St. Francis - Parish History

A Brief History of St. Francis Parish

This page was created as a memorial to Olga Womer,
born 31 October 1903
died 2 January 2001

One thing we are proud of is how many leaders of the church pass through St. Francis on their spiritual journeys. Ordinations below are all folks who served St. Francis either as clergy, or as lay leaders, or as seminarians on their way to ordination.

St. Francis the Clergy-Maker

History is a story well told. Here's ours:

1927	Willow Glen brach of Trinity Episcopal Church Sunday School begins. This offshoot was the first seed of what was later to become St. Francis.
1937	An additional classroom is added.
1939	Frances Schallenberger, descendant of Valley pioneer Moses Schallenberger, becomes superintendent of Sunday School.
1941	On December 30, fifteen mothers meet at Olga Womer's home to discuss fundraising for school. This mothers' group forms a permanent organization know as St. Francis Circle.
1946	The present property at Pine and Newport is purchased for $18,000.
1947	St. Francis Chapel Advisory Committee is formed. Lorin Paull installs a reed organ in the chapel, provided by Dr. Margaret McNaught. Mrs. Rebecca Davidson becomes first organist and choir director. On June 1, notification is received that St. Francis is now an official diocesan mission, with 136 transferred communicants.
1948	Canonical permission is granted to form aparish. Eleven vestry members select the Reverend Bertram F. Bleil as first rector. On October 10, the first church services are held at St. Francis Episcopal Church.
1949	First annual meeting is held. The rector's report shows 283 communicants and 175 children attending church school.
1950	Alice Edes and Hazel Cain become the first women elected to the vestry.
1951	Reverend Bleil resigns. The Reverend Marshall F. Wickham begins at St. Francis in November. A $50,000 bequest from Dr. Margaret McNaught's estate is revealed.
1952	After 25 years, St. Francis lists 283 communicants and 175 children attending church school.
1953	The addition west of the chapel is completed.
1954	New parish hall and kitchen facility, built with funds from Dr. Margaret McNaugt's endowment, are completed and dedicated to Dr. McNaught's memory on October 31. The copper-hooded fireplace is a memorial to Dorothy Jean Vincent. The bell on the chapel, which formerly adorned a steam locomotive, is given by Raymond Renwick in memory of his father.
1956	Fundraising begins for the proposed main sanctuary.
1957	Groundbreaking services are held. New Wurlitzer electronic organ is purchased.
1958	First services are held on March 23 in the new church.
1959	The church's carved doors of the twelve apostles are dedicated on January 1.
1960	Vestry members are increased to fifteen.
1962	Robert E. Neily ordained Deacon by the Rt. Reverend James Pike. St. Francis acquires first assistant clergy. Due to street noise, a decision is made to replace the original thin glass windows in the main church with one-inch thick multicolored glass windows by Hogan Art Studios. Installation is completed in August.
1963	Robert E. Neily ordained Priest by the Rt. Reverend Richard Millard.
1966	Robert D. Landreth is ordained deacon by the Rt. Reverend James Pike in Grace Cathedral on June 19th, and serves as voluntary assisting deacon at St. Francis,
1969	In July, William Rearick assumes the position of organist and gives a recital on November 16 to dedicate the pipe organ.
1970	In June, the Reverend Richard Vaggione is ordained to the deaconate by the Rt. Reverend Kilmer Myers.
1970	In February, the Reverend Richard Vaggione is ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Sherman.
1973	The Reverend Marshall Wickham announces his plan to retire on July 31, 1974.
1974	A call is made to the Reverend Richard A. Bullock, who will come to St. Francis from St. Louis, Missouri.
1975	Rev. "Rick" Bullock becomes the third rector of St. Francis in January.
1976	On August 29, the Chapel Aumbry was blessed.
1978	St. Francis holds its first annual Advent Procession with Carols.
1979	Every-Member canvas shows a 20% increase, and the first balanced budget in over 10 years.
1980	The New Diocese of El Camino Real is formed. In October, St. Francis is well represented at the investiture of the Right Reverend Shannon Mallory as the Ordinary. Bishop Mallory dedicates the Marshall Wickham Conference Room and redecorated chapel.
1981	The Reverend Robert D. Landreth is ordained to the priesthood by the Rt. Reverend Shannon Mallory. Patricia Pinkerton ordained deacon in May, also by Bishop Mallory.
1982	The Reverend Robert D. Landreth serves as locum tenens after the Rev. Rick Bullock accepts a new call to Tustin, California, and resigns from St. Francis. The Reverend Patricia Pinkerton is ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Mallory on the Feast of St. Thomas in May.
1983	The Reverend Eckford deKay becomes the fourth rector of St. Francis on March 23. A new sound system is installed in McNaught Hall.
1985	St. Francis Library Committee is formed. On May 26, Jim Stout is ordained to the deaconate by Bishop Mallory.
1986	McNaught Hall is renovated. Outdoor lighting, basement sprinklers and improved kneeler padding server to make St. Francis a safer and more comfortable place to be. In June, Margaret Irwin is ordained to the deaconate by Bishop Mallory.
1987	In June, The Reverend Margaret Irwin is ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Mallory, and former parishioner Kathleen Adams is ordained to the Diaconate.
1988	In June, former parishioner Doug Brinkworth is also ordained to the diaconate.
1989	The Gale Morris is ordained deacon in June by the Bishop Mallory and called to serve as St. Francis' first female clergy on staff.
1990	On June 2, the Reverend Gale Morris is ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Mallory and Joy Browne (a/k/a Sr. Thea Joy Browne) is ordained to the diaconate at Trinity Cathedral. Later in the year, The Right Reverend Richard Shimpfky is elected second Bishop of El Camino Real.
1991	The Reverend Gale Morris accepts a call that takes her back East. In May, Margaret Bourne-Goodwin is ordained to the deaconate by Bishop Shimpfky. In June, Bishop Shimpfky ordains Jan Meikle and Holly Hudson-Louis to the diaconate.
1992	On January 25, Bishop Shimpfky ordains the Reverend Joy Browne to the priesthood at St. Francis. In March, the Reverend Holly Hudson-Louis is ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Shimpfky, and the Reverend Margaret Bourne-Goodwin is ordained to the priesthood in May. In June, the Reverend Jan Meikle is ordained to the priesthood, also by Bishop Shimpfky.
1992	On June 27, Maurine Lewis ordained to the transitional deaconate by Bishop Shimpfky at Trinity Cathedral.
1993	On January 31, the Reverend Maurine Lewis is ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Shimpfky.
1993	The Reverend Eck DeKay retires. The Reverend Robert D. Landreth serves once again as locum tenens.
1994	The Reverend Timothy D. Raasch becomes the fifth rector of St. Francis.
1995	The Reverend Jan Meikle is called away from St. Francis to serve as Vicar of St. Stephen's in-the-Fields, San Jose. Michael and Mona Dresbach move to Berkeley where Michael becomes St. Francis' newest seminarian at CDSP.
1997	In June, Michael Dresbach is ordained to the transitional deaconate by the Bishop Shimpfky. In December, Bishop Shimpfky ordains Michael to the priesthood.
1997	On June 11, the Rev. Jim Stout is ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Shimpfky.
1998	Bob (The Reverend Robert) and Jean Landreth say farewell to St. Francis and move to Marblehead, Massachusettes. In June, Ann Sullivan, who spent time at St. Francis working on small group ministries, is ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Shimpfky. Former parishioner Doug Brinkworth is also ordained to the diaconate at the same service.
1999	Tim Raasch resigns as rector. The Reverend Canon James McLeod serves as locum tenens. In February, The Reverend Ann Sullivan is ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Shimpfky.
2000	The Reverend Christopher Creed becomes the sixth rector of St. Francis, with "Father Bear" assisting :-). Fr. Chris celebrate's the "New Year" on the liturgical calendar by officiating at St. Francis' 23rd annual Advent Procession with Carols on December 2.
2001	Olga Womer, last of the founding members of St. Francis, dies on January 2, just after the new millennium begins.
2002	On June 22, Katherine Baginski Doar and former parishioner Ken Wratten ordained to the transitional deaconate by Bishop Shimpfky at Trinity Cathedral.
2003	On January 4, the Reverend Kenneth Wratten is ordained Priest by Bishop Shimpfky and simultaneously installed as Vicar of St. Stephen-in-the-Field, San Jose.
2003	On March 1, The Reverend Katherine Baginski Doar is ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Shimpfky at St. Francis.
2003	In June, Susanna DesMarais ordained to the transitional diaconate.
2003	On November 29, we dedicated our permanent Labyrinth, located on the patio.
2004	In January, The Reverend Susanna DesMarais is ordained to the priesthood by the Rt. Rev. Joe Goodwin Burnett in Omaha. The Rt. Reverend Richard Shimpfky retires in March. In September, the Rt. Rev. Sylvestre Romero of B�lize agrees to serve as Assisting Bishop during the search process for a new diocesan bishop.
2005	New "Servants Entrance" windows are installed in the narthex by Hogan Art Studios. Rumor is that Fr. Chris had something to do with the design.
2006	In October, Susanne Methven (formerly Przybylski) ordained to the transitional diaconate by the Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori

	More to come: In the process: Current parishioner Stephenie Cooper If you have any information, please e-mail Stephenie Cooper, goib2you@earthlink.net.