Cathedral Chapel of St. Vibiana

The story of Cathedral Chapel of St. Vibiana begins with the Cathedral of St. Vibiana on 2nd and Main Street, built in 1876 as the see church of the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles (its name honors an early Roman martyr whose relics were gifted by Pope Pius IX to Bishop Thaddeus Amat). As Los Angeles grew westward in the early 20th century, Bishop John J. Cantwell envisioned a new cathedral in the Wilshire district and, in 1927, commissioned a 'pre-cathedral' or 'pro-cathedral' on South La Brea Avenue to serve Catholic worshippers until the larger cathedral could be completed. Plans by architect Ross Montgomery were drawn up, the contract was awarded to B.O. Kronnick Co., and ground was broken in September 1927. The first Masses were celebrated on Christmas Day 1927, and Bishop Cantwell formally blessed and dedicated the new church on January 20, 1928, with a capacity congregation of 600. In 1935, the City of Los Angeles extended La Brea Avenue as a through street and lowered the roadway by about eight feet. To meet the new street grade, the church was placed on jacks, the ground beneath it excavated, and the entire building gently lowered to its present level. At the same time the parish expanded: the north wall was removed, supporting pillars were installed, and an additional 150-seat transept was added (which included the Altar of Repose). Although intended from the start as a temporary chapel, the Great Depression and then World War II indefinitely delayed construction of the projected Wilshire cathedral — making Cathedral Chapel a permanent fixture of the Los Angeles landscape. The parish has welcomed generations of Catholic families through four major building renovations. The first was the 1935 lowering and north-transept expansion; the second added the mosaics, murals, and stained-glass windows (the stained glass was designed by artist Isabel Piczek, and a mosaic of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was imported from Italy); the third redesigned the sanctuary after the Second Vatican Council. The fourth and most extensive renovation was completed in September 2012 — and on September 22, 2012, the parish celebrated both its 85th anniversary and the long-awaited consecration (dedication) of the church building by Archbishop José H. Gomez. The liturgy of consecration, which the bishops of Wales call the 'Dedication and Baptism of a Church,' is rare for any Catholic to witness in a lifetime, and incorporated features from both the old Cathedral of St. Vibiana and the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels — making Cathedral Chapel a visible link between the two cathedrals. A treasured moment in the parish's history captured its generous spirit: when the parish once needed a new chalice, the Altar Society asked parishioners to donate gold or gold-plated jewelry. The response was overwhelming — wedding rings, engagement rings, watches, and many other pieces were melted down to create a chalice and ciborium, which Pastor Msgr. James Dolan pledged to remember at every Mass. The parish has now passed its 95th anniversary (celebrated in December 2022) and continues its mission of welcoming 'all people of good faith.'