Archdiocese Of Los Angeles
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The Archdiocese of Los Angeles ( la, Archidiœcesis Angelorum in California, es, Arquidiócesis de Los Ángeles) is an ecclesiastical territory or
archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
( particularly the Roman Catholic or
Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...
) located in the southern portion of the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. The archdiocese’s
cathedra A ''cathedra'' is the raised throne of a bishop in the early Christian basilica. When used with this meaning, it may also be called the bishop's throne. With time, the related term ''cathedral'' became synonymous with the "seat", or principa ...
is in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, the archdiocese comprises the California counties of
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The cathedral is the
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels ( es, Catedral de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles), informally known as COLA or the Los Angeles Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles, California, United States. It opened in 2 ...
in Los Angeles, and its present
archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
is José Horacio Gómez Velasco. With approximately five million professing members, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is numerically the single largest diocese in the United States. The Archbishop of Los Angeles also serves as
metropolitan bishop In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis. Originally, the term referred to the b ...
of the
suffragan diocese A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria ...
s within the
Ecclesiastical Province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...
of Los Angeles, which includes the dioceses of
Fresno Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
,
Monterey Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under both ...
,
Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...
,
San Bernardino San Bernardino (; Spanish language, Spanish for Bernardino of Siena, "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a ...
, and
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
. Following the establishment of the
Spanish missions in California The Spanish missions in California ( es, Misiones españolas en California) comprise a series of 21 religious outposts or missions established between 1769 and 1833 in what is now the U.S. state of California. Founded by Catholic priests o ...
, the diocese of the Two Californias was established on 1840, when the Los Angeles region was still part of
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. In 1848, Mexican California was ceded to the United States, and the U.S. portion of the diocese was renamed the
Diocese of Monterey ''This article describes the present Diocese of Monterey in California. The entity previously known as the Diocese of Monterey from 1849 until 1859, and subsequently known as the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles from 1859 until 1922, is the presen ...
. The diocese was renamed the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles in 1859, and the
episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...
was moved to Los Angeles upon the completion of the
Cathedral of Saint Vibiana The Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, often called St. Vibiana's, is a Catholic former cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Located in Downtown Los Angeles, the building opened in 1876 as the cathedral for what was then known as the Dio ...
in 1876. Los Angeles split from Monterey to become the Diocese of Los Angeles-San Diego in 1922. The diocese was split again in 1936 to create the Diocese of San Diego, and the Los Angeles see was elevated to an archdiocese. The archdiocese's present territory was established in 1976, when Orange County was split off to establish the Diocese of Orange.


History

With the papal bull ''Apostolicam sollicitudinem'' of 27 April 1840, Pope
Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He h ...
set up a new
episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...
, to which he gave the name of Diocese of California (also interchangeably called "Diocese of Two Californias" or "Diocese of Both Californias"). He assigned to it a vast territory taken from that of the
Diocese of Sonora The Archdiocese of Hermosillo ( la, Archidioecesis Hermosillensis) is a Roman Catholic Diocese, Archdiocese located in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Its area is 90,959 sq. miles, and its population (2004) 1,067,051. The bishop resides at Hermosill ...
, now the
Archdiocese of Hermosillo The Archdiocese of Hermosillo ( la, Archidioecesis Hermosillensis) is a Roman Catholic Archdiocese located in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Its area is 90,959 sq. miles, and its population (2004) 1,067,051. The bishop resides at Hermosillo. The A ...
in Mexico. It included
Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...
, encompassing the present states of
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
,
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
,
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, western
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
and southwestern
Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
, and the
Baja California Territory Baja California Territory (Territorio de Baja California) was a Mexican territory from 1824 to 1931, that encompassed the Baja California Peninsula of present-day northwestern Mexico. It replaced the Baja California Province (1773–1824) of ...
, encompassing the modern Mexican states of
Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
and
Baja California Sur Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...
. He set the episcopal residence at
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
and made the diocese a
suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...
of the
Archdiocese of Mexico City The Archdiocese of Mexico ( la, Archidioecesis Mexicanensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church that is situated in Mexico City, Mexico. It was erected as a diocese on 2 September 1530 and elevated to ...
.
Francisco Garcia Diego y Moreno Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Nicknames In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comunitatis'' (father of ...
, OFM became the first bishop of the new diocese, with
Mission Santa Barbara Mission Santa Barbara ( es, link=no, Misión de Santa Bárbara) is a Spanish mission in Santa Barbara, California. Often referred to as the ‘Queen of the Missions,’ it was founded by Padre Fermín Lasuén for the Franciscan order on December ...
serving as its
pro-cathedral A pro-cathedral or procathedral is a parish church that temporarily serves as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese, or a church that has the same function in a Catholic missionary jurisdiction (such as an apostolic prefecture or apostoli ...
. After ceding Alta California to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
at the close of the
Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
, the government of
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
objected to a bishop based in the United States having jurisdiction over parishes in Mexican Baja California. The
Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
divided the diocese into American and Mexican sections. On 20 November 1849, with the episcopal residence moved to Monterey, a more central position for the new diocese, the American section became the Diocese of Monterey. The
Royal Presidio Chapel The Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo ( es, Catedral de San Carlos Borromeo), also known as the Royal Presidio Chapel, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Monterey, California, United States. The cathedral is the oldest continuously operati ...
in Monterey served as the pro-cathedral of the American diocese. In 1853,
Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
erected the Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Francisco, taking the territory that now constitutes Nevada, Utah, and much of northern California from the diocese and making the diocese a suffragan thereof. In 1859, the same pope renamed of the diocese to Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles to recognize the growth of the city of
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. The bishop moved his principal residence to Los Angeles and used the Mission of Santa Barbara as a pro-cathedral until the
Cathedral of Saint Vibiana The Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, often called St. Vibiana's, is a Catholic former cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Located in Downtown Los Angeles, the building opened in 1876 as the cathedral for what was then known as the Dio ...
opened in 1876. On June 1, 1922,
Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...
renamed the diocese again, making it the Diocese of Los Angeles-San Diego, and simultaneously erected a new diocese, named the
Diocese of Monterey-Fresno The Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey-Fresno was formerly a Latin suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in California, United States. The episcopal see was located in Fresno.The diocese covered the present dioceses of Monterey and Fre ...
, in what had become northern portion of its territory after the erection of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. This changed the title of
Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
John Joseph Cantwell John Joseph Cantwell (December 1, 1874 – October 30, 1947) was an Irish-born American prelate of the Catholic Church. He led the Archdiocese of Los Angeles from 1917 until his death in 1947, becoming its first archbishop in 1936. Cantwell wa ...
from Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles to bishop Los Angeles-San Diego, which then comprised the counties of
Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texa ...
,
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...
,
Riverside Riverside may refer to: Places Australia * Riverside, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston, Tasmania Canada * Riverside (electoral district), in the Yukon * Riverside, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Alberta * Riverside, Manitoba, a former rural m ...
,
San Bernardino San Bernardino (; Spanish language, Spanish for Bernardino of Siena, "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a ...
,
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. On July 11, 1936, the same pope elevated and renamed the diocese as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Los Angeles, with John Joseph Cantwell becoming the first archbishop of Los Angeles, concurrently erecting the Diocese of San Diego with the territory of Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties, and designated the new Diocese of San Diego and the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno as suffragan of the new metropolitan see.
Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
subsequently split each of the three dioceses of the Metropolitan Province of Los Angeles into two. * On 6 October 1967, he suppressed the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno and erected the present Diocese of Fresno and the present Diocese of Monterey in California, splitting in the territory of the suppressed diocese between them making both new dioceses also
suffragans A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdiction ...
of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The inclusion of "in California" in the title of the latter of the new dioceses differentiates it from other dioceses with see cities that have the same name. * On 24 March 1976, he erected Diocese of Orange, taking Orange County from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and making the new diocese a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Los Angeles. This action also established the present territory of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, consisting of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties. * On 14 July 1978, he erected the
Diocese of San Bernardino The Diocese of San Bernardino ( la, Dioecesis Sancti Bernardi, es, Diócesis de San Bernardino) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese in Southern California. Erected by Pope Paul VI on July 14, 1978, and its jurisdiction extends ...
, taking San Bernardino and Riverside Counties from the Diocese of San Diego and making the new diocese also a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Los Angeles. These actions established the present configuration of the Metropolitan Province of Los Angeles.


Pastoral regions

In 1986,
Roger Mahony Roger Michael Mahony (born February 27, 1936) is an American cardinal and retired prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011. Before his appointment, he served as Auxiliary Bishop of Fresno from ...
designated five geographical administrative pastoral regions, each led by an auxiliary bishop who functions as the region's
episcopal vicar Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...
. The five regions are: * Our Lady of the Angels, covering downtown and central
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
west to Malibu, south to
Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...
. The region has the cathedral, 78 parishes, 10 Catholic high schools, 5 Catholic hospitals, 1 cemetery, 3 parochial missions, 1 seminary, and no Spanish missions. The episcopal vicar is Msgr. Terrance Fleming *
San Fernando San Fernando may refer to: People *Ferdinand III of Castile (c. 1200–1252), called ''San Fernando'' (Spanish) or ''Saint Ferdinand'', King of Castile, León, and Galicia Places Argentina *San Fernando de la Buena Vista, city of Greater Buenos ...
, covering the
San Fernando San Fernando may refer to: People *Ferdinand III of Castile (c. 1200–1252), called ''San Fernando'' (Spanish) or ''Saint Ferdinand'', King of Castile, León, and Galicia Places Argentina *San Fernando de la Buena Vista, city of Greater Buenos ...
,
Santa Clarita Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-largest city by population in Los Angeles County, the 17t ...
and
Antelope The term antelope is used to refer to many species of even-toed ruminant that are indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelope comprise a wastebasket taxon defined as any of numerous Old World grazing and browsing hoofed mammals ...
Valleys and northeast Los Angeles. The region has 54 parishes, 12 Catholic high schools, 2 Catholic hospitals, 2 cemeteries, 7 parochial missions, 1 active duty military chapel installation, and 1 Spanish mission. Gómez appointed Alejandro D. Aclan as episcopal vicar for the San Fernando pastoral region in 2019. * San Gabriel, covering
East Los Angeles East Los Angeles ( es, Este de Los Ángeles), or East L.A., is an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 118,786, a drop of 6.1% from 2010, when it was 126,496. For statistical purpo ...
through the
San Gabriel Valley The San Gabriel Valley ( es, Valle de San Gabriel) is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, lying immediately to the east of the eastern city limits of the city of Los Angeles, and occupying the vast majority of the eastern part ...
and the
Pomona Valley The Pomona Valley is located in the Greater Los Angeles Area between the San Gabriel Valley and San Bernardino Valley in Southern California. The valley is approximately east of downtown Los Angeles. History On March 1, 1893 the California ...
. The region has 66 parishes, 13 Catholic high schools, 3 Catholic hospitals, 4 cemeteries, 2 parochial missions and 1 Spanish mission. Gómez appointed
David G. O'Connell David Gerard O'Connell, (born August 16, 1953 in Cork (city), Cork, Ireland) is an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church, serving since 2015 as an auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Arc ...
as episcopal vicar for the San Gabriel pastoral region in 2015. * San Pedro, covering
Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
and southern
Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
. The region has 67 parishes, 9 Catholic high schools, 6 Catholic hospitals, 1 cemetery, 1 active duty military chapel installation, and 1 parochial mission. Gómez appointed Marc V. Trudeau as episcopal vicar for this region in 2018. * Santa Barbara, covering Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. The region has 37 parishes, 6 Catholic high schools, 3 Catholic hospitals, 4 cemeteries, 3 active duty military chapel installations, 6 parochial missions and 4 Spanish missions. Currently Vacated


Clergy sexual abuse settlements

On July 16, 2007, Cardinal
Roger Mahony Roger Michael Mahony (born February 27, 1936) is an American cardinal and retired prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011. Before his appointment, he served as Auxiliary Bishop of Fresno from ...
and the archdiocese reached a record-breaking settlement with 508 alleged victims of sexual abuse by priests. The settlement was worth $660 million, with an average of $1.3 million for each plaintiff. Mahony described the
abuse Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...
as a "terrible
sin In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...
and crime", after a series of trials into sex abuse claims since the 1940s were to begin. The agreement settled all outstanding civil lawsuits against the archdiocese and dwarfs the $157 million settlement paid by the Archdiocese of Boston since
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
law places a legal dollar cap on how much money a non-profit group can be required to pay. In 2014 the diocese agreed to pay $13 million to settle a final group of 17 sex abuse lawsuits, including eleven that involved "a visiting Mexican priest who fled prosecution and remains a fugitive more than 25 years later". The settlement followed a court order forcing the Archdiocese to release files which showed that it had shielded accused priests, for example by ordering church officials not to turn over a list of altar boys to police who were investigating. From May to December 2019, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles provided numerous documents to California State Attorney
Xavier Becerra Xavier Becerra ( ; ; born January 26, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 25th United States secretary of health and human services since March 2021. Becerra previously served as the attorney general of California from Jan ...
in preparation for a series of pending lawsuits which are expected to be filed after a new California law which will temporarily remove the statute of limitations. The new law went into effect on January 1, 2020. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is one of six Catholic dioceses throughout the state of California which is expected to be subpoenaed during the upcoming lawsuits. In January 2020, it was reported that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles settled a sexual abuse case against a former Archdiocese priest for $1.9 million.


Archbishop

The archdiocese is led by the
archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
, who governs from the
mother church Mother church or matrice is a term depicting the Christian Church as a mother in her functions of nourishing and protecting the believer. It may also refer to the primary church of a Christian denomination or diocese, i.e. a cathedral or a metro ...
, the
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels ( es, Catedral de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles), informally known as COLA or the Los Angeles Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles, California, United States. It opened in 2 ...
. The cathedral was dedicated on September 2, 2002, and replaced the former
Cathedral of Saint Vibiana The Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, often called St. Vibiana's, is a Catholic former cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Located in Downtown Los Angeles, the building opened in 1876 as the cathedral for what was then known as the Dio ...
, damaged in the 1994
Northridge earthquake The 1994 Northridge earthquake was a moment 6.7 (), blind thrust earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994, at 4:30:55 a.m. PST in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles. The quake had a duration of approximately ...
. The Archbishop of Los Angeles is the metropolitan of the Province of Los Angeles of the Catholic Church. Its suffragans are the dioceses of
Fresno Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
, Monterey in California, Orange in California,
San Bernardino San Bernardino (; Spanish language, Spanish for Bernardino of Siena, "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a ...
, and
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
. Metropolitan archbishops historically wielded great administrative powers over the suffragan dioceses. Today, such power is only ceremonial and kept as a tradition. The Most Reverend José H. Gómez is the current archbishop of Los Angeles, having automatically succeeded his predecessor, Cardinal
Roger Mahony Roger Michael Mahony (born February 27, 1936) is an American cardinal and retired prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011. Before his appointment, he served as Auxiliary Bishop of Fresno from ...
, who served for 25 years, upon the latter's retirement which took effect on March 1, 2011. Previously, Gómez served as
Coadjutor Archbishop The term coadjutor (or coadiutor, literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence. These include: * Coadj ...
of Los Angeles since his appointment by
Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
on April 6, 2010. He previously served as
Archbishop of San Antonio The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the United States, and sui juris Latin Church in full communion with the pope of Rome. It encompasses in the U.S. state of Texas. The Roman Catholic Archdi ...
from 2004 to 2010, and as an auxiliary bishop of the
Archdiocese of Denver The Archdiocese of Denver ( la, Archidiœcesis Denveriensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church that encompasses northern Colorado. It is part of the XIII Conference Region and includes 113 parishes, 3 ...
from 2001 to 2004. He is an ordained priest of
Opus Dei Opus Dei, formally known as the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei ( la, Praelatura Sanctae Crucis et Operis Dei), is an institution of the Catholic Church whose members seek personal Christian holiness and strive to imbue their work an ...
. Archbishop Gómez is assisted by the current auxiliary bishops: Edward W. Clark, David O'Connell,
Marc Vincent Trudeau Marc Vincent Trudeau (born May 20, 1957) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles since 2018. Biography Early life March Trudeau was born in Hollywood. Califor ...
, and Alejandro D. Aclan. In addition,
Joseph Martin Sartoris Joseph Martin Sartoris (born July 1, 1927) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Sartoris served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in California from 1994 to 2002. Biography Early life Joseph Sartoris w ...
and
Gerald Eugene Wilkerson Gerald Eugene Wilkerson (born October 21, 1939) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles from 1997 to 2015 and as apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Mo ...
are retired auxiliary bishops still living and residing within the archdiocese. Gordon Bennett, S.J., Bishop Emeritus of
Mandeville, Jamaica Mandeville is the capital and largest town in the parish of Manchester in the county of Middlesex, Jamaica. In 2005, the town had an estimated population of 50,000, and including the immediate suburbs within a radius of the total population w ...
, also resides within the archdiocese, as the
Peter Faber Peter Faber (french: Pierre Lefevre or Favre, la, Petrus Faver) (13 April 1506 – 1 August 1546) was a Jesuit priest and theologian, who was also a co-founder of the Society of Jesus, along with Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier. Pope Fra ...
, S.J., Fellow in Pastoral Theology and Ignatian Spirituality at
Loyola Marymount University Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. It is located on the west side of the city near Playa Vista. LMU is the parent school to Loyola Law School, which is located ...
in Los Angeles.


Bishops


Bishop of California (Two Californias, Both Californias)

#
Francisco Garcia Diego y Moreno Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Nicknames In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comunitatis'' (father of ...
(1840–1846)


Bishop of Monterey

#
Joseph Alemany Joseph Sadoc Alemany y Conill, O.P. (Spanish: José Sadoc Alemany y Conill; July 3, 1814 – April 14, 1888) was a Spanish Catholic clergyman, who served most of his career in California. He served as the first Bishop of Monterey (1850–53) a ...
(1850–1853), appointed
Archbishop of San Francisco The Archdiocese of San Francisco ( Latin: ''Archdiœcesis Sancti Francisci''; Spanish: ''Archidiócesis de San Francisco'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the ...


Bishops of Monterey-Los Angeles

#
Thaddeus Amat y Brusi Thaddeus Amat y Brusi C.M., or in Spanish Tadeu Amat y Brusi ( ca, Tadeu Amat i Brusi; December 31, 1811 – May 12, 1878) was a Spanish Roman Catholic cleric who became the first Bishop of Los Angeles, in California. Early life Amat was born ...
(1853–1878) #
Francisco Mora y Borrell Francisco Mora y Borrell (November 25, 1827 – August 3, 1905) was a Spanish-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the third Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles, serving from 1878 to 1896. Biography Early life Mora was born on November 25, 1827 ...
(1878–1896;
coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...
1873–1878) #
George Thomas Montgomery George Thomas Montgomery (December 30, 1847 – January 10, 1907) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the first American-born Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles (1896-1902) and later served as Coadjutor Archbishop of San Franci ...
(1896–1902; coadjutor bishop 1894–1896), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of San Francisco but died before succession to that see #
Thomas James Conaty Thomas James Conaty (August 1, 1847 – September 18, 1915) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as rector of the Catholic University of America (1896-1903) and Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles (1903-1915). Early life and ...
(1903–1915) #
John Joseph Cantwell John Joseph Cantwell (December 1, 1874 – October 30, 1947) was an Irish-born American prelate of the Catholic Church. He led the Archdiocese of Los Angeles from 1917 until his death in 1947, becoming its first archbishop in 1936. Cantwell wa ...
(1917–1922), title changed with title of diocese


Bishop of Los Angeles-San Diego

#
John Joseph Cantwell John Joseph Cantwell (December 1, 1874 – October 30, 1947) was an Irish-born American prelate of the Catholic Church. He led the Archdiocese of Los Angeles from 1917 until his death in 1947, becoming its first archbishop in 1936. Cantwell wa ...
(1922–1936), elevated to Archbishop of Los Angeles


Archbishops of Los Angeles

# John Joseph Cantwell (1936–1947) #
James Francis McIntyre James Francis Aloysius McIntyre (June 25, 1886 – July 16, 1979) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Los Angeles from 1948 to 1970, and was created a cardinal in 1953. He was a highly successful bui ...
(1948–1970) # Timothy Manning (1970–1985) #
Roger Mahony Roger Michael Mahony (born February 27, 1936) is an American cardinal and retired prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011. Before his appointment, he served as Auxiliary Bishop of Fresno from ...
(1985–2011) #
José Horacio Gómez José Horacio Gómez Velasco (born December 26, 1951) is a Mexican-born American prelate of the Catholic Church. He became the fifth Archbishop of Los Angeles in 2011. He served as Auxiliary Bishop of Denver from 2001 to 2004 and as Archbi ...
(2011–present;
coadjutor archbishop The term coadjutor (or coadiutor, literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence. These include: * Coadj ...
2010–2011)


Current auxiliary bishops of Los Angeles

*
David G. O'Connell David Gerard O'Connell, (born August 16, 1953 in Cork (city), Cork, Ireland) is an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church, serving since 2015 as an auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Arc ...
(2015–present) – Episcopal Vicar for San Gabriel Pastoral Region * Vacated – Santa Barbara Pastoral Region *
Marc Vincent Trudeau Marc Vincent Trudeau (born May 20, 1957) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles since 2018. Biography Early life March Trudeau was born in Hollywood. Califor ...
(2018–present) – San Pedro Pastoral Region * Alejandro D. Aclan (2019–present) – San Fernando Pastoral Region


Former auxiliary bishops of Los Angeles

*
Joseph Thomas McGucken Joseph Thomas McGucken (March 13, 1902 – October 6, 1983) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (1941–1955), coadjutor bishop and bishop of the Diocese of Sa ...
(1941–1955), appointed Bishop of Sacramento and later
Archbishop of San Francisco The Archdiocese of San Francisco ( Latin: ''Archdiœcesis Sancti Francisci''; Spanish: ''Archidiócesis de San Francisco'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the ...
* Timothy Manning (1946–1967), appointed Bishop of Fresno and later Coadjutor Archbishop and Archbishop of Los Angeles(see above); created
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
in 1973 *
Alden John Bell Alden John Bell (July 11, 1904 – August 28, 1982) was a 20th-century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento in California from 1962 to 1979. Biography Early life Alden John Bel ...
(1956–1962), appointed Bishop of Sacramento * John J. Ward (1963–1996) * Joseph Patrick Dougherty (1969–1970) *
William Robert Johnson William Robert Johnson (November 19, 1918—July 28, 1986) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Orange in California from 1976 until his death in 1986. He previously served as an auxilia ...
(1971–1976), appointed
Bishop of Orange The ancient residential diocese of Orange in the Comtat Venaissin in Provence, a fief belonging to the Papacy, was suppressed by the French government during the French Revolution. It was revived in 2009 as a titular see of the Roman Catholic Ch ...
*
Juan Alfredo Arzube Juan Alfredo Azrube (June 1, 1918 – December 27, 2007) was a Roman Catholic bishop. Born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Arzube was ordained a priest for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles on May 5, 1954. On February 9, 1971, he was appoi ...
(1971–1993) * Thaddeus Anthony Shubsda (1976–1982), appointed Bishop of Monterey in California *
Manuel Duran Moreno Manuel Duran Moreno (November 27, 1930 – November 17, 2006) was an American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the sixth Bishop of Tucson. Biography Bishop Moreno was born in Placentia, California, to Antonio and Enedina Moreno. H ...
(1976–1982), appointed Coadjutor Bishop and later Bishop of Tucson * Donald William Montrose (1983–1985), appointed Bishop of Stockton *
William Levada William Joseph Levada (June 15, 1936September 26, 2019) was an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. From May 2005 until June 2012, he served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Pope Benedict XVI; he was the h ...
(1983–1986), appointed Archbishop of Portland in Oregon and later
Archbishop of San Francisco The Archdiocese of San Francisco ( Latin: ''Archdiœcesis Sancti Francisci''; Spanish: ''Archidiócesis de San Francisco'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the ...
and
Prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...
of
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from Heresy in Christianity, heresy and is ...
(elevated to
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
in 2006) * Carl Anthony Fisher (1986–1993) *
Armando Xavier Ochoa Armando Xavier Ochoa, D.D., (born April 9, 1943) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Fresno in California (2011 to 2019), bishop of the Diocese of El Paso in Texas (1996 to 2011) and auxil ...
(1986–1996), appointed Bishop of El Paso and later Bishop of Fresno * George Patrick Ziemann (1986–1992), appointed Bishop of Santa Rose in California *
Sylvester Donovan Ryan Sylvester Donovan Ryan (born September 3, 1930) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Monterey in California from 1992 to 2007 and as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles fr ...
(1990–1992), appointed Bishop of Monterey in California *
Stephen Blaire Stephen Edward Blaire (December 22, 1941 – June 18, 2019) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fifth Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton, Bishop of Stockton from March 16, 1999, until January 23, 2018. Biography ...
(1990–1999), appointed Bishop of Stockton *
Thomas John Curry Thomas John Curry (born 17 January 1943) is an Irish-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Curry served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles from 1994 to 2018. From 1994 to 2013, he was the episcopal vicar of ...
(1994–2018) *
Joseph Martin Sartoris Joseph Martin Sartoris (born July 1, 1927) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Sartoris served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in California from 1994 to 2002. Biography Early life Joseph Sartoris w ...
(1994–2002) *
Gabino Zavala Gabino Zavala (born September 7, 1951) is a Mexican-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Zavala served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles from 1994 until 2012. Zavala resigned at the request of Pope Benedi ...
(1994–2012) *
Gerald Eugene Wilkerson Gerald Eugene Wilkerson (born October 21, 1939) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles from 1997 to 2015 and as apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Mo ...
(1997–2015) * Edward W. Clark (2001–2022) * Oscar Azarcon Solis (2003–2017), appointed Bishop of Salt Lake City *
Alexander Salazar Alejandro Salazar (born November 28, 1949) is a Costa Rican-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Salazar served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles from 2004 to 2018. He resigned as auxiliary bishop in 20 ...
(2004–2018) *
Joseph Vincent Brennan Joseph Vincent Brennan (born 20 March 1954) is a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Fresno in California since 2019. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angel ...
(2015–2019), appointed Bishop of Fresno * Robert E. Barron (2015-2022) appointed Bishop of Winona-Rochester


Other priests of the diocese who became bishops

:''Note: Years in parentheses indicate the time of service as a priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (or predecessor diocese), prior to appointment to the episcopacy.'' * Robert Emmet Lucey (1922–1934), appointed Bishop of Amarillo and later
Archbishop of San Antonio The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the United States, and sui juris Latin Church in full communion with the pope of Rome. It encompasses in the U.S. state of Texas. The Roman Catholic Archdi ...
* John Thomas Steinbock (1963–1984), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Orange and later Bishop of Fresno * Justin F. Rigali (1961–1985), appointed President of the
Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy The Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy ( la, Pontificia Ecclesiastica Academia, it, Pontificia Accademia Ecclesiastica) is one of the Roman Colleges of the Catholic Church. The academy is dedicated to training priests to serve in the diplomatic c ...
and later Secretary of the Congregation for Bishops and the
College of Cardinals The College of Cardinals, or more formally the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. its current membership is , of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinals are appoi ...
, Archbishop of Saint Louis, and
Archbishop of Philadelphia The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Philadelphia is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well a ...
(elevated to
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
in 2003) *
Michael Patrick Driscoll Michael Patrick Driscoll (August 8, 1939 – October 24, 2017) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the seventh Bishop of Boise. He retired on August 8, 2014. Early life and ministry Michael Driscoll was born in L ...
(1965–1989), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Orange and later Bishop of Boise *
George Hugh Niederauer George Hugh Niederauer (June 14, 1936 – May 2, 2017) was an American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the Archbishop of San Francisco. Before that, Niederauer served as Bishop of Salt Lake City from 1994 to 2005. Biography George ...
(1962–1994), appointed Bishop of Salt Lake City and
Archbishop of San Francisco The Archdiocese of San Francisco ( Latin: ''Archdiœcesis Sancti Francisci''; Spanish: ''Archidiócesis de San Francisco'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the ...
* Dennis Patrick O'Neil (1966–2001), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of San Bernardino


Schools

There are 5 colleges and over 50 high schools within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Many churches have affiliated primary schools as well.


Events


Religious education congress

The archdiocese's office of religious education produces the
Los Angeles Religious Education Congress The Los Angeles Religious Education Congress (RECongress) is a four-day event held by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The event began in 1956 as an "Institute" of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, popularly known as CCD. In 19 ...
, the largest annual event of its kind in the United States, with an attendance of approximately 38,000.


Annual Marian procession and Mass

The archdiocese has entrusted the annual celebration of the Votive Mass in honor of Our Lady of the Angels to the
Queen of Angels Foundation The Queen of Angels Foundation is an association of lay faithful of the Catholic Church dedicated to fostering devotion to Mary, Mother of Jesus. The Foundation is a volunteer group of lay men and women who "...strive together in a common endeav ...
, a lay association of the Catholic Church founded by Mark Anchor Albert, dedicated to promoting devotion to the
Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
. Each year since 2011, the
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels ( es, Catedral de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles), informally known as COLA or the Los Angeles Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles, California, United States. It opened in 2 ...
has hosted a Votive Mass in honor of Our Lady, Queen of Angels. The Mass follows a Marian procession which originates from the historic Queen of Angels parish, which is part of the
Los Angeles Plaza Historic District LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significance ...
, and culminates at the cathedral. Since 2011 the Queen of Angels Foundation has sponsored the annual Marian processions, Votive Masses, and fiestas in commemoration of Los Angeles' birthday and the feast of Our Lady of the Angels. Archbishop Gomez has been the homilist and principal celebrant of the annual Mass since 2012. Future Marian processions and Masses will coincide with the City of Los Angeles' official birthday celebrations on the last Saturday of August.


Holy days of obligation

As directed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy and the Ecclesiastical Province of Los Angeles, the archdiocese annually observes four
holy days of obligation In the Catholic Church, holy days of obligation are days on which the faithful are expected to attend Mass, and engage in rest from work and recreation (id est, they are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed t ...
. The Catholic Church currently recognizes 10 holy days, established in the 1917
Code of Canon Law Code of Canon Law () may refer to: * ''Corpus Juris Canonici'' ('Body of Canon Law'), a collection of sources of canon law of the Catholic Church applicable to the Latin Church until 1918 * 1917 Code of Canon Law, code of canon law for the Catholi ...
. However, the USCCB has reduced that number to 6 for
Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...
dioceses in the United States. , no provinces in the United States celebrate the solemnities of
Epiphany Epiphany may refer to: * Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight Religion * Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ ** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...
(which transfers to the Sunday after January 1), Corpus Christi (which transfers to the Sunday after Trinity Sunday),
Saint Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers of ...
, or the Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles as holy days of obligation. The Metropolitan Province of Los Angeles, which includes the L.A. Archdiocese, further modified the list, and , celebrates four holy days of obligation on the days prescribed by canon law. The solemnity of the Ascension is transferred from Thursday of the sixth week of
Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
to the seventh Sunday of Easter. The province has abrogated the obligation to attend Mass on the
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God is a feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the aspect of her motherhood of Jesus Christ, whom she had circumcised on the eighth day after his birth according to Levitical Law. Christians see him ...
. *
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows: We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...
, August 15 ** Exception: If August 15 falls on a Saturday or Monday, there is no obligation to attend Mass. * All Saints, November 1 ** Exception: If November 1 falls on a Saturday or Monday, there is no obligation to attend Mass. *
Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...
, December 8 ** Exception: If December 8 falls on a Sunday, the solemnity is transferred to the following Monday and there is no obligation to attend Mass. * Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, December 25


Administrative handbook

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, being one of the most diverse dioceses in the world, strives for all of their employees to live and work in accord with
Catholic social teaching Catholic social teaching, commonly abbreviated CST, is an area of Catholic doctrine concerning matters of human dignity and the common good in society. The ideas address oppression, the role of the state (polity), state, subsidiarity, social o ...
and servant leadership. "The dignity of the human person, the call to community and participation, rights and responsibilities, dignity of work and the rights of workers, and solidarity, are intrinsic to servant leadership." In an attempt to provide better service and to increase transparency the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is the only archdiocese that has a completely updated and searchable administrative handbook available online.


Province of Los Angeles

:''See:
List of the Catholic bishops of the United States The following is a list of bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States, including its five inhabited territories. The U.S. Catholic Church comprises: * 176 Latin Church dioceses led by bishops * 18 Eastern Catholic eparchies led by e ...
''


See also

*
Catholic Church by country The Catholic Church is "the Catholic Communion of Churches, both Roman and Eastern, or Oriental, that are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome (the pope)." The church is also known by members as the People of God, the Body of Christ, the " ...
*
Catholic Church hierarchy The hierarchy of the Catholic Church consists of its bishops, priests, and deacons. In the ecclesiological sense of the term, "hierarchy" strictly means the "holy ordering" of the Church, the Body of Christ, so to respect the diversity of gif ...
*
List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles {{short description, None For list of Roman Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, see: * Our Lady of the Angels, for central and West Los Angeles * San Fernando, covering the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys. * Sa ...
*
List of schools in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles This is a list of schools in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The Archdiocese spans three counties: Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara. Not all the schools listed are operated by the Diocese. Some are operated by religious in ...
*
List of the Catholic bishops of the United States The following is a list of bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States, including its five inhabited territories. The U.S. Catholic Church comprises: * 176 Latin Church dioceses led by bishops * 18 Eastern Catholic eparchies led by e ...
*
List of the Catholic cathedrals of the United States The following is a list of the Catholic cathedrals in the United States. The Catholic Church in the United States comprises ecclesiastical territories called dioceses led by prelate bishops. Each bishop is assigned to a cathedral from which he ...
*
List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States This is the list of the Catholic dioceses and archdioceses of the United States which includes both the dioceses of the Latin Church, which employ the Roman Rite and other Latin liturgical rites, and various other dioceses, primarily the eparc ...
*
Queen of Angels Foundation The Queen of Angels Foundation is an association of lay faithful of the Catholic Church dedicated to fostering devotion to Mary, Mother of Jesus. The Foundation is a volunteer group of lay men and women who "...strive together in a common endeav ...


References


Further reading

* Caspary, Anita Marie. ''Witness to integrity: The crisis of the Immaculate Heart Community of California'' (Liturgical Press, 2003). * Davis, Mike. ''
City of Quartz ''City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles'' is a 1990 book by Mike Davis examining how contemporary Los Angeles has been shaped by different powerful forces in its history. The book opens with Davis visiting the ruins of the socialis ...
: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles'' (1990, 2006) pp 323–72 on the Irish archbishops and their conflict with Latinos. * Donovan, John T. "The 1960s Los Angeles Seminary Crisis." ''Catholic Historical Review'' 102.1 (2016): 69–96
summary
* DuBay, William H. ''The Priest and the Cardinal: Race and Rebellion in 1960s Los Angeles'' (CreateSpace, 2016). * Lothrop, Gloria Ricci. "A Remarkable Legacy: The Story of Secondary Schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles." ''Catholic Historical Review'' 88.4 (2002): 809–810. * Real, James. "Immaculate Heart of Hollywood." ''Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning'' 3.3 (1971): 48–53. * Steidl, Jason. "The Unlikely Conversion of Father Juan Romero: Chicano Activism and Suburban Los Angeles Catholicism." ''US Catholic Historian'' 37.4 (2019): 29–52. * Weber, Francis J. ''His Eminence of Los Angeles: James Francis Cardinal McIntyre'' (Mission Hills, Calif.: Saint Francis Historical Society, 1997).


Primary sources

* Sister Mary Rose Cunningham, C.S.C., ed. ''Calendar of Documents and Related Historical Materials in the Archival Center, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, for the Most Reverend J. Francis A. McIntyre, Volume One: 1948–1960'' and ''Volume Two: 1961–1970'' (1995)


External links


Archdiocese of Los Angeles Official Site

Los Angeles Religious Education Congress

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

Cathedrals of California
*
Queen of Angels Foundation

2014 Grand Marian Procession & Mass
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic Archdiocese Of Los Angeles Christianity in Los Angeles Organizations based in Los Angeles Organizations based in Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
1840 establishments in Alta California 1840 establishments in Mexico Religious organizations established in 1840
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...