The history of St. George's
parish begins in the late 1880s when the El Toro Land and Water Company
donated the land for what would become the first church in the Saddleback
Valley, St. George's Episcopal Church. Through the generosity of both
the Whiting and Keating families, the church was completed in the
summer of 1891. The charming white building, made entirely of redwood,
along with its original furnishings, can be visited at Heritage Hill
in Lake Forest. (The church was moved from its original location at
Whisler Drive and El Toro Road.) Among the items on display is the
original baptismal font, which is a giant shell, and said to have
been brought to St. George's directly from the South Pacific by a
sea captain parishioner.
St. George's mission was originally served by circuit-riding priests
who were also responsible for the growing cities of Anaheim, Tustin,
Santa Ana and Orange. The mission experienced a rough-and-tumble existence
as droughts and torrential rains played havoc with the agricultural
community of the Saddleback Valley during the 1920s and 1930s. At
one point the church was closed for four years and reopened as a result
of a petition brought to the Bishop's attention by a former parishioner,
Dorothy Prothero.
In 1964 with the opening of Leisure World and the development of Mission
Viejo, the mission church of St. George's began to experience a new
influx of families. In 1966 the Reverend Frederick C. Hammond was
appointed by the Bishop of Los Angeles to be Vicar-in-Charge. As the
congregation became self-supporting, Fr. Hammond was called as the
first Rector of the parish. Under his energetic leadership the present
location was obtained and the new church structure was dedicated in
1969. The entire parish participated in the creation of the new structure
by making adobe tiles. They lined the periphery of the original Carlota
building and many are now used in a memorial fountain located at the
north entrance to the campus.
Construction of the new Activity Center began in 2000 and was completed
in late 2001. The center, made possible in part from a generous bequest
of a former parishioner, is now called Bourne Hall. The Hall provides
a fellowship area for 500 people, a new kitchen, youth lounge, music
department, and additional space for St. George's Academy as well
as various community activities. A Columbarium and a labyrinth are
also part of the campus.
The Academy offers grades Pre Kindergarten to the 8th grade in addition
to nursery school and after school child care for more than 200 families.
The school challenges all students with an outstanding curriculum
with small classes. The curriculum includes instruction in foreign
languages, computer, music, art and physical education. Moral formation
and worship are an integral part of the program.
St. George's Mission began as a humble parish tending to the needs
of an agrarian community. Today, St. George's Parish serves the ever-increasing
community from the diverse Saddleback Valley.