Saint Raymond's Church

Saint Raymond's Church. . , First named for Saint Bridget when it was founded in 1950 by the Diocese of San Diego, the parish at Amboy was renamed Saint Raymond's a year later. Founding pastor Father Patrick Malone leased a house here in Amboy for use as a rectory and temporary chapel. Daily masses were said, and Sunday masses were at six and eight in the morning. , It wasn't long before Father Malone received the donation of this parcel from Roy Cowl, who owned many properties in Amboy (including Roy's Cafe across the highway). In March of 1950 Bishop Charles Buddy of the Diocese of San Diego visited Amboy, and informed Father Malone that the Catholic Extension Society in Chicago would provide funds for the construction of a church. Construction of the church began under the watch of the second pastor of Saint Raymond's parish, Father Joseph Stadler. The new church was to be built of cinder block and would seat over 100 people to accommodate the estimated forty Catholic families in the parish. It was the third pastor, Father Leo Hanley, who completed the church. Coming from Chicago, Father Hanley was discouraged at the first sight of his new parish and church. However, after saying his first Mass at Amboy he remarked, “I saw those children and their great need. I did not want to renege and let them down.” , Mrs. Frances Staple, the Catholic wife of the superintendent of the local salt mine, was a key leader in the parish who assisted Father Hanley. With the help of the parishioners (many of whom worked at the salt mine and for the railroad), Father Hanley completed the church. The house to the west of the church was the rectory; the rock garden between the two buildings harbored a statue of the Madonna. On March 8, 1951 Bishop Buddy dedicated the church and confirmed the first group of young people. , However, even with the help of both parishioners and non-parishioners, lack of money to run the parish was a continual problem. Father Hanley returned to Chicago during the summer to raise money for Saint Raymond's from among his friends and supporters. Over the next fifteen years there would be nine more pastors at Saint Raymond's. The parish also oversaw Saint Michael's Mission at Ludlow for ten years. The last pastor at Saint Raymond's was Father Adalbert Kowalski. Due to the decrease in population in the region, the parish closed on August 3, 1970. The property on which the church stands was returned to the original owner in 1981. , Plaque dedicated January 15, 2022 (Clampyear 6027) by the Society of Vituscan Missionaries of the Billy Holcomb Chapter of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus in cooperation with Amboy and the Okura family.