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Before 1921, Catholics residing in the West Valley had to travel to San Fernando (St. Ferdinand's Church) or to Ventura (San Buenaventura Mission) to attend Mass. In 1921, a "Mission" parish was established at Owensmouth in the in the far west end of the Valley, now part of Canoga Park. The parish, known as Our Lady of the Valley, was later located at the corner of Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Sherman Way. It was the first parish in the west valley. and served an area of four hundred square miles, including communities known today as Sepulveda, Encino, Malibu, Reseda, Woodland Hills, Winnetka, Canoga Park, Northridge, and Chatsworth.
By 1944, twenty-three years after it was founded, Our Lady of the Valley only numbered 350 families as parishioners. But in 1946, following World War II, the building of tract homes for veterans began in the west Valley, and the population "boom" began. In 1949, a new Parish, St. Catherine of Siena, was established to serve the area of Reseda and accommodate for the rapid population growth.
By 1953, the continuing growth in the West Valley made it clear that new parishes would soon be needed to serve the ever increasing number of Catholic families settling in the area. At this time, the Archdioceses of Los Angeles purchased several parcels of land in the West Valley in anticipation of the needs of future parishes.
Building the Parish
The Legacy of Monsignor Greene
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The feast of St. Joseph the Worker had been established a short time before by Pope Pius XII, on July 1, 1955, to Christianize Labor Day and our Parish was the first in the United Sates, possibly in the world, to be named for the foster father of Jesus under title of “The Worker”.
Fr. Greene's first rectory was a private home located on Jumilla Ave. where and an altar was installed for daily Mass. For Sunday Mass, Fr. Greene contracted with the Board of Education to use the Auditorium at nearby John A. Sutter Middle School in Canoga Park, where the first Sunday mass was celebrated on July 1, 1956, only two months after the establishment of the parish. For the Holy Days, the Lorenzen family gave the new parish free use of their Mortuary chapel. Baptisms, Marriages and Funerals were still conducted in one or the other of the two neighboring parishes, although they were all recorded at St. Joseph the Worker.
March 10, 1957 saw the groundbreaking of the temporary Church, which later became the parish hall. On December 15, a day of torrential rains, Fr. Greene and his people celebrated Mass in their new Church.
Meanwhile eight classrooms, half the eventual size of the school, were constructed and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, who had agreed to staff the school, arrived on September 21, 1957. The first group of 360 first to third grade students entered the school on February 3, 1958.
After two temporary residences, a permanent rectory was completed in April 1958. Later the same year a new parish, Our Lady of Lourdes, was established in Northridge and the northern boundary of the parish was moved south to Parthenia Street.
In the spring of 1959, construction of the second half of the school began and was finished in short order in January 1960. On April 30, 1961 His Eminence James Frances Cardinal McIntyre presided at a Solemn High Mass of dedication of the Parish he had established only a few years before.
The next building project was a Convent for the Sisters a structure that was completed in April 1964.
As the Parish continued to grow so grew the need for larger and permanent Church. In October 1966, the ground was broken and construction began. The new Church was dedicated on August 11, 1968 by Cardinal McIntyre.
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Growing the Community
The legacy of Monsignor Loughnane
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In September 1977 the parishioners paid special tribute to their Pastor for his labors. The Parish Hall was dedicated to him and named the "Austin J. Greene Hall". In June, 1978, Father Greene was elevated to the rank of domestic prelate with the title Monsignor. By then however Monsignor had borne the rigors of his labors and was approaching the twilight of his years, and Cardinal Manning, who succeeded Cardinal McIntyre as Archbishop of Los Angeles on January 21,1970, provided him with help when he appointed Fr. James. J. Loughnane, Administrator of the parish in April 1980.
Fr. Jim focused on three areas of concern: Parishioner involvement, specifically with the Renew program; new work on the rectory, convent and school that needed new roofs, church and hall that needed painting, and painting, and landscaping and the parking lot; and plans for the upcoming Silver Anniversary of the parish which was celebrating on May 2, 1981 with Cardinal Manning as main celebrant of the Mass. In September of that year Monsignor Greene retired and Cardinal Manning appointed Fr. Loughnane, Pastor. Monsignor Greene died on October 29 shortly after retiring.
In January 1981 a Youth Minister was hired to develop a program for the teenagers. Other programs introduced by Fr. Jim included the RCIA, Bible Study, Contemplative Prayer and weekly Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Finance Committee, Liturgy Committee, Vocation Committee, Children's Choir and Youth Choir. The ranks of Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers and Commentators were increased and women and teenagers were also invited to participate. Fr. Jim attributes the success of these programs to splendid work of his associates, the Sisters, and the many lay volunteers. In these same years a Spanish Mass and a Spanish ministry were introduced for the Hispanic Community. The Vietnamese Community was also welcomed to celebrate Liturgy every Sunday in their native language.
Many other groups and organizations were formed over and some go back to the infancy of the parish. The Altar and Rosary Society had its first meeting on June 1956 in the Winnetka Woman’s Club. The Holy Name Society was established in July 1956. An then our inspiring adult choir, the Religious Education Program which includes also the only class in the West Valley for the developmentally disabled, and the members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society who since 1969 have given much time to helping the poor, the needy and the unemployed by providing food, clothing, shelter and advice.
On May 25, 1986, Fr. Jim celebrated 25 years as a priest. In September of 1988 he was elevated to Monsignor.
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Developing and Rebuilding
The Legacy of Monsignor Gehl
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In 1989, Fr. Jim launched the Capital Development Campaign an effort aimed at funding years of development for modernizing the old buildings as well as adding new needed construction. The actual work was going to be implemented in phases. Phase I would focus on air-conditioning, a lunch pavilion for the school, a convent for the Sisters, and the upgrade of electrical supply.
The lunch pavilion, a structure with concreting floor, ample lighting, and sprinklers, would provide children with comfort and shelter and an open-air place for other get-togethers for the parishioners and their various groups. Construction was completed on June 24, 1990.
In 1992, Phase II of the Capital Development Campaign starts. Entrance ramps were installed and the restrooms remodeled. The choir loft was expanded and reinforced. The altar railing was removed and used to construct the baptismal font, the ambo, and the chair, and the altar was relocated to its present position in closer proximity to the assembly.
Fr. Jim would not see the end of the project he started only a few years before as Fr. Gehl became the new pastor on May 9 of 1993. He continued the work started by Fr. Jim by completing the newly configured church and the new organ. He also opened for business the Gift Shop which proved so successful that one year later all the seed money for opening the shop had been recouped.
1994 is also the year of the strong Northridge Earthquake and the church, the bell tower suffered enough damage that all liturgical activity was moved to the Parish hall. The parishioners responded with great generosity and enough money was raised to complete all repairs by the following year.
The last few years of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st saw the 40th Anniversary celebration of the Parish, the 50th Birthday of Fr. Jim Gehl, a successful support program for the sister Parish of Nativity in Los Angeles, and the Silver Jubilee to priesthood of Fr. Gehl. In the year 2000, Fr. Gehl was elevated to Monsignor, and in 2001 work starts on the Parish Hall expansion.
Among Fr. Jim Gehl’s dreams was to create a Gathering Area and Peace Garden where the community could enjoy fellowship after Masses and special events. Groundbreaking for this project took place February 25 and, upon its completion, the Peace Garden was dedicated to Msgr. James Loughnane.
Monsignor Jim Gehl says farewell to St Joseph the Worker in 2004, and in 2005 the Parish welcomes its new current pastor, Fr. Kevin Rettig.
Looking Back 50 Years and Ahead to the Future
Father Rettig's Challenge to Us All
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In 2006, the Parish commemorated the 50th Anniversary of its founding. The year long celebration, which began with an Anniversary Mass celebrated by Cardinal Roger Mahony on January 28, was an opportunity for the parishioners and the new pastor to get to know each other very well by organizing and participating together in numerous celebratory activities. The most formal of such events was a dinner-dance and silent auction that took place on May 6.
Farther Kevin’s dream of turning the Parish into an example for others to follow and into a beacon of moral and spiritual guidance for the community at large draws its strength in the dedication of the many volunteers who, although diverse in cultural background, work together to create a unified cohesive community well integrated not only with the Valley’s Catholic parishes but also with other faith based groups in the community at large.
With Father Kevin at the helm, and with the help of the entire spiritual and administrative staff, the new Parish Council, and all the committed volunteers, we are ready to face the challenge and turn the dream into reality.
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