In Carpinteria it is traditional that, on Pentecost Sunday, only one Mass is celebrated. "We have just one Mass for the whole parish to express our unity in diversity," explains Father Berto Blanco, pastor of St. Joseph Church, whose parish bulletin displays on page one the simple message: "A People of God."

The little parish in this seaside community south of Santa Barbara has been working hard at building a collaborative spirit, and becoming a unified parish. It became even more apparent this past month when Father Blanco received word of a death in his family, and quickly left to be with his sister in Mexico.

The parishioners responded "beautifully," he says. Unable to find a priest to take his place for the Monday weekday Mass, the pastoral assistant, Sister for Christian Community Suzanne Dunn, conducted a Communion service in the parish chapel, the old church located near downtown where four Masses and two Communion services are held each week.

"This," says Father Blanco, "is a perfect example of the type of collaboration that we have been trying to put into place over the last four years. By reason of their baptismal calling, everyone is called to minister in the church. One of the results of collaboration is that everyone has a place. We have been trying to build a spirit where we are one community."

Established as a parish in 1933, St. Joseph has many founding parishioners still living in this agricultural town of 14,000, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and green sloping hills dotted with groves and acres of commercially grown bulbs. More than 1,700 families are registered in the parish and 80-100 babies are baptized each year.

Linda Husted, parish business manager and parishioner for 44 years, says that the majority of the parish have Spanish surnames, but most speak English. "I've seen a lot of approaches and different aspects of parish life," says Linda. "The parish has had its struggles, but I wouldn't trade it for any other. It's grown and continues to grow as the Body of Christ. And we may not have all the money in the world, but it's a rich parish."

Parishioners Lucy and Jesus Gonzales remember building the old church now used as a chapel near the ocean. Lucy and Jesus were married in Mexico 67 years ago and very soon after immigrated to the United States, settling in Carpinteria. Jesus helped to build the old church and says about his parish, "I couldn't live without it."

Jennie Sanchez, who came to the U.S. at age 1, is now a very young looking 92 and a parishioner for 71 years. She moved from Santa Barbara to Carpinteria right after she married. Her husband worked in the lemon groves, and Jennie would bake cakes for festivals, raised her children in the parish and sent them to religious education classes.

Wanting her children to attend a school near their home, she enrolled her son in Carpinteria Main School, only to learn later that the school was segregated. "The principal called me in," Jennie recalls, "and said, 'Why did you bring your son to school? Don't you think he would be happier with his own people?' I told the principal, 'He is with his own people. He was born here. He speaks English and we pay taxes.'" All three children went to that school, including her two daughters who later went on to college and became teachers.

Quite a contrast, that experience, to the effort to build one community at St. Joseph Church. "We didn't have problems in the parish," says Jennie's daughter Gloria. Indeed, the parish has always been very important to the Sanchez family.

"It's important because you get to know the people and you get to love the people. The most important thing in life is faith," says Jennie. "Without faith you can't turn to God with all your heart."