HISTORY OF SAINT LUCY PARISH

In 1914 a Mission of Saint Martin Parish of San Jose was established on Third Street in Campbell and dedicated to Saint Lucy. Soon the little Mission Church became inadequate and in 1929 a larger Church was constructed on Rincon Avenue and served as the parish church until 1957. This building now houses the Orchard Community Church of Campbell.

In 1947 Archbishop Mitty established Saint Lucy as a parish and appointed Father Dennis Kennelly as its first pastor. Campbell continued to grow as did the Catholic community. To keep pace with this growth, Father Kennelly purchased several acres of land on Winchester Boulevard and undertook an expansion program. In 1953 a school building was constructed on the new site and the parish school opened that same year staffed by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur with 112 students in grades one, two and three. An unused portion of the building was used for Masses on Sunday to relieve the crowded conditions at the Church on Rincon Avenue.

In 1957 a larger church, seating 600, was built on Winchester Blvd. and the parish moved from Rincon Ave. to this building on August 15, 1957. In the 1960 Father Lally replaced Father Kennelly as pastor and he soon realized that, because of the continued growth in Campbell, an even larger church was needed. This new church, seating 1200, twice the size of the former church, was blessed on October 29, 1967 by Archbishop McGucken and continues to serve as the place of worship for Saint Lucy Parish. The former church building was converted to serve as a parish hall and gymnasium for the school.

In 1969 Father Leonard W. Bose succeeded Father Lally and served as Pastor until his retirement in 1990 when Father J. Patrick Browne became Pastor. In 1992 Bishop DuMaine appointed Father Browne rector of Saint Joseph Cathedral in San Jose and Father Terrence Sullivan succeeded him as Pastor.

Over the years Saint Lucy Parish has been noted for its ministry to the people of Campbell, especially in the areas of music in worship and the Christian formation of children and adults. Its many programs involve members through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, outreach to the poor, ministry to the sick and those grieving the death of a loved one, and the formation of its members through the parish school and catechetical programs for children, youth and adults. It also assists the engaged prepare for the vocation of marriage, and parents of newborn children fulfill their role of educating their children in the practice of their faith.

Saint Lucy Parish will continue to minister to the people of Campbell as it fulfills its Mission Statement:

We, the community of Saint Lucy Parish, joined together by faith in Jesus Christ and the Roman Catholic Church, are committed to help each other grow in the understanding of our faith, celebrate this faith in Liturgy, and live it out by using the gifts of each person in the service of others, especially those most in need.