Los Angeles is one of the country’s most visited cities. Where else can you experience the magic of the movies, palm lined boulevards, and sandy beaches all within city limits? The city has captured the American imagination for decades and is important for pilgrims too.
Like so much of California, Los Angeles owes its origins to St. Junipero Serra and the Franciscan missionaries who first arrived in the eighteenth century. They named it after the Portiuncula in Assisi, where St. Francis lived out his dying days. In fact, the full name of the city is El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula (“the city of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels of the Portiuncula), which was later shortened to Los Angeles.
Between visits to Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and the beaches, Universal Studios and myriad other attractions, walk in the footsteps of saints who helped shape L.A., such as St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Venerable Patrick Peyton and Venerable Alphonse Gallegos, pray at the tomb of a Roman martyr and explore the remains of two missions.
Encountering the Church Triumphant in downtown Los Angeles
The Church Triumphant is filled with saints who defended and exemplified the faith through the ages, from the very first Roman martyrs to the saints of the 20th century. Nowhere is there a better place to reflect on this than at the Cathedral of Our Lady Queen of the Angels in the heart of the futuristic downtown core. Inside this massive eleven story cathedral are images, tapestries and relics that connect us with the Church Triumphant from the earliest days of ancient Rome to the contemporary era.
Modernizing a practice that was common in the great medieval cathedrals, there are stunning tapestries along the nave that depict over 135 saints and blesseds from around the world, including saints who walked the streets of Los Angeles such as John Paul II and Mother Teresa. Since this is L.A., it is not surprising that a casting agent was used to find models who resembled some of the saints to help the artist complete his work! There are also many side chapels that contain relics of the saints. This includes a chapel dedicated to St. Mother Teresa and St. Jose Sanchez del Rio, the young heroin of the Cristero Wars; a chapel for the popes with relics of St. John Paul II and St. John XXIII. There is also a moving chapel to Our Lady of Guadalupe which displays a small piece of the miraculous Tilma.
On the mausoleum level of the cathedral is the Shrine of St. Vibiana and the tomb of this ancient Roman martyr. All that is known of her is that she died a young virgin and defender of the faith in third century Rome, at a time when Christianity remained illegal in the Empire. She was buried in catacombs off the Appian Way in Rome. Her remains were translated to L.A. in the late nineteenth century and she was named patron saint of Los Angeles.
From the Cathedral, it is easy to visit many of the attractions in downtown L.A., such as the free Broad Museum; the architecturally stunning Walt Disney Concert Hall; the Angels Flight incline railway; the Grand Central Market, with its giant food emporium; the shops and restaurants of Little Tokyo (where the California sushi roll was invented); LA City Hall, with its free observation deck; and for music fans, the Grammy Museum.
The Catholic roots of the city
Hidden in the shadow of the soaring modern downtown skyscrapers is the Old Plaza along Olvera Street. It is an open air museum to the city’s early history, including its first church, La Placita; for decades, it was the only church where Angelenos could be baptized.
This colorful, tree-lined pedestrian promenade transports visitors back two centuries into Old Mexico and the foundations of this city, at a time when it was a little known outpost in Mexico’s northern territories. Not surprisingly, it is one of the best spots in the city to find tasty Mexican treats from the sweet churro pastries to tortilla soups, taquitos, and mole. There are also a number of traditional Mexican-Catholic ceremonies throughout the year, including the Posada celebration at Christmas, the colorful Day of the Dead (All Saints Day) festivities, and a Marian possession each August 4th, the date of the city’s founding.
The story of Los Angeles’ founding begins on the central square of the Old Plaza, where the small parish Church of La Placita stands. L.A. was initially established as a missionary outpost, centered around this church, for 11 founding families who had migrated from the Mexican state of Sonora. The church has stood on this prominent site since its establishment in 1781, built as a sub-station of the Mission San Gabriel (near Pasadena). In the center of the square is a plaque commemorating the founding of the city and at the opposite end of the square, in Los Angeles Plaza Park, is a statue paying tribute to St. Junipero Serra who had first laid eyes on this basin at the confluence of the rivers when he was crossing through the region in 1770. It is astounding that this small community of settlers would blossom into the largest city and archdiocese in the United States today.
At the intersection of faith and culture
Los Angeles is known around the world as the epicenter of the entertainment industry. There are many signature attractions: the Hollywood sign; touring Beverly Hills; visiting the TCL Chinese Theater; Dolby Studio; the Hollywood Walk of Fame; and stargazing.
For over a century, Hollywood has been producing blockbuster films that have become so influential in shaping modern culture. Despite its many shortcomings, there have also been moments when Hollywood has been sanctified by the witness of Catholics who sought to tap the entertainment industry to reach millions with the saving witness of the faith. Films like Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ, Charleton Heston’s The Ten Commandments or even the Exorcist certainly captured the popular imagination and brought fundamental religious considerations to the big screen and the minds of the millions who viewed these films.
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While it is popular to embark on sightseeing tours to visit iconic movie locations in Los Angeles, consider adding a few Catholic stops to the trip: St. Monica church, which was the inspiration for the 1944 Oscar best picture winner, Going My Way, a film starring Bing Crosby (playing a priest) who turns around his struggling parish; St. Timothy’s parish in Century City whose founding priest obtained many of the altarpieces as donations from the sets of the nearby MGM and Fox movie studios (read more here); Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills, whose founding pastor worked closely with many of the Catholic celebrities in 1920s Hollywood and went on to establish the Catholic Motion Picture Guild; and Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood (right on the Sunset Strip!), whose founding pastor, Fr. Daniel Stack, served as technical advisor for Hollywood films and whose parishioners were used as movie extras; the Screen Actor’s Guild was formed in the church’s basement.
One of the first Catholics to recognize and embrace the power of the modern entertainment industry as a catalyst for winning hearts and souls was a little known Hollywood priest, Venerable Patrick Peyton, whose cause for canonization is now being investigated. Following his ordination, he quickly turned to mass media to promote his rosary apostolate. It started with a radio program he launched in New York, which only succeeded because he was able to cold call singer Bing Crosby and obtain his agreement to be featured on the program. The radio show took off and he then leveraged his fame to head west to Hollywood and become a true pioneer in Catholic media. He founded Family Theater Productions which aired many specially produced films that aired on network television, starting with the Triumphant Hour that chronicled Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.
Father Peyton became a chaplain to the Hollywood stars such as Lucille Ball and Jimmy Stewart, and attracted top name talent for his Christmas and Easter specials, including stars like Frank Sinatra, Placido Domingo, and Princess Grace Kelly. In addition to his studio production work, he launched a billboard campaign that initially started on Hollywood’s Wilshire Boulevard and grew to over 200,000 billboards internationally, with simple messages like, “the family that stays together prays together.” He also traveled the world preaching very large rosary crusades, that in some cases drew over one million attendees, encouraging all families in attendance to commit to praying the rosary daily. He was a true media apostle and Hollywood icon, showing how faith and the media industry could co-exist.
Burbank and the influence of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Burbank is the best bet for absorbing the magic of the movies, as it is home to the popular Universal Studios theme park as well as the Warner Brothers Studio behind the scenes tour. Surprisingly, Burbank also has a close association with St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.
Mother Cabrini is best known for her ministry to Italian immigrants across the United States, who were often severely discriminated against and treated among the lowest classes of society. Although their experience was somewhat better in California, as they tended to have a strong influence in building up the area’s wineries, agriculture and fishing industries compared to the dangerous factory jobs of the East Coast, they were still in need of the support provided by Mother Cabrini and her sisters (the story of L.A’s Italian immigrants is wonderfully told in the Italian American Museum near La Placita).
Mother Cabrini arrived in Los Angeles in 1905 and went on to purchase 405 acres in Burbank to plant orchards and vineyards to mimic those found in her native Italy. Within the vineyard, she built California’s first “preventorium” for girls at risk of contracting tuberculosis. A school was later added to the site and the Knights of Columbus built her a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady, where she prayed daily. That chapel was eventually reconstructed at the base of the mountain; today, it can be found at St. Francis Xavier Parish, along with a small museum. The chapel and museum are open on Sundays and by appointment.
The Saint of the Barrios
Many visitors to Los Angeles are drawn to the Watts Tower in south Los Angeles, a unique public art display of twisted steel spires rising towards the heavens. It was in this historically impoverished area that the Venerable Alphonse Gallegos, the “bishop of the barrios,” labored. At the time, he was the pastor of San Miguel church less than a mile from the Watts Towers; he would later lead the Cristo Rey parish in Glendale, before he was named an auxiliary bishop of Sacramento in the 1980s. He was known for engaging the at-risk youth and migrants, meeting them where they were on the streets, bringing the redeeming message of the Gospels to them, without fear for his own safety. He gained tremendous respect among the marginalized that would carry on with him to Sacramento; to this day, the “low-riders” organize an annual car parade in his honor. Bishop Gallegos was tragically killed in a car accident in 1991 along the highway after returning from a pro life rally.
The Missions and the Apostle of California
The story of California’s founding is well known, with the courageous mission undertaken by St. Junipero Serra and his Franciscan companions to evangelize the native peoples of one of the remotest corners of the Spanish Empire in the New World. St. Junipero is known as the Apostle of California and thanks to his efforts, there are a string of 21 Franciscan missions spanning the coast from San Diego to San Francisco that sanctified the land and brought so many of its original inhabitants to know the one true God.
In Los Angeles, the missionary experience can be encountered through visits to the two missions that surround the city: Mission San Gabriel Arcangel and Mission San Fernando. The cemeteries attached to both missions, filled with the graves of Indian converts who lived at the missions underscore how important these missions were for the salvation of souls.
Just south of Pasadena is Mission San Gabriel, the 4th mission church established by the Franciscans in California. It is the closest mission to Los Angeles and was the richest and one of most populous of all the California missions. It is estimated that over 25,000 Indigenous persons were baptized here between 1771 and 1834; its baptismal font was a personal gift from the King of Spain. The old church and museum are worth a visit.
The mission celebrated its 250th anniversary in September 2022, but sadly remains closed to the public as it rebuilds following a devastating fire. It is expected to re-open in 2023. When it re-opens, there are two particular paintings of Our Lady of Sorrows that are worth noting. One painting miraculously survived the 2020 fire and was the only piece of art left inside the chapel that survived the blaze (most of the art had been removed previously). The second painting is believed to have miraculously saved the mission from destruction by the local Tongva Indians in 1771. The miraculous event occurred on the Feast of the Assumption in 1771. The Tongva gathered with weapons drawn to deter the Spaniards from establishing the mission, but stopped in their tracks when the Friars held up a painting of Our Lady, Queen of Sorrows, holding a baby. The Tongva believed the baby was alive and in the days that followed, many came to bring food offerings to lay at the feet of the canvas.
The second mission to visit is the Mission San Fernando Rey d’Espana, a short drive outside of L.A. This was the 17th mission to be established in California and contains a very well preserved convent building that provides an authentic view of how priests lived during the mission period. The museum also displays many important artifacts and religious treasures, including the papal zuchetta and other relics left behind following the visit of St. John Paul II to the mission in 1987; it was the venue for his meeting with US bishops. In the gardens is the burial place of legendary Hollywood actor and convert, Bob Hope.
The Beaches
No trip to Los Angeles would be complete without allowing some time to explore its varied beachfront communities, from the lively third street promenade and pier in Santa Monica, to the canals and oddities of the Venice Beach boardwalk. One of the best places to unwind, though, is Manhattan Beach. Here, the legacy of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is felt. On a hill rising from the shore is the Church of the American Martyrs, named for the North American Martyrs. In the early 1900s, Mother Cabrini came to this spot seeking donations for her orphanage in Los Angeles. Before leaving, she climbed the dune, looked out over the bay, and proclaimed, “Here is where a church should be built, on this hill, a beacon for the villager and the sailor. And it shall be.” In 1930, this was fulfilled with the construction of the church. It has a chapel for perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament that is open daily, allowing you to combine beach time with time before Our Lord in prayer.
Another popular spot is Hermosa Beach, with 94 acres of beachfront and some of the region’s best surfing conditions. Near the beach is the Mission Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which has a lovely outdoor shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe. The church was built to serve the growing Mexican population that was fleeing the anti-Catholic persecutions in Mexico in the 1920s. Many priests and religious fled to the Los Angeles area in exile, including two future saints who established their religious orders while in Los Angeles: Blessed Maria Ines Teresa and Venerable Maria Luisa Josefa (Mother Luisita).
Finally, about 30 minutes south of Hermosa Beach is the city of Long Beach. Renowned for its Aquarium of the Pacific and as the port of the Queen Mary oceanliner (now a museum), the city attracts thousands of visitors annually. A hidden gem within the city is the Church of the Holy Innocents. It was the home parish to both the Venerable Mother Luisita, who settled in Long Beach after fleeing persecution in Mexico, attended mass here and taught catechism to the parish children. The church is also where Cardinal Levada, the former head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith under Pope Benedict XVI was baptized as a child. By sheer luck, the church also happens to possess an altar upon which Blessed Don Alvaro, the successor to St. Jose Maria Escriva in Opus Dei, celebrated mass.
Needless to say, several trips to L.A. may be required before you are able to soak in all of the treasures the region has to offer.
CATHOLIC CONCIERGE 
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