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 community 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 built in 1925. This church even helped inspire the famous 1944 movie Going My Way starring Bing Crosby. The Duval Center, one of the buildings on the St. Monica campus, was designed by the well-known architect Frank Gehry and finished in 1998.
St. Monica Catholic Church also has two schools. St. Monica Catholic Elementary School teaches students from kindergarten to 8th grade. St. Monica Catholic High School is for grades 9-12. Both schools are right next to the church.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's History
The St. Monica community started in 1886. Before St. Monica was built, the closest Catholic church was far away in Downtown Los Angeles. The current church building first opened its doors for Christmas in 1925.
Newspapers at the time called it one of the finest Catholic churches on the Pacific Coast. Many people came to see its beautiful inside. The church was officially dedicated in July 1926. Thousands of people gathered around the building for the special event.
In 1994, the church was damaged by the Northridge earthquake. Services were held in the gymnasium while repairs were made.
Modern Buildings and Growth
Frank Gehry, a famous architect who lives in Santa Monica, designed the Duval Center. This building helps the church welcome visitors. It was completed in 1998.
In 2007, St. Monica started a big project to raise money for new buildings. They wanted to meet the needs of their growing community. An older building was taken down in 2011 to make space for a new Community Center. This new center opened in November 2013.
Since 2002, St. Monica Catholic Community has been connected with Holy Cross Parish in Dandora, Kenya. They have a special "sister relationship" to support each other.
Going My Way: A Movie Inspired by St. Monica
The movie Going My Way won an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1944. This film was partly inspired by Msgr. Nicholas Conneally. He was the pastor, or head priest, at St. Monica for 26 years.
In the movie, Bing Crosby plays Father O'Malley. He helps save a struggling church in New York. The character of the older, sometimes grumpy, Irish priest, Father Fitzgibbon, was based on Msgr. Conneally. Barry Fitzgerald won an Oscar for playing this role.
The film's director and writer, Leo McCarey, was a member of St. Monica's church. He was also a friend of Msgr. Conneally. McCarey once asked the priest how he got along with the younger priests. The priest joked that they were "nice fellows" who were planning changes for when he was gone. McCarey realized he had found the character for his movie.
When Msgr. Conneally passed away in 1949, a newspaper wrote about his influence. It said that his stories about his work at the church gave McCarey the idea for a film. Going My Way won seven Academy Awards, including best picture and best actor for Bing Crosby.
Famous People at St. Monica
Many well-known people have been part of the St. Monica community. These include actors like Martin Sheen, Brooke Shields, Kelsey Grammer, and June Lockhart. Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan was also a parishioner.
The church has also been the location for important events for celebrities. The funerals for actress Lucille Ball in 1989 and comedian Chris Farley in 1998 were held here. In 1998, Lucy Lawless, who played Xena in Xena, Warrior Princess, got married at St. Monica's. In 2009, football star Tom Brady and model Gisele Bündchen were also married at the church.
See also
- Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region
