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Early Parish History
Our heritage in Costa Mesa goes back before 1820, with an adobe station of Mission San Juan Capistrano for the vaqueros tending the Mission cattle. It is located at the northwest corner of Mesa Verde Drive West and Adams Avenue. From 1880 to 1889, the extinct town of Fairview with a small church and school grew up and died near the intersection of Harbor and Adams, close to the now dormant Fairview sulfur hot springs. By this time, the little town of Harper emerged near 18th street, and changed its name to Costa Mesa (which means coastal tableland in Spanish) in 1920. From there we jump to the 1940s, when Baker Street was the northern boundary of Santa Ana Army Air Base, and the trainees attended Mass at the Catholic chapel there. After WWII, part of it (at the now Mendoza Street) became the Air Force Rocket Engine Facility, Costa Mesa. The surrounding area was agricultural land.
In 1957 with the growing population and the increasing difficulty of seating parishioners at Costa Mesa’s only parish, St. Joachim’s Church, it became apparent that a new church was needed. Cardinal McIntyre’s office (we were then part of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles) granted permission to Msgr. Thomas J. Nevin, pastor of St. Joachim’s, to go ahead with plans for a new church in May, 1958. With the large enrollment at St. Joachim’s School in September, 1958, it was decided that a new school must also be included in the building plans. Ground was broken on a chosen site in northern Costa Mesa on Christmas Eve, 1958.
Because of the shortage of teaching Sisters in the United States, Msgr. Nevin left for Ireland to make arrangements to bring six Sisters to this country to staff the new school, which was scheduled to open in September, 1959. On August 15th, 1959, six Mercy Sisters of Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland, arrived in Costa Mesa accompanied by Mother Stanislaus, who was to return to Ireland after she saw the Sisters settled in their new, temporary home on Babb Street. The sisters were warmly welcomed by the parishioners and the school opened in the new East wing building in September on schedule.
Two months later, the church building was completed and Mass was said there for the first time on November 8, 1959. Originally, this building was designated the “church hall” because the master plan called for it to be converted into the parish hall when a future permanent church was built. This is why it is a very plain building.
From their opening until May, 1960, this church and school were known as St. Joachim’s Annex. During these months, the two parishes worked in conjunction with one another as one parish. On March 20, 1960, 55 children received their First Holy Communion in the new Church.
In May 1960, this parish was officially made into a separate parish and Father Anthony McGowan named as Pastor. On Thursday, May 18, 1960, Father McGowan celebrated his first Mass in the now St. John the Baptist Church. Four days later he celebrated his first Sunday Mass at 9:00 AM in his new parish.
Many people of the parish gave their time and energy to make the house that was purchased on Post Road a proper home and temporary rectory for our new pastor. Father McGowan took up residence at this new address on the feast day of the Birth of St. John the Baptist. On June 26, 1960, a reception was held in the school hall for Father and he was presented with many useful gifts to help furnish his rectory.
During the first year many money making and social events took place, but most importantly, much work was done, especially by the Women’s Council. The men of the Holy Name Society did much to improve the parish grounds. It was a group of proud parishioners that witnessed the first Confirmation held at St. John the Baptist Church on November 13, 1960. Bishop Manning (later Cardinal) confirmed 101 children and 24 adults.
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