The Story of St. James, Coolidge

(As Taken from Dedication of St. James Church 12/10/50 program)

      Desert wastes have frequently become oases.  Irrigation and well-water have made fertile lands of barren sands.  Twenty-five years ago history repeated itself.  Half-way between the new state capitol at Phoenix and the old pueblo at San Xavier Mission and Tucson, a modern oasis was fertilized by San Carlos Irrigation waters.  A scattered group of adobe huts marked the spot – ten miles west of Florence, Pinal County seat, and twenty-two miles northeast of Casa Grande, a promising railroad siding on the Southern Pacific main route.  In 1925 there was little more than an outpost of southwestern frontier civilization near Borree’s Corner.

   The enterprising R. J. Jones family foresaw the blossoming desert made fertile by Gila River waters, harnessed in the San Carlos Project, and stabilized by Southern Pacific’s new Picacho cut-off to Phoenix.  In honor of the President, Calvin Coolidge, the small community was named Coolidge.  In first citizens nourished its prodigious growth from Coolidge Dam waters after 1929 into the flourishing incorporated city of 1945.  Five years later – today – it is struggling to be the center of valley agriculture.  Its forty-five hundred citizens are united to this common cause.

   The mother church of the Assumption in Florence ministered to the mission needs of the few Coolidge Catholics in early days.  St. Anne’s Indian Mission at Santan on the new Chandler-Coolidge highway (1930) often saw the faithful journey these twenty-five miles for Sunday Mass.

   Gradually the town was populated by firmly rooted families.  Luis Chavez, born in Coolidge environs in 1907, is probably the oldest continuous resident, and Francisco Montijo, the first to move here from out of town; he came from Tucson in 1920.  Add to these the countless others who took roots for short or long periods of time, and the solid foundations of Catholicity in new Coolidge were being well established.  We give as complete a list of possible of those who have stayed here at least twenty years, who are still the backbone of Coolidge city and parish.

   In 1926, Antonio Cardona came from Puerto Rico, the only family of some twenty immigrants to remain.  Peter Rojas from Phoenix joined them the same year.  Only one family of the next year has any heritage in Coolidge at the present – Vicente Monreal from Winkelman (Mrs. Narcissa Espinoza).  Of the 1928 group, three remain – Antonio Ortiz from Superior, Gregorio Ruiz and Santiago Soliz from Chandler.  These were joined in 1929 by Asa Gardner from Florence, and four families from Tucson – Henry Appel, Augustin Quintero, Henry Espinoza, and Carmen Parra.  What we consider the persevering pioneers include the 1930 settlers – James Garcia from Ray-Sonora, Jesus Vasquez from Douglas, Ernest McCleery from Parker, Mary Cruz and Bonifacia Olivas from Tucson.

   To these must also be added Manual Chacon and William Mundus, who came to Coolidge from Olberg in 1939; but they had first established their families in Olberg in 1921 and 1922 respectively.  To these twenty families or their descendants we can aptly apply the distinctive honor – the keystones to the establishment of St. James Parish for the past twenty years.  To the host of others who settled only for a time or who have come since then we must pay respect anonymously.  May God reward their perseverance and faith.

   Today, only memories of 1931 remain – of Father Amancio Manubens, O.C.D., from Florence, who offered Mass in a pool hall on Lincoln Avenue just east of Main Street – of 1933 and Mass for three people in a small hall near the Capitol Feed Warehouse – of 1940, when for a month Mass was offered in a tin warehouse near the present railroad station.  These missionary efforts of the Carmelite Fathers were above and beyond their call of duty.

   On May 31, 1932, Bishop Gercke established another valley parish, cut off from Florence, in Casa Grande.  Father Patrick J. Murphy began ten years of zealous missionary labor.  By him church buildings were built in Casa Grande, Eloy and Coolidge.  Though Coolidge then became a mission of St. Anthony, Casa Grande, no priest was available to offer Mass until the first St. James Church (the present parish hall) was erected by Father Murphy and Carlos Serrano, dedicated by Bishop Daniel J. Gercke in December 1940.  Father Murphy regularly offered the Holy Sacrifice and administered to the spiritual needs of the few families until his death, March 13, 1942.

   First Holy Communion was given to six children on May 11, 1941 – the first class, taught by Marie and Margaret Chimmits.  St. James Mission struggled forward.  A few more families joined the original settlers.  Weekly Sunday Mass, visits and ministrations by Father Bernard Healy during the year 1942 found the seed of Catholicism growing rapidly with the new town.  In the spring of 1943 Father James Mc Fadden replaced Father Healy, who entered the service of his country as an Army Chaplain.

   Meanwhile until September 1944, religious instructions for children were conducted Sundays after Mass by Father Healy, and Tuesday afternoons by Father McFadden.  These were supplemented by vacation schools of the sisters of St. Joseph from Tucson.

   Three Dominican sisters from Adrian, Michigan; Sisters Anna Rita, Alice Therese and Margaret Clare journeyed from Casa Grande twice a week during the school year 1944-45.  With their help, religious teaching and practices were firmly established by Father McFadden, the foundation and hope of Coolidge Catholics for their own parish and resident priest.  Impetus was given by the incorporation of the town in 1945.  Coolidge was growing; St. James also would grow.  As thousands of previous missions had been planted by missionary Pauls, watered by zealous Apollos, and received nurturing sustenance by the grace of God, so the Priests and Sisters of St. James disposed their vineyards for the life-giving Divine Graces.  In May of 1946 Father Michael McGovern came as assistant pastor to help Father McFadden.  Successively Sisters Georgina Marie, Pauline Mary and Marie Raymundi replaced the first Dominicans from 1945 to 1950.

   To the embryonic Mission needs the parishioners rallied with generous financial aid under each of the three Pastors.  St. James Altar Society (Mrs. Asa Gardner, President for many years) formed by Father Murphy.  Eventually all parishioners, men and women, were incorporated as members.  Dinners, parties, and bazaars contributed the bulk of monies for the upkeep of the Mission Church.  The first bank deposit was made November 30, 1943.  For nearly four years the Catholics of Coolidge self-supported their Mission.  So much is owed to so few!

   By summer of 1947 all was ready for the decree of Bishop Gercke to establish the parish of St. James.  On July 27, 1947, Father John Troy a priest on leave of absence from St. Paul Archdiocese took up residence in Coolidge’s temporary rectory, the home of Mrs. Rose Valerio.  His was the assigned task to build housing and church facilities preparatory to the erection of the new parish.  How well this was accomplished can be seen in a few significant historical dates.  The official decree of erection of Bishop Gercke was given less than six months later, on December 30, 1947.  In March of 1948 the new priests’ residence was open.  Ground was broken on May 8, 1949, for a new church building; the corner stone was blessed December 4, 1949; and on December 8, 1949, the first Mass was offered in the new church by Father Troy.  Thus in two and one-half years under his able leadership and untiring drive St. James became a firmly established parish unit, fully equipped to cope with the progress of Coolidge.  The first adobe church, replaced by the brick semi-Mission style structure, was transformed into a parish hall – with tables, chairs, kitchen and educational and recreational facilities sufficient for many years to come.

   Less than a month later the finger of Divine Providence was placed on this zealous first pastor.  In January 1950, he was stricken by a heart attach.  Frequent efforts to come back to his parish resulted in repeated and greater damage to his overburdened heart.  The good Lord summoned him to judgement of his meritorious priestly life on August 7, 1950 – almost three years to the day since he had become the first pastor of St. James.

   Father Troy was succeeded by a priest on leave of absence from Chicago Archdiocese, Father George Kearney, on February 27, 1950.

   A second tragedy blighted the hopes of the new parish in May 1950.  The crowning of the May Queen on May 14^th was the last official visitation of the Dominican Sisters from Casa Grande.  For six years the Catholic children of Coolidge, numbering well over a hundred, had been blessed by their instructions and example.  God alone can appraise the heritage left in Coolidge by Father Troy and these good Sisters: may the just and merciful Saviour compensate them for their sacrifice and benefactions to the parish.  The incumbent priest and five good ladies of the parish struggle to supply the need of Catholic religious instruction for the young and innocent souls committed to their care.

   On this Day of Dedication of the new St. James Church, December 10, 1950, our hearts are filled with gratitude to our good Bishop Gercke for his foresight and prudence in pastoral ministrations and decisions regarding our parish – to the good priests of the past two decades for their ministries and zealous leadership – to each of the good Sisters and parishioners who have cared for and are now teaching our children – to the loyal and true citizens of Coolidge, not of our Faith, through whose cooperation much of our work has been accomplished.  To each, to all of them we the parishioners of St. James offer our sincere prayers in thanksgiving and appreciation.