Founded: January 1892
Location: 124 N. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach
San Pedro Region: Deanery 19

In the year 1892 several historical and important events took place, including national, local and religious undertakings of note. Ellis Island opened in New York Harbor, the gateway for immigrants that would number 12 million until its closure in 1954. In Los Angeles oil was discovered and Edward Doheny drilled the first well; by 1900 4 million barrels were produced.

And the new city of Redondo Beach was incorporated, boasting a population of 668 persons. Bishop Francisco Mora dedicated the Dominguez Memorial Chapel in the city that would become St. James Church.

Before the Chapel was built, however, the few Catholics in the neighborhood gathered in the parlor in the home of Dr. Gregorio del Amo for Mass. When possible, priests from St. Vibiana Cathedral had traveled to the coastal town to serve the growing community until a resident pastor was appointed. Father Raphael Forthiar was named the first rector of the parish that had an estimated 100 square miles. Sunday Mass was at 9 a.m. and some 75 parishioners were registered.

The city's past could be traced to the days when Native Americans occupied the area, living off the sea and using the salt flats once prevalent. By 1784 the area of 75,000 acres was granted to Juan Jose Dominguez, a retired Spanish soldier who named it Rancho San Pedro. The Spanish name of "Sausal Redondo" described the round willow grove and eventually became Redondo Beach, known too as a "round" beach. By 1890 the first hotel opened and the beach town became a virtual tourist mecca, opening the first port in the county and served by the Santa Fe Railroad and Big Red Electric Cars.

In the midst of this rapid growth and expansion, Father Forthiar shepherded the chapel for 14 years, followed by Father Raymond Ferrer and Father James O'Callaghan who both recognized the need for a larger church as Redondo Beach's population grew to 3,000.

By 1914, during the pastorate of Msgr. Nicholas Conneally, a stately red brick edifice served as the new church, dedicated to St. James by Bishop John Cantwell. The choice of this saint was significant: The scallop seashell was his symbol for "the quest, the journey" and the nearby sea was the background.

St. James, brother of St. John, was the first apostle to be martyred. According to tradition, his veneration continues with the fervent pilgrimages to his shrine at Compostela, Spain. His feast day is July 25.

St. James School was completed in 1918 when Father James Deenihan was pastor, who also constructed a convent for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and built a mission church in Hermosa Beach (now Our Lady of Guadalupe). Fathers Thomas King and William Stewart served as pastors until 1936 when Msgr. George Donahoe was appointed. He constructed the parish hall in 1937 at a cost of $11,000 and continued at St. James until his death in 1943.

The next pastor, Father William Forde, completely renovated the school, parish hall and redecorated the church. He died in 1952 and Msgr. Daniel Collins succeeded him but discovered that the church was inadequate for the expanding population. It was decided to split St. James into two parishes and he left to found St. Lawrence in South Redondo.

For the next 21 years Msgr. James O'Gorman headed the parish and undertook building the third church for the growing community, dedicated by Cardinal James Francis McIntyre in 1961. The spacious new brick building seated more than 1,000 persons and incorporated the design of scallop shells symbolizing St. James the Greater. Msgr. O'Gorman, a veteran chaplain of two wars, died in 1986 at age 80.

Father Gerald Walker, a native of Iowa, served for 13 years and retired as pastor emeritus in 1990. The school then had 16 classrooms and maintaining the budget was a "challenge," he said. For 10 years he continued ministry at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Irwindale and retired in 1999. Father Timothy Nichols, a native Angeleno, spent 12 years as pastor and in 2002 was appointed pastor of St. John Vianney in Hacienda Heights.

The current (15th) pastor is Father James Kavanagh from County Kerry, Ireland, who is continuing the exhortation of St. James, found in his letter (1: 2): "Esteem it all a joy, my brethren."