Province
of Los angeles
Pope Pius XI established the Province of Los Angeles
I have seen all three basilicas. I have seen the cathedral in San Bernardino,
the old cathedral in Los Angeles, and the soon to be old cathedral in Orange.
Map of the Province
Catholic History of Southern
California
Several Spanish explorers were aware of California
by the middle decades of the 16th Century and Jesuits were active in
Lower California (Mexico ’s
Baja peninsula) from 1697 to 1767, but no serious attempt at colonization of
Upper California (now the State of California Spain , fearful that
the English or Russians might attempt to colonize Upper
California , sent the Spanish military and Franciscan priests to
establish a Spanish presence there. The
military built forts and the Franciscans, led by Father Junipero Serra,
established missions to the Faith to the Native Americans. (Father Serra was canonized by Pope Francis
in 2015.) The first mission was at San
Diego in 1769 and the second was at Carmel in 1770. Nineteen others would follow.
California Catholics were helped by foreign priests and nuns
who came to California and established colleges (such as Santa Clara University
in 1851), parishes, and other institutions.
There was only modest anti-Catholicism in California in its early days,
but churches were taxed between 1878 and 1901, private colleges until 1914, and
private elementary and high schools until 1952.
Most early Californians were Catholic and California
became part of the Diocese of Sonora (Mexico Northern
California became the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1853. The southern diocese was renamed the Diocese
of Monterey -Los Angeles Province of Los Angeles
in 1936 which raised Los Angeles Monterey
and Fresno into separate dioceses in 1967 and in
1976 separated Orange
County
Archdiocese of Los Angeles
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles consists of three counties in
Southern California. The archdiocese has 4.4 million Catholics (38 percent of
the total population) in 287 parishes (as of 2015). Pope Gregory XVI established the Mexican
Diocese of Two Californias (Upper and Lower) in 1840. With Statehood in 1850, Pope Pius IX created
the Diocese of Monterey, although the Diocese included the Mexican Lower
California until 1852. Northern
California became the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1853. The southern diocese was renamed the Diocese
of Monterey -Los Angeles
Bishop of Two Californias
Francisco Garcia Diego y Moreno, O.F.M. (1785-1846)
- Born in Mexico and was ordained a Franciscan priest in 1808.
- Bishop of Two Californias (1840-1846).
His Diocese consisted of what is now the State of
California, the Mexican Baja Peninsula, and extended east to the Colorado
River. Bishop Diego y Moreno faced a
shortage of funding and priests for his new diocese. He established a seminary that produced three
priests, but he was never able to establish a reliable source of funding for
the Diocese. He died of tuberculosis in
1846.
Father Gonzalez Rubio administered the Diocese after the
death of Bishop Diego y Moreno. Pope
Pius IX changed the name of the diocese in 1849 to the Diocese of Monterey.
Bishop of Monterey
Joseph S. Alemany, O.P. (1814-1888)
·
Born in Spain and ordained a Dominican priest in
1837.
·
Bishop of
Monterey (1850-1853).
·
Later served as the first Archbishop of San
Francisco (1853-1884).
Alemeny successfully petitioned the Vatican to separate the
Mexican territory of Baja California from his diocese (in 1852) and to split
California into two dioceses (in 1853).
He also began legal action against the Mexican government to recover the
Pious Fund—a trust fund that had been set up to fund mission activities in California
Bishops of Monterey-Los
Angeles
Thaddeus Amat y Brusi, C.M., (1811-1878)
- Born in Spain and ordained a Vincentian priest in 1837.
- Bishop of Monterey (1854-1859) and Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles (1859-1878).
Bishop Amat initially established his residence in Santa
Barbara, but moved to Los Angeles in 1859 and the name of the Diocese was
changed to the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles.
As bishop, he faced the daunting task of governing a diocese that
included all of southern California with only 16 priests and few financial
resources. He found some success with
obtaining both priests and funding from Europe . He met resistance from his mostly Hispanic
followers in his attempt to Americanize Catholicism and disputed the ownership
of the missions with the Franciscans. He
also built St. Vibiana’s Cathedral in Los Angeles in 1876 and wrote a widely
used catechism on matrimony. He invited
the Sisters of Charity and the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to
established schools in the Diocese and invited the Vincentians to open what is
now Loyola Marymount University. Bishop
Amat died in 1878.
Francis Mora y Borrell (1827-1905)
- Born in Spain and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Monterey in 1856.
- Served as coadjutor bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles (1873-1878).
- Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles (1878-1896).
As coadjutor bishop, Mora became Bishop upon the death of
Bishop Amat in 1878. Bishop Mora
established 72 parishes in the Diocese to keep up with population growth, especially
caused by the immigration of European Catholics due to the railroad, oil, and
citrus industries. He also established the Diocese’s first Catholic newspaper
and brought in religious orders to establish schools and homes for orphans and
the elderly. He successfully litigated
to protect the rights of the Church and to recover property wrongfully
appropriated. Bishop Mora resigned in
1896 due to poor health brought about by a carriage accident.
George T. Montgomery (1847-1907)
- Born in Kentucky and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1879.
- Served as coadjutor bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles (1894-1896).
- Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles (1896-1903).
- Later served as coadjutor archbishop of San Francisco (1903-1907).
As coadjutor bishop, Montgomery became Bishop upon the
resignation of Bishop Mora in 1896.
Bishop Montgomery was born in Kentucky and thus became the first
American-born Bishop of the Diocese.
When he became Bishop, the Diocese had 52,000 Catholics in 72 parishes
and missions. He built more churches,
schools, and charitable institutions to keep up with the increasing number of
Catholics coming to the area. The influx
of Catholics was not welcomed by anti-Catholic groups such as the American
Protective Association, but Montgomery was a capable church and civic
leader. Montgomery was appointed coadjutor
archbishop of San Francisco in 1903.
Thomas Conaty (1847-1915)
- Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Boston in 1872.
- Served as rector of Catholic University in Washington, DC (1896-1903) and named titular bishop in 1901.
- Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles (1903-1915).
As coadjutor bishop, Conaty became Bishop upon the departure
of Bishop Mora. The Catholic population
of the Diocese continued to grow during Conaty’s time as Bishop and he devoted
a great deal of attention to the building of churches, schools, and hospitals
and he invited religious priests and nuns to come to the Diocese to staff these
institutions. Bishop Conaty, an educator
himself, organized and set standards for the Dioceses’ schools. He also established the St. Vincent de Paul
Society in the Diocese to help the poor and needy and he also made an effort to
preserve the California missions. He
died in 1915 at which time there were 180,000 Catholics served by 271 priests
in the Diocese.
Peter J. Muldoon, Bishop of Rockford, Illinois, was
appointed Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles in March 1917, but he never took
possession of the Diocese and he resigned in June 1917. Muldoon remained Bishop of Rockford until his
death in 1927.
Archbishops of Los Angeles
John J. Cantwell (1874-1947)
- Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1899.
- Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles (1917-1922), Bishop of Los Angeles-San Diego (1922-1936), and first Archbishop of Los Angeles (1936-1947).
Archbishop Cantwell saw tremendous growth in Los Angeles
during his 30 years as bishop. To
respond to that growth, he built dozens of churches, schools, and hospitals. He
also provided for the needs of refugees who had fled Mexico because of
political or religious persecution during the Mexican Revolution—building more
than 50 parishes and missions for the Hispanic population of the
Archdiocese. Cantwell also established
the Catholic Motion Picture Actors Guild of America in 1923. He started many organizations in the
Archdiocese such as the Catholic Youth Organization, the Council of Catholic
Women, the Holy Name Union, and the Confraternity of Christion Doctrine. He established Los Angeles’ first
African-American parish in 1927. Archbishop
Cantwell died in 1947 at which time there were 600,000 Catholics in the
Archdiocese.
James McIntyre (1886-1979)
·
Born in New York and ordained a priest in 1921
for the Archdiocese of New York.
·
Served as auxiliary bishop of New York
(1941-1946) and coadjutor archbishop of New York (1946-1948).
·
Archbishop
of Los Angeles (1948-1970).
McIntyre was named a Cardinal by Pope Pius XII in 1953—the
first Cardinal in the western United States.
Catholic population growth continued in Southern California (increasing
to two million in 1970) under Cardinal McIntyre, who responded by building
dozens of new parishes, schools,
hospitals, and other institutions. Many
of these new Catholics were Asian, Hispanic, and African-American, and some
were poor. The Archdiocese helped these
new Californians find jobs, get insurance, educate their children about their
Faith, and if necessary, get food and clothing.
McIntyre also addressed the needs of the poor and physically
disabled. Nevertheless, he was
criticized as being slow on racial issues, such as fair housing. McIntyre also convinced the State of
California to stop its taxation of parochial schools. McIntyre also made organizational
improvements at the Archdiocesan level, including the establishment of new
seminaries and the expansion of the Archdiocesan newspaper. Doctrinally conservative, McIntyre opposed
many of the changes made at the Second Vatican Council, but nevertheless
implemented them in the Archdiocese.
Cardinal McIntyre retired in 1970.
Timothy Manning (1909-1989)
- Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Los Angeles-San Diego in 1934.
- Served as the auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles (1946-1967), first Bishop of Fresno (1967-1969), and coadjutor bishop of Los Angeles (1969-1970).
- Archbishop of Los Angeles (1970-1985).
Manning was named a Cardinal by
Pope Paul VI in 1973. Cardinal Manning
established a priests’ senate and other advisory boards and supported ecumenical
efforts, the environment, and the Cursillo movement. Manning supported lay missionaries in Africa
and started ministries for African-Americans and Hispanics within the
Archdiocese. He was strongly pro-life
and was against the Vietnam War.
Cardinal Manning retired in 1985.
Roger M. Mahony (born 1936)
- Born in Los Angeles and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Fresno in 1962.
- Served as auxiliary bishop of Fresno (1975-1980) and Bishop of Stockton, California (1980-1985).
- Archbishop of Los Angeles (1985-2011).
Archbishop Mahony was named a
Cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 1991 and was the first native of Los Angeles
to become Archbishop of Los Angeles.
Cardinal Mahoney encouraged lay involvement in the Church and sought
better relationships with Lutherans and Episcopalians. He also started Catholics in Media to
influence media coverage of the Church and reached out to Catholics through
meetings, radio, and the internet.
Mahony also built Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral to replace the
damaged St. Vibiana’s Cathedral. He
strongly fought for the rights of immigrants and sought increased roles for the
laity. In 2007, the Archdiocese paid $660
million to 508 victims of sexual abuse by Archdiocesan clergy. Cardinal Mahoney retired in 2011.
Current Archbishop
Jose H. Gomez was appointed coadjutor Archbishop of Los
Angeles by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 and he became Archbishop the following
year. He was born in Mexico in 1951 and
ordained a priest for the Opus Dei Prelature in 1978. He became an American citizen in 1995. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of
Denver (2001-2004) and Archbishop of San Antonio, Texas (2004-2010).
The Cathedral
Cathedral of Our
Lady of the Angels
555 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, California 90012
555 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, California 90012
Los Angeles was
founded by the Spanish in 1781 who dedicated their village to Our Lady, the
Queen of the Angels. Since the early
days of Christianity, the Church has often referred to Mary as a queen—Queen of
Heaven and of Earth. As Queen, she is
Queen of the Saints and of Angels. Pope
Pius XII formalized this title in 1954 and established the Feast of the
Queenship of Mary on August 22.
August Queen of Heaven, sovereign Mistress of
the Angels, who did receive from the beginning the mission and the power to
crush the serpent’s head, we beseech you to send the holy angels, that under
your command and by your power, they may pursue the evil spirits, encounter
them on every side, resist their bold attacks, and drive them hence into the
abyss of woe. Most holy Mother, send the angels to defend us and to drive the
cruel enemy from us. All you holy angels and archangels, help and defend us.
Amen. O good and tender Mother! You shall ever be our Love and our Hope. Holy
Angels and Archangels, keep and defend us. Amen.
Pope Gregory XVI established the Diocese of Two Californias
in 1840—California was still part of Mexico at the time—and Bishop Francisco
Garcia Diego y Moreno used the mission church at Santa Barbara as his
cathedral. Pope Pius IX created the
Diocese of Monterey in 1850 and Monterey ’s church of San Carlos Borromeo Monterey -Los Angeles Main and Second Streets—in 1876. (St.
Vibiana was a Roman virgin and martyr whose remains were found in 1853 in Rome.)
The new cathedral was completed
four years later.
Pictures of St. Vibiana Cathedral. Top is from flickr and bottom from pinterest.
The need for a new cathedral was
evident as early as 1904, when Bishop Conaty received permission to build a new
cathedral dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe and a site was purchased. Economic conditions thwarted these plans and
the Church of the Immaculate Conception was later built on this site. Archbishop Cantwell announced plans for a new
cathedral in 1945 dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels. It was going to be located at Wilshire and
Rimpau. When Cardinal McIntyre became
archbishop in 1948, he saw a greater need to build parishes and schools, rather
than a new cathedral.
St. Vibiana’s Cathedral was severely damaged by an
earthquake in 1994 and could no longer be used.
The Archdiocese initially planned to rebuild the Cathedral on the same
spot, but historic preservationists were able to halt the destruction of the
old Cathedral. Cardinal Mahony decided
to build a new cathedral in a different location. The old St. Vibiana’s Cathedral has been
converted to a performing arts complex. Construction of the current Cathedral of Our
Lady of the Angels was begun in 1998 and was completed in 2002. Jose Rafael Moneo was the architect of the
modern Cathedral that overlooks Hollywood Freeway.
The Cathedral of Our
Lady of the Angels is 11 stories high and is built in a contemporary style with
no right angles. It is also designed to
withstand an 8.0 earthquake. The
concrete is meant to remind us of the adobe walls of California missions. It is the largest Catholic cathedral in the
United States—333 feet long and covering 65,000 square feet.
All pictures are from the Cathedral's website.
The Great Bronze doors to the Cathedral were designed by Los Angeles
sculptor, Robert Graham. The doors
feature 40 ancient symbols and images of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Above the doors is an 8-foot contemporary
image of Our Lady of the Angels. A
50-foot concrete cross "lantern" adorns the front of the Cathedral.
The Cathedral was
designed using the themes of the Light of God and our Journey to God. These themes are shown in the windows—over
33,000 square feet of alabaster windows.
Alabaster is a translucent stone.
The stone in the Cathedral comes from Spain and has veins of red, gray,
yellow, and green. The nave is 300 feet
long and can seat 1,900 people in fixed seating and 1,100 in moveable
seating. The floor is made of 60,000
Spanish Jana limestone pavers arranged in a circular pattern from the altar.
The tapestries were
created by John Nava. The 37 Communion
of Saints tapestries along the walls of the nave represent 135 canonized saints
and many anonymous holy people. Five baptistery
tapestries depict the Baptism of Jesus.
The seven altar tapestries depict a map of Los Angeles in a pattern
associated with God indicating that He dwells within us.
The Cathedral’s main
altar was designed by Cardinal Mahony and Louie Carnevale. The altar is made from a six ton slab of
Turkish Rosso Laguna marble and was fabricated in Italy. It is eight feet wide,
ten feet across, and ten inches thick. The marble is a rich burgundy with veins
of white, gray and red. The altar top rests upon a single round pillar of
similar marble and is enhanced with four bronze angels designed by Mary Louise
Snowden. The angels are inspired by
Revelation 8:3 and are shown in flight.
The life-size bronze
crucifix over the main altar was made by Los Angeles artist Simon Toparovsky
and is an attempt to capture the brutality of Christ’s crucifixion. Behind the main altar is a 17th Century
retablo. The retablo was made in Spain
of black walnut in a Spanish Baroque style.
The retablo has a crucifix surrounded by saints with the Madonna and
Child looking down.
The ambo designed by
Jefferson Tortorelli weighs 1,500 pounds and is made of Australian jarrah wood
accented with red bloodwood. Tortorelli
also designed the Archbishop’s cathedra or chair. The cathedra is made from ebony from Africa,
holly wood from the United States, olive wood from Israel, carob wood from
Lebanon, coca bola from Central America, lacewood from Australia, and buena
burro from Thailand. The various woods symbolize the ethnic communities of the
Archdiocese.
The Cathedral has 11
chapels of which five have been given a theme at this time. The Eucharist is reserved in the Blessed
Sacrament Chapel. The tabernacle, lamp,
and sconces were designed by Max DeMoss and are sculpted in bronze and
silver. The tabernacle has a door handle
shaped like a cross and made of orangewood.
Our Lady of the Angels Chapel has a statue of Mary designed by Eugenio
Pattarino of Italy. The Sacrament of Penance
is given in the Reconciliation Chapel.
The Art Chapel houses traveling exhibits of Christian art. St. Vibiana's Chapel and Shrine is dedicated
to the patron of the old Cathedral. Pope
Pius IX gave relics of St. Vibiana to Bishop Thaddeus Amat and they were placed
in St. Vibiana's Cathedral in 1876. She
is the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The Chapel’s marble altar comes from St.
Vibiana’s Cathedral and the painted ceramic Stations of the Cross, designed by
Eugenio Pattarino, come from St. Basil's Church in Los Angeles.
The Cathedral’s pipe
organ was made by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders in Iowa. The organ has 105 stops
and 6,019 pipes. Some of the pipes come
from the organ in the former Cathedral of St. Vibiana. The organ is played from a console with four
keyboards. The organ case is made from
cherry wood.
The Cathedral’s campanile
is 156 feet high and is topped by a 25 foot cross. The Campanile is designed to hold 18 bells,
but currently has four. Two bells are
from St. Vibiana Cathedral—one cast is Baltimore in 1888 and the other cast in
Massachusetts in 1828. The Campanile is
surrounded by a meditation garden.
Located on the plaza is the Gateway Pool and Water Wall designed by Los
Angeles artist Lita Albuquerque, the Native American Memorial designed by Johnny
Bear Contreras, a member of the Kumeyaay tribe of California, and the Shrine of
Our Lady of Guadalupe designed by Lalo Garcia.
The Cathedral website, olacathedral.org, has detailed
information on the Cathedral. Also see
the Archdiocesan website at la-archdiocese.org.
The Cathedral is located in downtown Los Angeles and has three weekend
masses, including one in Spanish.
Also located in the Archdiocese
There are three Eastern Rite Catholic cathedrals in the
Archdiocese.
Our Lady of Mount Lebanon-St. Peter Cathedral is the one of
two cathedrals for the Maronite-rite Diocese of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los
Angeles—one of two Maronite-rite dioceses in the United States
St. Anne’s co-Cathedral in North Hollywood is one of two
cathedrals for the Melkite diocese of Newton, Massachusetts. The diocese serves
about 25,000 Melkite Catholics in the United States in 41 parishes.
St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral is the cathedral for
the Armenian diocese of Our Lady of Nareg.
The diocese has 36,000 members in 7 U.S. parishes and 2 Canadian
parishes.
Diocese of Monterey
The Diocese of Monterey consists of four counties in central
California. The diocese has 206,000
Catholics (20 percent of the total population) in 56 parishes (as of 2015). Pope Gregory XVI established the Mexican
Diocese of Two Californias (Upper and Lower) in 1840. With Statehood in 1850, Pope Pius IX created
the Diocese of Monterey, although the Diocese included the Mexican Lower
California until 1852. Northern
California became the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1853. The southern diocese was renamed the Diocese
of Monterey -Los Angeles
Prior Bishops
Bishops of Monterey-Fresno
The new Diocese
of Monterey-Fresno was administered for two years (1922-1924) by John
Cantwell, the Bishop of Los Angeles-San Diego.
John B. MacGinley (1871-1969)
·
Born in Ireland and ordained a priest in 1895.
·
Served as Bishop of Nueva Careres, The Philippines
(1910-1924).
·
First
Bishop of Monterey-Fresno (1924-1932).
He established 12 parishes and built several new schools and
one hospital. Bishop MacGinley resigned
in 1932 due to a heart condition (although he did not die until 1969).
Philip G. Scher (1880-1953)
- Born in Illinois and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles in 1903.
- Bishop of Monterey-Fresno (1933-1953).
Bishop Scher led the Diocese through the Great Depression
and the Second World War and established 11 parishes and built more than two
dozen schools. He suffered a stroke in
1946 and turned control of the Diocese over to his coadjutor bishop, Aloysius Willinger. Bishop Scher died in 1953.
Aloysius J. Willinger, C.Ss.R., (1886-1973)
- Born in Maryland and ordained a Redemptorist priest in 1911.
- Served as Bishop of Ponce, Puerto Rico (1929-1946) and coadjutor bishop of Monterey-Fresno (1946-1953).
- Bishop of Monterey-Fresno (1953-1967).
Bishop Willinger established 34 parishes to keep up with a
Catholic population that almost doubled during his time as Bishop. He also attended the Second Vatican
Council. Bishop Willinger retired in
1967, the same year that the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno was split.
Bishops of Monterey
Harry A. Clinch (1908-2003)
- Born in San Anselmo, California, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno in 1936.
- Served as auxiliary bishop of Monterey-Fresno (1956-1967).
- Bishop of Monterey (1967-1982).
Bishop Clinch attended the Second Vatican Council and implemented
its changes. Clinch ordained 22 priests
and established five new parishes. He
also served as episcopal adviser to the National Catholic Laymen's Retreat
Conference. Bishop Clinch retired in
1982, sold his house, and donated the proceeds to establish an endowment fund
for the Diocese. At the time of his
death in 2003, Bishop Clinch was the last U.S. bishop to have attended the
Second Vatican Council.
Thaddeus A. Shubsda (1925-1991)
- Born in Los Angeles and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1950.
- Served as auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles (1977-1982).
- Bishop of Monterey (1982-1991).
Bishop Shubsda was widely regarded as an expert on labor
issues and social justice and earned a reputation as an outspoken advocate of
farm and factory workers in the diocese. He acted as a mediator in strikes and spoke
out forcefully for better living conditions for field workers after some had
been found living in caves. Bishop
Shubsda hosted John Paul II's visit to the Diocese in 1987 and actively
promoted the beatification of now St. Junipero Serra. Bishop Shubsda died of melanoma in 1991.
Sylvester D. Ryan (born 1930)
- Born on Catalina Island, California, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1957.
- Served as auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles (1990-1992).
- Bishop of Monterey (1992-2006).
Bishop Ryan
served as the president of the California Catholic Conference from 1997 to 2004
and retired in 2006.
Current Bishop
Richard J. Garcia
was appointed Bishop of Monterey by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. He was born in San Francisco in 1947 and
ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1973. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of
Sacramento (1997-2006).
The Cathedral
Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo
500 Church Street
500 Church Street
Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) was the
nephew of Pope Pius IV. The Pope named
Charles a cardinal in 1560 and put him in charge of the diocese at Milan , Italy
Almighty God, you have generously made
known to human beings the mysteries of your life through Jesus Christ your son,
in the Holy Spirit. Enlighten my mind to know these mysteries which your Church
treasures and teaches. Move my heart to love them and my will to live in accord
with them. Give me the ability to teach this faith to others without pride,
without ostentation, and without personal gain. Let me realize that I am simply
your instrument for bringing others to the knowledge of the wonderful things you
have done for all your creatures. Help me to be faithful to this task that you
have entrusted to me. Amen. (Prayer by St. Charles Borromeo)
Father Junipero Serra established San Carlos Borromeo
mission in 1770. The Spanish army built
a fort or presidio near the mission and the City of Monterey Carmel the next year, but the church
remained as the presidio chapel—dedicated to St. Joseph
Pope Pius IX created the Diocese of Monterey in 1850 and the
presidio chapel, now dedicated to San Carlos Borromeo, became the cathedral for
the diocese. It remained the only
cathedral until 1859 when the name of the diocese was changed to the Diocese of
Monterey-Los Angeles and San Carlos Borromeo became one of two cathedrals for
the diocese. San Carlos Borromeo became
the co-cathedral for a new diocese when the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno was
established in 1922 and since 1967 it has served as the Cathedral for the
Diocese of Monterey.
The Cathedral is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places. Its historic significance is due
to many things. The Cathedral is the oldest continuously functioning church and the first
cut-stone building in California. It is California’s first cathedral and is the
oldest and smallest cathedral building in the United States. The building is the oldest building in
Monterey and the only remaining original chapel of the four Spanish Presidios
that once existed in California. It was the first building in California
designed by an architect. Future
president Herbert Hoover and his wife married there in 1899.
The sandstone Cathedral is built in a Spanish Colonial style
with a Moorish stone façade. The bell
tower holds a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe that was made in 1794, likely by
Manuel Ruiz, the stonemason who led the construction of the church. It is the oldest non-native sculpture in
California.
The top picture is from the Cathedral website and the bottom picture is from Wikipedia.
The Cathedral’s Gothic stained glass windows were replaced
in 1942 with windows reflecting the Spanish Colonial architecture. The front doors were designed and crafted by
Harry Downie and were modeled on the San Diego Mission. Frederick Blersh painted the sanctuary’s decorations
and crests in 1962. The Stations of the
Cross were painted in Rome in the late 19th Century. The Crucifix was made in Barcelona, Spain, in
1880.
Among the Cathedral’s statues are one of St. Anthony and the
Child Jesus. The wooden statue portrays
Anthony’s robe with silver threads, perhaps as if Anthony were in Heaven. A wooden statue of the Immaculate Conception
was likely made around 1750 and contains gold patterns common in the Spanish Colonial
period. A wooden statue of St. Joseph
and the Baby Jesus dates to the 18th Century. A statue of Our Lady of Sorrows dates to the
mid-1800s and depicts Mary at the foot of the Cross. Outside the Cathedral is a garden, a statue
of the Virgin Mary, and the Junipero Oak.
Additional information can be found on the Cathedral
website, sancarloscathedral.org and on the Diocesan website at dioceseofmonterey.org. The Cathedral is located in downtown Monterey
and has seven weekend masses, including one in both English and Spanish. San
Carlos School Monterey
The top picture is from pinterest and the bottom picture is from Wikipedia.
Also in the Diocese
The Mission Basilica of San Carlos Borromeo is in Carmel. This is the second
oldest of the 21 California
Diocese of Fresno
The Diocese of Fresno consists of 8 counties in central California. The diocese has 1.2 million Catholics (42
percent of the total population) in 87 parishes (as of 2015). Pope Pius XI created the Diocese of
Monterey-Fresno in 1922. Pope Paul VI
separated Monterey and Fresno into separate dioceses in 1967.
Bishops of Monterey-Fresno
See Diocese of Monterey
Bishops of Fresno
Timothy Manning (1909-1989)
- Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Los Angeles-San Diego in 1934.
- Served as the auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles (1946-1967).
- First Bishop of Fresno (1967-1969).
- Later served as coadjutor archbishop of Los Angeles (1969-1970) and Archbishop of Los Angeles (1970-1985). Pope Paul VI named him a cardinal in 1973.
Bishop Manning
served only 18 months in Fresno, but during that time he created a diocesan
housing commission and a priests’ senate, established four new parishes, and
worked to increase resources for minority groups. Bishop Manning supported the organization of
a labor union for farm workers and tried to bridge differences between grape
producers and farm workers. Manning was
named coadjutor archbishop of Los Angeles in 1969 and became Archbishop the
following year. Pope Paul VI named him a
cardinal in 1973.
Hugh A. Donohoe (1905-1987)
·
Born in San Francisco and ordained a priest for
the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1930.
·
Served as auxiliary bishop of San Francisco (1947-1962)
and first Bishop of Stockton, California (1962-1969).
· Bishop of
Fresno (1969-1980).
Bishop Donohoe created 11 parishes and built new schools and
hospitals to keep up with a Catholic population that more than doubled during
his time as Bishop. He attended all four
sessions of the Second Vatican Council.
Bishop Donohoe retired in 1980.
Joseph
J. Madera Uribe, M.Sp.S., (1927-2017)
- Born in San Francisco and ordained a priest for the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit in 1957.
- Bishop of Fresno (1980-1991).
- Later served as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese for the Military Services (1991-2004).
Bishop
Madera was the first Hispanic to be named a diocesan Bishop in California since
1896. Bishop Madera established a
Catholic television station (KNXT) in 1986 and was named auxiliary bishop for
the Archdiocese for the Military Services in 1991.
John
T. Steinbock (1937-2010)
·
Born in Los Angeles and ordained a priest for
the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1963.
·
Served as auxiliary bishop of Orange (1984-1987)
and Bishop of Santa Rosa, California (1987-1991).
·
Bishop of
Fresno (1991-2010).
Bishop
Steinbock ordained more than 60 priests and established a permanent diaconate
program. He built several new churches
and expanded the reach of KNXT, while keeping the Diocese out of debt. He also purchased one retreat center and
built a second. He wrote a book in 2003
about his time as a young priest serving poor immigrants, including gang
members, in East Los Angeles. He died of
cancer in 2010.
Current Bishop
Armando X. Ochoa was appointed Bishop of Fresno by Pope
Benedict XVI in 2011. He was born in Oxnard
in 1943 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1970. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of
Los Angeles (1986-1996) and Bishop of El Paso, Texas (1996-2011).
The Cathedral
2814 Mariposa Street
John was the son of Zechariah and
O
God, who willed that St. John the Baptist should go ahead of Your Son both in
his birth and in his death, grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and
justice, we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what You teach. Through
our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The first St. John’s church was built at M and Fresno Streets in 1880 and dedicated two years
later. St. John’s parish was established
in 1882—the first Catholic parish in Fresno.
By the turn of the century, plans were made for a new church and the
current St. John’s was completed in 1903—it is the oldest church building in
Fresno. St. John’s became the
co-cathedral of the new Diocese of Monterey-Fresno in 1922 and the cathedral of
the Diocese of Fresno in 1967.
The Gothic Romanesque building was designed by Thomas
Bermingham and seats 600. The red-brick
church has a triple entry with two square towers with spires. A rose window is above the entrance.
For additional information, including several pictures, see
the Cathedral website at stjohnsfresno.org.
The Diocesan website is dioceseoffresno.org. The Cathedral is located in downtown Fresno
and has 8 weekend masses, including five in Spanish, to serve 1100 parish
families.
Diocese of San Diego
The Diocese of San Diego consists of two counties (San Diego
and Imperial) in southern California.
The diocese has 1.0 million Catholics (31 percent of the total
population) in 98 parishes (as of 2015).
Pope Pius XI created the Diocese of Los Angeles-San Diego in 1922. Pius XI split the Diocese into the
Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Diocese of San Diego in 1936.
Bishops of Los Angeles-San Diego
See Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Bishops of San Diego
Charles F. Buddy (1887-1966)
·
Born in Missouri and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1914.
·
First
Bishop of San Diego (1936-1966).
Bishop Buddy helped established the
University of San Diego in 1949 and later served as its president. Buddy attended the Second Vatican Council and
was an outspoken opponent of communism.
Bishop Buddy died in 1966 during a confirmation trip.
Francis J. Furey (1905-1979)
- Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1930.
- Served as auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia (1960-1963) and coadjutor bishop and apostolic administrator of San Diego (1963-1966).
- Bishop of San Diego (1966-1969).
- Later served as Archbishop of San Antonio, Texas (1969-1979).
As coadjutor bishop, Furey became
Bishop upon the death of Bishop Buddy.
Bishop Furey was appointed Archbishop of San Antonio, Texas, in 1969.
Leo T. Maher (1915-1991)
- Born in Iowa and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1943.
- Served as the first Bishop of Santa Rosa, California (1962-1969).
- Bishop of San Diego (1969-1990).
Bishop Maher convened a Diocesan
Synod in 1973 that reviewed Diocesan polices in light of the Second Vatican
Council. He also established the first
Diocesan pastoral council in 1976. Bishop
Maher retired the Diocese’s $15 million debt and co-founded the San Diego
County Ecumenical Conference. He
supported workers’ rights and spoke out vigorously against abortion and
racism. Maher opposed gay organizations,
but celebrated a Mass for AIDS patients at the Cathedral. Bishop Maher retired in 1990.
Robert H. Brom (born 1938)
- Born in Wisconsin and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Winona, Minnesota, in 1963.
- Served as Bishop of Duluth, Minnesota (1983-1989) and coadjutor bishop of San Diego (1989-1990).
- Bishop of San Diego (1990-2013).
As coadjutor bishop, Brom became
Bishop upon the retirement of Bishop Maher.
Bishop Brom built two high schools and a new pastoral center. Brom agreed that the Diocese would pay $198.1 million to 144 victims of childhood
sexual abuse by Diocesan priests. Bishop Brom apologized to the victims and
made public the offenders’ histories.
Because of the settlement, the Diocese declared bankruptcy in
2007. Bishop Brom retired in 2013.
Cirilo B. Flores (1948-2014)
- Born in Corona and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Orange in 1991.
- Served as auxiliary bishop of Orange (2009-2002) and coadjutor bishop of San Diego (2012-2013).
- Bishop of San Diego (2013-2014).
As coadjutor bishop, Flores became
Bishop upon the retirement of Bishop Brom.
Bishop Flores served only a year as Bishop before he died of cancer in
2014.
Current Bishop
Robert W. McElroy was appointed Bishop of San Diego by Pope Francis
in 2015. He was born in San Francisco in
1954 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1980. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of San
Francisco (2010-2015).
The Cathedral
1535 Third
Avenue
Spouse of the Immaculate Virgin,
St. Joseph, obtain for me a pure, humble
and charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine will. Be my guide,
father and model through life that I may merit to die as you did in the arms of
Jesus and Mary. St. Joseph, friend of the Sacred Heart, pray for us. Amen. Glorious St. Joseph, through the love
you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His name, hear our prayers and
obtain our petitions.
St. Joseph’s parish was started in 1874 and met in a frame
church at Third and Beech. A second
brick church was completed in 1894, which became the first Cathedral. The current Mission Revival Cathedral, built
at the same location as the previous churches, was completed in 1941. The Cathedral was recently renovated.
Additional information can be found on the Cathedral’s
website, sdcathedral.ogr, and on the Diocesan website, sdcatholic.org. The Cathedral is located in downtown San
Diego and has seven weekend masses, including one in Spanish and one for young
people.
Also in the Diocese
St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon is the
Mother church for the Chaldean-rite Diocese of St. Peter the Apostle of San
Diego—one of two Chaldean-rite dioceses in the United States. The diocese ministers to 70,000 Catholics in
14 parishes and missions located in California, Arizona, and Nevada.
The Mission Basilica of San Diego de Alcala is in San Diego. This is the oldest
of the 21 California missions, founded by St. Junipero Serra in 1769—the first
church in California. The mission was
relocated to its present location in 1774, but it was destroyed during an
attack by Native Americans the following year.
Father Luis Jayme was killed during the attack and became California’s
first martyr for the Faith. The mission
was rebuilt more than once, but it gradually deteriorated to the point that
only the façade and bell tower remained.
The current church was built in 1931 to resemble Father Serra’s Spanish
adobe church and serves as a parish today.
Pope Paul VI designated the mission as a minor basilica in 1975. The Basilica is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. The
Basilica’s website is missionsandiego.org.
Diocese of Orange
The Diocese of Orange consists of Orange County in southern
California—the Diocese is one of three U.S. dioceses to consist of a single
county. The diocese has 1.5 million
Catholics (49 percent of the total population) in 57 parishes (as of 2015).
Bishops of Orange
William R. Johnson (1918-1986)
·
Born in Nevada and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1944.
·
Served as auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles
(1971-1976).
·
First
Bishop of Orange (1976-1986).
Bishop Johnson’s new Diocese had
330,000 Catholics in 42 parishes served by 179 priests. Johnson celebrated Mass with inmates at the Orange County Jail
every Christmas,
and established a Department of Hispanic Ministries in 1979. He was a strong supporter of the Second
Vatican Council. Johnson also was an
outspoken advocate of nuclear disarmament, and encouraged
Catholics to support the settlement of refugees from Southeast Asia. Bishop Johnson died in 1986
from an infection.
Norman F. McFarland (1922-2010)
- Born in Martinez, California, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1946.
- Served as auxiliary bishop of San Francisco (1970-1974), apostolic administrator of Reno, Nevada (1974-1976), and Bishop of Reno-Las Vegas (1976-1986).
- Bishop of Orange (1986-1998).
Bishop McFarland developed a
Diocesan Catholic Charities program and demanded the U.S. Government not
conduct raids for illegal immigrants in churches. He spoke out against abortion and
pornography. Unfortunately, later legal
documents revealed that Bishop McFarland did not take sufficient action against
priests accused of abuse of minors.
Bishop McFarland retired in 1998.
Tod D. Brown (born 1936)
- Born in San Francisco and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno in 1963.
- Served as Bishop of Boise, Idaho (1988-1998).
- Bishop of Orange (1998-2012).
Bishop Brown took charge of a Diocese with 55 parishes, 289
priests, and slightly more than a million Catholics—many of whom spoke English
as a second language. In 2005, Brown apologized
to 87 alleged victims of sexual abuse by Diocesan employees and announced a
settlement of $100 million following two years of mediation. Bishop Brown
bought the former Crystal Cathedral in 2012 to serve as the new Cathedral for
the Diocese. Bishop Brown retired in
2012.
Current Bishop
Kevin W. Vann was appointed Bishop of Orange by Pope
Benedict XVI in 2012. He was born in Illinois
The Cathedrals
Holy Family Cathedral
566 South Glassell
Orange , California
The Holy Family—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph serve as a model for
all families. The feast of the Holy
Family is celebrated on the Sunday after Christmas.
Jesus, Mary and
Joseph, bless us and grant us the grace to profess openly as we ought the faith
given to us in Baptism, without fear or human respect.
Holy Family parish—the oldest in the City of Orange—was
established in 1921 at the intersection of East Chapman Avenue and Shaffer
Street. Less than 30 years later, the parish
needed to expand and the current property was purchased in 1949 and the current
church building was completed in 1958.
Pope Paul VI established the Diocese of Orange in 1976 and Holy Family
became the Cathedral parish for the Diocese.
Bishop Tod Brown established Christ Our Savior parish in 2005 in Santa
Ana intending it to become the Cathedral parish for the Diocese, but cost
issues became a concern. In 2012 Bishop
Brown announced that the Diocese had purchased the Crystal Cathedral, a noted
Protestant church in Garden Grove, and was planning to convert it to the
Diocesan Cathedral. The new Cathedral
will be named Christ Cathedral and will become the Diocesan Cathedral when
renovations are completed in 2019. Holy
Family remains the Cathedral until that time.
Holy Family Cathedral is made of brick in a modern design. It seats 800 people. More information can be obtained on the
Cathedral website at hfcathedral.org and the Diocesan website at rcbo.org.
Holy Family Cathedral is located less than a mile south of
downtown Orange and has seven weekend masses, including one in Spanish, to
serve 3,600 parish families. The parish
elementary school has an enrollment of 500.
Christ Cathedral
13280 Chapman Avenue
Garden Grove, CA 92840
Garden Grove, CA 92840
Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World.
In the heavens, on
earth and in the underworld, all should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and
every tongue should acclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the
Father. (Philippians 2:10-11)
Robert and Arvella Schuller founded the Garden Grove
Community Church in 1955 on a property covering 34 acres. The first church building was completed in
1962 and designed by Richard Neutra. Now
called the Arboretum, this 22,000-square foot church could seat 1,400. As their congregation grew, the Schullers
hired architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee to build a new church. The resulting church was completed in 1980 at
a cost of $18 million and was called the Crystal Cathedral.
According to the Cathedral website,
“Johnson and Burgee created an angular, star-shaped plan, a modification of the
typical Latin cross plan, with a shortened nave and widened transept, to bring
each seat closer to the chancel. Bisecting the interior and stretching almost
the entire width was a channel of water containing twelve fountains
representing the twelve apostles. The single interior space is 200 feet wide by
400 feet long, with 130-foot ceilings. There is over 40,000 square feet of
worship space, and 35,000 square feet in the lower levels. The strong steel
truss structure will withstand an 8.0 earthquake and winds of up to 100 miles
per hour. Some of the over 10,000 mirrored glass panes open up to assist with
ventilation.” The Cathedral is the
largest glass building in the world. The
236-foot Crean Tower was dedicated in 1990.
Philip Johnson designed the interior carillon with 52 bells.
The carillon bells were forged by the Royal Eijsbouts Bell Foundry in
the Netherlands. The entire carillon assembly weighs 42,000 pounds. Below the tower is a circular chapel with 33
solid, multi-colored marble cylindrical columns, representing Jesus’ 33 years
of life, and 12 white columns representing the 12 Apostles.
The Diocese of Orange purchased the Crystal Cathedral from the
Schullers in 2012 at a cost of $57.5 million.
Christ Cathedral parish was established in 2014 and absorbed St. Callistus parish, whose property was
sold to the previous owners of the Crystal Cathedral. The Diocese hired the Los Angeles
architectural firm of Johnson Bain and Rios Clementi Hale Studios to convert the building to one suitable for Catholic
liturgical purposes, as well as one that serves as a center of evangelization,
interreligious dialogue and outreach to the materially poor, while maintaining
the building’s historical legacy.
According to the Cathedral’s website, “[T]he firm plans to maintain and
restore the structure around a new cross-shaped interior. Three entries will be
reconfigured as the Bishop’s Door, Baptistery and Pilgrim’s Entry, and the
spaces inside each will be distinctive. At the center of the cruciform will be
the altar, sitting atop the predella and visible from all pews. A large
platinum-leafed baldachin and carved crucifix will be suspended over the altar,
with the Bishop’s Chair to the north and the ambo to the south. The mezzanine
level will support multiple configurations of musical performance, and the
organ casework will be redesigned in opaque white glass with brushed stainless
steel trim. As the new stone floor and
lower walls recall the earth, so the glass vault overhead recalls the heavens.
The redesign of the surfaces addresses acoustics, daylight and night lighting,
solar heat transmission and ventilation to ensure optimal performance and
comfort of visitors. In order to regulate both lighting and comfort, the firm
has designed an algorithmically complex series of quatrefoils made up of
triangular metal sails. Arranged in various states of openness on the inside
surface of the glass frames, the sails will modulate light, reduce glare and
cast beautiful patterns on the cathedral interior.”
The Cathedral will seat 3,000 and have space for 1,000 singers
and instrumentalists. The Cathedral’s 273 rank,
five manual pipe organ is
the fifth largest pipe organ in the world.
It was constructed by Fratelli Ruffatti based on specifications by Virgil Fox and expanded by Frederick Swann. The organ incorporates the large Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ built in 1962
for New York's Philharmonic Hall (now Avery Fisher Hall). The pipe organ has recently been refurbished.
In addition to the Cathedral and the Arboretum, the property has
two other prominent buildings. The
Cultural Center was completed in 2002 and was designed by Richard Meier. The five-story, 53,000 square foot building
has a 298-seat theater. Plans are to
have art and spiritual exhibits on the upper floors and a restaurant, bookstore
and gift shop on the main level. The
building was used as a setting in a recent Star Trek movie.
The 13-story Tower of Hope, topped with a 90-foot neon-lit
cross, first opened in 1968 and now houses offices for the Cathedral Parish,
Cathedral Ministries, and upcoming home of EWTN (west coast) and Immaculate
Heart Radio. It was designed by Richard Neutra and his son Dion. The ninth floor of the tower will house
executive office suites for worldwide Catholic ministries, including the
Augustine Institute, Magis Institute, Dynamic Catholic, Pontifical Mission
Society, and other leading organizations. On the 13th floor is the 130-seat ecumenical
Chapel in the Sky, with breathtaking panoramic views of Orange County.
Additional information can be found on the Cathedral’s website, christcathedralcalifornia.org. Christ Cathedral is located in Garden
Grove and has 13 weekend masses (3 in English, 4 in Spanish, 4 in Vietnamese,
and 2 in Mandarin) to serve 3,300 parish families. Mass is being held in the renovated Arboretum
until the Cathedral is completed. The
former St. Camillus School is now Christ Cathedral School.
Also in the Diocese
The Mission Basilica of San Juan Capistrano is in San Juan
Capistrano. The
mission was established in 1776 and was the seventh mission founded by Father Junipero
Serra. The mission church was
magnificent, featuring seven domes and a large clock tower. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1812 and
has never been rebuilt. A small church,
known as the Serra Chapel, was built in 1778, and is the oldest church in California St. Joseph
Diocese of San Bernardino
The Diocese of San Bernardino consists of two counties (San
Bernardino and Riverside) in southern California. The diocese has 1.6 million Catholics (37
percent of the total population) in 91 parishes (as of 2015).
Bishops of San Bernardino
Phillip F. Straling (born 1933)
- Born in San Bernardino and ordained a priest for the Diocese of San Diego in 1959.
- First Bishop of San Bernardino (1978-1995).
- Later served as Bishop of Reno, Nevada (1995-2005).
The first task for this San Bernardino native was to
organize the new diocese. Facing a
shortage of priests, Bishop Straling appointed nuns and lay people to
leadership positions and created an institute to train lay leaders. He also established a permanent diaconate
program. The Diocese grew from 235,000
to 800,000 Catholics during his time as Bishop and he increased the number of
parishes from 85 to 105 to try to accommodate the increased population. He was named Bishop of Reno, Nevada, in 1995.
Current Bishop
Gerald R. Barnes was appointed Bishop of San Bernardino by
Pope John Paul II in 1995. He was born
in Arizona in 1945 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Antonio,
Texas, in 1975. He previously served as auxiliary
bishop of San Bernardino (1992-1995).
The Cathedral
Early Christians recited the 150 psalms from the Bible daily
or weekly as a form of prayer.
Eventually people began reciting 150 prayers, mostly the Lord’s
Prayer. The current form of the Rosary
was developed in the Middle Ages. The
Rosary is a series of prayers, mostly said the Mary, the Mother of God, to
obtain her intercession with her Son, Jesus.
Catholics meditate on the life of Christ when the say the Rosary. We celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary on
October 7.
O Virgin Mary, grant
that the recitation of your Rosary may be for me each day, in the midst of my
manifold duties, a bond of unity in my actions, a tribute of filial piety, a
sweet refreshment, an encouragement to walk joyfully along the path of duty.
Grant, above all, O Virgin Mary, that the study of your fifteen mysteries may
form in my soul, little by little, a luminous atmosphere, pure, strengthening,
and fragrant, which may penetrate my understanding, my will, my heart, my
memory, my imagination, my whole being. So shall I acquire the habit of praying
while I work, without the aid of formal prayers, by interior acts of admiration
and of supplication, or by aspirations of love. I ask this of you, O Queen of
the Holy Rosary, through Saint Dominic, your son of predilection, the renowned
preacher of your mysteries, and the faithful imitator of your virtues. Amen.
Holy Rosary parish was established in 1927 on
the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. It
is the third oldest of San Bernardino’s six parishes. The parish held services in a rented house
until the church was completed in 1928. Fr.
Phillip Straling was serving as pastor of Holy Rosary when he was named the
first Bishop of San Bernardino in 1978.
He selected his parish to be the Cathedral for the new diocese and
renamed it Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral.
Holy Rosary church was built in 1928 in a
Mission Revival style. The church was
expanded in 1953 and renovated in 1997.
Some additional information, including a pictorial tour can be found on
the parish website at sbdiocese.wixsite.com/cathedral. The Diocesan website is sbdiocese.org.
From the Diocesan website.
From the Diocesan website.
The Cathedral is located two miles north of downtown San
Bernardino and has five weekend masses, including two in Spanish, to serve 1500
parish families. The parish elementary
school has an enrollment of 200.
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