Every California school child can tell of the discovery of gold in 1849, which brought not only miners, but also settlers to the “Golden State.” One of those early American settlers was an Episcopal priest – the Rev. C.F. Loop – who arrived via ox team from the Diocese of Pennsylvania to settle in Santa Clara County. In 1863, the Rev. Loop was anticipating a move to Los Angeles, when he got a different call: A small city just over the mountains, at the northern tip of Monterey Bay, was in need of a priest.

Episcopal services were relative latecomers to the religious scene in Santa Cruz. The first service was held in the courtroom in May, 1862, and only three people received the sacrament! By the time the Rev. Loop arrived in July of 1863, however, the tiny congregation had grown, and a movement was afoot to build Santa Cruz’s first Episcopal parish. On Easter Monday, 1864, a small group of Episcopalians met and declared their intent to establish a Protestant Episcopal Church in Santa Cruz under the auspices of the PECUSA and the Diocese of California. Calvary was chosen as the name of the new parish, for its close association with the meaning of Santa Cruz (“Holy Cross”).

In April, 1864, the newly formed Vestry appointed Joseph Boston to prepare the Articles of Incorporation for the church and proceeded to form a building committee. On June 29, 1864, a cornerstone containing various items of interest (including a Bible, a Prayer Book, newspapers, and currency) was laid on property donated by Joseph’s wife Eliza at the intersection of Lincoln and Center Streets. Joseph Boston is generally believed to be responsible for the design of the church building, which is said to be an exact replica of a church in Lancashire, England (though some say it may actually be a reproduction of a church in Pennsylvania).

The task of raising the monies needed to build a church was riddled with the usual emotions and anecdotes that arise during fund-raising activities. One man – nominally an Episcopalian – upon hearing the prayer offered for the “President of the United States and all others in authority” took “others in authority” to mean the President of the Confederacy and refused to give toward a church praying for Jefferson Davis! Another who had given money took offense at the emblems in the windows and the external crosses, and made further giving conditional upon “breaking out of them images and the knocking of them crosses!” As the proverb goes, wherever two or three Episcopalians gather, you'll find at least five different opinions! Despite the predictable hitches, however, the church building continued to grow apace…windows and crosses intact!

Area Episcopalians were eager to begin worshipping in a building “free from secular uses,” and services actually began in the yet-unfinished church in January of 1865. The first regular service in the finished building, however, was marked by sorrow. Easter Sunday, April 16, 1865, should have been an especially joyous day for parishioners as they prepared to celebrate Christ's resurrection in their beautiful new church building. Then the news arrived -- President Lincoln had been assassinated. The customary floral decorations were omitted, and emblems of mourning were hung in the chancel. On April 19, the Rev. Loop held a special service in honor of the slain president. Accounts in the church records say he was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln, and his address to the congregation was so eloquent that the City Fathers of Santa Cruz asked him to repeat it publicly the following week.

The Rev. Loop left Calvary in 1868 for his long-delayed move to Southern California, where he is said to have become one of the first orange growers in the Pomona Valley. He left behind a thriving parish, well-prepared to take on the task of serving the community of Santa Cruz.

During its first 100 years, Calvary Church had 12 rectors, and continued to grow and reach out, not only to the city of Santa Cruz, but to Episcopalians in the surrounding area. The clergy and laity at Calvary were largely responsible for creating and sustaining missionary work in the outlying areas of Santa Cruz County, especially in helping to establish the present Episcopal churches at Ben Lomond (St. Andrew's) and Capitola (St. John the Baptist). Additional buildings have been added to the original campus, including the parish hall (1923), the church school building (1954), and the library/office building (1960). The devastating Loma Prieta earthquake of October, 1989, which demolished much of downtown Santa Cruz and knocked the steeple off nearby Holy Cross Church, miraculously left Calvary’s beautiful Victorian church building untouched.

As we move into the 21st century, Calvary continues to reach out to and minister to the community of Santa Cruz, just as that handful of Episcopalians hoped in 1864. Our story is just beginning, and we invite you to come be a part of it as we prepare to write the next chapter.

A complete history of Calvary Episcopal Church, by Ian McPhail, is available in the central Santa Cruz Public Library. Many thanks to Carol Walker for compiling the information used in the writing of this article.