Friday, February 16, 2018


Province of Los angeles


Pope Pius XI established the Province of Los Angeles in 1936.  The Province consists of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and five dioceses in southern California (Monterey, Fresno, San Diego, Orange, and San Bernardino).  The Province has 8.8 million Catholics, 34 percent of the total population (as of 2015).  It has the largest population of Catholics and the fourth highest percentage of Catholics of the 32 U.S. provinces.  In 2000, the Province had 6.8 million Catholics or 31 percent of the total population.

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


Southern California

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) was made until the 18th Century.  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 became part of the newly formed Republic of Mexico in 1821 and Monterey was made the provincial capital.  Americans had long coveted California and a few had settled there by the 1840s.  The United States and Mexico fought a war between 1846 and 1848 and as a result, the United States gained a territory that included California and all or part of six other states.  Gold was discovered in California in January 1848—one month before the Mexican War ended.  About 80,000 men, mostly Americans, came to California the next year looking to get rich.  California became the 31st State in 1850.  Catholics began moving away from the Coast around this time.  For example, by 1870 parishes were established in San Bernardino, Mariposa, Merced, and Visalia, and by 1890 in Fresno, Bakersfield, Needles, and Riverside, among others.

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) in 1779.  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 in 1859.  Pope Pius XI split the southern diocese in 1922 forming the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno and the Diocese of Los Angeles-San Diego.  Pius XI created the Province of Los Angeles in 1936 which raised Los Angeles to an Archdiocese and at the same time created a separate Diocese of San Diego.  Pope Paul VI separated Monterey and Fresno into separate dioceses in 1967 and in 1976 separated Orange County from the Archdiocese creating the Diocese of Orange.  One month before his death in 1978, Pope Paul took half of the Diocese of San Diego and created the Diocese of San Bernardino.

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 in 1859.  Pope Pius XI created the Diocese of Los Angeles-San Diego in 1922.  Pius XI created the Province of Los Angeles in 1936 which raised Los Angeles to an Archdiocese and created a separate Diocese of San Diego. 

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.  (The legal issues were not finally resolved until 1967.)  He also brought in French and Irish priests to serve in the Diocese.  Alemeny was appointed the first Archbishop of San Francisco in 1853.

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

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 became the cathedral for the diocese.  Pope Pius changed the name of the Diocese of Monterey to the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles in 1859.  Bishop Amat initially resided in Monterey (starting in 1854), moved to Santa Barbara (Our Lady of Sorrows served as his Cathedral), and then to Los Angeles in 1859.  His first Los Angeles cathedral was the old plaza mission church of Our Lady Queen of the Angels (built in 1781).  Amat began construction of St. Viviana’s Cathedral—located at 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.







The first four pictures are from the Cathedral's website, the fifty from pinterest, and the last from Wikipedia.

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.  The diocese has 46,000 members in 33 parishes and several missions.  

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 in 1859.  Pope Pius XI created the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno in 1922 and Pope Paul VI separated Monterey and Fresno into separate dioceses in 1967.  

Prior Bishops


The first Bishop of Monterey and the bishops of Monterey—Los Angeles are described above.

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
Monterey, California  93940


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, even though Charles did not become a priest or a bishop until three years later.  Taking on these responsibilities at such a young age would have been disastrous for most people, but Charles was very capable.  He was an active participant in the last session of the Council of Trent which made many reforms in the Church as a result of the Protestant Reformation.  Charles was a good bishop, establishing seminaries, teaching children the Faith, and setting standards of morality among his clergy.  He was also holy man, who led a simple life, gave much to the poor, fed the hungry, and nursed the sick.  He is the patron saint of bishops, catechists, and seminarians.  His feast day is November 4.

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 grew up around these structures.  Father Serra moved the mission to Carmel the next year, but the church remained as the presidio chapel—dedicated to St. Joseph.  The original chapel was replaced by the current building in 1794.

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 enrolls nearly 300 children from Kindergarten through the Eighth grade.  Monterey is one of only 7 diocesan sees in which the Cathedral parish is the only parish.



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 missions and many consider it to be the most beautiful.  It was founded by Junipero Serra, a Spanish Franciscan priest, in 1770 and he used this mission as his headquarters until his death in 1784.  The present sandstone mission was built between 1793 and 1797 and Saint Junipero Serra is buried near the altar.  Four thousand Native Americans were baptized here between 1770 and 1836.  Today, it serves as Carmel’s parish church.  The Basilica is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Pope John XXIII designated the mission as a minor basilica in 1960.  Basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  The Basilica website is carmelmission.org.




The first picture is from the basilica website, the second from pinterest, and the third from Wikipedia.

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

St. John the Baptist Cathedral
2814 Mariposa Street
Fresno, California 93721

John was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth and the cousin of Jesus.  As an adult, he prepared the way for his cousin’s ministry by preaching the need for baptism and repentance.  He baptized Jesus in the Jordan River at the beginning of Jesus’ own ministry.  John was beheaded by King Herod Antipas because of John’s admonition that Herod’s marriage was sinful and unlawful.  John is honored with two feast days—June 24 commemorates his birth and August 29 his death.  His is also the patron of St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome—the Pope’s Cathedral as Bishop of Rome—the Dedication of which is honored on November 9.   

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.


From the Cathedral website.

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.





The first three pictures are from the Cathedral website and the last is from snipview.

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

St. Joseph Cathedral
1535 Third Avenue
San Diego, California  92101

St. Joseph was the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus.  He was a carpenter and taught this trade to Jesus.  Devotion to St. Joseph dates to the early days of Christianity in the Eastern churches, but only in the last 500 or so years has Joseph gained his deserved respect in Western Christendom.  He is the patron saint of many countries, as well as being the patron saint of workers and fathers.  He is also known as the patron of a happy death, since he presumably died in the presence of Jesus, the Son of God, and Mary, the Mother of God.  His feast day is March 19.

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.

From Snipview

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.



The top picture is from the Cathedral website and the bottom is from Wikipedia.

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.




The first picture is from flickr, the second from pinterest, and the last from Wikipedia.


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 in 1951 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, in 1981.  He previously served as Bishop of Fort Worth, Texas (2005-2012).  

The Cathedrals

Holy Family Cathedral
566 South Glassell
Orange, California  92866

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. 

From Yelp

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. 

 From the Diocesan website.

Christ Cathedral
13280 Chapman Avenue
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 first two pictures are from the Cathedral website and the last is from Diocesan website.

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. 


From Expedia.

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.  This mission is the most visited of all the missions, in part because of the swallows who return each year on or near the feast of St. Joseph.  A larger replica of the mission church was completed in 1986 and Pope John Paul II designated this church as a minor basilica in 2000. The Basilica is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Basilica’s website is missionsjc.com.





The top two pictures are from flickr and the bottom two from Wikipedia.


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


Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral
265 W. 25th Street
San Bernardino, California  92405

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.

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.



Both pictures are from the Cathedral Facebook page.












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