The Present Church - 1929

Though a new church building and a new location had been considered by several pastors since the early 20's, it was the 1925 earthquake that brought the present church into being.  The massive earthquake destroyed or damaged 6,000 buildings in Santa Barbara, including the church of Our Lady of Sorrows on the corner of State and Figueroa streets.

Father John C. Grisez, S.J., who had been appointed Pastor in March 1925, just three months before the earthquake, had no idea of the tasks which he would be called upon to undertake.  It would fall to him to oversee the acquisition of new property and the construction of the Church and a new school building for Dolores School, all the while carrying on normal parish and school activities from temporary quarters. 

The beauty of Our Lady of Sorrows and Dolores School (now Notre Dame School), and the contributions made by the parishioners to the building of the Church, are a testament to his extraordinary abilities as both pastor and an administrator. 

Interim Church

While plans were made for a new church building, St. Aloysius Hall on Figueroa Street was used as a temporary church, with the altar from the rectory chapel placed in it.  In December 1926, the new Dolores School at Micheltorena was virtually completed, and its spacious new auditorium became the temporary parish church. 

Earthquake-Proof

Because the earthquake had destroyed the old church, the new church was designed to be particularly resilient to temblors.  Its steel frame was unique in Santa Barbara at the time it was constructed.  The architect, Edward A. Eames of San Francisco (who had designed several Roman Catholic Churches in the Bay area), utilized a heavy steel beam construction to meet the possible emergencies of earthquake and fire.  The steel beams were covered with a metal lath and a layer of felt and then finished with three coats of stucco.

The church was also designed with double walls to provide insulation, increase the overall strength of the building, and to improve the acoustics.  The construction was light and pliable enabling the church to give in any direction during an earthquake.  In addition to the interlocking steel beams, the foundation of the church was designed to "float" so it could withstand even a magnitude 9.0 earthquake.