Next Stop ~ Our Lady of the Angeles ~ Los Angeles Cathedral

Cathedral

Of Our Lady of the Angels

designed by José Rafael Moneo

built 1999-2002

Our Lady of the Angels

Sculpture by Robert Graham, Los Angeles

I'd driven by the "new" cathedral many times ... on my way to the framer in China Town, to Disney Hall, The Museum of Contemporary Art and ... jury duty ... but I'd never made it inside, or even into the courtyard area. My sister hadn't either. 

My sister being a designer, and having heard all about the different design aspects, and also that the artist who designed the tapestries has his studio in Ojai (where she lives,) she was also very interested in going in.

We'd left Olvera Street and had about a half our window to check out Our Lady of the Angels. 

This gorgeous painting is in the south ambulatory, after you walk into the church.

The Neophyte

Gustave Doré (1832-1883)

One of my favorite things about the Cathedral, are the alabaster windows, that softly bath the interior with a warm, soft light. There are some 33,500 square feet of alabaster windows, "the largest single use of alabaster windows in the world."

There are 12 bronze "Dedication Candle Holders" in the nave, by Southern California sculptor, Max DeMoss. The twelve represents the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles. Isn't this one wonderful?

Communion of Saints Tapestries

by John Nava

25 tapestries, depict 135 saints and blesseds, from around the world, along with 12 untitled figures, including children of all ages, which "represent the anonymous holy people in our midst."

"The large stone texture patterns used in the background of the Communion of Saints are from actual scans of excavations of the Via Dolorosa, in Jerusalem, from the time of the Romans."

Some of the saints and blesseds, like Mother Teresa and Pope John XXIII, were created with likenesses from photos, but others ... my sister recognized as people she knows, who live in Ojai, and who must have served as models for the saints! She was pointing at different saints and saying ..."That looks like so and so..." 

Anyway, I thought the tapestries were beautiful.

You can see Mother Teresa and Pope John XXIII, in the tapestry below.

Behind the Baptismal Font, a set of five tapestries with a "central depiction of Jesus being baptized by St. John the Baptist in the River Jordan."  The tapestries are 47 1/2 feet high and 7 feet wide.

The Baptistery

The four red carnelian granite fonts, are on each corner of the immersion pool, and have a continuous flow of water.

Chapel of Our Lady of Guadeloupe 

Adoption

Christopher Slatoff, 2011

Saint Joseph the Worker with young Jesus

(so sweet!)

This chapel had vestments of Pope John Paul II, from his visit to Los Angeles.

Spanish Baroque retablo

17th Century

Originally made for the Chapel of Saint Philip Neri, at Ezcaray, Spain

Silhouette of Saint, before an alabaster window.

For more about the Cathedral, architect and artists who created the work inside, click here.

I was happy to have made it to this somewhat new landmark in my city! And on a completely different note .... I've been watching all these old movies I've been renting from Netflix. 3 Rita Hayworth movies, in a row! First I watched Gilda, then You Were Never Lovelier with Fred Astaire, then You'll Never Get Rich, also with Fred. That girl was adorable! I know this isn't news but I had to say it. Gorgeous, of course but crazy likable too.

From You'll Never Get Rich

From You Were Never Lovelier

And of course Gilda, where she's tipsy and messing with her man (who is being a total jerk - to put it nicely!)

I love Netflix. (And apparently YouTube!)

Anyway ... Happy August everyone!!!

Blessings and light!

At any moment, you have a choice,

that either leads you

closer to your spirit 

or further away from it.

~Thich Nhat Hanh