Untouched by Good Friday 1964 tsunami[/caption]
Name of Church St. Joseph
Address 319 E Street, Crescent City CA 95531
Phone number (707) 465-1762
Website www.sjccc.net
Mass times Saturday vigil, 5 pm. Sundays, 10 am, 12:30 pm (Spanish), 4 pm (Latin). Monday, 5:15 pm, Tuesday, 9 am and 7:30 pm (Spanish), Wednesday, 12:10 pm, Thursday and Friday, 5:15 pm.
Confessions Saturdays, 4-4:45 p.m., Sundays, 9 – 9:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m. – 12:20 p.m., Tuesdays, 6:30 – 7:20 p.m.
Names of priests Father Gregory Villaescusa, administrator. Father is a faithful priest, originally from the diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania; he first came to the parish in 2015.
Special groups and activities Knights of Columbus; Women’s Society; Filipino, Portuguese and Hispanic community groups, youth group. St. Joseph’s serves the Catholic inmates of Pelican Bay State Prison, a supermax prison which houses California’s most dangerous criminals (cult leader Charles Manson was once an inmate).
Fellow parishioners English-speaking and Hispanic.
Parking There is a large lot around the church and street parking.
Cry room No.
Additional observations Crescent City is a coastal town in the diocese of Santa Rosa, not far from the Oregon border and three blocks from the ocean. St. Joseph’s got its start in 1869, when Catholics bought an abandoned Methodist church and converted it to the city’s first Catholic church. The church was rebuilt multiple times; twice it burned down in fires. The fifth and current St. Joseph Church was built in 1961. A Good Friday 1964 tsunami which devastated much of Crescent City left the church untouched (and its parking lot littered with debris).
On the other hand, the 1969 liturgical tsunami left few churches untouched.
Bless you, bedwere.
I’ve been there while on vacation. This would be a difficult city to be a Catholic in.
This is a difficult world to be a Catholic in, but we soldier on.
I don’t agree with those who believe that our civilization is “highly enlightened” by modern sophisticated knowledge, resources, and means of successfully rehabilitating all extremely dangerous, violent prisoners on Death Row– like Charles Manson. Modern psychiatry does not have many answers to serious problems. Very few violent, dangerous, evil criminals can be truly rehabilitated. You cannot endanger society, and release them from prison. A few may have to be executed. What a society of any level, primitive or advanced, truly needs, is faith in God and morality, and excellent religious leaders, to teach people to live right, according to God’s Laws, particularly, the Ten Commandments. And help people to live in harmony and peace, everyone selflessly giving their best, and receiving the benefits too, that they all have worked hard to achieve. Freedom is a big responsibility. Freedom is not “free.” We have the Christian duty to protect the innocent, of our society. Otherwise– our society will quickly vanish. I felt so badly for the violence that occured at Pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, in Houston, on Sunday, right before their Spanish service. Those good people had the God-given right to go with their families to church, and worship God, with no fear of a horrible gunman. Fortunately, two officers killed the violent woman with the AR-15 rifle. And saved many lives. They had an awful, yet very Christian duty to do– fully supported by the Holy Bible. The terrible gun lady can now speak with God about her sins. That is how I see it.
Looks like Lakewood Church is so huge, that they hire officers to ensure the safety of the thousands of worshippers there. I don’t think many of our Catholic churches have the need to do that. Except, I think the SF Cathedral may hire security guards. Hopefully, all of our worshippers will be safe, in all of our churches and cathedrals.
My parish uses parishioners who are law enforcement to guard the doors after Mass starts.
St. Joseph Church looks absolutely beautiful and seems like such a peaceful place to visit. I love hearing about these hidden gems that offer both spiritual and architectural beauty. Thank you for highlighting this wonderful church—it’s definitely going on my list of must-visit spots.