Founding date August 18, 1814 | Patron Mary | |
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Name as founded Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles English translation The Church of Our Lady Queen of the Angels Founding priest(s) Father Luis Gíl y Taboada Similar Porziuncola, Cathedral of Our Lady of the An, Avila Adobe, Mission San Gabriel A, St Cecilia Catholic Church | ||
La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, (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.
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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. 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. 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. It has also been designated as a California Historical Landmark.
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.