The Origin and Early Development of All Saints University Parish: A Journey of Relationships and Persistence Turlock, California Introduction The following summary history report is primarily an attempt to factually record from first-hand knowledge, and verification from accessible surviving documents, the infancy and maturation of the Catholic Newman Student movement in Turlock from a tiny college student club through the planning and building of a multipurpose worship facility (1960-1999). It will be left to recent Pastoral Council members and other current parishioners to write a more complete and detailed modern history (2000-present) of this community, currently known as All Saints University Parish. The author takes complete and exclusive responsibility for the content of this publication, although he wishes to acknowledge that he received from All Saints staff and community members helpful cooperation, support and assistance with preparation and distribution of this report. Chaplain Salvador deserves much credit for the initial gentle insistence many years ago which led to production of this document. A final draft of this history report has been read by the three most recent All Saints priests, but no Community priest can be held accountable for report content or presentation. An attempt has been made to acknowledge all of those who have made a worthy effort or contribution to the foundational development of this church community. Most of the early pioneers can be recalled by this writer and are mentioned by name---but this is at the risk of omitting one or more who deserve remembrance and recognition also. Apologies are offered if adequate recognition of the efforts of any pioneer has been overlooked; such oversight, and/or any possible misstatement found, should be reported to the author or the Parish Office for whatever correction might be possible. Many of these pioneers are no longer living. If readers do not recognize any named contributor, hopefully they will recognize at least one local family name. Edward J. (Ed) Aubert (eja) [email protected] January 27, 2020 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Early Student Club Years, 1960-1979 Presently All Saints University Parish ministers primarily to a small rectangular, mostly residential, neighborhood in north Turlock which includes the acreage, students and employees of California State University, Stanislaus. The University was initially called Stanislaus State College, was later granted University status, and is now fondly called Stan State. The College was named after Stanislaus County where it resides and the local Stanislaus River. This waterway received its identification from the name early California Franciscan Friars gave to the famous local Native American Indian Chief Estanislao, he named after the beloved Polish Saint. This vibrant faith community has a rich, nearly 60-year history. It began as a small college Student Body-chartered Catholic Student Club that included a few college faculty and staff at the then 700+ student public institution which started classes in the Fall of 1960 using turkey, swine and produce exhibit buildings at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds in Turlock. This Catholic Student Club and 1 the later expanded Catholic Campus Community (CCC) consisted of believers who deliberately and gradually matured in vision, industry, sacrificial efforts and generosity. The student club was served during the early years by interested and available local volunteer priests---mostly for special occasions. In 1965 the College relocated to its present 230-acre site with the main entrance on Monte Vista Avenue (now also called University Way). Greatly supported by some Catholic faculty and staff of the College and a few local families and helped by some area priests, the CCC matured as did the College. Soon after the California Legislature’s decision to construct a California State University & Colleges campus in Stanislaus County, a Turlock location was selected to accommodate politicians’ preference for a non-competitive location as distant as feasible from the College (now University) of the Pacific (UOP), a private institution. Three suitable potential campus sites in Modesto were rejected as too close to UOP in Stockton. Turlock has become a nearly ideal college town, generally open to a cordial and mutually beneficial “town-gown” cooperative relationship over six decades. Upon the Turlock campus selection, property values immediately grew. The local Anthony & Demintina Ferreira family, while disposing of their large agricultural acreage (outside of Turlock city limits) adjacent to and north of the selected college site, arranged for 10 acres (39,200 sq. ft.) at McKenna Drive (formerly North Dels Lane) and Christopherson Parkway (formerly Zeering Road) to be beneficially sold to the Stockton Diocese and dedicated exclusively for the purpose of an eventual Catholic Newman Student Center. The Diocese accepted this property without a legally binding commitment of future usage---under its policy of not accepting anything with attached conditions. The college started with junior and senior undergraduates as well as school-service credential and master’s degree students. Initially, the average age of the student body was slightly older than the average age of the of the teaching faculty. In the initial years over half of the student body attended classes less than full time. Almost all were commuters from homes in nearby Valley and Foothill areas. Many students were married and had children. Most students were first in their families to attend college and earn a college degree. More than a third of this student body had been raised Catholic. The primary commute service-area of the college included the hundreds of square miles of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa counties. The nearest other public senior colleges at that time were about 100 miles away in Sacramento, San Jose and Fresno. The College’s primary service-area in 1960 had a severe shortage of fully-credentialled teachers, with 1,100+ area residents only provisionally credentialed to teach. Many of these partially trained teachers were already employed by area elementary and secondary school districts and local private schools due to this shortage. Educating and training fully qualified teachers was a high priority of the College. Within weeks of the start of classes student body officers were elected and student clubs recognized if sponsored by both students and a member of the faculty. The Catholic Student Club qualified for charter recognition in 1962. This emerging Catholic community was family oriented nearly from its beginning, including children at all faith-community events, other than enrolled student business meetings. Some of the couples active in this early campus ministry also were active in supporting local Catholic Marriage Encounter. 2 Freshmen, then sophomores were added at the college in 1965 and 1966 after relocation from the fairgrounds into three large new buildings at the central commons area of this 230-acre flat, then treeless unpaved site. This acreage previously was without buildings, was covered with maturing alfalfa and was a hospitable home to kit-foxes and jackrabbits. The City of Turlock promptly extended its legal official boundaries about two miles north to incorporate only the narrow center strip of Geer Road and the college acreage. The park-like campus appearance of today exists because one of the earliest actions of the cabinet of first President J. Burton Vasche’ was to exchange funds designated for a few large mature trees to surround the first buildings in favor of funding hundreds of small saplings planted over the entire property and waiting for them to mature. The campus now has over 3,500 trees, mostly native varieties. President Vasche’, raised in nearby Oakdale, was appointed initial campus CEO when his position as Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction for State Colleges was eliminated to place the then 100+ year old teachers’ normal school/college system under a chancellor and a newly created board of trustees that included appointed prominent Californians, the governor and a few state officers. Unknown to the public and his staff, Vasche was suffering from cancer. He died in his second year as President; for many months the College struggled to survive and thrive. Monsignor Manuel Vieira Alvernaz, from the Azores and Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Turlock, along with his associate pastors including Fr. Louis Sweeney, Fr. Enda McGuire, Fr. Oliver (Ollie) O’Grady and Fr. Francis (Frank) Prendergast (in the mid-70’s), were generally supportive of local Catholic students at all levels. Additionally, Father John Armistead volunteered to assist club faculty advisor Alice Worsley (English) and serve students in the early period. Early support came to the student club primarily from Catholic faculty and staff at the College. Besides Worsley, early faculty advisors included professors Sylvia Ghiglieri (Music), Douglas McDermott (Drama), R. J. Moriconi (Education) and Ed Aubert, who retired as Emeritus Dean of Admissions. The private, primarily residential College of the Pacific in nearby Stockton (founded as California Wesleyan College and later named UOP), had a small residential group of Catholic Newman Club students who were most generously supported by San Francisco, then Stockton, Diocesan funds. The UOP residential Newman House is still located