Angelus News | September 23, 2022 | Vol. 7 No. 19

of a brutal weeklong heat wave.
“Today is the same weather, but we
are inside!” Archbishop Gomez said to
laughs at the start of his homily.
But as Archbishop Gomez went on to
note, the anniversary was an occasion
to give thanks to those “who worked
hard and sacrificed to help build this
beautiful temple to the living God in
the heart of this great city.”
One of those “builders” was Msgr.
Terrance Fleming, rector of St. Vibiana’s
Cathedral when the Northridge
Earthquake heavily damaged it in
1994. When then-Archbishop Cardinal
Roger Mahony began to explore
options for a replacement, he tasked
Msgr. Fleming with helping find a
location for a new cathedral — and an
architect to build it.
Msgr. Fleming likes to describe the
“miracles” that followed: how a surplus
lot owned by the county across the
101 Freeway from LA’s historic center
became available, and how just 90 days
later the archdiocese owned it.
“There was some kind of impulse
to just snap it up,” recalled Msgr.
Fleming, currently the episcopal vicar
for the Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral
Region, where the cathedral is located.
Then there was the “fascinating”
process that led to the selection of
Spanish architect Rafael Moneo to
build the cathedral. Naturally, none of
the candidates considered had built a
cathedral before. But Msgr. Fleming
believes Moneo “got the feel of Los
Angeles,” drawing on history to build
“the first mission of the 21st century”
in California, using adobe for the
concrete and including a cemetery
(the mausoleum), a garden, and even
a stable (“we call it a garage,” quipped
Msgr. Fleming).
The dedication Mass was, in Msgr.
Fleming’s memory, not just on the hottest
day of the summer, but also “the
hottest ticket in town”: Benefactors,
clergy, religious, and only a couple
representatives from each parish in the
archdiocese were among those who
made the list. Msgr. Fleming remembered
the requests from friends and
even brother priests “who wanted to
bring their mothers.”
“If I had sold tickets, I’d be a millionaire
today,” joked Msgr. Fleming, who
was vicar general of the archdiocese at
the time.
At the time of its dedication, Cardinal
Mahony famously envisioned the
cathedral as an ongoing project, one
that would grow under the leadership
of his successors. In the 20 years since,
additions have included a Marian tapestry
behind the altar; chapels to Our
Lady of Guadalupe, St. Pope John Paul
II, and Mother Teresa; and a popular
bronze statue of St. Joseph and the
Christ Child.
Cathedral parishioner Maria Elena
Catalan remembered being impressed
by the cathedral for the first time during
a trip from her native Philippines
nearly 20 years ago. She later emigrated
to Vancouver, Canada, and eventually
ended up in Los Angeles three
years ago. Since then, she has made a
point of choosing to live close to the
cathedral, even when her job has taken
her as far as Glendale and Gardena.
“I’ve always preferred to come here,”
said Catalan after the anniversary
Mass. “There’s so much to see, so
many places to pray or visit.”
After 10 a.m. Sunday Mass (her
favorite, because of the choir), Catalan
said she’s made a habit of praying in
the Blessed Sacrament chapel and
lighting a candle.
And beyond the dozens of major
events it hosts and the thousands of
visitors it draws every year, perhaps it is
the experiences of people like Father
Alonso’s that speak the most. The
recently ordained
priest
and alumnus
of nearby
Cathedral
High School
remembered
Cardinal Roger Mahony
incenses the altar during
the dedication Mass of the
Cathedral of Our Lady of
the Angels on Sept. 2, 2002.
attending the first Chrism Mass at the
new cathedral as a 7-year-old with his
parish priest at the time. They both
arrived late and sat in the back during
the Mass.
“Memo: One day you’re going to be
altar-serving there,” he remembered
the priest telling him.
The prophecy was accurate, but
perhaps fell a little short. Years later, it
was priests serving at the cathedral who
mentored him and helped him discern
the priesthood. This past June, he was
ordained a priest there. And through
his years at St. John’s Seminary, he
was the “cathedral seminarian.” That
meant frequently assisting at special
Masses on Sunday afternoons once or
twice a month that brought faithful
together from different parts of the
archdiocese.
“It’s always gonna be home,” said Father
Alonso. “I mean, it’s my love. I’m
truly grateful for being able to fall in
love more with the archdiocese, seeing
how the cathedral is a magnet that
brings all of us together to love Christ.”
Pablo Kay is the editor-in-chief of
Angelus.
September 23, 2022 • ANGELUS • 19