St. Monica Catholic Church (Santa Monica, California) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Monica Catholic Church |
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| 34°1′23″N 118°29′50″W / 34.02306°N 118.49722°W | |
| Location | 725 California Avenue, Santa Monica, California |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | Parish founded in 1886 |
| Dedicated | Church building dedicated July 1926 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Archdiocese of Los Angeles |
| Division | Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region |
St. Monica Catholic Church is a large Catholic parish in Santa Monica, California. It is one of the biggest churches in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
The church is located at 7th and California Streets. It was designed by Albert C. Martin Sr. and built in 1925. This church even helped inspire the 1944 movie Going My Way starring Bing Crosby. The St. Monica campus also has other buildings. One of them, the Duval Center, was designed by famous architect Frank Gehry and built in 1998. St. Monica Catholic Church also has two schools on its site: St. Monica Catholic Elementary School (for grades TK-8) and St. Monica Catholic High School (for grades 9-12).
Contents
History of St. Monica Church
The St. Monica parish was started in 1886. Before this church was built, the closest Catholic church was far away in Downtown Los Angeles. The current church building first opened for Christmas in 1925. At that time, the Los Angeles Times newspaper said it was "probably the finest Catholic Church of its kind on the Pacific Coast."
The church was officially dedicated in July 1926. The Los Angeles Times reported that thousands of people gathered around the beautiful limestone building. Music from the church's large pipe organ could be heard by the crowd outside.
Repairs After the Northridge Earthquake
In 1994, the church was damaged by the Northridge earthquake. The city of Santa Monica wanted to tear down the church. However, an engineer named Nabih Youssef said it could be fixed. Church services were held in the gymnasium until the repairs were finished.
New Buildings and Community Growth
Frank Gehry, a famous architect who lived in Santa Monica, designed a building next to the church called the Duval Center. It was built in 1998. In 2002, the New York Times newspaper wrote that this building helps the church with its community outreach.
In 2007, St. Monica started a big project to raise money for its growing community and older buildings. They raised $27 million. The old Pastoral Center was taken down in late 2011. A new Community Center and Reception Pavilion were built in its place. Construction began in January 2012 and was finished in August 2013. The grand opening celebration was held on November 3, 2013.
Since 2002, St. Monica Catholic Community has had a special "sister relationship" with the Holy Cross Parish in Dandora, Kenya.
St. Monica's Inspiration for Going My Way
The 1944 movie Going My Way won an Academy Award for Best Picture. In the film, Father O'Malley, played by Bing Crosby, helps save a struggling church in New York. This movie was partly inspired by Msgr. Nicholas Conneally, who was the pastor of St. Monica.
The character of Father Fitzgibbon, an older Irish priest, was based on Msgr. Conneally. Barry Fitzgerald won an Oscar for playing this role. Msgr. Conneally was the pastor of St. Monica for 26 years, from 1923 until he passed away in 1949.
The film's director and writer, Leo McCarey, was a member of the St. Monica church and a friend of Msgr. Conneally. McCarey remembered that Msgr. Conneally once asked him for money for a new loudspeaker. McCarey gave the donation and asked the priest how he got along with his younger priests. The priest replied that they were "nice fellows" who were thinking about how to change things after he was gone. McCarey later realized he had just met the character who would become Father Fitzgibbon in Going My Way.
When Msgr. Conneally passed away, a newspaper wrote that he often visited McCarey's home. The priest's many stories about his work at the church and St. Monica's School gave the director the idea for a good movie. Going My Way won seven Academy Awards, including best picture, best director, and best actor for Bing Crosby.
Famous People at St. Monica
Many well-known people have been connected to St. Monica Catholic Church. In 2004, people like Mike Farrell and Jesse Jackson protested at St. Monica's. They wanted to bring attention to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision about a prisoner. Arnold Schwarzenegger was a member of the St. Monica church.
Other famous people who have attended St. Monica include Martin Sheen, Brooke Shields, Kelsey Grammer, June Lockhart, and former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan. Also, Chris Farley and Lawrence Welk were parishioners.
The church has also been the location for important events. The funerals for Lucille Ball in May 1989 and Chris Farley in January 1998 were held there. In March 1998, Lucy Lawless, who played Xena in Xena, Warrior Princess, married producer Robert Tapert at St. Monica's. In 2009, Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen were married at the church.
See also
- Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region
