Our Lady of Mt. Lebanon-St. Peter Cathedral (Los Angeles) facts for kids

Our Lady of Mt. Lebanon-St. Peter Cathedral is a special church in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is a Maronite Catholic cathedral. A cathedral is the main church for a bishop. This church is the main church for the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles. It shares this role with St. Raymond Cathedral in St. Louis, Missouri.

History of the Cathedral

Early Beginnings in Los Angeles

The Maronite Catholic community in Los Angeles started in 1923. Monsignor Joseph Daher helped organize them into a church group. They named their church Our Lady of Mt. Lebanon. At first, they held church services in a house. This house was located at Warren and Brooklyn Avenues. The church group bought this house for their meetings.

Building a New Church

In 1926, Father Paul Meouchi became the new leader, or pastor, of the church. He worked to build a proper church building. He also had a hall and a rectory built on the property. A rectory is where the priests live. Father Meouchi later became a very important leader in the Maronite Church. He was elected a bishop in 1934. Later, he became a Cardinal and the head of the entire Maronite Church.

A Growing Community Needs More Space

Father John Chedid became the pastor in 1956. By the 1960s, the church community had grown a lot. They needed a bigger church building. On August 2, 1966, the church group made an important decision. They accepted an offer from St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church. This church was near Beverly Hills and Hollywood. Cardinal James Francis McIntyre of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles made the offer.

Becoming a Cathedral

A new church hall was finished in 1969. Father Chedid received special titles for his work. In 1969, he was named a Chaplain of His Holiness, which gave him the title of Monsignor. In 1978, he became a Maronite Chorbishop. Then, in 1980, he was named an Auxiliary Bishop. This meant he helped the main bishop of the Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn.

On June 23, 1994, Pope John Paul II created a new church area called the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles. Our Lady of Mt. Lebanon-St. Peter was chosen to be the main church, or cathedral, for this new eparchy. Bishop Chedid was appointed as the first bishop of this eparchy.

Fire and Rebuilding

The cathedral was damaged by a fire on January 6, 1996. After the fire, the church was repaired and made new again. At the same time, a new Chancery building was added. A chancery building is like an office building for the bishop and his staff.

More to Explore

• List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States
• List of cathedrals in the United States

See also

In Spanish: Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Monte Líbano y San Pedro (Los Ángeles) para niños