An Evening to Remember: Discover Midcentury Modern Architect William F. Cody’s Legacy at St. Theresa Church

Help preserve Saint Theresa Catholic Church, a landmark of Palm Springs Desert Modernism, at an unforgettable evening celebrating one of William F. Cody’s masterworks and its singular blend of Desert Modernism, Structural Expressionism and post-Vatican II liturgical reform. Cody’s daughter, Catherine, will share rare personal memories that illuminate her father’s lasting influence on Palm Springs during the Modern Architectural Movement. Skenderian will offer firsthand reflections on working with Cody at the church, including his early-career coordination with a Laguna Beach-stained glass artist that created its two rose windows and eleven groups of side windows. The program will also highlight the Eames influence on the pews. Charles Eames’s church pew commissions helped shape his design career before he and Ray Eames transformed midcentury Modern furniture, marking his earliest experiments with ergonomics and volume production. Additional highlights include the fabrication of the altar and baptismal elements and other details of the building’s design and construction.

Guests will enjoy self-guided tours of the parish and grounds, a hosted bar, hors d’oeuvres, complimentary parking and engaging presentations from the hosts.

The evening begins with tray-passed hors d’oeuvres, including beef tenderloin skewers with roasted vegetables and herb chimichurri, ahi cornets with Napa cabbage and lime-sriracha, mac & cheese balls with house-made marinara, and Mediterranean bruschetta with roasted vegetables and herbs. Dessert concludes the evening with chocolate cake and carrot cake.

Cody’s 1963 master plan for the complex brought together the church, convent, school and rectory into a unified vision. The convent, completed in 1965 with major support from Bob and Dolores Hope, set the stage for the church’s completion in 1968. As both architect and parishioner, Cody designed the church and its furnishings, including wing-shaped pews, custom liturgical elements and interior fixtures. His integrated approach reflects the work of Modernist masters such as Breuer and Le Corbusier, who regarded sacred architecture as a complete spiritual environment.

VIP Reception Ticket — $400 per person

Tax-deductible amount: $150 | Event time: 4:30 PM–9:00 PM

Includes:

• Early entry at 4:30 PM with meet and greet access to Catherine Cody and Morris Skenderian.
• VIP reserved seating, parish and grounds tour, signature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, professional event photo and a copy of the book Master of the Midcentury-The Architecture of William F. Cody co-authored by Catherine Cody.

Classic Ticket — $300 per person

Tax-deductible amount: $100 | Event time: 5:30 PM–9:00 PM

Includes:

• Entry begins at 5:30 PM with access to the parish and grounds tour.
• Cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres and a professional event photograph.

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