Calling the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels a "splendid sacred space" Cardinal Roger Mahony presided at the Mass of Thanksgiving Sept. 8 to mark the fifth anniversary of the dedication of the downtown Los Angeles church and parish.

The dedication candles were lit during the liturgy, "sacred signs of God embracing this space and making it holy," said the cardinal.

"Our God dwells within this house in a very special way. God invites us in to listen gently and quietly to his call in our lives," said the cardinal during the Mass which he concelebrated with Msgr. Kevin Kostelnik, Cathedral pastor, and nearly a dozen priests. "He invites us in various moments in our journey --- whether we be joyful, whether we be sad, or whether we be hope-filled or whether we be adrift. God welcomes us here into God's space and God's house."

Following the Mass, parishioners and some of the original Cathedral artists enjoyed an outdoor reception. The artists were on hand for the opening of a new Cathedral art exhibit.

Parishioners reflected on how the Cathedral sustains and nurtures their faith.

Maria Elena Musus, a Cathedral parishioner and usher for five years, said she's seen her faith grow. "I feel like I'm at home," said Musus. "I appreciate the deepness of the faith of the people coming every week and their friendship. I'm more humble. I feel like I'm just serving God."

Thomas Tadeo, a Filipino native, serves as a Eucharistic minister at the Cathedral --- a ministry he greatly enjoys. "I consider this my playtime whenever I come here," he said. "It's fun to be here. There's a sense of peace. Everybody, including the priests, is friendly. The cardinal is very approachable. He's one of us."

Msgr. Kostelnik said that one remarkable and unplanned surprise during the last five years is the tremendous growth of downtown Los Angeles with the emergence of thousands of new apartments and condominiums.

"A lot of these people will become parishioners," said Msgr. Kostelnik. "It's been phenomenal to see the parishioner base grow."

Looking at the numbers, he pointed out that the Cathedral has served the people of Los Angeles in numerous ways - including 587 baptisms, 507 weddings, 209 concerts and recitals, 12 interfaith services, 474 school group tours, and 183,915 lunches prepared and distributed to area homeless persons.

He also noted that sometimes Catholics from surrounding communities who had left the Church find their way back through the Cathedral. The ministry staff assists those who are searching to reconnect them to a local parish, said Msgr. Kostelnik, adding, "The role of the Cathedral is to call people to continue their spiritual journey."