ARTICLES
October 1997 ARTICLESLETTERS
Contents © 1997
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
A Religious and Civic Duty
MOVE AFOOT TO SAVE HISTORIC CHURCHES
By Charles A. Coulombe
Although founded in 1781, one never thinks of the City of Los Angeles (as well as the archdiocese) as a center of historic architecture. But the city and adjoining counties do have their share of treasures in stone and wood, stucco and concrete. Every element of our past has left some mark: Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Bradbury Building, Olvera Street, and of course--St. Vibiana's Cathedral.
The struggle of the L.A. Conservancy to save St. Vibiana's is well known. Apart from the threatened cathedral, the missions, and a very few special churches like St.Vincent's at Adams and Figueroa near USC, few Catholic churches in the Southland have official recognition for historical and architectural value. This is in contrast to denominations like the Episcopal Church, which is proud of its listed churches.
Some of the most beautiful churches in the country are here, like Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood, Our Lady of Sorrows in Santa Barbara, St. Monica in Santa Monica, and Precious Blood in Los Angeles. But in deeds (specifically the St. Vibiana affair) and words (the latest pastoral on the Eucharist, which asks of "worship spaces," "Does the arrangement, furnishing, and beauty of the present worship space help or hinder the full, conscious and active participation of the assembly?"), the cardinal has shown a desire to alter further the churches of the archdiocese. While His Eminence has attempted to portray the question of the cathedral as religious liberty, parishioners and community members point out that the historic patrimony of the area is a matter of interest to all citizens. It was on this basis, that the City Council, while giving in to the cardinal's desire that they "de-recognize" St. Vibiana's, refused to permit the Rabbi in charge to demolish the historic East L.A. Breed Street Schul, one of our oldest synagogues.
It seems that the archdiocese is reluctant to have preservation safeguards applied to its historic churches. In a memo, dated December 8, 1974, Tom Sitton, National History Museum Archivist, a lay volunteer for the county office concerned with historic landmark cataloguing, wrote: "I invaded the Archdiocesan Archives through the courtesy of Mons. Francis J. Weber, archivist and author and 'Catholic Heritage' columnist in the Tidings... He suggested we eliminate St. Patrick's, St. Agnes', Our Lady of Lourdes, Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of Loretto from our list--some because they have been completely rebuilt recently and other because they [lack] historic interest."
The fear that the historic churches of the archdiocese are endangered by renovations has led to concern that as many as possible be recognized before it is too late to save them. Robert Kennedy, a young preservationist and practicing Catholic has agreed to act as clearing house for these efforts. According to Kennedy, father of three small sons, "Traditional church architecture was designed with the purpose of lifting one's mind and heart to God. It is a visible expression of the greatness of God. It is profound because it has a profound purpose, that of reminding us of our heavenly home and inspiring us toward a sense of wonder and awe toward almighty God. When this visible reminder is removed or diminished it has the corresponding effect of altering the way in which we view God--thus diminishing one's faith in God and in turn the way in which we live that faith."
The preservation effort requires the gathering of information on archdiocesan churches which meet the standards for historical significance--that they are 50 or more years old. The information preservation groups require about each church is date of construction, style of architecture, and the name of the architectural firm who designed it (the latter information can be found at the L.A. Central library and in the County Records Offices). Preservation groups also appreciate interior and exterior photos.
Kennedy hopes that interested readers will make use of the list of churches included with this story (which already includes some of the required information) to compile the data on churches close to them. He will forward it to the L.A. Conservancy or whichever other preservation group would be concerned, giving the data sender a contact there.
Volunteers should continue to monitor events at their parish or neighboring churches. If alterations to the interior (or exterior) are proposed, one must inform the appropriate preservation group, in order to evaluate such changes. If these changes, as with St. Vibiana's, are of doubtful legality, something may be able to be done. Submit information to the Mission, P.O. Box 834, Tehachapi, CA 93581 and/or to Robert Kennedy, P.O. Box 42-254, Los Angeles, CA 90042.