M is for St. Mary Magdalen Church in Camarillo, California
In my Sky Watch #10 Post I mentioned that I was trying to get inside St. Mary Magdalen Church in Camarillo to see their historic stained glass windows. A few Sundays ago we went to the church grounds to buy some home made Mexican food at a fiesta they were putting on as a fund raiser. While there I was thrilled to see the church doors open and I went inside and was able to finally see and take pictures of these amazing works of art.
Here is an excerpt written in a historical site about the windows.
“The most notable chapel fixtures were its magnificent 13 stained glass windows. These azure, crimson, green, and gold windows tell a double story — one of the life of Christ, the other of a world at war.
While on a trip to Europe, Juan Camarillo selected the windows in Munich, Germany. The year was 1913 and the early rumbles of the continent gathering its strength for conflict were growing with each passing day. Somewhere between the studios of glass-blower F. X. Zettler of Munich and the church on a hilltop in faraway Camarillo, the stained glass windows were lost. Zettler’s name can be seen at the bottom of the windows depicting the Holy Family (east side) and Christ with the children (west side). Despite the best efforts of the Camarillo family through consuls and ambassadors, the windows appeared lost forever. Mrs. Carmen Camarillo Jones recalled that her uncle Juan feared they were at the bottom of the sea. One day a letter arrived from a German official. This official in Munich had been noticing several large crates staked outside a building with Juan’s name on them. He had written Juan several letters and finally one got through at the end of Word War 1. Much to the joy and relief of everyone, the lost windows had been found. However, it was a painfully slow and long trek to Los Angeles, and then on to Camarillo, before they were finally installed in the thick brick and plastered chapel walls in 1919.”
After I had been in the church for about 5 minutes the caretaker came in and closed the doors behind me I figured my time inside was over.
To see more of the outside of this historical church click here.
For more ABC posts on the letter M visit the ABC Blog.
Photobucket is holding my photos hostage from 2007-2015 and replacing them with an ugly black and grey squares demanding money to release them, so frustrating.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
Those are beautiful!!
You can take a lot of pictures in five minutes!
Beautiful, so glad God opened a door for you.
Those stained glass windows are breathtaking beautiful!
Ellen, the story behind the stained glass windows is fascinating. The windows themselves are amazing. Such gorgeous shots. . .
Those windows are truly magnificent! I did not know any of the history of them. I was inside the sanctuary a couple of years ago on a quick tour. I wish I’d spent more time noticing the stained glass.
What a gorgeous church. I have always loved stained glass windows and they way the look with bright sunlight shining through them. Thanks for the great pics.
Hi Ellen
These windows are stunning…. I regular visit old graveyards and churches here in the north west of England… and I am amased at just how many of these great works of art are vandalised and need protection on the outside….. I came across one church that had been empty for a while and found great parts of the views in the window scattered around… it was sickening to see it so.
It is such a pleasure to see then in all their glory…. the craftmanship is something of great interest to me… I will call back and view these in detale later.
Tom
Mine’s Here
These are really beautiful windows – thanks for showing them to us ..
Thank you for that great post…I love churches and stained glass windows…
and I will be thinking of you all in LA…esp near the fires…and pray that they will be under control soon without more loss of life!
Annie
Beautiful windows and what a great story.
Such gorgeous windows! Although not Catholic, I wish our Protestant churches would install such beautiful reminders of why we’re there worshiping! 😀
Wow – the inside of the church is lovely. The stained glass panels are breathtaking – thanks bunches for the tour, Ellen.
Have a great evening! 🙂
We sure don’t see windows and architecture like that around our church!! ( It’s not that we don’t want them.) The story they tell is true to the art!
Wow, Ellen! Great photos, all! Was the sky really that blue?
A marvlellous historical narrative and most beautiful powerful images.
I love these stained glass windows.
What fantastic images they are stunning in every way.
Hi Ellen,
It’s me again… I actually didn’t know there’s April Cornell stores! That shows you the size of town I live in compared to where you are in WA an CA! 😉
The April Cornell quilt is going to be the largest size I have ever made — I hope I am able to meet the challenge.
Have a great night! 🙂
I love stained glass windows in churchs. Thanks so much for sharing, those are beautiful!!
What a nice church! Visiting catholic churches here in the Philippines are also one of the great things I wanted to do.
My M entries are posted here and here. Please drop by if you have time. Thanks a lot!
What a beautiful church! It’s so ironic that whenever I think of Camarillo I think of the mental hospital (I don’t know if it’s still there). This is because, when we were children, my sister’s favorite insult was “You belong in Camarillo.”
very beautiful….!!!!!
That was a good choise for the M. Have a nice day:)
Very beautiful church and you have captued it fantastically in five minutes. I love the pictures of stained glass windows.
My ‘M’ for Mumbai Machhi-walis
Very beautiful post! I hope dad is better now.
Thank you for showing us around in this beautiful church. The windows are heavenly! I love stained glass windows.
Thanks for visiting.
A beautiful building and you captured it very well 🙂
Nicely done pictures.
Thank you for sharing your images of this beautiful church and stained glass windows with us. What a trek those windows had!
Those windows must have had some divine protection in having survived the war and finally reaching Camarillo.
Very beautiful. Thanks for seizing the moment to go in and capture them. I also posted stained glass windows from a synagogue, at http://jerusalemhillsdailyphoto.blogspot.com/search/label/Chagall.
Shalom to you and prayers for your father’s recovery.
Those stained glass windows are so pretty.
Imagine the work that they used to put into buildings!
A perfect M.
Wow! Amazing windows.
What a journey those windows had before finally arriving at the church.
Beautiful stained glass and wonderful photos.
Thank you for sharing.
Bear((( )))
This was such a great look inside the church. I remembered some of your outside shots which made it even more fun to be taken in for these beautiful photographs.
I love old churches…the windows and architecture is beautiful!
What a beautiful church. The architecture is beautiful.
Beautiful church. It is hard to get really good pictures in a church without a great camera. These are awesome photos. I feel like I was walking through it.
Well worth a visit inside.
I hope your Dad is recovering and doesn’t suffer too much pain.
Stunningly beautiful. Thank you for sharing 🙂
absolutely gorgeous!!
and you didn’t even have to go to sunrise Mass to get in!! 🙂
Such beautiful stained glass windows. I’m glad you were able to get in and photograph them.
Nice choice for the letter M.
What beautiful windows……
Old churches are so photogenic. You were very lucky to get inside to take pictures of the windows. I invite you to come see my “Margy’s Mouse Mechanism”. — Margy
I love the history of these places. I want to be there right this second and you bring me there.
You can take me around the world with this blog.
thanks
Joy
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I am part of SMM class of 1970. We are planning a 40 year Reunion… I was hoping you would allow me to post some of your picture and comments on our facebook page: SMMReunion40.
Thank you for your consideration, peace, Lisa