Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels |
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Exterior view 
Nave view Catedral de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles
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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 | Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | September 2, 2002 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Rafael Moneo |
| Style | Modern architecture; deconstructivist elements |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 3,000 people |
| Length | 333 feet (101 m) ; nave |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Los Angeles |
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (also known as the Los Angeles Cathedral) is a very important church in Los Angeles, California. It is the main church for the Roman Catholic Church in the area. This cathedral is like the "mother church" for many Catholic communities in Los Angeles. It is also where Archbishop José Horacio Gómez has his special chair, showing his role as the leader of the archdiocese.
This beautiful building was finished in 2002. It replaced an older church, the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, which was damaged in an earthquake in 1994. The new cathedral was built to be a safe and welcoming place for everyone.
The cathedral is named after the Virgin Mary, who is also known as "Our Lady of the Angels." Inside, you can find special items like the relics of Saint Vibiana and a piece of the tilma (a cloak) worn by Juan Diego, a saint from Mexico. It serves about five million Catholics in the Los Angeles area.
Contents
The Story of the Cathedral
From 1876 to 1994: The First Cathedral
For many years, the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana was the main Catholic church in Los Angeles. It was built in 1876. But as more and more Catholic families moved to Southern California, the church became too small. There were also some problems with how it was built.
In 1904, a bishop named Thomas James Conaty wanted to build a new, bigger cathedral. But a tough economic time in 1907 stopped the plans. Later, a regular church was built on that spot instead. In 1936, the Pope made the Los Angeles area a larger church region called an Archdiocese.
In 1941, Archbishop John Joseph Cantwell visited a famous church in Mexico City. There, he received a special gift: a piece of the tilma (a type of cloak) worn by Juan Diego, a Mexican saint from the 1500s. This precious piece was brought back and kept at Saint Vibiana Cathedral.
Archbishop Cantwell also started planning a new cathedral in the 1940s. He imagined a church big enough for 3,000 people. The Vatican agreed to name it "Our Lady of the Angels." However, after he passed away in 1947, the plans stopped again. The next Archbishop, James Francis McIntyre, focused on building many new local churches and schools for the growing community.
From 1994 to 2000: A New Beginning
In January 1994, a big earthquake hit Northridge and badly damaged Saint Vibiana Cathedral. It was no longer safe to use. At first, the church leaders thought about tearing down Saint Vibiana and building the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in the same place.
However, some people wanted to save the old Saint Vibiana building because it was a city landmark. They thought it should be repaired or included in the new design. Church leaders explained that fixing the old cathedral would cost a lot of money, and they didn't have enough donations for that.
Because of these discussions, the church decided to build the new cathedral somewhere else. In December 1996, they found a new spot. They bought a large piece of land in downtown Los Angeles. The project was planned to cost around $150 million, but it ended up costing about $189.7 million. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new cathedral happened on September 21, 1997. Construction started in October 1998, and the foundation was dug in May 1999.
From 2000 to Today: The Cathedral Opens
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels officially opened its doors on September 2, 2002. A beautiful new organ was installed and dedicated in 2003.
In September 2012, Archbishop José Horacio Gómez dedicated a new chapel inside the cathedral. This chapel holds the special tilma relic of Juan Diego. Archbishop Gomez placed the piece of tilma in a golden container called a reliquary, which is inside a bronze sculpture of the saint.
In May 2022, a group of people caused a disturbance during a Sunday mass at the cathedral. Cathedral staff quickly helped them leave the building. In March 2023, thousands of people attended a funeral mass at the cathedral for Auxiliary Bishop David G. O'Connell, who had passed away.
During the spring of 2025, the Cathedral Plaza became a place for community gatherings. A large religious procession, the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, was held there. This event brought many Catholics together in Los Angeles.
The Cathedral's Unique Design
Many expert architects from around the world submitted their ideas for the cathedral's design. A special group of judges chose the final plan. Some people preferred older styles of church architecture, like Gothic Revival, but the church leaders chose a modern design.
The famous Spanish architect Rafael Moneo designed the cathedral. Reverend Richard S. Vosko, an expert in church design, helped supervise the building process.
The cathedral and its surrounding buildings have many interesting angles. You won't find many straight right angles here! Modern statues and decorations fill the complex. For example, the beautiful bronze doors and a statue of The Virgin Mary at the entrance were created by Robert Graham. There are also three fountains and a bronze sculpture by Johnny Bear Contreras that honors Native American heritage. The building even uses solar panels to create about 15% of its own electricity!
The cathedral complex also includes a mausoleum (a special burial place), a gift shop, a cafe, a children's garden, a meeting center, and homes for the clergy (church leaders). The relics of Saint Vibiana are kept in the Saint Vibiana Chapel. The entire cathedral building is about 6,038 square meters (or 65,000 square feet) in size.
Inside the Cathedral
The Amazing Organ
The cathedral has a very special organ called Opus 75, built by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders. It's a huge instrument with 105 "ranks" (sets of pipes) and four keyboards. Some of its pipes even came from the old Saint Vibiana Cathedral's organ, which was built in 1929!
This Opus 75 organ has 6,019 pipes in total. It is one of the largest pipe organs in North America and around the world. The organ case is about 60 feet (18 meters) tall and sits about 24 feet (7 meters) above the floor. To make sure it's safe during earthquakes, the pipes and case are held up by a strong steel frame inside.
Saint Vibiana Chapel
The tomb of Saint Vibiana was moved from the old cathedral to this special chapel. It is now the main feature of the Saint Vibiana Chapel, which is next to the mausoleum.
The Mausoleum
Downstairs in Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral, there is a mausoleum. This is a large, quiet place for burials. It has 1,270 crypts (small rooms for coffins) and 4,746 niches (spaces for urns containing ashes). The money from selling these burial spaces helps to support the cathedral for a long time.
All the past bishops and archbishops of Los Angeles are honored in this mausoleum. The remains of several church leaders who passed away before the new cathedral was built were moved here.
The mausoleum also features beautiful stained glass windows. These windows were carefully restored from the old Saint Vibiana Cathedral. Two new windows, showing guardian angels, were made by Judson Studios and placed at the entrance of the mausoleum.
Important People Buried in the Mausoleum
Church Leaders
- Bishop Juan Alfredo Arzube
- Bishop Carl Anthony Fisher
- Bishop David G. O'Connell
- Archbishop James Francis McIntyre, the second archbishop of Los Angeles
- Archbishop John Joseph Cantwell, the first archbishop of Los Angeles
- Bishop John J. Ward
- Bishop Thaddeus Amat y Brusi, the first bishop of Los Angeles
- Bishop Thomas James Conaty
Other Notable People
- Adelina Naccarelli de Koenig, a generous supporter of the arts
- Bernardine Murphy Donohue, a kind supporter of the church
- Daniel J. Donahue, a kind supporter of the church
- Gregory Peck, a famous actor
- June Marlowe, an actress
- Ron Popeil, an inventor
- Veronique Peck, wife of Gregory Peck
- Victor and Loretta Baron Mahony, parents of Cardinal Roger Mahony
Special Events at the Cathedral
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On September 3, 2011, the cathedral hosted a special mass to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. This event was the end of the First Annual Grand Marian Procession, organized by the Queen of Angels Foundation. The cathedral also hosts musical performances sometimes, including concerts by the Libera choir.
Cathedral Pastors
- Monsignor Kevin Kostelnik, 2002 – 2017
- Reverend David Gallardo, 2017 – 2022
- Monsignor Antonio Cacciapuoti, 2022 – 2025
- Reverend David Gallardo, 2025 – 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
