Founded: 1943
Location: 6561 W. 88th Street, Los Angeles (Westchester)
Our Lady of the Angels Region: Deanery 13

In the middle of World War II as the United States battled in Europe and the Pacific, a different wartime experience was happening in the fast growing western area of Los Angeles. In the Westchester district, numerous housing projects were being constructed to accommodate the many workers at the nearby aircraft companies.

Recognizing the spiritual needs of the burgeoning populace as well as the needed war effort, Archbishop John Cantwell in June of 1943 sent a 38-year-old Irish priest to establish a new parish: the Church of the Visitation.

Father Thomas O'Sullivan, a native of County Tipperary ordained in 1928, had by then served in parishes from San Bernardino to Goleta (in what had been the Los Angeles-San Diego Diocese), and was pastor of St. Raphael Church. As founding pastor of Visitation, he saw on his arrival that "there were no streets at all south of Manchester and Sepulveda," so he helped lay out the remaining streets. He bought four acres near Sepulveda and Manchester and found only 120 families in the entire area, most of them war-workers but anxious to organize a parish in the interest of their children.

Before a temporary frame church was built that November, Father O'Sullivan celebrated Mass in the garage of a parish house at Earhart Avenue near Mines Field. The new building of white stucco seated 275 persons, but the permanent site was planned to include the church, parish hall, school and priest house, all of them post-war goals.

(In hand-written notes now catalogued in the archdiocesan archives, Cardinal Timothy Manning observed that Visitation was one of three parishes founded on the same day --- the other two, St. Timothy and St. Joan of Arc --- and that the name was chosen to complete the Joyful mysteries of the Blessed Virgin Mary.)

As the area grew, portions of Visitation were allocated to form new parishes --- St. Jerome and St. Anastasia. In May 1951, Archbishop James Francis McIntyre dedicated a new Visitation church that seated 1,000 persons and was built in the modern adaptation of Italian architecture, and included a life-size hand-carved wood crucifix from Switzerland, shrines on either side of the nave and mosaic Stations of the Cross. Father Peter O'Sullivan, brother of the pastor, served at the dedication liturgy.

Msgr. Thomas O'Sullivan spent almost 55 years at Visitation parish, some 40 as pastor and 15 as pastor emeritus. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of his ordination, he recalled: "I was blessed beyond words with the greatest people God ever sent as a nucleus for a parish." He died in 1997 at age 92. (His brother, Msgr. Peter O'Sullivan, resides at St. John Baptist de la Salle in Granada Hills where is pastor emeritus.)

Succeeding Msgr. O'Sullivan in 1980 was another Irishman, Father James F. O'Grady from County Mayo, ordained in 1958 in Dublin. His previous assignments included St. John the Baptist, Baldwin Park; Visitation and St. John the Evangelist, L.A.; St. Andrew, Pasadena; St. Lawrence Martyr, Redondo Beach and St. Polycarp, Stanton. He headed the parish for almost 20 years and is now pastor emeritus in residence.

The third and current pastor is Msgr. Timothy O'Connell, from County Cork, who completed his theological studies at St. John's Seminary here and was ordained in 1963. During his 43 years in the archdiocese Msgr. O'Connell has worked as a hospital chaplain, pastor of St. Linus (Norwalk) for nine years, pastor of Sacred Heart (Lancaster) for eight years, and as the first director of the Family Life office, a post he headed for 16 years. He is currently chair and coordinator for the Commission for Catholic Life Issues.

During Visitation's 63 years, enormous growth has changed the area, but dedication to the Blessed Mother has continued. The visit of the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth is recorded the Gospel of Luke. The feast of the Visitation is of medieval origin, first kept by the Franciscan Order in the 13th century when St. Bonaventure recommended it. Pope Urban VI extended it to the whole Church and the feast is celebrated now on May 31.