A Call to Look Ahead

Dear Friend,

This weekend we honor with gratitude our dynamic history of 100 years as a parish. Here’s our official centennial statement:

Today, we recognize that on January 29, 1925, then Bishop John Joseph Cantwell established Saint Barbara Parish at Old Mission Santa Barbara as a parish within what was then the Diocese of Los Angeles-San Diego. This pivotal moment empowered the Franciscan friars to give new and vital expression to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, first proclaimed by their forebears at the founding of the Mission in 1786. 

Woven together through ministry and prayer, a journey of 140 years led to this turning point one hundred years ago, in 1925, on a sacred site deeply rooted in the spirit and cultural heritage of the native Chumash people —whose presence predated the Franciscans by thousands of years — and continues to inspire all who reflect on the past and bring that heritage to our current and future ministries and legacies.

Celebrating our centennial, we give special thanks to God for the community of Franciscan friars and laity in Santa Barbara who have united in faith and purpose with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, nurturing an invaluable legacy and shaping it into the unique parochial presence cherished today. Saint Barbara Parish and Old Mission Santa Barbara are present as a vibrant Roman Catholic faith community, served by the Franciscan friars and recognized as a parish and historic and spiritual landmark, serving the faithful and drawing scholars, visitors, and pilgrims from around the world.

In tandem with these words, our scripture readings for this weekend are a call to look ahead, as the Body of Christ. Ponder them alongside our centennial statement. How do you hear the Holy Spirit calling us to better serve those around us and those who come to us?

Gratefully,

Father Dan