building of the new st. mary`s church in stockton, california

SAH JOAQUIN DISTOltlAH PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY VOLUME XI
APRIL - JUNE 1975
NUMBER 2
BUILDING OF THE NEW ST. MARY'S CHURCH IN STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA By BETTY McCOMB
When Father William McGough1 came to Stockton in 1911
Ill' wa~ assigned to one of the oldest Catholic churches in
Central California, SI. Mar~"s of the Assumption Church on
\\'a~llIligton
THE CHURCH OF ST. MARY OF THE ANNUNCIATION,
now servinq as the cathedral for the Catholic Diocese of
Stockton This photoqraph was taken durinq the course of
its construction. sometime durinq the sprinq or summer of
1942, The church was opened for services on December 13,
Courtesy of the Rev. Dermot O'Kelly.
1942,
Street. As the years of his pastorate went by,
urhan decentralization and a desire for a more com­
j,wlaiJle. modern structure dictated the need for extensive
PAGE
7~
SA:\,
JOAQl'l~
THE BUILDING OF THE NEW ST.
HISTORlA:\'
~IARY'S
ll'I.\llilIIOL alid C'l1largelllent 01 the existing structure or its
('llll.plel(' rC'plal't'l1wnl. In vie\\ of the residential growth of
Stockton in a northwesterly direction. the decision was
madt, 10 build a IK'\\ church III the residential section 0/ the
('ll~, The tale or the old church
whether to keep it or tear
il dOlI Ii illid dispose 01 the site \\as to be decided after the
completion 01 the new structure, The general feeling at the
tll1:<', hm\('\'er, seemed to be that the new church would
rq)lace the older one, and almost immediately people
tH',gali I'Ptt'ITlllg to til(' new structurt' as the "nt'\I' SI.
;\lar~',; Church" to distinguish it from tht' existing church,
TIlt' architect emplo~'ed b\ l\Isgr. J\IcGough to plan the
1ll'11· ('hurch \Ia,; Henri' A, Minton of San Francisco. The
Ilrlll 01 Shepherd and Green of Stockton \Ias select cd to be
111(' gel1el'ill contractor in chargc 01 constructioll, and H,
:\I"hkiall 01 San Francisco acted as the consulting
(,Iiglll('e\". A building permit lor $175,000 \Ias tiled with the
Building Insp('ctor of Stockton on J\Iarch 5. 1941. The
localioli of the building was to be the southwest corner of
the intersection of Rose and Van Buren streets and
<l(Tording to Corbin Shepherd of th(> contracting firm, it
\Iould require approxilllatel~' onc y<'ar to complete,
Tht' funding lor the building came largely through the
Pl'l';'(lnal eflorts of l\lsgr. McGough \Ihn was an astutc
bll~I!I('SSIll;Hl and personally handled the financing of the
nt'll church, In addi t ion to the use of funds derived from
dwrch investments. volunteers from the parish were
ol'ganiz('c1 to visit members to solicit additional funds. Tile
;\Jollsignor also contributed liberally of pcrsona I funds
which /1(' had accumulated through the years through wise
CHURCH (con't)
lId' 1I>(,<lll'(1. tlil' {"t(,rlor appearam:e of the church was
, \, Ii h\ IIIP al't'hllcclural sl\le 01 the schooL This
"
I' 1"llTd cOI,en'lt' building had bE'Pll built fifteen \'pars
".,1 lit': . ;11"" lilidl'r the guidance ot J\Isgr, McGough: The
' I , , " d Ilil" a l'\'d hrlck lacing, a personal prelerpl1ce of the
\1", '1,,1 ill', <lui IS modified Gothic in design, Thus thc
" til d, \\il" budt or rellllol"(.'pd concrete with brick facing,
",. ;,1, ,'ll('d b\ t';I,,1 stOIlC. and is modified Gothic in form
ill d <i"lilll. Tilt' principal cxterior feature of the building is
;1 ():!·II>,<! hl'lll'('1 to\\('r 011 its northeast corner, Impressive
II,
tI I
tlw church is rich in well-placed and
'1'.1111.,,1\\1;..('(1 d('(aiicd ornament.
'I'll' (k('oralll'p deSign ot the church resulted primarily
I I' 'II 11,1' IIlt'a" 01 :\Isgr, l\JcGough who worked closely with
! " , a rl'ill I l't'! ,
Hl'IlI'~ l\1inloll, Together they visited a
:,1111 hl'l 01 ollll'r churchcs, and the end result was a
('''II hil,illllll~ {lj till' J\]ollsignor's pprsonal wishes and the
111,.1" hlllTII\1 t'd from other churches in northern California.
II, \,,,lIkliln adllall~ deSIgned thp reinforced concrete
,11'lil'lll''! 11]("luciing the 2X3 inch tongue-and-groove roof
"liT 111.1('il \1<1:' laid cel1lent asbestos shingles which have
I,,,, appearan('{' of slate. Lastly, protective, reinforced
\\ ';,<\"\1" \Il'rt' used throughout the structure,
Tn!' ('''Ii;;1 rucllon \\"as not greatly affected by the coming
"I World War II. Critical materials were on hand and
l"iJlll'iil('d lor u:,e in the building before the wartime ban
"I 1'''11'1 rucl ion \n'nt into dlec!. Fortunately only sub­
SllllIll«lh 01 minor importance were necessary,
Bu: ttl{' \Iar did dcla\ the completion of work for several
111<>lllil", WIWll the work was about forty percent complete,
.I"".
VIEW OF THE CHURCH OF THE
ANNUNCIATION, showing the north
(front) and west sides of the immense
structure,
Courtesy of the Rey. Denno! O'Kelly,
11'I'('sl11)('nt:; in stock, etc. The combined efforts of the
\lolisignol' and the volunteer solicitors, as well as a
sllIllulated wartime eeonon1\', allo\\·ed the new church to be
pal(l lor full\ b.l· the time of its completion in December,
I \I·l:l.
TIll' Illlal slructural cost of the building came to
;q,pl"'llllalel\ $2B5.()()O. All interior furnishings, stained
gl;\"S II indo\1 s. marble. and art work \\ere separate
\'''1 Irac!" paid hryond the structural costs.
Actual construction of the church began on :Vlarch 5.
t~qJ SIl~Cl' the site cOlllprised a portion of the block on
\1 '·11"1; SI, \lan's High StilOol (nO\1 Anllul1(')atlOn School I
c"I~"!rUl'li(ln was still on schedule, and it was hoped that
dedlca! lOll would be on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1942. But
1\ ,Iii I he ('Ill ranee of the United States in World War II in
\)('1'1'11: ht'r 01 1\:141, the arri\'al of certain items, such as thc
[)I'll", II ilS dpla)ed. Also, the work crew grew smaller as
\1 <II l"h" increased and unions enticed workers away with
",'\(':,!\ -ilollr work-\I('cks. and time and-a-ha/f pa~; over
l"r1\ houl'". Tile elld result was an eight-lllonth delay in the
{'''Il pll'lioli 01 the structure,
\11
lliil'l't's!mg tace! of the war's ll1f1uellce 011 ils
l""
,I nlcllOli cOIi('('rn,; the rt'l!llorting steel bars which were
"",'<I II It,(, rOil!. Although Ihe ;.;Iee\ was on hand b{'fore the
SAN JOAQUIN HISTORIAN
PAGE 75
THE BUILDING OF THE NEW ST. MARY'S CHURCH teon't)
wartime ban went into effect. there was concern about
public opinion as to why the steel was at the construction
:site during this time of war priorities. Consequently, the
:steel beams were buried in the adjacent school yard and
then dug up as needed.
ENTERING THE CHURCH
The exterior appearance alone does not provide an
adequate idea of the grandeur of the church. One must
enter and observe. Lime-stone steps lead to the narthex
from West Rose Street. The entry has a vaulted ceiling and
a terrazzo floor. At one end of the narthex is the stairway
that leads to the choir gallery and another to the bell
tower; at the other end is the baptistry. Personal papers of
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE CHURCH, this one showing
the front and east sides. Partially visible in the foreground
is the intersection of West Rose and North Van Buren
streets.
Courlesy of the Rev. Dermot O'Kelly.
the Monsignor indicate plans for at least one or more
statues in the narthex. There is reference to three marble
statues of St. Peter, St. Paul, and st. Francis for the
entrance vestibule. A letter to Msgr. McGough gives details
of a statue of St. Paul that would be done in Italy. A
donation is even recorded for this particular statue, as well
as donations for other unspecified statuary, but to date this
work remains undone.
Tile baptistry has a vaulted ceiling and Caen stone wallsf
A simple, massive font of red Numidian marble is the sole
furnishing. Three lancet windows of stained glass adorn the
baptistry walls. The south window, entitled "Abraham and
Moses," portrays Old Testament scenes including Abra­
ham reaching the "Promised Land" and Moses striking the
rock in the desert. All of the scenes are images of
Redemption based on Old Testament history. The window
is in memory of Annie J. Levey.
The east baptistry window, in memory of Peter May,
portra.,'s Christ as the Lamb of God, and st. John the
Baptist saying "Behold the Lamb." This window, entitled
"The Baptism," is signed by the Cummings Studios of San
Francisco, and dated 1942.
The theme of baptism continues in the north window with
scenes of New Testament baptism. Portrayed are Philip
and the Ethiopian, and Peter and Cornelius. This window is
in memorv of C. B. and Maria D'Amico.
The 92-loot bell tower continues the form of concrete
laced with red brick, decorated with cast stone. There are
wooden louvers at the top to permit the sound of the bell to
he released. The bell housed in the tower was cast in 1853
and brought to California by a sailing vessel by way of
Cape Horn sometime soon after that. It was hung in the
Original St. Mary's Church on Washington Street about two
:,ears later. Msgr. McGough had the bell moved to the new
church, after requesting permission from the archbishop in
San Francisco. Weighing 1500 pounds, the bell required the
services of eight men for a day and a half to move it from
the old church to the new.
When it was decided in 1944 to remodel the old st. Mary's
Church instead of closing it, many wanted the bell to be
returned. It was also at this time (October, 1944) that the
new SL Mary's Church became known officially as The
Church of the Annunciation and a separate parish was
formed around it. Msgr. McGough was then transferred
from old SL Mary's to become pastor of the new parish and
Father James O'C<mnor was named pastor of St. Mary's
Church. Thus Father O'Connor requested that the bell be
reslored to his newly-remodeled church.
When Msgr. McGough was approached by Father
O'Connor. the Monsignor explained that he had assumed
that the old church would be torn down upon completion of
the new one and had thus removed the bell. He then
promised to locate a new bell for st. :\lary's Church. This
compromise was not acceptable to Father O'Connor, who
wrote to Archbishop Mitty of the Archdiocese of San
Francisco. The latter then wrote a letter to Msgr. McGough
requesting the return of the bell to old St. Mary's. Because
:\lsgr, McGough wanted no damage done to the new
church, he inquired of the contractor, Corbin Shepherd, if
the bell could be removed from the tower without damage
to the church structure. It was determined that removal
\\()uld involve tearing out one side of the concrete-walled
lllwer. The Monsignor then informed the Archbishop that if
the archdiocese would furnish the dynamite, the bell would
indeed be returned to its place of origin, There the issue
has remained, and the bell is still in the tower at the
Church of the Annunciation.
:'-.ext to the door leading to the bell tower is the stairway
to the choir gallery, or organ loft. The main front window
01 the church is located in this loft.
This window was the work of the Cummings Studios. It is
a bold work of art, with interesting tracery of stone
outlining a huge cross. Four Old Testament prophets, who
loretold the coming of the Messiah, are pictured. They are
Isaias, Ezechiel, Jerimias, and Daniel. The window is a gift
01 William and Jane O'Connell, and Adolph and Catherine
Liden,
The window on the west side of the organ loft is in
mem()r~' of Salvatora Chinchiolo. Depicted here are St.
Alo~'sius and SL Agnes.
In the fall of 1941 :Vlonsignor McGough looked into two
possibilities for the acquisition of an organ. From the E. C.
Howe Company of San Francisco the Monsignor requested
a price estimate for rebuilding the organ at the old st.
;\lalfs Church and installing this organ in the new church.
P:\GE 76
SA:\ ./O.\(RT\ lIISTORL\;\
THE BUII..DING OF THE NEW ST. MARY'S CHURCH (con't)
ri,(' ("IlII:P;lI;\
slal('(\ tlie cosl Ilouid
1)(> $247:1,00. III
a
sl'l'ond
l1\l' IIOI\{' C()lliP,llil qllotpd a price of $489f),OO for a
la'll on.('II!. The orgali at old SL :\Iary's wl)ulri be taken as a
1('11('1'
lor $1000.00. Ical'ltlg all actual cost oj $3895.00. It
rkl'lri('d ill :\Iarch 01 l!H2 to scll thE' Schoenstein Pipe
()rgan Iroll: till' old church 10 the E. C. Hm\'(' Company as
parll,lI pallllcnt lor a nell organ.
11',!lI(,'11I
II,IS
'I'll(' Ilell organ was buill b~ the Wicks Organ Company of
Illgltland. IIlil1ol;;. the parent firm of the E. C. Howe
C"l1Ipall~·. The organ was the last to be completed in the
L'nl\('d Slates before this industry was cOl1wrted to
TIll' Interior Inlils are finished with metal lath and
pi:I-lt'r So as to accommodate the decor. there is often a
lil'ad "pacl' of sCI'cn to fifteen or sixteen inches in the
l\Clil" TIl(' \\alls are finished in plaster above the main belt
l'Ollr"(' ,!!ld are 01 Caen Stone finish below the belt course.
Thl' original plans called for concrete flooring throughout
11](' struclure but the cost of materials at the time
1]('C('ssitaled a change in the plans. Only the front and side
pntrances. as well as the sancluary. have concrete floors.
The remainder is of wood construction with rubber tile laid
in the aisles.
Photoqraph of the NEWLY­
COMPLETED CHURCH show­
inQ the west side of the
structure. The Annunciation
parish recreation center build­
inQ now covers almost all of
the empty area in the fore­
Qround. Taken from West
Rose Street.
Courtesy 01 the Rev. Dermot O'Kelly.
wartime produelion. After installation. however. the sound
01 11)(' new organ was apparently found to be unsatisfac­
Ion. the tOile egress having been impaired by decorative
PII)('S. The original design was then changed to correct the
prohlem,
I]; 1954 Dr. Fred Tulan. with the encouragement of Msgr,
William Burke. pastor at that time,3 redesigned the organ.
addlllg Ill'W European pipes. The work eas carried out with
1he Iwlp of Melvin Lucchetti and Harold School. The
('"mplet 1011 of the project was celebrated in 1967 with the
presellt a\ ion of Marcel Dupre's Concerto for Or~al1,
pcrlormed b~' Dr. Tulan with members of the Stockton
Sllllpl1olll' Ordwstra. The three men involved in the
I'('buildi fig attached this plaque to the organ:
III :\IelllOIT of Happy Days
And III Tribu\{' to this Glorious Room.
\\'(' Ll'<n'l' This Voice \0 Speak
WIIllIn TIll';;(' Walls
II Y('ar~ 10 Come.
\\'hcli Uurs a 1'(' SlllI.
TilE ;\:\VE :\;\D TRA!,;SCEPT
Passing from the narthex to the main body of the church.
one becomes a\\are of the tremendous size of the structure.
This great church is entirely free from columns and the
dfeet of height has definitelv been achieved.
Arch ribs supporting the roof are of concrete and left
l'xposl'd in the church. The forms used for the concrete ribs
II ('1'(' lined with coarse-grained wood to give the concrete
thl' \l'xtUI't' of wood. The ribs are painted black and
(kcorat('d with simple patterns. carried through the system
of roof purlins. or rafters.
There is seating for 770 worshippers in the nave. The
pews. costing $7,220.00. were built by the American Seating
Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Solid oak of
Appalachian :\tlountain stock was the material used. Before
choosing this particular wood Msgr, McGough had the
l'ompanv's San Francisco office send him three sample
blocks finished to resemble the stain used on the pews of
San Francisco's Episcopal Grace Cathedral. Such attention
to detail was typical of the Monsignor's interest in the
construction. Kneeling pads and pew fixtures were
pro\'ided later.
Four confessionals done in carved wood treatment are
set into the side walls of the church. two near the front
entrance and one near each side entrance. The open lattice
work above the confessionals originally contained an
amplifving sound system. Above the confessionals and
underneath each window appear the Stations of the Cross,
tll Ihe artist O·Sullivan.
The leaded stained-glass windows of the nave are
('xecuted in earlY Gothic style. The windows are of antique
glass in color and design that conform to sketches provided
bv :\isgr. :\lcGough. The artistic design was done by
Eoward Lapotka of the Church Art Glass Studios, as well
as Carl Huneke of the Century Stained Glass Studio in San
FranCISco.
The funding of the windows. as well as the artistic
por\1'aval. apparently was personally handled by the
\Ion~igllor. Donors were not consulted as to the story
portravec! in the window. specific costs. or general design.
lIe lIas assisted in some of the window design by a local
nun. Sister Peter, The first window in the nave contained
considerable green
The Monsignor requested that the
color qUi.llit \' b(' improved to a richer blue. Since the
S.\ '\ JO\QlT\ H1STORL\:\
THE BUILDING OF THE NEW ST. MARY'S CHURCH (con't)
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Ie Ie :'IIonslgnor often admin'd the windows 01 Grace Cathedral
in San Francisco. he probably took some ideas from that
church,
Without these beautiful windows this church would be
little more than a bod:.; without a soul-void of the warmth
of life, The intenst> tones and colors harmonize the story of
Christendom. the essence of the existence of the building,
The stained glass on the west wall shows figures of the
apostles, and also some of the Evangelists, St. Peter and
St. Paul are first to be seen from the front of the nave.
Related among the events of Christ's life is Christ walking
on the water, St. Peter's doubt. and Christ's rebuke
concerning Peter's lack of faith, The window is in memory
of :'.lrs. :VI, J. Bevanda, St. John and SI. Luke. two of the
Gospel writers. are shown in the window that was a gift of
Mr. and Mrs. John and Ida Costa, and Mr. and Mrs, Felix
and Rose Costa. The SI. James window. in memory of
Josephine Costa, is accompanied by the story Gf the
multitude of fishes which caused the net to break, and
contains the words of Christ, "Fear Not: From Henceforth
Thou Shalt Catch :'.1 en , .. Also a part of this window shows
St. Andrew and the story Df feeding of the multitude.
stating "He Blessed and Broke the Loaves." This section is
in memorv of Anthonv Costa.
Finallvon the west is St. Matthew in memorv of Elisa
and Luigi Dentoni, and St. Phillip in memory of Frank and
Domenico Dentoni.
Saints canonized by the Church are depicted on the east
nave windows. The front window: in memor:; of Patrick
and Ellen Lynch. portrays SI. John Bosco. The second
section contains SI. Mary :\largaret. in memory of Thomas
and Mary McGough, the Monsignor's parents, St. Catherine
of Sienna is done in memory of R. B. Oullahan. Here also is
portraved Christ appearing before Pilate. and Christ upon
death. Christ's suffering is seen in the St. Dominic window.
in memory of Marianna and Andrea Rivara. Christ states
";\;ot My Will But Thine Be Done." St. Francis of Assisi is
pictured with the scene of Christ ministering to the
children, "Suffer Little Children to Come Unto Me." This
window is in memory of Marie and Peter Arbios. St.
Thomas of Aquinas commemorates the memory of
Emanuel and Louisa Campodonico. St. Augustine and St.
Patrick are done in memory of Warren and Mary
Robison. Christ's temptations in the wilderness unfold
further the events in his life.
Two magnificent stained-glass windows-one at each end
of the transcept-glorify the entire structure. There is also
a window above each side entrance into the transcept. The
window on the west end of the transcept is in memory of
the parents of Mr. and Mrs. Lorenzo Zerillo of Riverbank,
Depicted in the window is the Annunciation of the Virgin.
The left side panel contains angels proclaiming the coming
of the Christ Child. The left center panel with an angel
contains the words. "Hail: The Lord is With Thee." The
right center panel shows the Blessed Virgin: "Blessed Art
Thou Among Women." Further proclamations concerning
the coming of the Son of God appear in the right side panel.
A series of events from the early life of Christ are found
below the four major panels. Finally, at the bottom. eight
women saints are portrayed. The window above the west
entrance into the transcept is in memory of Gironima and
Stefano Sanguinetti and illustrates scenes from the life of
Christ.
The window on the east end of the transcept. entitled the
"Coronation." is in memory of John C, and CYril J,
:\Iaurer. Depicted here are Christ and his mother under the
titles of "Christ the King" and ":\lar",. Queen of Heaven".
Bplow is port raved eight women of the Old Testament. The
alJo\e the east entrance into the transcept is in
thp parents of Henry Green and the parents of
J (' Shepherd, Portra\ed are scenes of the ministry of
(im,;1 while on earth.
BpIO\\ the stained-glass windows on each end of the
transcept are two niches. each about 8 feet high. containing
,;tatups carved of wood. Over each one are the symbols for
tlw C;rl'ek \('lIers Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the
End. The statues, about 5 feet in height. are done in oak
\\ Ilh a pol\chromed finish,
The sta tues on the west wall represent St. Therese of
LI';It'ux. or the Little Flower, and SI. Anthony of Padua.
Both were donated by SI. Theresa's Group.4 The statues of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of St. Dominic stand along
thp past wall. The latter were donated by the ladies of the
Annunciation Guild.
\)onograms, carved into the wood. appear above the
doors on the inside of the transcept. Over the east entrance
are the letters :\1 R, taken from the Latin words Maria
i{c-gina. Above the west entrance are the letters Ma di. The
meaning of the letters is not clear. but may stand for the
Ullin words :\later Dei.5
\\ IIlflml
I1lCIlH'n 01
SJI)E E:\TRA:\('ES, ALTARS, Al\D THE SAl\CTUARY
(;rc-eting the worshipper at the east side entrance is a
marble statue of the Pieta, a gift of Mary E. Maurer. This
THE BUILDER AND FIRST PASTOR of the Church of the
Annunciation. the RiQht Reverend MonsiQnor William E.
McGouqh, Assiqned to SI. Mary's Church in downtown
Stockton (on Washinqton Street between Hunter and San
Joaquin streets) in December of 1910. he remained in
Stockton until his death in November of 1950. In October.
1944. lhe Archbishop of San Francisco named Msqr.
McGouqh pastor of the newly-formed parish of the Church
of the AnnunCiation, where he remained until his death.
is a miniature replica of Michelangelo's Pieta in SI. Peter's
Church in Rome, Done in white marble. the statue design
S.\:\ JOAQrl:\ HISTORIA!'II
PAGE 78
THE BUILDING OF THE NEW ST. MARY'S CHURCH (con't)
was arranged by Richard W. Jung of the Ecclesiastical Art
Productions. The window in this entrance is the gift of St.
Theresa's Group. Portrayed are the four Evangelists, st.
Matthew, S1. Mark, S1. John, and S1. Luke, with Christ in
the center.
The west entrance contains wood carvings of Mary,
Joseph, and the Christ Child, a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Felix
Costa. The statues are a part of the original seventeen­
piece :\'ativity scene donated by the Costas. The entrance
contains a window in memory of Joseph T. Lusignan.
Portrayed are two scenes depicting the presence of the
Holy Spirit.
The side altars are made of escallette marble with
marble pedestals for the statues of Mary and Joseph. The
altar of the Virgin, situated to the left (east) of the main
altar, has a sandblast ornament of fleur-de-lis, while the
altar of S1. Joseph, to the right of the main aitar, has a
sandblast design of S1. Joseph's lily. The statues are of
white Italian marble. St. Joseph was donated by Mrs. John
Costa and Mrs. Felix Costa. S1. Mary, under the title of
Mater Dolorosa-The Mother of Sorrows, was a gift of st.
Theresa's Group.
Again the personal involvement of the Monsignor in the
construction of the church and in the choice of its
appointments was apparent. In a letter to the company that
furnished these statues he wrote: " ... you made me two
statues, one of the Blessed Virgin and one of S1. Joseph.
They were very satisfactory. There was some criticism,
:.: ,-.-
'.-'.
,",.
• . :., i1{·.·····
··;;Ii==_
,"
VIEW OF THE MAIN ALTAR and the intricately-designed
reredos with its recessed crucifix. This photograph was
taken in 1942 just prior to the opening of the church.
Courtesy of the Rev. Dermot O'Kelly.
however, about the marble being too white. Is that the only
marble you carry?"
The two stained-glass window panels within the side altar
dedicated to St. Joseph are signed by the artist Carl
Huneke. Depicted here is the concept of sacrifice from both
the Old and New Testaments. There is the giving of manna
from Heaven in the Old Testament and the portrayal from
the ;..Jew Testament, "1 am the Bread of Life." This window
is in memory of Richard and Margaret Lauxen.
The panels within the side altar dedicated to the Blessed
VIrgin are a gift of Josephine and Anthony Chinchiolo.
These two panels reveal the healing miracles of Christ,
including the healing of the sick girl, the blind man, the
leper. and Lazarus. The forgiveness of Christ is apparent in
the two illustrated statements "Go and Sin :\'0 More," and
"Whose sins You shall Forgive, They are Forgiven."
The communion rail of red ;\umidian marble marks the
line of the sanctuary. The main altar is made of red
;\umidian marble with a carved reredos. In the reredos is
a niche which frames a crucifix with a carved wood
corpus. Also to be found on the reredos are carvings of the
s~'mbols of the four Evangelists. st. Matthew is
represented by the symbol of a man, since he begins his
Gospel with the human origin of Christ. Mark is symbolized
by the lion, because of the "Voice of one crying" in the
desert. Since Luke begins his Gospel with the history of the
priest Zacharias, the beast offered in sacrifice, an ox,
represents Luke. The eagle symbolized John, because he
wings his flight beyond all things to the Eternal Word.
Centered in the reredos is a dove in flight. representing the
Holy Spirit.
The reredos was designed by Vincent Buckley, from the
architectural firm of Henrv A. Minton. The work, of
comb-grained white oak with-a silver grey finsih, was done
by the E. Hackner Company of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. The
reredos was then taken apart and shipped to Stockton in a
box car. Upon arrival it was found to be covered with soot
and there was much concern at first for the prefinished
solid oak wood. However. upon removal of the soot the
wood was found to be undamaged.
The altar and reredos are placed under a Gothic vault,
from which is suspended a tester. The tester, or
Baldachino, was a liturgical requirement of the San
Francisco Archdiocese. It was necessary that the tester
hang over the Blessed Sacrament. This tradition had arisen
in the early Church as a practical way to protect the
Sacraments from the outside elements.
The original design of the tester by H. A. Minton was
\'er~' costly. Since the ridge of the church is seventy-five
teet from the floor. the elaborateness of the tester would
not be seen, Therefore. George Little of the Union Planing
'.\Iill simplified the design. The tester is finished in
fourteen-karat gold leaf.
The altar was given by Mrs. Carlotta Gianelli. It was a
memorial to her daughter, Madelaine. who had passed
awav in 1940. Mrs. Gianelli also had an Italian artist come
to Stockton to do a painting or a fresco behind the altar,
but this was never executed.
The window on the east side of the altar is in memory of
l\1ar~ and John Smith. Portrayed are the Last Supper and
the events leading to the Crucifixion. A gift of Catherine
and Bert Maurer. the west window chronicles the
crucifixion and death of Christ.
The pulpit. built by the California Church Furniture
Company. was originally placed on the right (east) side
within the sanctuary. Its original finish was white oak.
When the church became a cathedra!,t; the Bishop's throne
was added on the right side. This necessitated moving the
,,\ \ .In \lIl 1\ IIISTOIU.\\
THE BUILDING OF THE NEW ST.
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pulpit to the left (west) side of the sanctuary'. A canopv
was added over the pulpit and both were then finished in a
dark oak stain,
DEIHLHIO'\' OF THE ,\,E\\ CIICHCH
Over 1000 persons attended the dedication on Sunday.
December 13, 1942, A solemn high Mass, sung by Msgr.
l\lcGough, marked the dedication and the Most Reverend
John J. l\litty. D. D., Archbishop of San Francisco. blessed
the new church.
In his remarks the Archbishop noted that the completion
of the church was not onl,\' a symbol of religion. but of
America and what it stands for:
As a symbol of religion and freedom. the Church
stands for the unalienable human rights that
cannot be granted by Kings or Congresses-rights
that come only from God. This Church remains
as a symbol of the freedoms of the Cross and
the Flag in America.
Henry A. Minton, the project architect, wrote at the time
of the completion of the church that "It is no small task to
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INTERIOR VIEW of the Church of
the Annunciation. taken on March 13.
1960. two years before it became a
cathedral. Note the cruciform desiQn
of the main body of the church (nave
and transcept). The total seatinq
capacity of the structure is about 850
persons.
Photo by Miller Photography,
courtesy 01 the author.
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MARY~S
CHURCH (con't)
COlllpl,·!t'. in the:;p day's of bustle. rush and change due to
'h(' (,'I~l'n('('" of war. a permanent. well-studied and well­
('\',(,lI!I'<I Church. Such a Church is the new Saint Mary's at
Slnd;toll" That it was "well-studied" was due in 'great
ml'dSllJ'l' to the painstaking care that l\lsgr. McGough gave
!(I CIl'h ll'nturp and detail. and to the cooperation he gave
Iii :\Ir. :\Iinton. It was "well-executed" primarily due to the
('\('I'llenl \\orkmanship provided by the builders, the firm
oJ Shl'phprd and Green.
\Isgr. :\leGough's satisfaction with the finished product
\\,IS apparent when in a letter to a friend dated July 7, 1947,
Iw Wl'ote: "We ha\'e built a new church, and a very nice
OIl!'. In the :'\orth\\'est section of the town. . . . My
church ... is probabJ:; the most beautiful in the diocese."
And in a letter to the Monsignor the chairman of the
.-\n:hdiocese Building Committee at that time, the Rev. p,
L R\an. praised the structure in these words: HI was very
much impressed with the architectural beauty of your
church. I cannot remember seeing anything finer in the
\la\' of a Gothic Church."
\o\\' a landmark for a third of a century, this structure
pncompasses an artistry and craftsmanship that is perhaps
PA(iE 80 ~.\.'\
.10,\(1l'l:\ IIISTORI\:\
THE BUILDING OF THE NEW ST. :MARY'S CHURCH (con't)
no longer feasible, Thus it offers a physical heritage to the
community surrounding it. But far greater, this building
attests to the foresight and faith of the man CMsgr,
McGough) who personally attended to its development.
Despite relIgious, sociaL and cultural change St. Mary of
the Annunciation Cathedral stands today as a testimony to
man's innate faith in God,
INTERIOR AFTER MODIFICATION of the sanctuary
followinQ desiQnation of the structure as the cathedral of
the Diocese of Stockton, The Bishop's chair can be seen
situated on the left side of the sanctuary with the pulpit
now on the oppOsite (riQht) side.
EDITOR'S l\'OTES:
2
3
4
5
6
Monsignor McGough was something of a legend In his own time ,0
Stockton. A Cahfornla native, he came to Stockton to relieve the ailing
Father William O'Connor who had served as the pastor of SI. Mary's
for more than thirty years. The Monsignor was destined 10 serve in
Stockton a total of thirty-nine years before he passed away in a Sao
FrancIsco hospital on November 8. 1950.
Reference IS made throughout the descnption of the interior of the
church to Caen stone walls. Caen stone is fine-grained limestone
quarned near Caen in Normandy, France. It was used extenSIvely in
European Gothic construction, In the New SI. Mary's Church, Intenor
plaster was marked to simulate Caen stone.
Monsignor William M, Burke was the third pastor of the Church of the
Annunciation, succeeding the Very Reverend Lester Ehrmann upon the
laUer's transfer to San Francisco in June of 1955. Msgr. Burke passed
away on December 17, 1974, at SI. Joseph's Hospital, Stockton, where
he had been serving as chaplain since his retirement from pastoral
duties at the Church of the Annunciation in 1971, He had served as Vicar
General of the Diocese of Stockton from the time of its crea!ion in
February of 1962
St. Theresa's Group was made up of twelve women from the church who
raised money for church needs.
Mafia Regina probably refers to Mary under the common title given
10 her by the ChurCh. "Mary, Queen of Heaven." Mater Dei would
Iranslate to "Mother of God" in reference to Mary as the mother of
Jesus
In February of 1962 the central California counties of San Joaquin.
Stanislaus. Tuolumne, Calaveras. and Mono were detached from the
century-old ArchdIocese of San Francisco. These five counties were
formed Into the Diocese of Stockton. and the city of Stockton was
declared liS episcopal seat The Most Reverend Hugh A, Donohoe of
Courtesy 01 the Rev. Dermot O'Kelly.
Sar FrarCISCo was Installed as its fltst bishop. and the Church Of
the Anrurc;atlon became the cathedral for the Diocese, The name of
10e Church was then changed from the Church of the Annunciation to
Cathedral of l'le Arnunclation. In 1969 Bishop Donohoe was
succeeded by the present Bishop of Stockton, the Most Reverend
Meclln J. Guilfoyle,
SA:\, JOAQUI!\' HISTORIAN The Quarterly of the SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC . Published Four Times Each Year P.O. Box 21, Lodi, California 95240 Editor: Robert Bonta The San Joaquin County Historical Society, a
non-profit corporation, meets the fourth Monday of
each month except for July and August. Annual
memberships are: Individual- $5.00, Corporate $8.00,
and Junior $1.00, and include a subscription to the San
Joaquin Historian.
Non-members may purchase
individual copies from the Society's Secretary at $1.00
per copy, The Society also operates the San Joaquin
Count\' Historical Museum at Micke Grove. Persons
wishing to donate items should contact the Museum
Director.