Frank Dunnigan - San Franciscos St. Cecilia Parish: A History

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2016 by Frank Dunnigan

All rights reserved

Panoramic front cover image is of St. Cecilia Pioneers posing in front of the original church/rectory at 1215 Taraval Street in 1927 on the occasion of the parishs tenth anniversary. Parish Archives.

First published 2016

e-book edition 2016

ISBN 978.1.43965.861.1

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016944046

print edition ISBN 978.1.46713.604.4

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

To my grandmother

Josephine Creem Dunnigan,

as well as to my parents,

Frank and Katherine Dunnigan,

St. Cecilia parishioners from 1937 until 2002

Original artwork by Staci Kavanagh, reproduced with her permission.

Remembering all those who have been a part of St. Cecilia Parish over the past one hundred years:

For where we have been,

For where we are today,

For where we are heading,

Let us give thanks to God.

Corner of 15th and Taraval, 1917, looking down 15th Avenue. Church construction was about to begin at far left. Note that cobblestones outline the eventual route of the Taraval streetcar and that concrete pillars have been installed to support future power lines for streetcar operations that began in February 1918. Parish Archives.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

With joy and gratitude, we celebrate one hundred glorious and gracefilled years in the life of the St. Cecilia Parish family!

As we celebrate, we step back and admire with awe and pride a century of growth in faith, service to the needy, education for the youth and Christlike support for the suffering. All of this forms a magnificent mosaic depicting the incredible history of St. Cecilia Parish. The colorful mosaic portrays happy and joyful experiencesbaptisms, first Holy Communions, graduations, weddings and anniversary celebrations. Then there is the outpouring of charity for the needy and less fortunate. We also see pictured loving support for the sick, the suffering and the dying. Finally, we observe the prayerful remembrance of our deceased relatives and friends. What a marvelous picture of ten decades of bringing Jesus Christ and his church to the Parkside District of San Francisco! Every one of the numerous pieces making up our mosaic represents each one of the thousands of parishioners who have shared in our parish history.

We devoutly express our profound gratitude to the dedicated pastors, associates, Sisters and generous parishioners who have provided this spiritual care and loving support for ten decades.

As we stand back, admiring this glorious centennial mosaic, we offer our heartfelt prayers and gratitude for the countless blessings showered on our parish. We ask Our Blessed Lord to continue to bestow these same blessings on all who will be part of our parish family for the next one hundred years and who will add their own special pieces to the St. Cecilia family mosaic.

Joanne Olivieri photo.

The author is deeply indebted to current pastor Monsignor Michael D. Harriman and also to Monsignor James P. McKay, parish priest from 1956 to 1962 and pastor from 1976 to 1990, for their invaluable assistance in commemorating the many details of community life during their combined forty-plus years of service among the St. Cecilia Parish family.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many individuals, both living and deceased, along with several organizations have contributed to the history, photos and reminiscences included in this book. The author is indebted to each and every one of them for their contributions.

Mary Ahlbach

Tom and Nicole Angsten

Archdiocesan ArchivesSan Francisco

ArchivesSisters of the Holy Names

Ann Basuino

Sue Bunnell

Sarah Cantor

Fran Cavanagh

Anne Bosque Collins

Monsignor Harold E. Collins

Marian Connelly

Jerian Reidy Crosby

Rosie Dominguez

Joan Donohue

Robert Drucker

Dr. Renee Duffey

Virginia Fabi

Sister Michaeline Falvey, SNJM

Eric Fischer

Abigail Fleming

Darin Fong

Claire Mibach Fugate

David Gallagher

Randa Ghnaim

Vivian Gisin

Eric Godtland

Lynn Goldfinger-Abram

Veronica Granucci

Grieg family

Doris Grimley

Yanli and Jorge Guerzon

Paul Haettenschwiller

Annette Hagan

Father Thomas Hamilton

Monsignor Michael D. Harriman

Harrington family

Rene Herrerias

Carolyn Hewes

Bernadette Hooper

Rosie Horan

Robert Hurrell

Mike Huynh

Eugene Ide

Barbara Smith Johnson

Delphine Strehl Johnson

Paul Judge

Staci Kavanagh

Kathy Kays

Chris Keller

Dolores Bosque Kelly-Hons

Thomas Kennedy

Rio Kim

Sister Margaret Kinzie, SNJM

Woody LaBounty

Megan Laddusaw

Mary Landers

Jacqueline Lane

Charley Lavery

John and Marilyn Lee

Luana Letele

Betty Lew

Lynch family

Nancy Mazza

Maureen McCarthy

Will McCullar

Andreliz Bautista McGlade

Terry McHugh

Monsignor James P. McKay

McKeon family

Meagher family

Mibach family

Sister Marilyn Miller, SNJM

Cathy Moura

Sally Mulkerrins

Phil and Helen Murphy

Peggy OBrien

Joanne Olivieri

Sister Kathryn Ondreyco, SNJM

Tom OToole

Kathleen Dougherty Overbey

Paulsen family

Anne Phipps

Patricia Pinnick

Jo Anne Quinn

Tony and Cathy Ribera

Catherine Ring

John Ring

Mary Ellen (MER) Ring

Paul Rosenberg

Bernadette Ruane

Christine Ruck

Cathy Smith Saffel

San Francisco Public Library

Mary Scanlon

Marina Simonian

Roger Smith

Father Patrick Summerhays

Donald Thieler

Lorri Ungaretti

Dennis Urbiztondo

Christine Vega

Nano K. Visser

Fred Walsh

Teri Watters

John and Linda Westerhouse

Ray Williamson

Kitty Wolfinger

Craig Wolfrom

And to all the members of the Centennial Committee!

INTRODUCTION

My own family joined St. Cecilia Parish when my fifty-seven-year-old widowed grandmother, Josephine Dunnigan, along with her two college-age sons (my father and his brother), moved to 21st Avenue and Rivera Street in 1937. Grandma remained a faithful attendee at the 12:15 p.m. Sunday Mass until her passing in 1960 at age eighty.