense of dedication and mission felt by those who
gathered together in the Bethlehem Chapel a quarter of a century
before, those who envisioned the walls which now surround us.
Their work and commitment erected those first buildings; our work
and commitment will continue that promise and make it grow . On
the day of dedication we will gather in Scully Hall with the Bishop
and our priests and join together in one great procession to the
doors of the church, and as the doors open we will each of us feel
in our hearts the words sung by the choir, based on Psalm 43.
"Open me the Gates of Righteousness that I may go in and give
thanks to the Lord!"
Parish life at Blessed Sacrament remains Eucharistically centered
And lively in warm fellowship .
The /I -ins /l and /loutr; /I of a Patr onal Fcst'ival
y
June 1.980
Tl
APPENDICES
~
~ ~ . ~
~ ~ J
APPENDIX A:
Vitae for priests serving Blessed Sacrament
VITA FOR FATHER SCULLY
December 30, 1901 Born Ernest William Syme Scully
Glasgow, Scotland
~ a y 1930 Ordained deacon by Bishop Ivin s
1931 Received degree from Nasho tah House
Hay 31, 1931 Ordained priest by Bishop Ivin s
June 14, 1937 Married Dorothy Ann Bartlet t
1930-32 Vicar, St. James, West Bend, Wisconsin
1932-36 Priest-in-Charge, St. Mark s, Beave r Dam, .
Wisconsin
1936-39 Rector, St. James, Goshen. Indiana
1939-40 Vicar, St. Annis, Morrison , Illinois
1940-42 Priest-in-Charge, Grace, PontIac, Illinois
1942-46 Chaplain, United States Air Force
1945-56 Vicar, Holy Nativity, Westchester area of
los Angeles, Cal ifornia
1956-69 Vicar, Blessed Sacrament, Placentia,
Cal ifornia
January 22, 1976 Named Rector Emeritus, Blessed Sacrament
Parish, Placentia, Cal ifornia
favorite Saint: St. Andrew
33
THERE IS NO GOD!
You say there is no God?
Then why pretend,
Since death's the end,
That this Iife's worth the pain
Of ceaseless search for gain?
If all there is to life
Is this short s pan
For martaI man,
Then why not end it all
And save ourselves the gal I?
But Iife i s more than this!
Hi s bitter Cross
Saved man from loss
Of 1ife, and gave him heart
To gain that great part.
Christ rose again from death!
The empty tomb
Dispel led the gloom!
Man 1ive s forevermore!
Our Lord the sentence bore.
Ernest William Syme Scully
THE RETURN
His body sagged, his knees dropped hard
On the step of the prie dieu sitting
By the wal I, whereon hung the shattered
Crucifix; smashed, but for the scarred
Figure of the Suffering Servant. Pitting
The strength of his longing against the battered
Weakness of his body, he 1i f ~ d wet eyes
To His, and against the noise and cries
Of the fallen, opened his Iips and prayed
To God, in all the anguish of his heavy
Heart. "0 good Jesu, I am not worthy
Of Thy love; though I am forsaken and betrayed
By those, who, being Caesars, made me levy
My soul against their appetite for earthy
Power and might. Now, my soul is fal len, strayed
From Thy command; and I have nowhere to turn
But to Thee, for whom my soul doth yearn.
"Thou, who, no matter how hard the way,
Resisted all evil that in Thy Life
I too might have 1ife, Iift my soul again
To Thee, that I, who have slaughtered and killed,
By Thy Cross and agonizing Passion, may
Receive my Iife, repented, freed from strife
Of evil, purified of every blot of sin and pain."
The soldier, helples s tool of beasts, self-willed,
Forgiven by Him they'd nailed upon a tree.
E. w. Scully
34
VITA FOR FATHER RASCH
August 18, 1939
Born Anthony Frank Rasch
Los Angele5, California
1946
BaptlIed In ROO1an Catholic Church
1949
ConfIrmed In ROO1an Catholic Church
JuI y 9, 1961
Received Into Episcopal Church
August 24, 1962
BA, California State University, L. A.
1963-65
Attended College of the ResurrectIon
Mlrfleld, Yorkshire, England '
1965-66
S.T.B., General Theological Seminary,
New York
September 10, 1966
Ordained deacon by Bishop Bloy
March II, 1967
Ordained priest by Bishop Bloy
1966-68
Curate, St. Luke's of the Mountains,
La Crescenta, Cal ifornia
1968-69
Associate Rector, St. Luke's
1969-78
Rector, Church of the Blessed Sacrament
1978
Became Rector, Church of St. Mary Magdalen,
Angl jean Church of North America
Favorite Saint: St. Mary Magdalene
Interests:
cooking, 'WOrld travel, antiques, gardening, and
dabbl ing in a bit of real estate.
In August of this year Father Rasch, when asked about his ministry at Blessed Sacrament,
responded with the following statement:
Prior to coming to Blessed Sacroment, I had heard from Bishop Bloy that the
(then) mission had worked very hard and consistently to teach and maintain
the Faith revealed to us in Our Lord. In my letter of acceptance to the vestry
of Blessed Sacroment , I promised ~ y the grace of God, that I shall continue
with you to further this WOPk, building upon that solid Catholic foundation
which Father ScuZZy and youpselves have so very weZZ established."
Against a wave of increasing secu.Zarization, duping my pastorote the Church
of ths Blessed Sacroment continued to witness to the Catholic Faith. We grew
from a membership of about l25 to 280, drawing many of oup newel' members from
the immediate community, although several continued to be attracted to us from
BUProunding environs because the parish was continuing to hold to the Catholic
Faith, maintained dignified and reverent worship, steadfastly retained use of
the 928 Prayer Book, and preached the Gospel of Christ.
The General Convention of 1976 had a devastating effect upon many of us in
the Church. Some believed that it would be possible to reverse the decisions
of that Convention, some of us did not! After a year of prayerful reflection,
it was my decision to resign from the rectorship of the parish and to w i t ~
from the opiscopal Church. I continue to have the deepest respect and affection
for those who decided to stay. Our problems were national and doctrinal, not
parochial or personal.
I cannot imagine what the future of the opiscopal Church shaZZ be. But I do
know that the parishioners of Blessed Sacrament are committed in their hearts
and souls to upholding the Catholic Faith, albeit ths national church situation
militates against the Faith at present. Father David Baumann is a long-time
personal friend and I am confident that he shaH minister to .the pastoral needs
of the flock and shaH, by the grace of God, do aZZ that he can to serve as
a faithful FPiest and Pastor. God bless you all.
VITA FOR FATHER COUPER
June 20, 1913 Born Clive Richard Hamil ton Couper
Rome, Italy
December 21, 1940 t\arrIed Lou Isa Vlet 0 rI. PrI1I
1941-43 Served In United States Army
1958 Moved to Fullerton and accepted Job with
Hughes
1968 Received BA In Philosophy, CSUF
1970 Retired from Hughes
1972 Graduated from Bloy House
1972 Ordained deacon by Bishop Francis Eric Bloy
1973 Ordained priest oy Bishop Bloy
1972-73 Served deaconate at Church of the Messiah,
Canta Anal Cal ifornia
1973 Came to Blessed Sacrament as assisting
priest
Favorite Sport; BICYCLINGI
favorite Hobby: woodworking
36
VITA fOR fATHER BAUMANN
July 30, 1948 Born Oavld Michael a u m ~ n n
Glendale, California
October 10, 1948 Baptized at St. Athanaslu.' Church,
Los Angeles, California
May 2 I, 1961 Confirmed at St. Hark's, Van Nuys
June, 1970 BA In Mathematic. from UCLA
September, 1970 Entered The Anglican Theological College
(later Vancouver School of Theology)
Vancouve r, British Columbia. Canada
June 6, 1971 Married Sheryl May Cassell
1973 M. Dlv. In Theology from Vancouver School
of Theology
September 15, 1973 Ordained deacon by Bishop Robert C. Rusack
March 16, 1974 Ordained priest by Bishop Rusack
September 16, 1973 - First curate at St. Clement's Church
Oecember 31, 1974 San Clemente, Cal ifornia
February I, 1975 - Curate, then Assistant to the Rector, then
October 14, 1978 Prlest-in-Charge of St. Anselm' s, Carde n
Grove, Cal ifornia
July 3, 1978 Birth of first son, Benjamin Gray
October 15, 1978 Accepted call to Blessed Sacrament,
Placentia, California
Apr iI 14, 1980 Birth of second son, Nicholas Brown
Favorite Saint: The Blessed Virgin Mary
Interests; astronomy, logic, fantasy 1 iterature, gymnastics,
music composition, archery, history.
fATHER OAVID'S 10 HALLMARKS OF THE CATHOLIC fAITH
I tIs:
1 . Incarnat lanai and Sacramental
2. Scripturally based
3. SpIrit-filled
it offers:
4. a dignifi ed liturgy
5. mystical prayer life
6. devot ions to Mary and the Cc:wnmunion of Saints
7. a traditional (historical) heritage
it demands:
8. a personal conversion to Christ
9. sharing the fa ith with others
10. f e ll owship with other Chri st ians
APPENDIX B: Points of Interest at BlessedSacrament
The church building is constructed of concrete block, with a
slate floor and cathedral beamed ceiling. The design incorporates
the traditi onal areas of nave, chancel, and sanctuary. The
stone wall behind the main altar was desi gned and built by Arthur
Maurer who was assisted in the construction of the wall and the
laying of the slate floor by several of the men from the congre-
gation. The main altar is cut of travertine marble and contains
a bronze tabernacle bearing the symbol of the Sacred Host and
Chalice for the Reserved Sacrament. The Chi Rho symbol on the
front of the altar was designed by Barbara Scully, Father Scully's
daughter. The Cross design on the chancel floor was executed in
colored slate by Arthur Maurer. The large Crucifix above the
altar, as well as the statues of Saint Mary and Saint o s e p h ~ were
hand-carved in Italy. The Shrines for the statues were hand-made
of solid birch by John Sulley. The holy water fonts at the
entrance to the church are made of siena marble to Father Scully's
specifications and imported from Italy. Their use on entering
and leaving the church symbolizes the renewal of our baptismal
vows. The wrought iron railings around the chancel area, as well
as the credance table were designed and executed by Art in Iron,
a local firm of artisans in Fullerton. The baptismal font is
made of marble and was given by the Leonard Allen family, one of
the early families whose daughter was the first child baptized in
the newly-completed church building. The font cover was made by
John Sulley and contains ninety-eight pieces of walnuts. The
Gospel Book carried in the procession of the Gospel was hand-
made in Greece. The parish banner features the name of the parish
and the city in which the church is built. Pictured on a green
shield are a Host and Chalice in contemporary motif, flanked by
wheat and grapes from which bread and "rine are made. Over these
designs is the haloed hand of God blessing the elements, thereby
indicating that by God's grace the bread and wine we offer at
Mass become the Body and Blood of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
The banner was designed and made by Ramona Suders, mother of the
Rev. Daniel R. Suders, of this diocese.
38
The Holy Rood Scene on the ceiling beam located above the chancel
steps contains the crucifix or "rood" (the alternate English word)
and the figures of St. Mary and St. John. The Rood Scene is tradi-
tionally associated with Anglo- Catholic parishes.
The Stations of the Cross are of hand- carved, poly- chromed wood
and imported from' Italy. There are fourteen scenes depicting
Christ's journey to Calvary:
I.
Jesus is
condemned
to death
II.
Jesus
received
His cross
III.
Jesus falls
the first
time under
His cross
IV.
Jesus meets
His afflicted
Mother
V.
Simon of
Cyrene helps
Jesus to
carry His
cross
VI.
Veronica
sipes the
face of
Jesus
39
VII. IX.
Jesus falls Jesus falls
the second the third
time time
VIII.
Jesus speaks
to the women
of Jerusalem
XI.
Jesus is
nailed to
the cross
X.
Jesus is
stripped
of his
garments
40
XI I.
Jesus dies
on the
cross
XIII.
Jesus is
taken dovm
from the
cross
XIV.
Jesus is
laid in
the
sepulchre
The ten stained glass winQows lining either side of the nave area
were hand-made in Italy at the request of each individual donor.
Father Baumann has made up the following explanation of the
symbolism contained in each one: (clockwise from the Epistle side)
The host and chalice, symbol of the Blessed
Sacrament, are superimposed upon stalks of
wheat and a grapevine, from which comes the
bread and wine offered at the Mass.
The Chi Rho (Greek letters X aqd p) are
a symbol for "Christ",spelled in Greek
letters "XPIl:TOE", and are superimposed
on linked circles, symbolic of Holy
Matrimony, and laid on crossed branches.
Dove symbolic of Holy Spirit, with cross in
halo symbolic of Christ, with seven lamps
streaming from him, symboiic of the seven-
fold gifts of the Holy Spirit in Christian
Initiation.
41
The chalice resting upon a book with o o k ~
marks is the symbol for Saint John Chrysostom,
Archbishop of Constantinople in . the fifth
century. He wrote the prayer which bears his
name in the Prayer Book, pages 59 and 72.
The anchor is a symbol of the virtue of
Christian hope, and the fish are symbols of
Jesus. The fish has been a Christian symbol
since the first century, as the Greek word
for fish makes a rebus from which the words,
"Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior" are derived.
This design is an old symbol for St. Mary
the Virgin. The M and R superimposed stand
for "Maria Regina" (Mary Queen), reminding
the faithful that Mary is Queen of Saints,
and the greatest boast of the human race.
This window is located next to the Shrine of
St. Mary in the church.
42
A legend says that in times of food scarcity
the pelican feeds her young by drawing blood
from her own breast. This has long been a
symbol for our salvation, for we are given
life by the shed Blood of Christ.
The eagle is a symbol of St. John the
Evangelist. The eagle's keen eyesight
symbolizes the piercing gaze of St . John,
who is supposed to have seen further into
the mysteries of heaven than anyone else.
.
.. . r d
11
\".'",
, ~ q
The Lamb of God upon the sealed book is
symbolic of Jesus who opened for us the kingdom
of heaven. The appropriate Biblical re'ference
is Revelation 5:lff.
43
The OJ<; is symbolic of Saint Luke; the "SL"
in the window makes the identification complete.
St. Luke's Gospel presents sacrifical aspects
of Jesus' life; the ox was frequently used in'
sacrifical rites of the Old Testament.
The pipe organ, though small, is an unusual accouterment for
a small parish, since churches this size usually make do with
electronic organs. It was installed in 1971 by Nelson Ridgeway
and contains 12 ranks. It was extensively refurbished in 1980,
much of the work being done by Sam and Phyllis Cartledge, Cameron
MacDonald (Phyllis' father), John and Evelyn Sulley, Walt Kline,
Hilton and Margaret Dalessi, Jim Goodwin and his daughter Cindy;
and in 1981 a three manual Austin console replaced the original
one which had been designed for an electonic organ. Future
plans include the eventual installation of a rank of reed pipes
and additional refurbishment for the. maintenance of an instrument
which is grOl-ling ever more unique and precious in our increasingly
electronic world.
44
APPENDIX C: Original application for mission status and
listing of vestry and wardens for intervening
years.
(COPY)
To the Right Reverend Francis Eric Bloy,
Bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles,
Los Angeles, California
Reverend Father in God:
The undersigned male adult persons residing within
the Yorba Linda, Pla.centia., and Brea area do hereby
respectfully apply to you for the organization of a Mission
in the above described locality; and we do declare our
readiness to undertake the duties and obligations lmplied
in Buch organlzation.
(SIGNED) Hilmer G. Lodge
15761 Palm Drive. Placentia, Calif.
Max Dunn
708 Cedar, Brea, Callf.
George L. Jacobsen
4571 Carolina Avenue, Placentia, Callf.
Elmer B. Will lame
15072 MadiBon Avenue, Placentia, Calif.
Clyde M. Daniels
5282 Kraemer Avenue, Placentia, Calif.
A. E. De Wald
209 West Chapman, Placentla, Callf.
Richard T. Ryan
221 West Santa Fe, Placentia, Calif.
Johri H. Newton
101 South Melroee,Placentia, Calif.
Marvin D. JohnBon
e40 Alder, Brea, California
hester A. Palmer
4357 Mc Cormac Lane, Placentia, Calif.
Maurice E. Ford, Jr.
5197 Ohio, Yorba ______
Xenneth Tucker
4352 Eureka, Yorba Linda,- Callf.
G. J. Curtis
4861 Eureka Avenue, Yorba Linda, Callf.
Walter B. Summers
17891 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, Calif.
Norman T. Cottom
4682 Garden Place, Yorba Linda, Calif.
Dated: January 30, 1956
1956 Warden: Hilmer G. Lodge
Clerk: Jack l<ilson
Treasurer: C. M. Daniels
Bishop's Conunittee: Raymond Thompson, Arthur John Newton,
D. Jack Wilson, George L. Carter, Hilton L. Dalessi, Clyde Daniels,
Gilbert W. Merritt, Leonard A. Allen
1957 1<arden: Hilmer G. Lodge
Clerk: Gilbert H. blerritt
Treasurer: C. M. Daniels
1958 Senior \,arden: Raymond Thompson
Junior Warden: Hilton L Dalessi
Treasurer: Geroge Davidovich
Clerk: A. E. De Wald
Bishop's Committee: Raymond Thompson, H. L. Dalessi, Chet Palmer, George
Davidovich, Mike DeHalk, Hilmer Lodge, John Ne",rton, George Carter, Leonard
A. Allen
1959 Senior 1<arden: Hilton L. Dalessi
JW1ior \-larden: Chester Palmer
Treasurer: Maurice Burnell
Clerk: Jack Preston
Bishop's Committee: Lynn Graham, \.Jilliam Fischer, Joseph Chester
Palmer, Gilbert W. Merritt, Maurice Burnell, Jack Preston, Arthur Maurer,
Clyde Daniels, Hilton L. Dalessi
1960 Senior 1<arden: Gilbert W. Merritt
Clerk: Jack W. Preston
Treasurer: Maurice R. Burnell
1961 Senior Warden: William Fischer
Junior Warden: Jack Preston
Treasurer: Maurice Burnell
Clerk: Paul Hirsch
Bishop's Committee: Maurice Burnell, Clyde Daniels, William Fischer,
Gilbert W. Merritt, Jack Preston, Joe Johnson, Don l-1endel, Lynn Kelly,
Arthur l-1aurer
1962 Senior Warden: Arthur Maurer
JuniorWarden: William Fischer
Treasurer: Hilton L. Dalessi
Clerk: Paul Hirsch
Bishop's Committee: Arthur Maurer, William Fischer, Lynn Kelly, Paul Hirsch,
Don Wendel, Christian Gebhardt, Hilton Dalessi, Harley Hall, Hilmer Lodge
1963 Senior Warden: Arthur Maurer
Junior Warden: Donald Wheeler
Treasurer: Hilton L. Dalessi
Clerk: Paul Hirsch
Bishop's Committee: Hilmer Lodge, Harley Hall, Christian Gebhardt, Halter
La Force, Devereaux Leahy, Arthur Maurer, Donald \iheeler, Hilton Dalessi,
Paul Hirsch
1964 Senior Warden: Hilton Dalessi
Junior Warden: Devereaux Leahy
Treasurer: Margaret J. Dalessi
Clerk: William Towles
Bishop's Committee: Paul Hirsch, William Heaton, Harley Hall, Christian
Gebhardt, George Johnstone, Thomas Trouty, Arthur Maurer, Donald hrtleeler,
Paul Hirsch, Hilton Dalessi.
1965 Senior Warden: Hilton L. Dalessi
Treasurer: Margaret J. Dalessi
Clerk: William R. Towles
Bishop's Cornmi ttee: Harold Hard, Paul, Hirsch, Hilliam R. TQ\.jles, Hilton
Dalessi
1966 No record
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1967 Senior {;arden: Harold Hard
Junior Warden: Bill Brown
Treasurer: Hilton Dalessi
Clerk: Gene Peregoy
Bishop's Committee: Chuck Bri ckell, Bill Brown, Harold Hard, Bill Heaton,
Gordon Justus, Joseph Kasun, Hilt on Dalessi, Gene Peregoy, Bob Rees,
Raymond Thompson
1968 Senior Warden: Gordon Justus
Treasurer: Hilton Dales.i
1969 Senior Warden: Gordon Justus
Junior Wa rden: William Takahashi
Treasurer: Hilton Dal ess i
Clerk: Edward Blinn
Bishop's Committee: Gordon Justus, William TakahaShi, Hilton Dalessi,
Edward Blinn, Ros s Burns, Arthur Lewi s , Jack Suiter, Robert Thoades, nal
Hard
1970 Senior Warden: Art Lewis
Junior Warden: William Takahashi
Treas urer: Hilton Dalessi
Clerk: Edward Blinn
Bishop's Committee: Arthur Maurer, Ross Burns, Paul Jack Suiter,
Patrick Tatum, Edward Blinn, Gordon Anderson, Arthur Lewis, William
Takahashi, Hilton Dalessi
1971 Senior Warden: Edward Blinn
Juni or Warden: Paul Dawson
Treasurer: Hilton'Dalessi
Clerk: Kenneth Keith
Bishop's Committee: Edward Blinn, Paul Dawson, Hilton Dalessi, Kenneth
Keith, William Heaton, Gordon Anders on, Arthur Lewi S, Paul Hirsch, Ross
Burns, Pat Tatum
1972 Senior Warden: Bill Heaton
Junior Warden: Paul Dawson
Treasurer: Hilton Dalessi
Cl erk: James Pence
Bishop's Committee: Bill Heaton, Paul Dawson, Paul Hirsch, Ken Keith,
Hilton Dalessi, Dick Nedrow, Blackmon Warner, James Pence, Merrill Hansen,
Hal Hard.
1973 Senior Warden: William Heaton
Junior Warden: James Pence
Treasurer: Hilton Dalessi
Clerk: Dale Swanson
Bishop's Committee: William Heaton, Dale Swanson, George Hrubecky, Richard
Reimers, Richard Nedrow, Paul Hirsch, James Pence, Hilton Dal es si, Kenneth
Keith, Blackmon Warner
1974 Senior {;arden: William Heaton
Junior Warden: Arthur Lewis
Treasurer: Hilton Dalessi
Clerk: Dale Swanson
Bishop's Committee: Hrubecky, Richard Reimers, Jack Suiter,
Arthur Lewis, James Pence, William Heaton, Norman Bixby, Dal e Swanson,
Dick Nedrow, Hilt on D"alessi
1975 Senior Warden: Dale Swanson
Junior Warden: Arthur V. Lewis
Treasurer: Hilton Dalessi
Clerk: Clorene Kroeker
Bishop's Committee : Sale Swanson, Arthur Lewis, Hil ton Dalessi ,
Joseph H. Arnold, Norman L. Bixby , Gwen Brickell) Richard Ormsby, Ri chard
Reimers, John W. Sulley, Jack Suiter. Mary E. Dalessi appointed to fill
Brickell vacancy.
1976 Senior Warden: Dale Swanson
Junior "arden: Arthur Lewis
Treasurer: Hilton Dalessi
Clerk: Clorene Kroeker
Bishop's Committee: Joseph H. Arnold, William E. Backes, Mary E. Dalessi,
Richard R. Ormsby, James Pence, Jack Suiter, John W. Sulley, Dale Swanson,
Arthur Lewis, Hilton Dalessi.
1977 Senior \'arden: James Pence
Junior Warden: Joseph H. Arnold
Tr easurer: Hilton Dalessi
Clerk: Clorene Kroeker
Vestry: Mary E. Dalessi, Richard Ormsby, Hilton Dalessi, :oseph Arr.old,
John \-I. Sulley, James Pence, Hilliam Backes, Jack Abouchar, J. ). Mu:.:-head,
Barry M. Sullock. William T. Lynde replaced Barry M. Sulbck
1978 Senior \,arden: J. Douglas Muirhead
Junior Warden: Mary Dalessi
Treasurer: Hilton Dalessi
Clerk: Clorene Kroeker
Vestry: J. Douglas Muirhead, Mary E. Dalessi, Hilton L. Dalessi, William
E. Backes, Joseph C. Flanders, William T. Lynde , Samuel Nichols, Jose;>h
Ridges, Evelyn M. Sulley, Mary D. Young.
1979 Senior Warden: J. Douglas
Junior Warden: Samuel Nichols
Treasurer: Hilton Dalessi
Clerk: Margaret H. Muirhead
Vestry: J . Douglas Muirhead, Samuel Nichols, Hilton Dalessi, Joseph ..
Flanders, Evelyn M. Sulley, William R. Lynde, Young, "ohn 'lcConc. ell,
Norman Bixby, Jack Suiter. Barbara Davis replaced John HcConnell who
resigned.
1980 Senior Warden : Norman Bixby
Junior Warden: James Goodwin
Treasurer: Hilton Dalessi
Clerk: l-fargaret H. Muirhead
Vestry: Norman Bixby, James Goodwin, Hilton Dalessi, Samuel Nichols,
Joseph Arnold, Jack Suiter, Barbara Davis, Joseph Flanders, Wi.lliBJll 3ackes,
Richard Sparrow.
1981 Senior Warden: Norman Bixby.
Junior Warden: John Hartsfield
Treasurer: Hilton Dalessi
Clerk: Margaret H. Muirhead
Vestry: Norman Bixby, John Hartsfield, Hilton Dalessi, Sharon
Diana Sullock, Barbara Davis, William Backes, Richard Sparrow,
Harcourt, Dave Heil replaced Joseph Arnold who resigned.
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