Village Breeze Nov/Dec 2025
The November/December Village Breeze anticipates Southern California’s winter with a stunning Eastern bluebird cover photo captured by Mark Rabinowitch.
We hope that you enjoy the LWHC Then and Now article on page 56.
In 1964, two tiny chapels stood within miles of Leisure World on El Toro Road. St. George’s Mission
sat on the south side, near the train tracks, which in those days crossed the road. Of the 30 or more first
residents who had moved into the new manors in Buildings 1, 2 and 3 on September 10, a few
hardy souls found their way to the two venerable chapels on Sunday, September 13. For the others,
the Leisure World Foundation (now Golden Rain Foundation of Laguna Woods, or GRF) held a prayer
meeting in Clubhouse 1. Ross Cortese had envisioned Leisure World as a total way of life that included faith, medical care and recreation. At Seal Beach, he had built a community chapel within Leisure World,
and expected to do the same in what would become Laguna Woods Village. Soon after plans for the chapel were drawn, individual churches demonstrated their intent to establish their own congregations. So, Cortese offered to deed nearby property outside the Village walls to churches with at least 100 members who were residents, and construction began within two years.
Soon after opening in 1964, the influx of Episcopalians and continuing growth of neighboring
settlements promised future growth and sustainability for St. George’s parish. Although Rossmoor Corporation offered St. George’s a building site west of Moulton Parkway, the church purchased 3.5 acres on Avenida de la Carlotta near the El Toro exit from the current I-5 freeway to make the church more accessible for Sunday school and adult services for members living throughout the Saddleback Valley.
