Established: 1963
Location: 1720 East Covina Blvd., Covina
San Gabriel Region: Deanery 11

In the 120 cities that comprise the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, some 60 parishes are named for the Blessed Mother while more than 40 honor women saints. Among those is the only one that Cardinal James Francis McIntyre specifically chose as a tribute to Countess Estelle Doheny, who was a great patroness of the Daughters of Charity --- an order co-founded by St. Louise.

That reference is taken from notes of Cardinal Timothy Manning who left brief handwritten references for the source of many parish names. The Tidings of Aug. 9, 1963, further states: "The names given six new parishes link the archdiocese to the Second Ecumenical Council as all six are named for founders of religious congregations.

St. Louise de Marillac (1591-1660), for whom the new Covina parish was named, was a wife and mother. After her husband's death, she and St. Vincent de Paul --- with whom she worked in caring for the sick, poor and neglected --- founded the Sisters of Charity.

For 35 years St. Louise traveled throughout France, establishing sisters in hospitals, orphanages and other institutions so that by the time she died there were 40 houses. Pope Pius XI canonized her in 1934 and Pope John XXIII declared her the Patroness of Social Workers. Her feast day is March 15.

The city of Covina started as a coffee plantation, carved from Rancho La Puente. In 1882, Joseph Swift Phillips acquired 5,500 acres, started fruit orchards and subdivided the town. At the time there were also "coves of vineyards" that inspired the name Covina --- cove plus vine. Eventually the orange and grapefruit trees made the town famous; by 1909 it was the third largest orange producer in the world with the famous slogan, "One mile square and all there." After World War II the citrus industry declined sharply, but the population grew.

Recognizing the spiritual needs of the many new families, Cardinal McIntyre established this Covina parish (and five others from Oxnard to Pomona) in 1963. About 1,000 families gathered to worship at the Echo Sales Warehouse on Arrow Highway with their founding pastor, Father James Walsh. The native of County Sligo had already ministered for 20 years in other archdiocesan parishes when he began this pastorate at age 50, remaining for 21 years.

His first challenge was building a church and school on the former orange grove property. By 1966 a hall was completed that served as church and assembly room. To furnish the hall, parishioners contributed Blue Chip and S&H Green Stamps for the tables and chairs.

By 1973 plans were already underway for a new church to seat 900; two years later Cardinal Manning dedicated the imposing structure on Covina Boulevard that won national recognition for its distinctive architecture. In 1983 Father Walsh was named a monsignor, just a year before his death in March 1984 at age 72.

Three months later, Father Robert Thomas Pierce was named pastor. At 56, the Pasadena native had already served 30 years in the archdiocese at five parishes and pastor for 11 years at Nativity, El Monte. During his 17-year tenure at St. Louise, the parish grew from 1,200 to nearly 4,000 families.

In 1989, he broke ground for a new parish hall, part of the $1.25 million development program in progress. "We have simply outgrown our present facilities," Msgr. Pierce told The Tidings at the time, "and virtually every function has to compromise its normal growth due to lack of space."

Named a monsignor in 1988, he retired in 2001 as pastor emeritus and lived near the parish until his death in 2007 at age 79. A parish statement noted at the time that "Msgr. Pierce had a joy for life and a love for God and the people he served."

For three years Father Christopher Cunningham, a native of Fullerton, headed the parish, having previously been an associate for three years. The present pastor is Father Lawrence Joseph Dowdel, Jr., a native of Lincoln, Ill., and a member of St. John's seminary class of 1991. Named administrator of St. Louise in 2003 and pastor in 2005, he is an accomplished organist who has spent time working in a poor parish on the outskirts of Acapulco, Mexico.

Very much in the spirit of the parish patroness who said: "Wherever we may be, God is with us. So we must be always joyful."