Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Church

555 Third Avenue
Crockett

During the era of “Sails, Sacks and Rails,” Crockett shipped the produce of California to the world. Dominican fathers from Benicia came to a tiny hall in Crockett to say mass for the faithful.  Soon a church was built, and the first mass was held on Christmas Day 1892.  The Parish of Saint Rose of Lima was established in 1912.

About 1915, that church was moved from Flora and Pomona Streets to the corner of Starr Avenue.  In 1939, the church underwent extensive remodeling and enlargement.  Cooney, a Stockton architect, and Stanley Koller, a local general contractor used the bell tower at the Piazza della Signoria in Florence as inspiration.  The combination of the bell tower rising above the church, and the stairways dropping to the street below was striking.

In 1954, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate replaced the Dominicans as the parish priests.

In 1963, that old wooden church was destroyed by fire.  A new, modern structure was designed by architect Jack Buchter of Lafayette, and built by parishioner Joe Garavaglia.

The beautiful faceted glass window was designed and crafted by Carl Huneke, Century Stained Glass Studio, San Francisco.  That window, The Holy Spirit, was installed in the baptistry in 1967.