Grand Isle Shrine

 church, shrine, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places

In September 1864, a Father Lafauber conducted the first Catholic mission on this site within the Colusa County area. He then made arrangements for building a church at this location and secured a deed to the property. A mission cross of eight by eight inch timbers, twenty seven feet high, with cross piece twelve feet long, was erected here. In 1922, the old cross, having rotted, was replaced with a large white cement cross.The project of building the church on this site was found impractical and abandoned in favor of a church at Colusa.

In 1883, Father Michael Wallrath decided that the Grand Island Cross site needed something more to preserve its identity. He secured a deed to the property from Ann Myers and using left over brick from the construction of the Colusa Church (brick which he himself had kilned), he erected a small edifice, containing only an altar. He dedicated the Shrine to "Our Lady of Sorrows"

Mass has been said continually since that time, at least once a year during the first part of May at the Shrine. The doors are always unlocked. A register book is left there and names appear from throughout the United States and Canada. It is also used as a place of
worship quite frequently by the many Mexican laborers in this area. Small coins, trinkets, and flowers of all descriptions are found there when the local priest inspects the building.

On May 13, 1957, Colusa Parlor No. 194, Native Daughters of the Golden West, placed a bronze plaque, commemorating the site as that of the First Mass in Colusa County.

National Register of Historic Places # 74000508

www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6144