The Little Red Church in Downtown Santa Cruz
Calvary Episcopal Church stands at 532 Center Street in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz, known around town as the Little Red Church across from the Nickelodeon Theatre. The parish occupies the oldest building in Santa Cruz County still being used for its original purpose, with more than 160 years of continuous Episcopal worship. The cornerstone was laid in 1864, the first service in the unfinished building was held on January 8, 1865, and the church was solemnly consecrated on October 27, 1867, by the Rt. Rev. William Ingraham Kip, Bishop of California, after the founding debt of $675 was paid in full.
The welcome at Calvary is part of the parish's identity. Members honor their baptismal covenant to respect the dignity of every human being and mean it: the parish celebrates diversity and intentionally makes room at God's table for "young or old, rich or poor; married, partnered, or single; housed or homeless; gay, straight, trans, or questioning; native, documented, or undocumented." Tourists mapping out historical landmarks stop by because the building is a Santa Cruz landmark, University of California Santa Cruz students are drawn to the calm of the sanctuary, and unhoused neighbors are as likely to be greeted on a Sunday morning as visiting scholars. The parish describes its culture bluntly: "We don't stop at welcome. We cultivate relationships, embrace involvement and invite participation. We widen our circle for any and all."
Eliza Boston, an 1864 Cornerstone, and Clear-Heart Redwood
Calvary's story begins with Eliza Boston, a local woman whose endowment made the construction of the church possible. The first Episcopal service in Santa Cruz was held on May 11, 1862, by the Rev. Dr. Ver Mehr, and the Rev. C.F. Loop, a missionary appointed by the Board of Missions Domestic in New York City, arrived in town on July 5, 1863, and began holding regular services in the courthouse. A year later, on Easter Monday, March 28, 1864, Calvary Parish was formally organized and the Rev. C.F. Loop was elected Rector. The cornerstone of the new edifice was laid on St. Peter's Day, June 29, 1864, by the Rector, assisted by the Rev. D.D. Chapin of San Jose and the Rev. Mr. Easton of San Mateo.
The building itself reflects the country in which it was raised. The structure was fashioned from locally grown clear-heart redwood, including the pews, which remain in place. The stained glass windows, shipped around Cape Horn by sailing ship from New York in 1880, still grace the altar, and the aisle is flanked by the original working gaslights. During its first century, Calvary's clergy and laity were largely responsible for creating and sustaining Episcopal missionary work in the surrounding areas of Santa Cruz County, helping to establish what became the Episcopal churches at Ben Lomond, Aptos, and Scotts Valley. The parish has continued that outward orientation in more recent years, helping to organize the Faith Community Shelter, a rotating shelter program that has since expanded to other churches in Santa Cruz and Aptos.
Parish playwright Dana Bagshaw has written and produced a series of short plays that dramatize key moments in Calvary's history. Lincoln's Eulogy commemorated the 150th anniversary by reenacting the Easter Day service of 1865 that became a national day of mourning for President Abraham Lincoln. La Boheme Santa Cruz, set in the late 1800s, tells the story of Henry Thompson, a renowned bass singer who returned from Italy and stopped in Santa Cruz, where he met a young soprano in the Calvary choir, Lottie, and eventually became director of Calvary's choir. Empty Chair brings to life Eliza Boston and her husband Joseph Boston, who made the building of Calvary possible, along with Agnus Scott, one of the parish's first members, whose husband Hiram founded the town of Scotts Valley.
Three Sunday Services and a Forum in the Fireside Room
Calvary's Sunday rhythm offers four gatherings in the sanctuary, beginning early and continuing through late morning.
At 8:00 a.m., the Holy Eucharist according to Rite I is celebrated as a traditional spoken service without music. Lasting about 45 minutes, it draws those who want a quiet, prayerful start to Sunday.
At 9:00 a.m., a Contemplative service lasts about 30 minutes and includes readings, prayers, and meditation in a centering style, with Communion offered.
At 9:30 a.m., the Adult Forum meets in the Fireside Room for coffee and conversation, with a discussion of the readings of the day. The forum offers a time for teaching and conversation between the contemplative and choral services.
At 10:30 a.m., the principal service of the day takes place: a Choral Eucharist using Rite II from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The service typically lasts 60 to 75 minutes and features Anglican hymnody, Taize chants, and congregational favorites, supported by the parish choir, the Schoenstein pipe organ, and a six-foot Steinway grand piano. The sermons strive to be instructive and relevant.
Midweek Prayer, Study, and Centering
A full weekly schedule of formation and prayer is offered beyond Sunday morning. Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m. bring a Bible Study, currently working through the New Testament. The gathering meets on Zoom, and the office adds newcomers to the email list on request. Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. are given to Lectio Divina, a contemplative practice of praying with Scripture; the Wednesday gathering alternates between hybrid and Zoom-only formats. Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. are set aside for a simple midweek Eucharist, an invitation to take a break in the middle of the workday for a moment of calm.
Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. are typically reserved for choir rehearsal, and a weekly Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation series led by certified teacher Geoff Smith gathers on Thursday afternoons in the Fireside Room. A Grief Support Group meets in the Fireside Room on Wednesday evenings, and a regular Introduction to Meditation group gathers on Sunday evenings. The parish calendar also includes a weekly Adult Education offering on Zoom, periodic Creativity Nights and potluck dinners, a monthly bishop and clergy meeting, and quarterly parish town halls.
The Music Program: A Choir, a Schoenstein, and a Steinway
Music is central to Calvary's identity. The adult choir is a non-professional ensemble that combines parish volunteers with four paid Choral Scholars, university students principally drawn from UCSC who provide leadership and gain professional experience working in the Anglican repertoire. Typically, the choir leads the congregation in hymns and service music, chants the psalm appointed for the day, and presents an offertory anthem at the 10:30 a.m. service. During the year the choir also sings one or two Evensong services, two or three special Choral Eucharist services, an annual Lessons and Carols at Christmas, and additional music around Easter and Christmas.
Murray C. Walker has been Director of Music and Choirmaster at Calvary since 1996. A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, he holds music degrees in choral conducting from the University of British Columbia and California State University, Long Beach, and retired from a forty-year career as a music educator at the York School in Monterey. His singing career has included the Vancouver Chamber Choir and the choirs of the former St. Paul's Cathedral of Los Angeles, Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver, Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal, and Norwich Cathedral in England; he also served as conductor of the Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony from 1988 to 1993. The parish seeks to add him occasional contact for new singers at mwalker@calvarysantacruz.org.
The organ in the loft is a Schoenstein pipe organ, Opus 84, built in 1981 and installed at Calvary in 2018. The parish acquired the larger and more refined instrument for roughly ten percent of the cost of a new organ, with much of the installation work done by parishioners; the cost of acquisition and installation was about $65,000. A six-foot Steinway grand piano supplements the organ in worship and concert. The music staff also includes Kate Saphir as Organist. She is a pianist with a Bachelor of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory, an organist who is a Colleague of the American Guild of Organists, a published composer with Episcopal Church Publishing, and a producer and performer. She also leads a program called Musical Soulmates, which combines performance, Suzuki piano teaching, and a youth choir.
Evensong, Lessons and Carols, and the Festival Singers
Evensong is one of the distinct offerings in Calvary's musical calendar. The service combines the monastic Offices of Vespers and Compline, joining the Magnificat and the Nunc dimittis into a single, completely sung liturgy that first appeared in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer in 1662. Calvary's Evensong is meditative and contemplative, lasting 30 to 45 minutes and drawing on centuries of choral writing. The parish hosts Choral Evensong about four times a year, and a Festal Choral Evensong is one of the highlights of the Festival Singers' season. Evensong has become increasingly popular in England over the last two decades, drawing a younger generation in search of history, tradition, liturgy, and music in a single, unhurried service.
The Lessons and Carols service is the choir's first major offering of the Christmas season. The Festival Singers program allows experienced choral musicians to participate without the weekly choir commitment; members join the Calvary Choir a few times each year for special services and the annual Lessons and Carols, with a limited rehearsal schedule. Repertoire for Festival Singers has ranged from the Missa brevis of Gabrielli and Handel's Chandos Anthem No. 6, to Darke's Communion Service in E, to Murrill's Evening Service in E, to Charpentier's Messe de Minuit pour Noel and Willan's Hodie Christus natus est for the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass.
A recording archive of Calvary Choir performances stretches back to 2006, when a number of pieces were recorded at the York School Chapel in Monterey, and continues with virtual choir videos, online Lessons and Carols productions, and choral works performed with brass. Recent recordings include works by John Rutter, Ivan Moody, Robert Powell, Mark Schweizer, and Imant Raminsh, alongside older anthems by Bruckner, Tallis, and Charles Hylton Stewart. A particularly resonant moment in the archive is a performance of Rutter's Prayer for Ukraine, offered in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and accompanied by a special collection for Doctors Without Borders.
The Labyrinth Garden on Lincoln Street
In the fall of 2024, Calvary built a permanent labyrinth and garden on the north side of the church along Lincoln Street, and the Labyrinth Garden opened to the public on January 3, 2025. Designed as a place of respite and renewal in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz, the labyrinth is a seven-circuit classical pattern in an elliptical shape that was custom-designed by master labyrinth designer Lars Howlett. The path is made of decomposed granite, with McNear sandmold bricks for the lines, and the surrounding garden was designed and installed by Terra Nova Ecological Landscaping, specialists in organic gardening and permaculture who converted the previous lawn into a sustainable garden of mostly native plants recognized under the Monterey Bay Friendly Landscaping program.
The labyrinth was installed on October 26, 2024, with the help of more than 80 community volunteers working under Lars Howlett's direction. The garden is supported through church funds and individual gifts, and a Friends of the Labyrinth Garden group helps maintain the space and organize programs and walks. A labyrinth is a meandering path, often singular, leading to a center. Labyrinths are an ancient archetype dating back more than 4,000 years, used as a walking meditation, a path of prayer, or a ceremonial site, and they are a tool for personal, psychological, and spiritual transformation. The garden is open to anyone, any time of day, and the parish welcomes periodic guided walks held for the community.
The Rector, the Choirmaster, and the Vestry
Calvary is led by the Rev. B. Simon Dinglasan, Jr., the parish's Rector. Ordained to the priesthood in June of 2024 after completing their final year of study at Bexley Seabury Seminary, Rev. Simon is one of the founding members of the Companions of Dorothy the Worker, a dispersed new monastic community that seeks to witness to God's love in the queer community. Their approach to ministry has been shaped by formation as both a practicing spiritual director and a former Franciscan friar with the Society of Saint Francis, and by a seminary trip to Israel and Palestine in 2023. Rev. Simon now serves on the board of Friends of Sabeel, North America, working to develop a liberation theology for Palestine.
Murray C. Walker serves as Director of Music and Choirmaster, and Kate Saphir serves as Organist. The vestry, which leads the parish in temporal matters, includes Senior Warden Alice Lopez, Junior Warden Margo Fisher, Clerk Jane Martin, and Treasurer Cathy Watson, along with members Juli Robbins, Elizabeth Chandler, Colin Bowser, Tony Nickel, and Patricia Messer. Wedding coordinator Chris Perrin can be reached at 831-428-5864.
Outreach, Hospitality, and the Faith Community Shelter
Outreach is a regular part of parish giving at Calvary. Each month, a designated Outreach recipient receives the monthly offering, and the parish supports the Association of Faith Communities and the Faith Community Shelter, COPA (Communities Organized for relational Power in Action), the United Thank Offering, and the Choral Scholars Program. The Rector's Discretionary Fund allows the priest to provide confidential emergency help to those who come to the parish seeking assistance, and donations to that fund are not attached to the operating budget.
The parish also makes its facilities available to community groups. The Santa Cruz Symphony rehearses and performs in the sanctuary, the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival presents concerts, First Friday Art Tours use the building, the Western Service Workers Association holds meetings, and groups like the Message of Hope Women's Group, the Men's Alumni NA, and the Association of Faith Communities use the Parish Hall. The parish also hosts periodic Creativity Nights and potluck dinners, and a monthly Parish Town Hall meeting.
Weddings, Memorials, and Hall Rentals
The historic church is available for weddings, including non-denominational weddings for couples who are not members of the parish. The sanctuary seats 200, the Parish Hall seats 120 (or 198 standing), and weddings include the working gaslights, original redwood pews, and the stained glass windows shipped around Cape Horn in 1880. Wedding fees for non-members include the use of the church ($1,000) and Parish Hall for a reception ($750), with required fees for a sexton, event coordinator, priest honorarium, organist, and, if requested, the Director of Music and choir singers. At least one partner must be baptized in any Christian faith.
The building is also available for memorial services for members and past members, with pricing suggestions that include use of the church with a sexton and altar supplies ($150 per hour), use of the Parish Hall with a sexton and kitchen access ($150 per hour), a priest honorarium ($150), an organist ($250), and, when a choir is used, the choir director ($400). The same spaces are available for meetings and events for hourly rental: the church is $200 per hour, the Parish Hall $120 per hour, the Fireside Room $50 per hour, the Education Room $50 per hour, and the kitchen (when rented with one of the other spaces) $30 per hour. A sexton is required for all event rentals.
Visiting the Little Red Church
Calvary's office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The phone number is 831-423-8787, and the office email is office@calvarysantacruz.org. The parish is at 532 Center Street in Santa Cruz, with a presence on Facebook at facebook.com/calvarysantacruz, and a growing archive of choir recordings and historical videos on the parish's YouTube channel. Sunday bulletins and the parish newsletter, This Month at Calvary, are available online.
The Labyrinth Garden on Lincoln Street is open every day to anyone who would like to walk the path. Donations to the General Fund, the Labyrinth Fund, the Rector's Discretionary Fund, the Organ Fund, the Building and Restoration Fund, the Choral Scholars, and monthly Outreach can be made through the parish's online giving portal. Those interested in including Calvary in their estate planning or making a memorial gift can write to the Rector.