Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Fort Bragg, California

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OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSELCHURCH AT FORT BRAGG Our Lady of Good Counsel church, Fort Bragg, because it still relies to a small extent on outside contributions, is classed as a mission. The Rev. Finbarr O'Callaghan, O.M.Cap., is present pastor. The church, though small, is well furnished, and when the now proposed statue of St. Anthony is installed will have a completely symetrical sanctuary. Father O'Callaghan's main problem at the present time is social life for the children of the parish. Not having a parochial school or hall, it is hard to get the children together socially at regular intervals. However, the Community Club of Fort Bragg has kindly extended the full privileges of its hall, and here rehearsals for entertainments have been held by the children of the parish. Father O'Callaghan, though, is endeavoring to collect funds for the building of the parish's own hall. Traditional services of Our Lady of Good Counsel parish are attended by Catholics and non-Catholics alike. At the Christmas midnight Mass, little tots of the parish bear the Bambino to the Crib, and the congregation joins in the procession. Each Sunday during the month of Our Lady, May, processions are held. The church choir under the direction of a Catholic teacher, sings at the procession services. Benefits form part of the income of the parish. During the year past zealous parish workers raised $177 by food sales, and an interested visitor from Los Angeles organized and trained the Catholic and non-Catholic students of the high school to give an entertainment at the local theatre. The affair netted $85 for the parish. Early in the year a collection of a dime a week from the school children was started to purchase a statue of the Little Flower. With the approach of the saint's feastday, it was seen that the collection was a good deal short of the amount necessary, but through the donation of a devout family of the parish, the statue was obtained and blessed on the morning of the feast of the saint. Through the kindness of the Rev. Doctor Thomas, O.M.Cap., of Burlingame, who donated a candelabra, parishioners' devotion of votive offerings to St. Theresa are satisfied. The slogan of the parish is "Festina Lente," and the outlook for the future of the parish is very bright owing to the coming of the Shoreline Highway, which will bring greater population and greater numbers of tourist visitors to Fort Bragg.