ST. JOSEPH'S CATHEDRAL, SAN DIEGO, CA

I am kind of shocked that I have not had any post on St. Joseph's Cathedral located in San Diego, CA. Shocked because any time we went down to San Diego, Dad would always take us down to St. Joseph's.  I know for sure there is at least one photo of me, Tom, and Joe standing in front of the cathedral.  

This might be 1968.

There might be more than that.  I recall, too, how we may have scored some donuts one morning if we helped out with the mass at all.  That is one thing that Dad always taught us--was to help out. Volunteer.  Not because of what we might earn from it, but for the sake of participation.  

I loved the steps of this church.  It was up on a hill, where virtue should be.  The last time I was there was probably 2004.  It was summer.  The lights were dimmed to keep the church cool and to save on electricity. And in that cool, dimmed environment, I lit a votive candle for Dad.  He loved this church from his days of being on leave from the Marines perhaps.  Not sure.  But I am sure that when he was on leave that he spent a little time in San Diego.  And just as he stopped off at the Plaza Church in Downtown LA near Olvera Street after stepping off the train up from San Diego, that he also stopped in here to pray when disembarking from a ship.  

On Wednesday, September 23, Joe wrote that

yeah after WW2 ended dad was stationed at the El Centro Marine base...he would visit this church on his way back to see mom or driving to & from Camp Pendleton til 1947...

The following shot captures the red carpet and the two columns of pews.  It was a straight-forward church design.  I like the arches.   

I love this shot because you can see the stained glassed windows better. 

I think it was 2003 that I took Joanne down to San Diego to the Coronado Hotel to Old Town and the La Pinata restaurant, of which she made little mention, to Presidio Park, but she was no fan of walking, then drove up to Solano Beach to relive those wonderful memories for me.