St. Vincent de Paul Church is a
Roman Catholic parish and
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites which have been designated by the Los Angeles, California, Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria.
History
The Historic-Cult ...
(No. 90) in the
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of downtown.
It is "defined on Los Angeles city maps as ...
section of
Los Angeles, California
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 church was built in the 1920s and designed by architect
Albert C. Martin, Sr. Paid for by local oilman
Edward L. Doheny
Edward Laurence Doheny (; August 10, 1856 – September 8, 1935) was an American oil tycoon who, in 1892, drilled the first successful oil well in the Los Angeles City Oil Field. His success set off a petroleum boom in Southern California, a ...
and thus is known colloquially as "the Church of Holy Oils." It was dedicated in 1925, it was located in what was then one of the wealthiest sections of the city, on land adjacent to the Stephen Dorsey mansion and
Stimson House
Stimson House is a Richardsonian Romanesque mansion in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Built in 1891, it was the home of lumber and banking millionaire Thomas Douglas Stimson. During Stimson's lifetime, the house survived a dy ...
. It was the second Roman Catholic church in Los Angeles to be consecrated. Composer
Amédée Tremblay
Pierre-Joseph Amédée Tremblay (14 April 1876 – 14 July 1949) was a Canadian organist, composer, and music educator. A largely self-taught composer, his output includes several motets, two masses, a few patriotic songs, works for solo orga ...
notably served as the church's organist from 1925–1949.
Tremblay was succeeded as organist by the British-born musician
John Lee John Lee may refer to:
Academia
* John Lee (astronomer) (1783–1866), president of the Royal Astronomical Society
* John Lee (university principal) (1779–1859), University of Edinburgh principal
* John Lee (pathologist) (born 1961), English ...
.
The climactic scene of the 1999 film ''
End of Days'', featuring
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
's battle against
Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
was filmed in the church. The church's altar is featured prominently in the film's final scenes. The church also appears in the movie ''
Constantine
Constantine most often refers to:
* Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I
*Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria
Constantine may also refer to:
People
* Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...
''. The church was also featured in the Warrant video "The Bitter Pill" (acoustic version), with lead singer Jani Lane performing the song in front of and around the church. The church was also featured in the ''
Charmed
''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...
'' episode "
When Bad Warlocks Turn Good"; furthermore the church is visible in the Madonna's music video of "God Control", and some parts of it in her video of "Dark Ballet".
See also
*
References
External links
*
Big Orange Landmarks blog: St. Vincent de Paul Church— ''history and images''.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Vincent De Paul Church, Los Angeles, California
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
Roman Catholic churches in California
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1925
20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States
West Adams, Los Angeles
Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in California