Father Larry Gosselin, front right, at the Children's Parade during Santa Barbara's Old Spanish Days in August. Some of his fondest memories of his time in town are from participating in Fiesta events, he said.
Father Larry Gosselin, front right, at the Children's Parade during Santa Barbara's Old Spanish Days in August. Some of his fondest memories of his time in town are from participating in Fiesta events, he said. Credit: Fritz Olenberger photo

After 12 years at the Old Mission, Father Larry Gosselin is taking on new duties that will split his time between Santa Barbara and a new position in Malibu. 

On Nov. 1, Gosselin began serving at Malibu’s Serra Retreat House, where he will be helping with retreats.

However, he’s not leaving Santa Barbara, and will instead be splitting his time between the two coastal towns. He will continue to serve on numerous boards in Santa Barbara, offer mass, and visit those in need. 

“I still love Santa Barbara, and want to be involved in things that are happening there,” Gosselin said. “My connections to Santa Barbara will continue to be very strong there.”

Gosselin has been a Franciscan priest for 42 years, working with numerous Native American communities throughout the West Coast. He moved to Santa Barbara in July 2012, and said the experience has been a dream. 

“Prior to coming to Santa Barbara, I had such a high place of respect and admiration for the Old Mission Santa Barbara, and everything that it represented,” Gosselin said. “I never imagined that I would ever go there, and so being asked to come was like a dream.”

Gosselin arrived in Santa Barbara the day before La Fiesta Pequeña, and his first job was to emcee the iconic kick-off to Old Spanish Days. 

“That was just the beginning of a beautiful love relationship, and I would even say love affair with the community of Santa Barbara,” Gosselin said. “I immediately felt that they had a great deep place in my heart, and that I hopefully had a place in their hearts.”

Helping to host La Fiesta Pequeña and being involved in Old Spanish Days are some of Gosselin’s favorite memories from his time in Santa Barbara. He’s also enjoyed connecting with community members, celebrating weddings, funerals, and other events. 

“Really the quality of people in Santa Barbara is phenomenal,” Gosselin said. “There is a definitive spirit of Santa Barbara. I think people are very humble in their persons but also very influential and very active in the world.

“Meeting people like that, who have a great compassion of the heart to do good and also have the ability to do that, that’s been really one of the highlights for me.”

While Gosselin isn’t completely leaving Santa Barbara, he saw this change as an opportunity to thank those who have welcomed him to the community.

He also sees this as a chance to bring the communities in Malibu and in Santa Barbara together. 

“I really don’t see it as leaving one for another, I kind of see this as a connection, that there’s a connection between Santa Barbara and Malibu,” Gosselin said. “I would like to think that I’m going to be a bridge builder in the sense of two communities coming together.”

— Noozhawk staff writer Rebecca Caraway can be reached at rcaraway@noozhawk.com.