Centennial Book 100 Years
Our parish history book (released in May 2010) notes many locations significant in the life of the congregation. 2811 Claremont Boulevard was the Palache home where our first official organizational meeting took place in 1908. The following Sunday, our first worship service occurred at the Kellogg home at 98 El Camino Real. Of course, there is the church building and parish hall at 2837 Claremont Boulevard.
The first rectory at 2733 Ashby Avenue was purchased in 1937, and the current rectory at 2833 Claremont Boulevard was acquired in 1949. All these addresses! While we can pinpoint specific places where we have met, worshipped, enjoyed fellowship, and engaged in ministry, there are exponentially more locations where the ministry of this congregation has been carried out. For over a hundred years, the faithful of St. Clement’s have left our gatherings and gone out into the community and beyond, to do the work God calls us to do. At shelters, schools, hospitals, homes, workplaces, and wherever our lives have taken us, we have strived to carry out our Christian mission. While we look back and celebrate our first one hundred years, it is exciting to envision where we will be called to God’s service in the future.
I give thanks for the book committee’s dedicated hours and hours of work. Judy Davis, Mary Lou Chapman, Deedee Martin, George Nikolaieff, and Sue Waller have been amazing, as were all of the many researchers and note takers. I look forward to celebrating the history book release party on May 23rd and our continued ministry as we have begun our next one hundred years.
May the power of the Resurrection bring us joy in all that we do in God’s name.
In peace,
Rev. Bruce D. O’Neill, RectorST. CLEMENT’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA
(Image of the Book Cover)
ST. CLEMENT’S CENTENNIAL HISTORY PROJECT COMPLETED!
AT LAST! After 15 months of reading, researching, writing, re-writing, and editing, the centennial history of St. Clement’s is ready to go to the printer! The book will be released at a gala celebration on Sunday, May 23, and it will be offered to parishioners at cost.
St. Clement’s Episcopal Church—The First 100 Years, 1908-2008 chronicles the history of the church, its priests and parishioners, and, as people of faith, their responses to local and world events.
It will answer questions you may never before have thought about—why was our parish named for Saint Clement of Alexandria?—who were the Palaches, after whom the Parish Hall is named and to whom the book is dedicated?—exactly when was the first service held in the church? (an unsolved mystery, actually)—why was the original building, by architect Willis Polk, never intended to be the permanent church building?—how has the church building changed over the years?—what about the stained glass windows?—who were the Rectors, Assistants, Interims, who guided our parish through the years?—what are the backgrounds of our religious education and music programs?—what have we done in Outreach since 1908?—and other questions, of course.
Not only that, but photographs from as early as 1905 will illustrate the various periods of our history.
We, the Centennial History Project Committee, are very excited about this book, and we hope that you will be too.
ST. CLEMENT’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH PUBLISHES CENTENNIAL HISTORY
St. Clement’s Episcopal Church stands on the corner of Russell Street and Claremont Boulevard in Berkeley’s Claremont Court area. It is a small redwood, wood-shingled church, with a steep- pitched roof, reminiscent of an English country church. The interior is finished in natural redwood, with scissor trusses to support the roof. All are design elements typically used by Willis Jefferson Polk, Architect for the 1908-09 church building project. Stained glass windows designed by The Judson Studios of Los Angeles, are perhaps the loveliest feature of the building.
The St. Clement’s Episcopal Church was organized on October 24, 1908, and held its first service in a private home on El Camino real the following day. The handsome community house, Palache Hall, was designed and built by Berkeley architect Benjamin G. McDougall in 1927. It was dedicated in memory of James Palache, whose wife had given the land on which the church and hall were built.
This book chronicles the history of the church, its priests and parishioners, and, as people of faith, their responses to local and world events over the past one hundred years. It was researched and written by members of the St. Clement’s congregation and published by Minuteman Press, Berkeley. It is available for sale at the church and in local book stores.
For more information on purchasing this book, please contact the Church office at 510-843-2678.
Book launch discussed in the May - June issue of The Clarion May - June 2010 (.pdf file)
(Historical Berkeley Church book release covered in The Berkeley Voice in August 13, 2010 issue)
Drop off a Welcome brochure before or after the service (print out)