St. Paul of the Shipwreck History

St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church, San Francisco by Charles J. Vella, PhD, 2020

In 1914 the Maltese community in and around San Francisco welcomed a Maltese Franciscan priest, Father Andrew Azzopardi, OFM, to work here on a permanent basis. Fr. Andrew was born in Zebbug, Malta on February 9, 1870. After his ordination in 1895 he distinguished himself among the Maltese migrants in Egypt from that year until 1909. Sometime thereafter he was sent to the United States and to California. Soon after his appointment to serve the Maltese community in San Francisco, Fr. Andrew founded the ethnic parish of St. Paul of the Shipwreck.

In 1915, Archbishop Edward Joseph Hanna bought a hall, built in 1874, and gave it to the Maltese to use as their own church. The hall was situated in the Bay View District. Eventually, its pastor, Fr. Andrew also offered his services to other immigrants living in the area, especially to the Italians.

When Fr. Azzopardi retired in November 15, 1919 and returned to Malta, Fr. Theophilus Cachia, OFM, another priest from the Maltese province of the Franciscans, who had been an assistant pastor at Imaculation Conception Church, became pastor at St. Paul's. Fr. Theophilus was born on July 3, 1891 in Sliema, Malta, and was ordained on May 29, 1915. He emigrated from Malta, by way of Naples, Italy on November 24, 1916 and arrived at New York on the ship the Canopic on December 10th. By 1916 he was living in San Francisco. He registered for the WWI draft on June 5, 1917 at 3215 Army St., San Francisco, and listed himself as age 25, and a Franciscan Father, employed at the Italian Church at 3255 Folsom Street. Fr. Theophilus was to serve as pastor of St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church for 34 years, from 1919 to 1953. During this time, he enlarged and remodeled the original frame church building, installing concrete foundations, a stucco front, and a concrete stairway and bulwark. The hall was consecrated in a dedication mass on February 12, 1922 by Archbishop Hanna and was given the official title of St. Paul of the Shipwreck Maltese Church. The parish was situated at 1509 Oakdale Avenue.

In the Fall of 1947, the parish purchased the corner house at 1515 Oakdale and Lane Streets, to serve as a new rectory. Plans were to make the previous residence into parlors and offices, while the garage of the new rectory would be converted into a social and catechism hall. The yard space was converted into vegetable gardens, and in the front garden a terra-cotta shrine, made by Father Luigi Sciocchetti, was erected in honor of Our Lady of Fatima. At the same time, the church was enlarged by knocking down the partition separating the church and the small hall adjacent to it. The seating capacity was thereby boosted from 300 to 450. The total redevelopment plan was completed by December 1948.

On December 23, 1949, Father Novellon Smith, O.F.M., of the Dutch Province, was appointed temporary assistant pastor of this church. He had been residing here in order to pursue studies in the history of Chinese philosophy, prior to his departure for missionary work in China. He left in March 1952. Fr. Theophilus transferred administration of the parish from the San Francisco Archdiocese to the Santa Barbara Franciscan Province. Many in the Maltese community disagreed with this decision. He died on September 24, 1959 and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, CA.

In June 1953, Fr. Theophilus was succeeded as pastor of St. Paul of the Shipwreck by Father Benvenute Bavero, OFM. Father Benvenute was born in North Hollywood on January 1, 1919. His parents named him Michael and he had nine siblings. His family church was the Church of St. Charles. He graduated from Bakmann Grammar School and in September 1932 entered St. Anthony's Seminary in Santa Barbara and graduated in June 1938. He received his B.A. degree at Mission San Louis Rey College in June 1941. From July 1941 until March 1945 he studied theology at Mission Santa Barbara. He was ordained a priest on June 11, 1944 by Bishop Joseph T. McGucken, and celebrated his first Mass in his parents? parish, at St. Joseph's Church in Los Angeles. On March 8, 1945, Fr. Benvenute was assigned as assistant pastor of St. Paul of the Shipwreck and soon became more popularly known as "Father Benny." In May 1950, he was requested by the Very Reverend Father Provincial to go to Assisi, to guide pilgrims and hear confessions during the Holy Year. He returned at the end of November the same year. Father Benvenute Calleja O.F.M., of the Franciscan Province of Malta, arrived here on January 14, 1952. He served as assistant pastor until summer, 1955. In 1956, Father Augustine Portelli, O.F.M., of the Franciscan Province of Malta, became the new assistant pastor for the next 2 years. Fr. Benny was appointed pastor of St. Paul of the Shipwreck in June 22,1953. During the years that followed he provided the parish with a school staffed by Maltese Franciscan Sisters and a new convent, church, rectory and auditorium-gym. In 1955, the beloved Fr. Benny purchased the condemned buildings and surrounding property of Bret Harte Public School, also known as the Potato School, for $1. The school name reflected a building without wood floors, and a yard primarily comprised of a vegetable garden. The expense of renovating and repairing the property was astronomical, but parishioners gave their time to fund raising commitments and worked around the clock to make Fr. Benny?s vision of a church and school a reality

In 1955, the Franciscan Sisters of Charity of Malta accepted the pastor?s invitation to establish a foundation in America and staff the school. So, on August 11, 1956 seven Sisters arrived here: Mother Olympia and Sisters Lidwina, Gervasia, Lucilla, Stefana, Imeldina and Danielina. They resided at Mount Saint Joseph's until their new convent was ready on March 23, 1957. Dedication of the convent was held the following day, with the Rt. Rev. Monsignor Maher officiating. On October 14, 1956, the new school was dedicated by His Excellency, Most Rev. Merlin Guilfoyle, Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco. St. Paul of the Shipwreck School was opened in October 1956. On October 5, 1957, the teaching staff was completed when Sisters Dosita and Armanda arrived from Malta. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new church were held on July 24, 1960, and the new hall and auditorium were dedicated on March 2, 1962. Fr. Benny's great legacy of ministering to young people through education and outreach has been lovingly brought forward and nourished by the valiant and often sacrificial efforts of succeeding pastors and the hard work and support of a dedicated and faithful laity.

Other Franciscan assistant pastors included: Father Mathias Curtin O.F.M. (1956-1959), Father Epiphanius Lewis, O.F.M., (1958), Father Lorenzo di Virgilio, O.F.M., (1959-1961), Father Urban Ha'big, O.F.M., (1959; he was the religious superior of this Franciscan group), and Father Bertram Van Slyke, O.F.M., (1960), and Father V?torin dl Alessandro, O.F.M., (1961).

Fr. Urban, who celebrated his 50th Jubilee as a priest in 1961, was elderly and very hard of hearing. On one occasion I was next in line for the confessional and a very attractive young lady had entered it to do her confession with Fr. Urban. Suddenly I and half the church heard Fr. Urban say very loudly ?You did what??. I went and sat down, deciding to wait for another less deaf confessor!

Fr. Benny took a sabbatical from his pastoral duties in 1983 and then retired. He was then assigned as a Confessor in St. John's Lateran Church in Rome, Italy. In 1988, Fr. Benny was assigned as Associate Pastor, St. Barbara's Parish (Old Mission Santa Barbara). He celebrated his Golden Jubilee as a Franciscan on March 10, 1990 at St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church. Fr. Benvenute died on October 12, 2007 and is buried at the Old Mission in Santa Barbara. Both Fr. Theophilus and Fr. Benny dedicated their lives to the spiritual care of the Maltese community of the Bay View of San Francisco. I hope that this little historical portrait gives a small tribute of these two true Franciscans.

My thanks to Fred Aquilina for providing data from the 1962 historical booklet "Saint Paul of the Shipwreck"