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Trinity, Escondido
The Church in the Valley
Prepared by Jarvis Nolan, Historiographer
One of the loveliest areas in the county is a hidden valley, 35 miles north of San Diego, so named Escondido. The Episcopal Church was established there in May of 1889, when thirteen members were presented for confirmation to The Rt. Rev. J.H.D. Wingfield. Land was given to Trinity on the corner of Juniper and 3rd Ave. An existing structure was used for worship until a church was built in 1905. On January 23, 1943 Trinity became a parish, a remarkable accomplishment in the middle of the war.
When construction began for the new church in 1964 at 845 Chestnut Street, twenty-two Canary Island Palms were removed to Whispering Palms Golf Course, Del Mar. They can be seen on the western half of the golf course today. Trademarks of Trinity are the three pieces of statuary in the sanctuary, made of vermiculite plaster, designed by James Gray of Escondido. The form of Jesus at the Holy Cross altar is mounted on baseboard wood from the old church. The stone masons who built the stone wall behind the main altar were told, by the rector, The Rev. Luther Oliver Ison, to switch sides every other day so as to not be too attached to their own pattern. Designs did slip through. On the epistle side clearly a person kneeling in prayer and on the gospel side at the top is a daisy. The stained glass windows depict the Stations of the Cross were designed and installed by Judson Studios, Pasadena. The cross on the steeple has a lightening rod which in the event of lightening will go down through the metal cross, through a copper cable to a grounding rod beneath the sacristy. On April 19, 1986 the parish had it first ordination, Raymond Daly, III, PhD, to the permanent deaconate. At the same service ground was broken for the new parish hall.
In 1995 Trinity welcomed The Rev. Margaret Decker as their 26th vicar/rector. In her annual report of that first year, she stated “we will dream many new dreams for Trinity”. When Decker was on maternity leave, the first and only clergy maternity leave in the diocese, it was the parishioners that did most of the preaching. For twenty years they have been part of the Interfaith Community Services rotational shelter program where for 14 days in the middle of winter they house the homeless. Faithful parishioners serve breakfast to the needy every 2nd Tuesday at the ICS center. Martin Green and Ruben Valensuela served as organists/choir directors at Trinity. Both are now at the cathedral Green as Canon for Music, Valensuela, and assistant organist choirmaster. Deacons that have been trained at Trinity are The Rev. Carolyn Richardson, now at St. Bartholomew’s; The Rev. Pat Underkofler, who was ordained deacon at Trinity, now at St. Paul’s Yuma; The Rev. Gwynn Freund, now at All Souls, Point Loma.
Whether it is Brandon Mendenhall’s red tailed boa at the blessing of the animals, Kairos ministry ready to go a week late or the Trinity ToyMakers constructing wooden toys for needy children, Trinity is the place to be. When asked about Trinity, Celena Lopes, a member since 1978, says “when the doors open I am there, I can’t imagine being any place else.”