The Church of the Good Shepherd, located at 504 North Roxbury Drive, is a

Catholic 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 ...

church in Beverly Hills, California.

History

On December 12, 1923, the parish was founded, and it was designed by architect James J. Donnellan in 1924.Official website, History
/ref>Thomas Owen
Los Angeles and the Mission Revival
''

Sacred Architecture Sacral architecture (also known as sacred architecture or religious architecture) is a religious architectural practice concerned with the design and construction of places of worship or sacred or intentional space, such as churches, mosques, stu ...

'', Vol. 2, Summer 1999Marc Wanamaker, ''Early Beverly Hills'', Arcadia Publishing, 2005, p. 11

/ref> It is

Mission Revival Style architecture The Mission Revival style was part of an architectural movement, beginning in the late 19th century, for the revival and reinterpretation of American colonial styles. Mission Revival drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century ...

. On February 1, 1925, Bishop

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 ...

presided over the dedication of the church building. Monsignor John J. Cawley, Vicar General of Los Angeles, Right Reverend Monsignor McCarthy of Pasadena, and Reverend Michael J. Mullins, pastor of the church also attended the dedication. It is the oldest church in Beverly Hills.Yahoo! Local
/ref> In 1959, it was renovated, and a new marble main altar and two side altars were added. Sealed in each altar were the relics of Saints Felicitas and Perpetua and

Saint Vibiana Vibiana is a third-century virgin martyr of the Roman Catholic Church. She is the patroness of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Her liturgical feast day is 1 September. The remains of Vibiana were rediscovered on December 9, 1853, in ancient ca ...

, patroness of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. On Ash Wednesday in 2015, the deacon from Good Shepherd offered ashes to passers-by on the streets of Beverly Hills together with the deacon of All Saints' Episcopal Church.

Stained glass

The original stained glass was shipped from

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

and the U.S.'A Guide to the Stained Glass', leaflet, Church of the Good Shepherd, Beverly Hills, CA It was renovated by the Paul Phillips Studio in 1959. It depicts the following saints: *(along the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, from the rear to the

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

on the right):

John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης, Iōánnēs; Aramaic: ܝܘܚܢܢ; Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ; ar, يوحنا الإنجيلي, la, Ioannes, he, יוחנן cop, ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ or ⲓⲱ̅ⲁ) is the name traditionally given ...

, Saint Patrick, Saint Joseph, Paul the Apostle, Madonna and Child, and

Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd ( el, ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, ''poimḗn ho kalós'') is an image used in the pericope of , in which Jesus Christ is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Similar imagery is used in Psalm 23 ...

. *(along the nave, from the rear to the altar on the left): the Sacred Heart of Jesus,

Saint Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupat ...

, St Michael the Archangel, Saint Anthony of Padua, and Saint Anne with the Young Blessed Virgin. *(in the

Reconciliation Reconciliation or reconcile may refer to: Accounting * Reconciliation (accounting) Arts, entertainment, and media Sculpture * ''Reconciliation'' (Josefina de Vasconcellos sculpture), a sculpture by Josefina de Vasconcellos in Coventry Cathedra ...

rooms): Saint Agnes and Saint Cecilia. *(in the vestibule): three small windows showing the heads of cherubs bordered by roses. *(in the sacristy workrooms): one window shows wheat stalks and host; another window shows grapes and grapevines surrounding a

chalice A chalice (from Latin 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek () 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning. R ...

. *(in the vesting room): one window on the left shows a

thurible A thurible (via Old French from Medieval Latin ) is a metal censer suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during worship services. It is used in Christian churches including the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Assyrian Church of th ...

framed by a priest's stole; the window next to it shows a lectionary with a bookmark and the words "Leccio Sti. Petri Apostli."; the window on the right shows a chalice, candles and a cross.

Parishioners

Over the years, this small house of worship has been the local parish church for most of the Catholic movie stars who live in Beverly Hills, from Rudolph Valentino to Bing Crosby (who both attended Sunday Mass here). It has seen numerous celebrity weddings and funerals. Celebrity weddings have included Elizabeth Taylor and Conrad "Nicky" Hilton,

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the fil ...

and Tom Lewis,

Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, three ...

and Rhea Durham, and

Carmen Miranda Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The Br ...

, David Sebastian and Paris Hilton.Marc Wanamaker, ''Beverly Hills, 1930-2005'', Arcadia Publishing, 2006, p. 8

/ref> Celebrity funerals have included Rudolph Valentino (1926),

(1955),

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

(1961),

William Frawley William Clement Frawley (February 26, 1887 – March 3, 1966) was an American vaudevillian and actor best remembered for playing landlord Fred Mertz in the American television sitcom '' I Love Lucy'', "Bub" O'Casey in the television comedy ser ...

(1966), Pier Angeli (1971),

Jack Haley John Joseph Haley Jr. (August 10, 1897 – June 6, 1979) was an American actor, comedian, dancer, radio host, singer and vaudevillian. He was best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and his farmhand counterpart Hickory in the 1939 Metro-G ...

(1979), Alfred Hitchcock (1980),

Vincente Minnelli Vincente Minnelli (born Lester Anthony Minnelli; February 28, 1903 – July 25, 1986) was an American stage director and film director. He directed the classic movie musicals '' Meet Me in St. Louis'' (1944), '' An American in Paris'' (1951), ' ...

(1986),

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

(1987),

Danny Thomas Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) was an American actor, singer, nightclub comedian, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running sitc ...

(1991),

Eva Gabor Eva Gabor ( ; February 11, 1919 – July 4, 1995) was a Hungarian-American actress, businesswoman, singer, and socialite. She voiced Duchess and Miss Bianca in the animated Disney Classics, '' The Aristocats'' (1970), '' The Rescuers'' (1977), ...

(1995),

Mary Frann Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

(1998), Frank Sinatra (1998),

Don Adams Donald James Yarmy (April 13, 1923 – September 25, 2005), known professionally as Don Adams, was an American actor. In his five decades on television, he was best known as Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) in the television situation comedy '' G ...

(2005),

Merv Griffin Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 he hosted his own t ...

(2007) and

Zsa Zsa Gabor Zsa Zsa Gabor (, ; born Sári Gábor ; February 6, 1917 – December 18, 2016) was a Hungarian-American socialite and actress. Her sisters were actresses Eva and Magda Gabor. Gabor competed in the 1933 Miss Hungary pageant, where she ...

(2016). A Rosary was said at the church for the singer and actress Rosemary Clooney. In attendance were George Clooney,

Kathryn Crosby Kathryn Crosby (born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff; November 25, 1933) is a retired American actress and singer who performed in films under the stage names Kathryn Grant and Kathryn Grandstaff. Life and career Born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff in We ...

, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Brian Wilson,

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

, Diahann Carroll, and

Rose Marie Rose Marie (born Rose Marie Mazzetta; August 15, 1923 – December 28, 2017) was an American actress, singer, comedian, and vaudeville performer with a career ultimately spanning nine decades, which included film, radio, records, theater, night ...

. Her actual funeral service was held at St. Patrick's, in her hometown of

Maysville, Kentucky Maysville is a home rule-class city in Mason County, Kentucky, United States and is the seat of Mason County. The population was 8,782 as of 2019, making it the 51st-largest city in Kentucky by population. Maysville is on the Ohio River, north ...

. Actor Gary Cooper had converted to Catholicism at this parish a few years before his death. His funeral service was held at the church on the same day as the

13th Primetime Emmy Awards The 13th Emmy Awards, later referred to as the 13th Primetime Emmy Awards, were held on May 16, 1961, to honor the best in television of the year. It was hosted by Joey Bishop and Dick Powell. All nominations are listed, with winners in bold and ...

. It was the location for the funeral scene in the film '' A Star Is Born'' (1954), which starred

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

and James Mason.

References

External links

* {{coord, 34, 4, 10, N, 118, 24, 27, W, type:landmark, display=title Roman Catholic churches in Los Angeles Roman Catholic churches in California Mission Revival architecture in California Roman Catholic churches completed in 1925 Religious buildings and structures in Beverly Hills, California Churches in Los Angeles County, California 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States