Fr. Bernard McElwee originally arrived in the Yuba-Sutter are in the middle 1940s as the Assistant Pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Marysville, California. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, he and other priests would come across the Feather River to celebrate Mass for the Farm Workers in the fields, in warehouses and at the Richland Housing area.
On November 15, 1952 the St. Isidore Parish was formally established in Yuba City (Sutter County) by the Diocese of Sacramento and Fr. Bernard McElwee was appointed as Pastor.
Meanwhile east of Yuba City, across the Feather River, the army base at Camp Beale is being converted to Beale Air Force Base. During W.W.II prisoners of war were held there. Fr. McElwee participated in th acquisition of the base's former Italian prisoners' chapel. It was moved to a location on Cooper Avenue in Yuba City (where the present day Cooper Ave. Baptist Church is located) and then later moved to the site behind today's St. Isidore Catholic School.
Around the same time, Fr. McElwee had the foresight to purchase 17 acres of land on Clark Ave., the new and current site for St. Isidore Catholic Church and Holy Angels School. More information about the history of the parish can be found at the Parish History Page.
Below are pictures provided by long time parishioners who gathered these from their photograph albums. Enjoy.
 Fr. McElwee at Notre Dame H.S. Graduation 1946 |
 Taken in October 1958 |
 Holy Angels School First Communion Class of 1959 |
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 Pictures of Fr. McElwee following the Baptism of Robert and Peggy Steel's son. |
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 Fr. McElwee's Gravesite (d. September 25, 1981) |
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