Each month, for the Crockett Signal Magazine, I write an article about the history of Crockett and the Carquinez Strait. The story in April is mostly about the priests who have parstored the Catholic Church since the parish was established in 1912. The first mass in the Saint Rose of Lima church was held on Christmas 1892 when it was located on the Valona hill looking down on present day Port Street. In 1908 it was moved to the Starr Street location and became a parish served by Dominican priests from the from the Order of Preachers in Benicia. During the first 100 years the parish has had 18 parish pastors beginning with Father Edward B. Kenney, O.P. to our present day Shepard Father Ciaran Dillon, O.M.I. (Oblates of Mary Immaculate).

Next year in 2012 the Parish will celebrate its 100th birthday. It is my intent to write several more stories about St. Rose and its mission church in Port Costa, St. Patrick adding to the 5 or 6 already written. Visit me at the Crockett Museum and Historical Society on Wednesday or Saturday and share your memories.