Dolores Mission, Los Angeles is a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

in the largely

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

area of

Boyle Heights Boyle may refer to: Places United States * Boyle, Kansas, an unincorporated community * Boyle, Mississippi, a town *Boyle County, Kentucky *Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, a neighborhood Elsewhere * Boyle (crater), a lunar crater * 11967 Boyle, ...

in East

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. The parish has collaborated in various grassroots initiatives to combat adverse social conditions in the area, including

Homeboy Industries Homeboy Industries is a youth program founded in 1992 by Priest, Father Greg Boyle following the work of the Christian base communities at Dolores Mission, Los Angeles, Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. The program is intend ...

, Proyecto Pastoral at Dolores Mission,

CHIRLA The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, also known as CHIRLA, is a Los Angeles county-based organization focusing on immigrant rights. While the organization did evolve from a local level, it is now recognized at a national level. The Coaliti ...

, and the East Los Angeles Housing Coalition.

History

The church began as a mission in St. Mary's parish in 1925 and in 1945 moved to its present site, renamed “The Mission of Nuestra Senora de los Dolores". In 1946, the Canonnesses of St. Augustine (later named the

Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary A missionary is a member of a religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Miss ...

) came from

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

to open the first

school in the neighborhood in 1952. After 1980, the Belgians were no longer able to staff Dolores Mission and the Jesuits, at the invitation of Cardinal Manning, came to this parish. The Jesuits took as their goal to empower parishioners to exercise leadership and to build community. Since then various grassroots organizations have sprouted and grown in the parish. From 1986 to 1992, its pastor was

Greg Boyle Gregory Joseph Boyle (born May 19, 1954) is an American Catholic priest of the Jesuit order. He is the founder and director of Homeboy Industries, the world's largest gang intervention and rehabilitation program, and former pastor of Dolores Mis ...

, who is also the founder of Homeboy Industries.

Projects

The "Projects" were founded after 1986 when the California Province of Jesuits was entrusted with the parish. Under community leadership, five organizations were formed providing training, education, and social services in the Pico-Aliso/Boyle Heights district of East Los Angeles. * IMPACTO (Imaginando Mañana Pico-Aliso Community Team Outreach) is a safe, after-school facility. It offers education to nearly 200 youth grades 2-12. A community garden is a part of its after-school programming. * Comunidad en Movimiento (Community in Action, CEM) brings community leaders together to resolve pressing issues. * Early Childhood Education Centers Two learning centers with 16 certified teachers for over 100 children, toddlers to age 5 * Guadalupe Homeless Project Since 1988 has two shelters offering up to 90 days room and board mainly for new immigrant men. In 2015 GHP opened a women's shelter which serves annually 60 homeless women.

References

{{Coord, 34, 2, 43.98, N, 118, 13, 24.54, W, display=title Eastside Los Angeles Jesuit development centres Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles Jesuit missions Boyle Heights, Los Angeles Organizations established in 1992 Homelessness charities Non-profit organizations based in the United States Development charities based in the United States Social welfare charities based in the United States

History

Projects

See also

References