La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles
A photograph of the "Plaza Church" taken by William Henry Jackson between 1890 and 1900. The structure incorporated a four-bell campanario ("bell wall") prior to being rebuilt in 1861.[1] | |
Location in Central Los Angeles | |
Location | Los Angeles, California |
---|---|
Coordinates | 34°03′25″N 118°14′22″W / 34.05698°N 118.23939°WCoordinates: 34°03′25″N 118°14′22″W / 34.05698°N 118.23939°W |
Name as founded | Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles |
English translation | The Church of Our Lady Queen of the Angels |
Patron | Mary, mother of Jesus |
Founding date | August 18, 1814 |
Founding priest(s) | Father Luis Gíl y Taboada |
Governing body | Roman Catholic Church |
Current use | Parish Church |
Reference no. | #144 |
Reference no. | 3[2] |
La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles,[3] (The Church of Our Lady Queen of the Angels), is a historic Roman Catholic church in El Pueblo de los Ángeles Historical Monument in northern downtown Los Angeles, California, United States. The church was founded by the Spanish in the early 19th century when modern-day California was under Spanish rule and known as Alta California in the Viceroyalty of New Spain.
History
La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles ("The Church of Our Lady Queen of the Angels") was founded on August 18, 1814, by Franciscan Fray Luis Gil y Taboada. He placed the cornerstone for the new church in the adobe ruins of the original "sub-station mission" here, the Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles Asistencia (founded 1784), thirty years after it was established to serve the settlement founding Los Angeles Pobladores (original settlers). The completed new structure was dedicated on December 8, 1822.[4] A replacement chapel, named La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles - for Mary, mother of Jesus or "The Church of Our Lady of the Angels" - was rebuilt using materials of the original church in 1861. The title Reina, meaning "Queen," was added later to the name.[5] For years, the little chapel, which collected the nicknames "La Placita" and "Plaza Church," served as the sole Roman Catholic church in emerging immigrant Los Angeles.
20th century
The facility has operated under the auspices of the Claretian Missionary Fathers since 1908.
The building was designated as one of the first three Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in 1962.[2] It has also been designated as a California Historical Landmark.[6]
21st century
As of 2015 the church is a part of the Diocese of Los Angeles and serves as a neighborhood parish church, as well as a very important cultural landmark. Since the 1960s it has been carefully retrofitted against earthquakes, something the original friars knew nothing about, like many other old California missions. Masses are said in Spanish as well as English for the large Hispanic community in L.A.
Gallery
- The Spring Street entrance of Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles (Our Lady Queen of Angels/La Placita Church—the main church, not the chapel) located in Downtown Los Angeles on September 15, 2011.
- La Placita Church in the Old Plaza in Los Angeles, CA circa 1880.
- The "Old Plaza Church" facing the Plaza, 1869. The brick reservoir in the middle of the Plaza was the original terminus of the Zanja Madre.
- Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles in early 2007. The structure bore the name Mission Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles for many years.
- The façade of Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles in 2007.
- The entrance of Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles (La Placita Church)Chapel located at 535 North Main Street in Downtown Los Angeles on July 20, 2007.
- Postcard showing interior circa 1940s
See also
- Los Angeles Plaza Historic District
- Olvera Street
- List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in Downtown Los Angeles
- History of Los Angeles, California
- USNS Mission Los Angeles (AO-117) — a Mission Buenaventura class fleet oiler built during World War II.
- Sanctuary movement
- Porziuncola
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles (California). |
External links
- Nuestra Señora Reina de Los Angeles — photo gallery
- Sanctuary Movement — history of New Sanctuary Movement — webpage
- El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument — City of Los Angeles
Notes
- Miller, Henry and Harry Knill (ed.) (2000). California Missions: The Earliest Series of Views Made in 1856. Bellerophon Books, Santa Barbara, CA. ISBN 0-88388-119-5.
- Ruscin, Terry (1999). Mission Memoirs. Sunbelt Publications, San Diego, CA. ISBN 0-932653-30-8.
- "Directory for Missions and other Hispanic Sites". California Mission Studies Association. Archived from the original on 2007-04-02. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
References
- ↑ Miller and Knill, p. 1
- 1 2 Los Angeles Department of City Planning (September 7, 2007). "Historic - Cultural Monuments (HCM) Listing: City Declared Monuments" (PDF). City of Los Angeles. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
- ↑ California Mission Studies Association
- ↑ Ruscin, p. 49.
- ↑ Ruscin, p. 50.
- ↑ #144 California Historical Landmark