Founded: July 1, 1969
Location: 2475 Borchard Road, Newbury Park
Santa Barbara Region: Deanery 4
A new saint canonized and a new parish in her name established --- one week apart, on two continents.
In Rome on June 22, 1969, Pope Paul VI raised the daughter of French peasant farmers to the hallowed ranks of church homage: St. Julie Billiart. "The congregation founded by St. Julie," said the pope, "is an evangelic phenomenon…of the highest spirituality, lived with austere and simple ascetic manners."
The following week --- on July 1 in Newbury Park in the Conejo Valley --- the Archdiocese of Los Angeles established a new parish in honor of the saint, founder and first superior-general of the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.
Julie Billiart was born in 1751 in the small village of Cuvilly. Even as a child she showed a remarkable devotion to spiritual things and was held in high esteem for her virtue and piety.
At age 22, Julie suffered a paralysis of her legs that rendered her incapable of walking for 23 years. However, her spiritual life drew others to follow her, especially Francoise Blin who became one of the first Sisters, known as Mother St. Joseph, and helped St. Julie in founding the community in 1803. The following year Mother Julie was cured of her paralysis and, before she died in 1816, founded 15 convents and made 120 journeys in her zeal for education of the poor, the illiterate and the spiritually deprived.
Today the community ministers on five continents, living out the spiritual vision of the foundress in educating children, adults and working with the poor. St. Julie, whose feast day is May 13, is often remembered by her favorite quotes: "Oh, how good is the good God," and, "You will not doubt this: friendship in God lasts forever."
For many years, the wide expanse of Ventura County that would be served by St. Julie Billiart parish was covered with large cattle and horse ranches. The name of the area originated around 1874 when Egbert Starr and Frances Newbury purchased more than 2,000 acres to raise sheep, and --- with only the stagecoach for mail --- petitioned for a post office box. The duo left the area during a severe drought in 1877, but the Newbury Park P.O. box survived.
The first Mass at St. Julie Billiart parish was celebrated in Manzanita School on July 13, 1969, with its founding pastor: Father Robert Walsh, a native of County Sligo, Ireland, ordained from St. John's Seminary in 1946. In his first two years at St. Julie's the all-purpose parish hall was completed and dedicated May 16, 1971. The frame and stucco building seated some 700 persons and included classrooms for CCD, kitchen, sacristy and storage areas.
Father Walsh served until 1973, when he was named pastor at Holy Angels, Arcadia, where he served for 16 years and was named a monsignor; he died in 2005.
For 23 years another Irish native headed the Newbury Park parish: Father Patrick Meskill of County Kerry, one of three priest brothers, ordained in 1953 at St. Patrick's College, Thurles. St. Julie's was his first pastorate after four associate appointments, and serving as Newman chaplain for 10 years at Pierce Community College in Woodland Hills.
Parish membership was then 1,500 families, up from 570 in 1969, when Father Meskill spearheaded the campaign for a new church and led ground-breaking ceremonies in 1985. The new church --- a $1.5 million structure including a 50-seat chapel with a main sanctuary for 730 persons --- was completed in 1986 and a tapestry of St. Julie Billiart was hung in the sanctuary in her honor. Father Meskill retired as pastor emeritus in 1996 and resides in Newbury Park.
The current pastor, Msgr. Michael Bunny, is a native Angeleno, born in 1939. He attended Nativity School, L.A., and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Downey, and was ordained from St. John's in 1965. Msgr. Bunny served previously as pastor of Nativity, L.A., and St. Rose of Lima, Simi Valley. Named a monsignor in 1992, he has also served as president of the Senate of Priests and dean of Deanery 4.
The parish, now serving more than 1,700 families in the ever-growing West Conejo Valley, can find inspiration in its patron saint's words: "Never let the peace of your heart be disturbed by anything in the world." |