All Saints Episcopal Church

It’s with a sad and heavy heart that today’s walkabout location was the venue for a dear friend’s Celebration of Life memorial. However, our friend was very well connected and extremely involved with the community and I think he would love that I added this stop to my blog.

Located a couple of block south of Ocean Avenue, All Saints Episcopal is adjacent to residential homes, giving the church a very neighborly and welcoming feel. The church campus is quite large and actually stretches on the north end along 9^th street from Dolores to Lincoln. A lovely garden / patio area is directly in front of the chapel and sets the stage perfectly for entering in to the picturesque yet serene church. The stained glass windows and exposed wood buttressed ceiling create an impressive vision when you walk thru the doors.

I decided to do a bit of research on the church since I don’t know that much about it and found great information on the All Saints Carmel website. I’m including the historical information here because…hmm…well… I think it’s interesting: “The first Episcopal Church services in Carmel were held at the Pine Inn in 1910, with an Easter service in the Forest Theater the same year. Regular services began in 1912, and the first church was built on Monte Verde Street in 1913. The chaplain of Stanford University came to celebrate Christmas services in the new church, which now serves as the City Hall of Carmel-by-the-Sea. By 1914, All Saints’ was served by The Rev. A. W. Darwell, who was also responsible for St. James and St. John’s Chapel, Del Monte Ave., Monterey. All Saints’ was separated from the other two and on its own by 1930.

In the 1940′s it became obvious that a larger facility was needed. In 1941 the property on 9th between Dolores and Lincoln (called “White Cedars”) was purchased, but construction was delayed by World War II. When the Rev. Alfred Seccombe became rector in 1946, plans for building the church progressed rapidly. He did not like the original plans for a gothic church and an adjoining half-timbered parish house, but felt that a church more indigenous to Carmel and unique in design would be better. Accordingly, the present church designed by Robert R. Jones was commissioned. Construction proceeded quickly and the first service was held in the parish hall at Christmas of 1950, as the sanctuary was not complete. The new church was formally dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Karl Morgan Block, Bishop of California, on February 4, 1951.”

While the reason for today’s stop was a somber one, I feel fortunate to have been in this church surrounded by both acquaintances and friends that were all coming together to celebrate the life of such a wonderful person.