Holy Trinity Church, Hayfork, CA
The church in Hayfork was built during the period that Rev. James Gilmartin was pastor in 1908. This church was named Holy Trinity Church. It was built on the original land donated in 1907 to Bishop Grace by the Nicholas Wines family of Hayfork.
The Hayfork church was demolished in February 1937 after a heavy snowfall caved in the roof. For the next 10 - 12 years mass was celebrated occasionally at either the Moore home or the Rourke home.
In 1945 Rev. Patrick Burke of Weaverville began raising money to build a new church. Rev. James J. White, the pastor in 1950, continued the efforts of his predecessor and on May 1st of 1950 construction began. Most of the lumber was provided by the Moore Lumber Mill. Jerry Beard and Dennis Rourke, were among the many volunteers who helped build the church. The new church is 50 feet long, 40 feet wide at the sanctuary, and 25 feet wide at the entrance. It is a wooden structure with stucco finish and a redwood decorated interior, done entirely by Jerry Beard, who was not a Catholic, but his wife, Mary, was a very active member of the parish. It was dedicated in July of 1950 by Rev. Robert J. Armstrong, D.D., bishop of Sacramento, in the presence of a large group of clergy and citizens of Trinity County. Present for the dedication were the Right Reverend William Coen, pastor of Red Bluff, Rev. James Pool of Red Bluff, Rev. Walter Albrecht, pastor of Anderson, Rev. John De Andreis, pastor of Burney, Rev. James Corcoran, pastor of Quincy, Rev. John Farrell of Eureka, and Rev. Patrick McGrath, pastor of Scotia. Following the dedication service, St. Patrick's Altar Society of Weaverville, under direction of Mrs. John Driscoll, gave a lunch at the Gables for the clergy and other guests.
Everett Layne, our Deacon, and his wife, Susan, have been invaluable to our parish and to this Mission Station. Deacon Layne was incardinated in San Francisco at St. Mary's Cathedral on April 20, 1979, by Bishop Francis Quinn. He and Susan lived in San Jose at that time and were active in the Saint Christopher Parish. He was incardinated for our diocese in Sacramento, again by Bishop Francis Quinn. He has been a deacon in our parish since July of 1980.