St. Mary Magdalen Chapel
The cornerstone of St. Mary Magdalen Chapel in Camarillo, containing the Camarillo family history and other memorabilia, was laid on July 1, 1913. The chapel was dedicated by the Bishop at an impressive ceremony on July 4, 1914, that was attended by most of the townspeople coming in flag-draped cars. Architect Albert C. Martin had been commissioned to design the church along the same lines of a mission-style church that had caught the eye of Juan Camarillo while he was traveling near his father’s birthplace of Mexico City. The church was built in honor of Don Juan Camarillo and his wife, Martina Hernandez. It was named for Juan and Adolfo’s oldest sister, Magdalena. In 1940, four years after the death of Juan, the chapel was given to the Los Angeles Archdiocese to use as a parish church.
Camarillo, Ventura County
Photographer: Andrew SchmidtSt. Mary Magdalen Chapel, Camarillo