SAINT FERDINAND’S HISTORY

There are 50 Catholic parishes in the San Fernando Pastoral Region today,
but only one can claim to being the first -
Saint Ferdinand.

 The history of St. Ferdinand parish has its roots in the old Franciscan
 Mission of San Fernando Rey. The Community first grew up around the old mission which was
 officially established in 1797. When the first Southern Pacific locomotive chugged around the
 Sylmar bend in 1876, thirty years after the last Franciscans had left, the villagers built a small
 chapel and had to be content with priests from Los Angeles and San Gabriel. Then in 1902 Bishop
 George Montgomery, Bishop of Monterey and Los Angeles, founded the parish that covered the
 entire San Fernando Valley. Since then, we have survived two World wars, a couple of Asian
 conflicts, several floods and three major earthquakes.

 The life of the parish continued quietly until the early 1920’s. With the conclusion of World War I,
 the Los Angeles area was flooded by one of its periodic waves of immigration. In August of 1922,
 Bishop John J. Cantwell asked the Oblates of Mary Immaculate to take leadership of St. Ferdinand
 Parish. The Oblates are still here!

 In 1925 the old Rectory was built on Coronel Street. The first parish school and accompanying
 convent were erected in 1929. By September of 1929, St. Ferdinand became a completely
 equipped parish with church, school, convent and rectory. The current church building was
 dedicated on June 5, 1949 by Cardinal James Francis McIntyre. The years 1950-1962 saw the
 construction and expansion of the current school plant, rectory, convent and parish hall. After the
 Northridge earthquake in 1994 the hall served as our church until Palm Sunday of 1995.

 St. Ferdinand has been gifted with the services of many Oblates of Mary Immaculate in the past
 years. It is hoped that this beautiful flowering Christian community will continue to grow and be
 an example of love and faith in the San Fernando Valley.