Address: 7th and C Streets, Marysville, CA 95901
Website: https://www.stjoseph-marysville.org/index.html
Overview
The 100-foot steeple of one of the most important churches in the Diocese of Sacramento can be seen for miles from Marysville (named after Mary Murphy Covillaud , a Donner party survivor – not the Blessed Mother, the spouse of the patron St. Joseph). The original Cathedral for what would become the Diocese of Sacramento was built in 1855; and refurbished, most recently in 2020. The neo-Gothic style building houses special German stained glass windows, traditional statues and an antique organ. The ecclesiastical importance of the church (once a Cathedral, see more below) has been one motivation for the maintenance of the historic structure; but more importantly, has been its impact on the lives of generations of parishioners over the past 169 years.
Special things to see in the Church
• There are 15 stained glass windows in the church made by the Munich firm of Franz Xavier (F.X.) Zettler and installed in August 1899. Zettler’s firm perfected the “Munich Style” of stained glass and the firm was designated as the “Royal Bavarian Art Institute for Stained Glass” in 1882 . The donor names, and subjects of the windows reflect the German and Irish heritage of the early parishioners. The windows were refurbished and protected with new outer coverings in 2020 with brass plaques below each window highlighting the donors.
• An historic pipe organ in the choir loft was built by J.G. Moulton in England and installed in Marysville in 1876. This organ was restored in 2001. The unique piece has decorative spires as one could imagine ornamented the original church altar. The 19 visible pipes are embellished with cross markings and a painting of a while lily on the center pipe.
• Traditionally-styled statues of the patron St. Joseph, the Blessed Mother and St. Anthony of Padua grace the church. In the place of the south side-altar is an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe – a certified replica version of the original tilma-likeness now hanging in the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
• Painted Stations of the Cross are highlighted with wide wood frames topped by handmade crosses. The expressions on the oil images in muted colors illustrate the anguish of Jesus and those around Him on the Via Dolorosa.
Interesting Facts About the Church
The church was the Cathedral for the Vicariate of Marysville (1860-1868), then the Cathedral for the Diocese of Grass Valley from 1868-1886. On September 23, 1860, the Vicariate (provisional diocese) of Marysville was designated by Pope Pius IX with a large territory from the 39th parallel (approximately at Grass Valley, a city northeast of Sacramento) north to the Oregon border and from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains. This vast division covered all of northern California, northern Nevada and part of Utah. Father Eugene O’Connell was consecrated Bishop of the Vicariate on February 3, 1861. As Bishop O’Connell grew the presence of the church to fifteen parishes in the Vicariate, the region was elevated to the Diocese of Grass Valley in 1868; however, Bishop O’Connell retained the cathedra in Marysville. During his episcopacy, Bishop O’Connell appointed Father Patrick Manogue as the founding pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Virginia City, NV. Father Manogue later became coadjutor Bishop of Grass Valley in 1881, and then the first Bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento in 1886 (and built the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento in 1889) .
