A cleanup day and sleepover at the old St. Raymond’s Church along old Route 66 in Amboy, California, is scheduled just before Halloween, on Oct. 27.
The cleanup starts at 10 a.m. that day, a Saturday. Free meals will be served to volunteers.
The sleepover, which dovetails with the upcoming Halloween holiday, is for those who want to test their nerve if ghosts live in the building.
Volunteer cleanup days are fairly common at historic properties along Route 66, but this is an especially unusual situation.
Organizers want the church spick-and-span for a wedding scheduled there May 11.
Prospective volunteers who need more information can call Lisa or Manny at (760) 733-1066/
The mural above the church’s altar was painted by a Marine in 1960 who served with General Patton’s troops when they trained in the area for desert warfare during World War II. The artist’s name has been lost to history.
The mural indicates the church was named after St. Raymond of Pennafort, Patron Saint of Canonists. There are two St. Raymonds in Catholicism, but the Pennafort Raymond is the likely one because of this part of his background is shown on the mural:
Once he went with King James to the Island of Majorca to preach about Jesus. King James was a man of great qualities, but he let himself be ruled by passions. There on the Island, too, he was giving bad example. The Saint commanded him to send the woman away. The King said he would, but he did not keep his promise. So St. Raymond decided to leave the Island. The King declared he would punish any ship captain who brought the Saint back to Barcelona. Putting all his trust in God, Saint Raymond spread his cloak upon the water, tied up one corner of it to a stick for a sail, made the Sign of the Cross, stepped onto the cloak, and sailed along for six hours until he reached Barcelona. This miracle moved the King.
Peter Bradley, an archivist for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino, a couple of years ago provided more information about the church.
— St. Raymond’s Church was dedicated March 8, 1951. The church seated about 100. About 40 Catholic families lived in the region; most of the patriarchs worked on the railroad or nearby salt mines.
— The Catholic parish first was named St. Bridget’s in 1950 but renamed St. Raymond the next year.
— The first priest was the Rev. Patrick Malone, who leased an old house in town as his living quarters and as a temporary chapel. Mass was held daily there, with Sunday services at 6 and 8 a.m.
— Roy Crowl, owner of many properties in Amboy, including the now-iconic Roy’s, donated land for St. Raymond Church. Financial help to build the church came from the Catholic Extension Society in Chicago.
— The Rev. Leo Hanley oversaw the church’s completion. Hanley reportedly was discouraged by challenges facing the parish — mostly financial — but didn’t give up. “I saw those children and their great need. I did not want to renege and let them down,” he said.
— Lack of money dogged the church for years. Hanley returned to Chicago almost annually for fundraising reasons.
— The parish saw a total of 12 priests when the church was open. St. Michael’s Mission in nearby Ludlow, California, also was part of the parish. St. Michael’s also is defunct.
— St. Raymond Church closed Aug. 3, 1970, and the property was returned to Crowl in 1981. Albert Okura, founder of the Juan Pollo restaurant chain in California, now owns the town.
(Image of St. Raymond’s Church in Amboy, California, by Patrick Dirden; image of the St. Raymond’s Church altar mural by jstdadd)