Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral ofOur Lady of the Angels |
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Exterior view 
Nave view Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles
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| 34°3′30″N 118°14′45″W / 34.05833°N 118.24583°W | |
| Location | 555 W. Temple St. Los Angeles, California |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Dedication | September 2, 2002 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Rafael Moneo |
| Style | Modern architecture; deconstructivist elements |
| Completed | 2002 |
| Construction cost | $189.7 million |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 3,000 people |
| Length | 333 feet (101 m) ; nave |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Los Angeles |
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is a very important church for the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles, California. It is also known as the Los Angeles Cathedral. This large church opened in 2002. It serves as the main church for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It is also where the Archbishop of Los Angeles, José Horacio Gómez, has his special seat.
This cathedral was built to replace an older church, the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana. The old church was badly damaged in an earthquake in 1994. Building the new cathedral was a big project. There were some discussions about its modern design and how much it cost. The cathedral is named after the Virgin Mary, "Our Lady of the Angels." This name is also part of the original name of Los Angeles city. The cathedral is famous for holding special items. These include parts of the clothing of Saint Vibiana and a piece of the tilma (cloak) of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is the main church for about five million Catholic people in the area.
Contents
History of the Cathedral
The Cathedral of Saint Vibiana was the main church for Los Angeles since 1876. However, it was not built very strongly and quickly became too small. Los Angeles was growing very fast. In 1904, there were plans for a new church named after Our Lady of the Angels. But money problems stopped this project.
Later, in the 1940s, new plans were made for a large cathedral. It would be able to seat 3,000 people. The name "Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels" was approved. But this church was also never built. The leader of the church at that time decided it was more important to build new local churches and schools.
Building a New Cathedral After the Earthquake
In 1994, a big earthquake severely damaged the old Cathedral of Saint Vibiana. Because it was unsafe, the church leaders decided to close it. They planned to build a new cathedral on the same spot. However, some people wanted to save the old building because it was a historic landmark. This led to a long legal discussion. The church leaders said it would cost too much to fix the old cathedral safely.
Because of these discussions, the church decided to find a new place for the cathedral. In 1996, they bought a large piece of land in Los Angeles. They kept the name "Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels." The project was expected to cost about $150 million. The final cost was about $189.7 million. Construction started in 1998 and finished in September 2002.
Cathedral Design and Features
The famous Spanish architect Rafael Moneo designed the cathedral. He used a modern style of architecture. The church building has many sharp and wide angles, but almost no perfect right angles. Modern statues and decorations are found throughout the building.
At the entrance, you can see large bronze doors and a statue of The Virgin Mary. These were designed by Robert Graham. The cathedral grounds also have three fountains. There is a bronze sculpture by Johnny Bear Contreras that honors Native Americans. The building uses solar panels to create 15% of its electricity.
What Else is on the Grounds?
Besides the main church, the cathedral area includes other important buildings. There is a mausoleum (a building for burials), a gift shop, and a cafe. There is also a children's garden, a conference center, and homes for the clergy (church leaders). The special items of Saint Vibiana are kept in the mausoleum. The remains of several past bishops and archbishops of Los Angeles are also buried there. The cathedral itself is very large, covering about 6,038 square meters.
The Organ
The cathedral has a very large and special organ. It was built by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders. This organ has 105 different sounds (called ranks) and four keyboards. It even includes some pipes from the old St. Vibiana's Cathedral organ, which was built in 1929. The Dobson organ has a total of 6,019 pipes! It was finished in 2003. It is one of the largest pipe organs in North America. The organ case is about 60 feet (18 meters) tall. It is located high above the floor. To make sure it is safe during earthquakes, the pipes and case are held up by a strong steel frame inside.
Mausoleum and Burials
The cathedral has a mausoleum on its lower level. This area has 1,270 crypts (burial spaces) and 4,746 niches for urns (where ashes are kept). The money from selling these spaces helps support the cathedral.
All the past leaders of the Los Angeles church are remembered in the mausoleum. This includes a future burial spot for Cardinal Roger Mahony. The remains of several bishops and archbishops who passed away before the cathedral was built were moved here. The tomb of Saint Vibiana was also moved to the cathedral. It is now the main feature of the St. Vibiana Chapel, which is next to the mausoleum.
The mausoleum also has beautiful stained glass windows. These windows were originally in the old Saint Vibiana's Cathedral. They were restored, and two new windows showing guardian angels were added at the entrance.
Notable People Buried Here
Many important people are buried or remembered in the cathedral's mausoleum.
Clergy
- Bishop Juan Alfredo Arzube
- Thaddeus Amat y Brusi, the first Bishop of Los Angeles
- John Joseph Cantwell, the first Archbishop of Los Angeles
- Bishop Thomas James Conaty
- Bishop Carl Anthony Fisher
- James Francis McIntyre, the second Archbishop of Los Angeles
- Bishop David G. O'Connell
- John J. Ward, an auxiliary bishop
Other Notable People
- Bernardine Murphy Donohue, a generous giver to charities
- Daniel J. Donahue, a generous giver to charities
- Victor and Loretta Baron Mahony, parents of Cardinal Roger Mahony
- June Marlowe, an actress
- Gregory Peck, a famous actor
- Ron Popeil, an inventor
- Veronique Peck, wife of Gregory Peck
- Saint Vibiana, the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
- Adelina Naccarelli de Koenig, also known as "Della Koenig," a generous giver, supporter of the arts, and former singer and actress.
Events at the Cathedral
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The cathedral hosts many special events. On September 3, 2011, a special Mass was held there to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. This Mass was the end of the first yearly Grand Marian Procession.
The cathedral is also a very popular place for Catholic weddings all year round.
Sometimes, the cathedral holds musical performances, including concerts by the choir Libera.
On the first Wednesday of every month, the cathedral has a free organ recital at 1:00 PM. Anyone can come and listen.
Pastors of the Cathedral
- Msgr. Kevin Kostelnik (2002–2017)
- Fr. David Gallardo (2017–2022)
- Msgr. Antonio Cacciapuoti (2022-present)
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles (Los Ángeles) para niños
- List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States
- List of cathedrals in the United States
- Roman Catholic Marian churches
