Campaign To Preserve and Restore St. Peter’s Chapel

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The Campaign to Preserve and Restore St. Peter’s Chapel

St. Peter’s Chapel served the U.S. Navy for 95 years as a non-denominational place of worship for its personnel and their families. Although no longer in active service to the Navy, St. Peter’s Chapel is now the Navy’s oldest chapel. Yet, with this rich heritage of service to our nation’s military and its priceless collection of Tiffany stained-glass, St. Peter’s Chapel has no endowment fund from the Navy. The City of Vallejo, which holds the responsibility for its care and has passed that job on to a private not-for-profit organization, has no special fund for the Chapel, either. The City’s Master Developer is the owner of the property and it too has no Fund. Sadly, neither does the organization charged with the day-to-day management of the Chapel and its grounds. While we might be more than incredulous at this mysterious and tragic situation, we would surely be remiss if we too, stood by and did nothing! That is why as you will read, we value your contribution to help us build a fund for preservation. We are grateful too, for your support of our public information efforts. Please scroll down the page for details.


Daffodil Tea Purpose

The purpose of the Daffodil Tea, founded in 1999 is to increase the public’s awareness of St. Peter’s Chapel and to raise money for the preservation and restoration of St. Peter’s Chapel and in particular, its Tiffany stained-glass windows. The proceeds of the first two Daffodil Teas funded new carpet and the purchase of new pew cushions for the Chapel. Beginning in 2004 funds donated to The Campaign to Preserve and Restore St. Peter's Chapel are set aside to contribute towards major repairs to the more than 100 year-old building and its
priceless stained-glass. Many congregations across the country raise money for the preservation and restoration of their church. These churches are fortunate to have defined congregations. St. Peter’s Chapel lacks this traditional support base now that regular services are no longer scheduled at the Chapel. It is primarily used as a rental hall for weddings, memorials and other private services. The volunteer organizers of the Daffodil Tea champion the National Historic Landmark Chapel and its Tiffany stained-glass collection because while it belongs to all Americans, it has no other advocate.


Informing the Public of the Urgent Needs of the Tiffany Stained-glass Collection is Top Priority for This Year's Daffodil Tea

That is why the proceeds of this year's Tea will again be used to inform the public about St. Peter's Chapel and the nearly 400 documented cracks that have accelerated in the Tiffany collection in desperate need of conservation. At the same time the Tea organizers will
continue to raise funds for The Campaign to Preserve and Restore St. Peter's Chapel. The goal of the Daffodil Tea is to raise $1 million for the Chapel's repairs and restoration. While funds from many sources will likely be available for the preservation of such an important American landmark, strong local and regional individual, civic and business support serves to inspire and rally others throughout the nation and world.

Download the 2008 Daffodil Tea Newsletter (pdf) for a specific list of ways you can help us accomplish our goal. You may invite us to give a slide show at your civic, church or educational organization. You may also invite us to serve tea and arrange for a special guest speaker or hold a house party. Do you perform in a musical group who would be willing to help us with a fundraiser concert? These are examples of what you will find in the list of ways you can help, found in our comprehensive newsletter from this last year.

Donations may be made payable to Arc Ecology, noting that the donation is for The Campaign to Preserve and Restore St. Peter's Chapel, P O Box 1573, Vallejo, CA 94590. Contact Myrna Hayes, Volunteer North Bay Projects Manager for Arc Ecology and the Daffodil Tea Coordinator to arrange to make a contribution using your credit card.

Arc Ecology is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. Contributions to the The Campaign to Preserve and Restore St. Peter’s Chapel are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Arc Ecology’s tax-exempt ID # is 94-1156846.

Thank you for your support!

Help Support The Duty of St. Peter’s Chapel in a New Time

While our primary focus now is the preservation and restoration of St. Peter’s Chapel, we recognize the potential for an even greater role for the Chapel than it is now serving. We envision
the day when it will more fully serve local, regional, and national communities with robust educational, cultural, and community outreach programs. It seems fitting that a place of such hallowed memorial for the U.S. Navy where those who served in some 14 different conflicts are honored, might also serve as a center of peace. We envision a day when people of diverse backgrounds might frequently gather together in the Chapel to celebrate, honor and pay respects and restore.

Your contributions for St. Peter’s Chapel help us fulfill our mission. Your tax-deductible gift specified for educational, cultural, history and peace programs will help us rent the Chapel and offer this type of programming on a regular basis. Arc Ecology is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Arc Ecology’s tax-exempt ID # is 94-1156846.

Thank you for your support!


Who We Are

Since 1996, many of us associated with the Daffodil Tea and efforts to publicize the needs of St. Peter’s Chapel have been actively involved in the community-based task of converting Mare Island to civilian uses. We have had the privilege to be associated with Arc Ecology since 1994, two years before the naval base closed. Arc Ecology is a non-profit organization specializing in assisting communities in reuse of former military properties. In addition to hosting the Daffodil Tea, Arc Ecology also hosts the San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival on Mare Island. In early February 2009 the Festival celebrated its 13th three-day
birdwatching and wildlife viewing event headquartered on Mare Island. It features over 25 guided outings and tours of Mare Island’s historical and natural treasures, in addition to more than 40 more throughout San Francisco Bay. St. Peter’s Chapel is open for tours that weekend.
Arc Ecology also hosts the Lost Boats of Mare Island Memorial each October 11th, the
anniversary of the loss at sea of the WWII submarine, the USS Wahoo. We honor the Wahoo along with 6 of her fellow submarines built at Mare Island, which now with their crews, are “on eternal patrol”. An afternoon of services to honor the boats and their crews includes a service of music and history in St. Peter’s Chapel.


Arc Ecology hosted the 150th anniversaries of the Mare Island Naval Ammunition Depot in 2007 and the Mare Island Naval Cemetery in 2008. During our annual Mare Faire held the second weekend of August, we honor the men who participated in the Port Chicago Mutiny and help to inform the public of the national tragedy that took place during WWII at what is
now the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial near Concord, California, managed by the National Park Service. Beginning in April 2008 Arc Ecology founded and hosts the Second Saturday Access Day at the Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve, site of the former Mare Island Naval Ammunition Depot. Learn more about all of these projects of Arc Ecology by clicking on the links above to our websites.
 

Help Preserve and Restore St. Peter’s Chapel

Newly formed crack in the Tiffany rose window–looks like a piece of grass above the right hand of the “Ascending Christ”– first observed by a Daffodil Tea volunteer in 2005.