The Code of Canon Law defines a diocese as a territorial division erected by the Holy See that is entrusted to a bishop, the local ordinary. An archdiocese is one of several dioceses within a province and headed by an archbishop or metropolitan.
In December of 1936, the Diocese of Los Angeles/San Diego was divided into the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and the Diocese of San Diego. The decision by Pope Pius XI to create, at the time, the 16th archdiocese in the U.S. reflected the enormous growth in Southern California and the need for a more concentrated leadership in the area.
The process was rooted in 1840, when a hierarchy was first established in California. The erection of an archdiocese in 1936 in an area becoming famous by the booming new motion picture industry attracted enormous interest both locally and nationally. Nearly one-half of the U.S. church hierarchy attended the ceremony in St. Vibiana Cathedral along with more than 500 priests.
The following week more than 5,000 laypeople representing 200 parishes gathered in the Shrine Auditorium to honor the newly enthroned Metropolitan Archbishop, who was hardly a stranger at all. John J. Cantwell, a native of Limerick, Ireland, began his extraordinary reign of 30 years in 1917 as bishop of Monterey/Los Angeles; continued through 1922, with the establishment of two dioceses (Los Angeles/San Diego and Monterey/Fresno); and ended in 1947 with his death at the age of 72.
His successors --- Cardinal-Archbishops James Francis McIntyre (from New York), Timothy Manning (from Ireland) and Roger Mahony (from Southern California) --- have built on that foundation in what has become the most populated and culturally diverse archdiocese in the country.
Following are two books that chronicle segments of our archdiocesan history.
A History of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
By Msgr. Francis J. Weber. Editions du Signe (Strasbourg, France, 2006). 432 pp.
A monumental historical tome to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has been produced by Msgr. Francis Weber, archdiocesan archivist.
The new work also updates his previous edition of 1990 that covered the church from 1840. This final attempt captures the history and soul of the initial ecclesial foundation to the archdiocese of today, the largest in the country.
Aristotle believed in this concept when he said: "If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development." Following that dictum this latest volume from the archdiocesan archivist attests to his scholarly achievements by producing a book that is outstanding in content, layout and color design throughout.
The 6.5 lb. volume, measuring 11 x 11 inches, contains 13 sections on a full range of topics including biographies, institutions and related issues. More than 50 pages contain the histories of 300 parishes and educational topics of 97 pages range from seminaries to elementary schools. Throughout the book is lavishly illustrated with varying color borders that delineate the various sections. In the parish section, for example, each page is edged in blue with vivid pictures of each church and the educational section that follows is bordered in purple with elementary schools bounded in tan.
The section on health care is particularly interesting because, to quote the editor, "very little has been written about the nursing Sisterhoods and their hospitals in California." The 26 pages in the health section list many of the women religious whose communities founded, staffed and nourished the sick in the city of angels since 1855. However, besides the 25 pages devoted to outstanding clergy and noted lay leaders, there is no other section that traces the remarkable contributions of the many women religious who educated, trained and inspired generations for more than 150 years. That addition, no doubt, would have significantly increased the number of pages.
"The archdiocese probably has the most diverse Catholic population of any jurisdiction in North America," is cited at the beginning of the 30-page section on Ethnic Composition. As in the other categories, numerous photographs enliven the text, many of historic value and interest.
The 13 sections are listed for easy reference in the Table of Contents, but there is no detailed index containing all the references to individual persons and places. Every parish will find enough source material for discussion and parishioners will enjoy this colorful foray into church history. For the answer to where can one find what has happened to the church since 1840, this is it.
A History of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is available at several parishes and Cotter's Church Supply.
Los Angeles's Chester Place
By Don Sloper. Arcadia Publishing (Mount Pleasant, S.C.). 128 pp. $19.99
The Doheny Campus of Mount St. Mary's College embraces not only a rich heritage but also a remarkable legacy of an early historic era in Los Angeles. In Don Sloper's "photo album" history, the reader gleans a view of what was the enclave of the wealthy and powerful in the early 1900s. Chester Place --- the oldest gated community in the city --- was once home to the "movers and shakers of politics, industry and entertainment." The present college campus was also the home of the oil-industry pioneer, Edward Doheny.
A sharply edited three-page introduction succinctly forms the link between the memorable past and the ever-changing, rapid growth of the present. Sloper, a regent of the college and an active walking tour docent, has incorporated remarkable archival photographs with detailed poignant captions. The progression of photos and brief explanations enables the reader to absorb an interesting course by tracing colorful history that combines vivid text and outstanding chronological images.
The author used a number of archives for this unusual story, particularly the unique material obtained from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet who moved into the Doheny Mansion at 10 Chester Place in 1954, then into the mansion at 8 Chester Place when it became a convent after Mrs. (Estelle) Doheny's death in 1958. Besides describing the famous and sumptuous Doheny mansion, many other aspects of the area and historical data are included. The Dohenys resided at Chester Place for 57 years wielding political and financial power, but were also incredibly generous people in many areas.
They endowed three local libraries. Edward paid for St. Vincent's Church; his son, Ned, was a major contributor to St. John's Episcopal Church; and of course, Estelle donated her extensive art and book collection to St. John's Seminary in Camarillo. Sloper uses his extensive research to dispel the many inaccurate stories of the family but also presents a vivid image of the life and times of a very bygone era.
Los Angeles' Chester Place is available at area bookstores or through Arcadia Publishing: www.arcadiapublishing.com or (888) 313-2665. |