REV EDWARD J. DINGBERG,
Founding Pastor of St. Isabella’s
Rev. Edward J. Dingberg was born and educated in San Francisco. He attended the junior and senior seminaries of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and was ordained a priest in 1942 and served as associate pastor of St. Anne's Church in San Francisco for the next six years.
He was appointed assistant Catholic chaplain of San Quentin Prison in 1948 and senior chaplain in 1955. He also was assistant pastor at St. Raphael's Church from 1948 to 1961, while serving at San Quentin.
In 1961 he was appointed pastor of the new St. Isabella's Parish in Terra Linda. The Freitas family had donated their home property for use as a parish. Rev. Dingberg set up his office in the bunk house and moved into the former cookhouse. During this time, he held the parish masses at St. Vincent's School for Boys. He supervised the construction of the present church and subsequently, the Parish School.
In his 34 years as a priest, he served on many Archdiocesan and community boards. He was the first president of the Priests' Senate and a member of the Archdiocesan Board of Education and Pastoral Council.
Fr. Dingberg, along with his associates, led St. Isabella's Parish into Vatican II.
