EQ25 A CITY TRANSFORMED
SANTA BARBARA CHURCH BELLS RING 11 TIMES FOR THOSE LOST IN THE 1925 EARTHQUAKE
1925 Santa Barbara Earthquake Centennial Interfaith Participants on the steps of The Old Mission Santa Barbara.
By Bonnie Carroll
The 1925 Santa Barbara Earthquake Centennial Interfaith Prayer Service joined together local Santa Barbara residents and a group of church leaders, City of Santa Barbara and State officials, as well as historian Neal Graffy and City of Santa Barbara Poet Laureate George Yatchisin who all participated in the 1925 Santa Barbara Earthquake Centennial Interfaith Prayer Service on the steps of the Old Santa Barbara Mission held in remembrance of the eleven people who perished during the June 29, 1925 earthquake.
Fr. Joe Schwab OFM, President Old Mission Santa Barbara and City of Santa Barbara Historian Neal Graffy
The Standing Together in Times of Crisis at The Old Santa Barbara Mission program brought together members of the EQ25 Alliance Members Steering Committee including Steve Hausz, Chairman, Denis Doordan, Program Chair, Bonnie Carroll, Betsy Green, Joe deLise, John Margolis, Jonathan Smith, Keith Butler, Mary Lou Days, Neal Graffy, Pat Saley, Roman Baratiak, Rick Closson, and an army of committee volunteers.
EQ25 Steering Committee Members Neal Graffy and Steve Hausz Unveiling Commemorative Plaque with names of eleven who passed during 1925 Santa Barbara Earquake
Neal Graffy, Fr. Joe Schwab OFM, President, Old Mission Santa Barbara, and Fr. Dan Lackie OFM, Pastor, St. Barbara Parish at Old Mission Santa Barbara welcomed guests and made introductions to area interfaith church leaders. Touching reflections and remembrances were shared by Ernestine Ygnacio-De Soto, Barbareno Chumash Elder, Rabbi Daniel Brenner, Associate Rabbi, Congregation B’nai B’rith, Thepo Tulku, Santa Barbara Summit for Tibet, Reverend Elizabeth A. Molitors, Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church, Robb Fuesler, Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Wendy Sims Moten, representing Pastor Elbert Sherrod, African American Methodist Church, Frank Leon, Unity Church.
Kristen Sneddon, City of Santa Barbara Council Member presents a Proclamation.
Steve Hausz, Santa Barbara Conservancy assisted in unveiling the dedication plaque and Neal Graffy shared historic background and read the names, with information on the eleven people who perished in the 1925 quake. Kristen Sneddon, Santa Barbara City Council Member presented a proclamation on behalf of Mayor Randy Rowse, City of Santa Barbara, and Gunnar Langenhuizen, Field Representative for State Assembly Member Gregg Hart presented a proclamation on behalf of the State of California. 2025 Poet Laureate George Yatchisin read a beautiful poem “June Ruins Rise,” and John Vale sang You’ll Never Walk Alone.
George Yatchison, 2025 City of Santa Barbara Poet Laureate shares poem “June Ruins Rise”
At exactly three o’clock the Mission bells began to ring and were joined by other churches bells in Santa Barbara, creating a very profound and heartwarming experience. According to Dennis Doordan, EQ25 Program Chair and Historic Landmarks Commission member, “This was a truly genuine Santa Barbara event,” and he indicated the beauty of Old Santa Barbara Mission, surrounded by California natural beauty was ideal for this special remembrance of our city’s history.
Some say it takes a village, but the City of Santa Barbara came together in a place of love during the EQ25 centennial commemoration weekend to not only remember the 1925 Santa Barbara Earthquake victims, but to honor those we lost as well as those who carried on to make our city the resilient community and architecturally acclaimed Spanish Colonial Revival city that it is today.
Following the 1925 quake the first Spanish Colonial structure built was the Santa Barbara County Courthouse
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png)
Council LEED® Silver certification and Sustainable Innovation Award for water conservation programs, the California Nature Art Museum recognized the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians last month at its annual Wilderness Spirit Awards for the outstanding sustainability practices implemented both here at the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center and throughout Chumash Enterprises. We are honored to be recognized for our efforts as we continue this important tradition of environmental stewardship for the Santa Ynez Chumash community.
