On a steamy August night in Los Alamitos, supporters, officials and donors filled a chandelier-adorned tent to witness the celebration of what a former parishioner called “the miracle of St. Isidore.”
The 100th Anniversary Gala included entertainment from Rhythm & Reed (Rey & Daniel Barcelo), The Great Carlos performing magic, tenor Chad Berlinghieri, an invocation from Sister Eymard Flood, music from the Soul Shadows, and a four-course meal served by the Knights of Columbus.
Built in 1926, the Saint Isidore Chapel is the oldest public building in Los Alamitos, constructed when the area was sparsely populated and known as an unincorporated sugar beet town.
This was almost four decades before Los Al was incorporated as a city (March 1, 1960).
Randy Hill, Chairman of the current St. Isidore Board, served as the master of ceremonies for an evening filled with uplifting words, music, fundraising and tributes from local elected officials.
For generations, Hill said the historical church and plaza served as the center of hope and faith for farm workers and others in what was then a farming community.
dnyphoto
“St. Isidore was more than a chapel,” he said, “it was where families gathered to worship, celebrate marriages, baptize their children, and honor their loved ones.
“It served as a Center for faith, fellowship, and community life, creating memories that continue to connect generations of residents,” said Hill.
When the Orange County Diocese of the Catholic Church announced in 1999 that it planned to close St. Isidore and demolish it, a parishioner, Maria Theresa Diaz, and a local mayor, Marilynn Poe, had a different idea and launched a three-decade campaign that has preserved the building and plaza at the intersection of Katella and Reagan.
For these two women, the star-studded night represented both a crowning achievement and the opening salvo of yet another campaign, this one about preservation for future generations.“The reality of this miracle of St. Isidore was the commitment of five people who decided we were going to save this chapel,” said Diaz.
Five people, including herself and Poe, formed the Comité de Amor (Committee of Love). Three of the five, she said, were immigrants from El Salvador, Cuba, and the Philippines, respectively, while the other two were born and raised in Los Alamitos.
In addition to herself and Poe, it was Rebecca Cagle, Jose Borneo and Pedro Breucop, she said.
Together, they took on the Diocese and ultimately, took their campaign to the Holy Father himself. “It was called the Committee of Love,” said Diaz, “because it was love that moved us to make it happen.”
Little by little, she said, a group of parishioners and people from the community and other communities, young and old, joined with us to create this miracle.
Diaz, a former opera singer who moved with her family to Rossmoor from her native Cuba in 1951, said she preferred attending St. Isidore because of the Spanish-language Mass.
“And 14 years later, with the intercession of Pope Francis and the generosity of a great lady, Larissa Martinez, we were buying the property,”
Diaz said after the meeting that she loves to write and was so frustrated during the long battle that she penned a letter to Pope Francis himself. It was a miracle, she said, noting that Pope Francis eventually interceded and told the local Bishop to “let them have it.”
“This was a tremendous victory,” said Diaz. “I want to thank all of the gentle souls who have volunteered their talents and their efforts to make this happen. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Photo by David N. Young
“My heart is about to explode with happiness and love. I have received the love of all of my people here,” she said. “I just cannot tell you in words how happy I am,” said Diaz.
“History teaches us that miracles like ours happen once in a century, but what we have learned through the years is that once we reach a goal and we think we have triumphed, what we actually learn is that it was only the beginning,” she said.
After purchasing the property, Diaz and Poe, now with a board, began to work on entirely new issues.
St. Isidore was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021, and in 2022, the board began a modernization and restoration campaign.
“One thing is the realization of our dreams, and the other is to make that dream last,” said Diaz.
Poe, who was Mayor when the Diocese announced the closure plans in 1999, served 16 years on the Los Alamitos Council but continued the fight for St. Isidore long after her public service career ended.
Photo by David N. Young
“The chapel is a historical jewel of which we are immensely proud,” said Poe, “but like all jewels, it needs to be safe, polished and kept beautiful so it can last another generation.”
“Just like our own homes, repairs and upgrades are a constant thing,” the former mayor said. “We need to make this loving chapel structurally safe,” she said.
“It needs repairing right now; we need to fix the remaining [stained glass] windows, so we are here tonight to spread the word, and we are asking all of you to help us make this old building safe and beautiful in the eyes of our community. This is the only historical site in Los Alamitos,” she said.
“Let us keep working, save and beautify for one more century with your goodwill and generosity,” said Poe.
“We can do this,” she said.
Organizers say in yet another “miracle,” donors on Sat. contributed between $20-25,000, the largest amount ever raised by St. Isidore.