Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral (in Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, Hagia Sophia) is a Greek Orthodox church built in 1952, in what was then the Greek section of

Central Los Angeles __NOTOC__ Central Los Angeles is the historic urban region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Geography The City of Los Angeles The Los Angeles Department of City Planning divides the city into Area Planning Commission (APC) areas, each fur ...

, California. It is located at West 15th Street and South Normandie Avenue in the Byzantine-Latino Quarter

History

This Greek Orthodox church is the result of a

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

success story. When

Charles Skouras Charles P. Skouras (; gr, Κάρολος Σκούρας; 1889–1954) was an American movie executive and president of Fox West Coast, born in Skourohorion, Greece. He and his two brothers, George Skouras and Spyros Skouras, came from Greece ...

and his brothers,

Spyros Skouras Spyros Panagiotis Skouras (; gr, Σπύρος Σκούρας; March 28, 1893 – August 16, 1971) was a Greek-American motion picture pioneer and film executive who was the president of 20th Century-Fox from 1942 to 1962. He resigned June 27, 19 ...

and

George Skouras George P. Skouras (; gr, Γεώργιος Σκούρας; 1896–1964) was an American movie executive and president of United Artists Theatres, born in Skourohorion, Greece. He was one of ten children of a sheep herder and his wife. He and two ...

, were still trying to get ahead in Hollywood, Charles made a vow to God that he would build the most majestic cathedral if God would grant him success in show business. He became head of Fox West Coast, so he built the Saint Sophia in Los Angeles. In 2005 at the 36th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the liturgy was given in Spanish, English, and Greek, with Orthodox children from a Tijuana, Mexico, orphanage providing music.

Architecture

The cathedral has a simplified Byzantine Revival— Renaissance Revival-influenced exterior. The interior was designed with more decorative features. Saint Sophia Cathedral is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.

Congregation

The cathedral still draws its predominantly Greek congregation of as many as 1,000 from perhaps a 60-mile radius – from throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Los Angeles's Greek community has never been centralized, as in other cities such as New York City and Chicago. Members of the church congregation have included

actors such as Telly Savalas, whose funeral was held there. Dr. Tom Apostle and

Sharon Lawrence Sharon Elizabeth Lawrence (born June 29, 1961) is an American actress who played Sylvia Costas Sipowicz in the ABC drama series ''NYPD Blue''. The role garnered her three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a ...

married at the church in 2002.

Notable members

* George Chakiris * Telly Savalas * Tom Hanks * Rita Wilson *

Peggy Stevenson Peggy Stevenson (January 29, 1924 – October 16, 2014) was an American politician who served on the Los Angeles City Council for the District 13 from 1975 to 1985. The wife of Robert J. Stevenson, she was elected after her husband's death in 1975 ...

— ''Los Angeles City Council member, 1975–1985''.

In popular culture

The church is featured in ''Visiting... with Huell Howser'' Episode 511. The wedding scene in ''

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992 film) ''Bram Stoker's Dracula'' is a 1992 American Gothic horror film directed and produced by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1897 novel ''Dracula'' by Bram Stoker. It stars Gary Oldman as Count Dracula, Winona Ryder as Mina Harker, Anthony Hopkin ...

'' was filmed in the nave of this church. In rapper

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...

's 1993 music video It Was a Good Day, the church can be seen in the background of the basketball scene.

References

External links

Official Saint Sophia Cathedral websiteSaint SophiaCathedrals of California
{{coord, 34, 02, 45, N, 118, 18, 00, W, region:US_type:landmark_source:kolossus-ruwiki, display=title Cathedrals in Los Angeles Harvard Heights, Los Angeles European-American culture in Los Angeles Eastern Orthodox churches in California Greek Orthodox cathedrals in the United States Greek-American culture in California Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments Churches completed in 1952 20th-century Eastern Orthodox church buildings Church buildings with domes Byzantine Revival architecture in California