Founded: 1937
Location: 7800 Vineland Avenue, Sun Valley
San Fernando Region: Deanery 7
Almost one fourth of the 287 parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are named in honor of the Blessed Mother --- from the northernmost city of Guadalupe on the Central Coast (Our Lady of Guadalupe) to the easternmost community of Claremont (Our Lady of the Assumption).
The various titles form a litany of praise, thanksgiving and intercession. Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in the east San Fernando Valley community of Sun Valley is one of only three so named to honor Mary in the devotion of the Rosary.
As early as the 13th century, legendary stories surround the miraculous intercession of reciting the rosary. In particular, the naval victory of Lepanto in October of 1571 confirmed the efficacy of the rosary devotion and inspired St. Pius V to order a commemoration of it on that day. By the 18th century, the feast of the Holy Rosary was celebrated by the universal church. The Sun Valley parish honors its patroness in October and offers a daily rosary after morning Mass.
Another unique feature of the parish is the nearby mission of Our Lady of Zapopan, originally established by Archbishop John Cantwell in 1941 for the Mexican community in the district that was then called Roscoe. The church was named after the famous shrine near Guadalajara, and today is still served by the priests from Our Lady of the Rosary for the Spanish-speaking community.
Originally, the area was called "Roberts" in the late 1800s for the general store that was the only business in town. In 1896 the community changed the name to "Roscoe." Some stories attribute the name to a railroad employee killed in a train wreck, or possibly to a heroic fireman known in the area. The last name change came in 1949 when the Chamber of Commerce decided, for reasons not known, to call the town "Sun Valley."
While it was still Roscoe, the first Mass was celebrated at Cleatus Early's plumbing shop on San Fernando Road in early January, 1937. Just 11 families attended, with orange crates used as seats.
By the end of the year, founding pastor Father Michael O'Shea from Ireland was planning a church on Vineland and Ratner Street. The land was donated by the local hardware store owner, Alex Ratner, and the estimated cost of the building was $8,500. Archbishop Cantwell dedicated the new church Oct. 1, 1939. Father O'Shea --- who was also chaplain at the nearby Mother Cabrini Academy in Burbank --- was pastor for two years, and died in 1951 at age 50.
From 1939 to 1974, several archdiocesan priests served as pastors for the parish in the growing, changing community. An intense war effort aircraft complex that once dominated the area disappeared; the current industry includes recycling deposits, marble and stone plants and construction in a mainly industrial area.
In the early 40s Irish Father Thomas Noonan was the pastor followed by Father Augustine Murray who also headed the local Kopling Society for 50 years. Msgr. Stephen Kiley planned the new school, convent and rectory in 1947 and announced that the church would be moved to a new site. "This parish has quadrupled since 1934," he said, "and we have many large families who came here during the war years and decided to stay."
For 12 years Msgr. Robert Brennan --- the supervisor of music and liturgy for the archdiocese --- shepherded Our Lady of the Holy Rosary church; he died in 1986 at age 78. From 1962 to 1969 Father Louis Pick, a native of the Netherlands and former Navy chaplain, was pastor, during which time the new church was built with seating for 1,000, more than twice the capacity of the original building and housing a glass sculpture of the Crucifixion by artist Roger Darricarrere. Father Pick died in 1969 at age 56, succeeded for five years by Father Martin McGovern from Ireland.
In 1974 the Sacred Heart Missionaries assumed administration, their first in the archdiocese. Father Eugene O'Sullivan from Ireland headed the parish for six years followed by Sacred Heart Fathers Jerome O'Mahony and Thomas Jordan.
In 1993 the Missionaries of St. Charles (the Scalabrinian priests) were appointed to administer the parish, beginning with Father Patrick Murphy. He was followed in 1997 by Father Livio Stella and then in 2002 by the current pastor, Father Richard Zanotti, from Canada. He also administers Our Lady of Zapopan as well as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, both named for the Blessed Mother and devoted to her patronage. |