Welcome to the website of St. Dorothy Catholic Church in Glendora, CA.

On this site there is information about our church and location, our schools and care facility. You will also find our history, and the most important aspect of our life together, the celebration of the sacraments.

We are an active Christian faith community. We are a parish within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Over the years, the parish has been served by religious orders as well as by diocesan priests.

We are equally blessed by a tremendous diversity among our parishioners. We have a large age range from babies and school children to the retired and elderly. As well, ethnic communities bring richness to our parish. We believe that no matter what our age, culture or ethnicity we are brothers and sisters and together form the Body of Christ, the church in this place and time.

History

In 1952, the Catholics in Glendora attended Mass in Azusa at St. Frances of Rome Church. By 1954 , a priest from St. Frances would come to say Mass in a Glendora at the Women's Club on Michigan Avenue, now Glendora Avenue.

In 1955 , Rev. Albert Duggan of St. Francis of Rome saw the need to establish a parish in Glendora. He asked volunteers to ring door bells in different sections of our city to get a final tally of new Catholic families.

Four and a half acres were purchased in 1955 and construction was started on a little chapel. In 1956 two Masses were scheduled, the chapel was still a part of the Azusa Parish. On July 8th, 1958, Bishop Arden Bell officiated at the dedication of the building named "Chapel of Our Lady, Mother of God." The name of the chapel was soon changed to Saint Dorothy, Patroness of Gardeners.

Father William Trower was the first Pastor of St. Dorothy Church. The church was filled to capacity each Sunday, and people were standing out in the street, just a poorly paved country road at the time. The two Masses were gradually increased to eight, and we were still crowded, even after five hundred families were incorporated in the new parish of Saint Louise de Marillac in Covina.

In 1960 Saint Dorothy School was built staffed by the Benedictine Sisters. By the year 1963 the parish had experienced such a tremendous growth that it became necessary to hold nine Masses to accommodate the overflow crowd.

In 1964, the Archdiocese approved construction of the present church. The first Mass was said on Christmas Eve of that year. The church struggled with makeshift items until 1967. Burdened by the tremendous load of organizing and carrying out the administration of the parish for about twenty year, Father Trower decided to take retirement at the end of 1977. He was succeeded by Father John Acton.

Under Father Acton's direction the renewal of the Liturgy as managed by Vatican II was initiated. With the removal of the altar rail, the alteration of the Church had begun which resulted in the construction of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

In 1982 Monsignor John Acton decided to construct a building more in keeping with the increasing needs of the parish. In honor of a parish benefactor, the structure was named the Anyta Doyle Building.

In 1993 Perpetual Adoration began in the parish, in a small room of the Anyta Doyle Building. The chapel included a tabernacle made by Warren Bowen, a parishioner, and housed the Blessed Sacrament for Adoration.

In 2000 began the construction of the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel. Msgr. Michael Meyers became our Pastor and Msgr. John Acton began his retirement. Saint Dorothy Church has continued to grow with the donated generosity of all it's parishioners.