Mystery Worshipper: Amanda B. Reckondwyth
Church:
St Brigid’s, Oceanside
Location: California, USA
Date of visit: Wednesday, 16 July 2025, 6:00pm
The building
They meet in the Sunshine Brooks Theater, which dates from 1936. Originally a movie house, it was known first as the Margo Theater and later as the Towne Theater. By the mid to late 1980s, downtown Oceanside, once thriving, had fallen to seed, and the Towne Theater closed. But a massive urban renewal project was undertaken in the 1990s, and the theater was reborn as the Sunshine Brooks Theater in 1993. Now featuring live stage performances, it is named after the building’s original owner, one Hattie Hazel Brooks, known to all her friends as Sunshine.
The church
Their several ministries are well documented on their website. I’ll just mentioned Street Chaplains, which reaches out to Oceanside’s homeless community, of which the city has its fair share. There is one worship service each Sunday, and an informal dinner worship service twice each month held at various locations. Every Wednesday evening, via Zoom, they also have either Night Prayer from the New Zealand Prayer Book, or Compline from the Book of Common Prayer.
The neighborhood
Oceanside, on California’s Pacific coast about 60 miles north of San Diego, is home to the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base, and both the military and the tourist trade loom large in the city’s economy. The Sunshine Brooks Theater is located on the Coast Highway, the main drag through town, right in the center of things. Its immediate neighbors are several barber shops and military surplus stores catering to the marine trade, and a mix of souvenir shops and trendy restaurants catering to the tourist trade. Among the latter are the Petite Madeline, offering a very nice breakfast and lunch and especially known for their baked goods, and Mary’s, featuring American comfort food with an upscale flair.
The cast
The priest in charge was assisted by a member of the congregation, who was the actual leader of the service.
What was the name of the service?
Compline.How full was the building?
There were only three of us attending via Zoom.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Yes, I was warmly welcomed by both the priest and the parishioner.
Was your pew comfortable?
My desk chair was its usual comfortable self.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
We chatted about a variety of things.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
‘The Lord Almighty grant us a peaceful night and a perfect end.’
What books did the congregation use during the service?
The order for Compline was projected on screen.
What musical instruments were played?
None. It was purely a spoken service.
Did anything distract you?
The fact that the parishioner, and not the priest, led the service was something of a distraction, but in the end it was not upsetting.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
It was a straightforward Prayer Book Compline service, with bits and pieces of Evening Prayer thrown in for good measure.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
There was no sermon.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
The simplicity and beauty of the office of Compline was heavenly enough.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
Only that no one else other than the three of us was in attendance.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
We resumed our chitchat from before, and eventually bade one another good evening.
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
I had already finished dinner and am trying to avoid snacking between meals.
How would you feel about making another visit (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
10 — I have been spending occasional weekends in Oceanside for many years. Call me what you will, but if truth be told, I liked it better when it was seedy. Even so, I still go often. The next time I am in town, I’ll check out St Brigid’s Sunday service for sure. I may also tune in next week, when they will be doing Night Prayer from the New Zealand Prayer Book.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
Yes. The former Episcopal parish in Oceanside, St Anne’s, was dissolved in 2015 due to the majority of its members having voted in 2009 to become a parish of the Anglican Church in North America. The old St Anne’s building is today used by an independent evangelical church. It is good to see an Episcopal presence in Oceanside once again.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time ?
Psalm 4 is recited in the office of Compline. Verse 6 reads: ‘Many are saying, Oh, that we might see better times!’ Given today’s political climate in the United States, how true, how true!