CAMARILLO : New Church Sanctuary Is Dedicated

Hundreds of fancily dressed churchgoers crowded a hot, dusty courtyard in front of Camarillo’s Padre Serra Catholic Church on Saturday to witness the dedication of the new $5-million sanctuary.

They did not seem to notice the electrician still working on the wiring for the sprawling, 16,300-square-foot building, which sits atop a hill overlooking the city.

Nor did they seem to notice that no one had planted greenery in the terra-cotta pots outside the salmon-colored, mission-style church. Nor that the parking lot was dusty and littered with remnants of a yearlong construction project.

None of that mattered Saturday, because the parishioners finally had their church. They cheered and applauded when Father Liam Kidney unlocked the church’s shiny wooden doors and Cardinal Roger M. Mahoney of Los Angeles led the smiling audience inside.

Camarillo resident Laura Purcell struggled to find words to express her excitement.

“I was just telling Father Kidney this morning I didn’t know my vocabulary was so limited. All I could say was ‘cool’ and ‘awesome,’ ” she said. “It’s wonderful.”

For seven years, Padre Serra’s parishioners, mostly residents of eastern Camarillo and the Santa Rosa Valley, dreamed of having their own place to worship. For a long time, Mass was celebrated in a room at St. John’s Seminary, located virtually next door to new church site.

But as the parish’s membership swelled to more than 5,000, they knew they needed their own building.

“It is nice to have our own place now,” said Lisa Brant, who joined the parish three years ago with her husband, Jim.

Wearing identical white shirts they bought at a fund-raiser for the building, the young couple said they hope to christen their first child--due in September--there this fall.

Other parish members are eager to hold events in the bright new structure, too.

“People are joking, ‘Who is going to have the first wedding? Who is going to have the first funeral? The first baptism?’ ” Purcell said.

The Upland Road church has a main worship hall with seating around a central altar. It has connecting classrooms, offices, chapel, courtyard and 75-foot bell tower. Plans are in the works for a school and biblical garden.

Church architect David Martin--whose grandfather designed Camarillo’s other Catholic church, St. Mary Magdalen--said the functional, non-traditional design caters to a new generation of churchgoers.

Ventura County Supervisor Maggie Kildee, who spoke briefly before the dedication, said the new church will very likely become a community landmark since its pink bell tower can be seen for miles.

“The church on the hill in Camarillo will forever be a welcoming landmark for people coming to Ventura County,” Kildee said.