[Dajjal]

From the new cathedral's website (click on "About" and "History":

St. Vibiana's Cathedral

Plans for a Cathedral in Los Angles began as early as 1859. Eventually, the Cathedral on Main and Second Streets was built and dedicated to St. Vibiana in 1876 by Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany of San Francisco, and completed four years and $80,000 later....

The plans announced in January, 1995 were to remain at the historic site of St. Vibiana's Cathedral. The old Cathedral, ravaged by earthquakes over the years, and closed since May, 1995 because of damage sustained during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, was to be torn down, and a new Cathedral Church was to be built on that general site....

The Archdiocese's engineers and contractors estimated that it would cost a minimum of eighteen to twenty million to save the old structure.

That's right -- because Cardinal Mahony refused to spend $18 - 20 million to restore the beautiful old earthquake-damaged cathedral, he instead spent $200 million of Los Angeles parishoners' money to build the "Taj Mahony" and this "Vibiana Place" will become a performing arts center, library, etc.

[Dajjal]

Could someone help post these photos? Thanks!

Old St. Vibiana Cathedral, 1876
Main and 2nd

Facade

South >Wall

Bell Steeple

Statue of St. Matthew

Statue of St. John

North Gate

Background on Cathedral murals (no photos)

Igor de Kansky, muralist: biography

[Dajjal]

From Ad Orientem blog:

Hold the holy water

Reader Michael Z. writes he isn't sure whether to laugh or get a headache over this TCR apologia for the Taj Mahony.

Still, even Oceania had to have a re-write department in the Ministry of Truth, for this little piece of anti-INGSOC thinking gets into the article: The writer is disappointed that there are no Holy Water fonts for people to bless themselves with as they enter…But no bad thoughts allowed :

"But I've decided to give the Cardinal a pass on this one, for now, because it's obvious that they are still doing a lot of work, so maybe those will be installed later."

I've been directing people to your blog for the LA Times quote that Mahony was taking credit for every single detail of the Cathedral, even the light bulbs on the freight elevator ! But OOPS ! The whole idea of HOLY WATER slipped his mind. I guess the freight elevator chewed up so much of his time, that he hasn't gotten around to the Holy Water yet ...

The whole Holy Water font issue shouldn't trouble us, because, TCR assures us, ROME WILL TAKE CARE OF IT IN GOOD TIME (i.e., as Fr. McCloskey says, "check back in a thousand years" )…

There you have it -- The Voice of Orthodox Catholicism at the Dawn of the 21st Century: "So what if there are no Holy Water fonts?"

Instead of taking any action, we are supposed to wait around for Vatican III...

An interesting -- and quite telling -- detail to leave out of a micro-managed $195-million cathedral. So now worshipers entering the church have taken to blessing themselves from the Jacuzzi baptismal font.

A question: To what does one genuflect upon entering the pew when the Blessed Sacrament is over in a corner somewhere?

Each other, one supposes, in the new Church of Me.

9/6/02 3:58 PM

[Dajjal]

More photos of St. Vibiana's

(Someone please post)

This cathedral could have been restored with $18-20 million!

[Dajjal]

Moderator Rubin ... described how in May of 1996, the cardinal had the stained glass windows removed, along with the statues and other artifacts

This was written in 12/00. I wonder if any of these were ever located, or did Mahony sell them on eBay.

[NYer]

At this meeting that Mahony told them that he wanted to raze the cathedral because of anticipated liturgical changes.

Anyone wish to conjecture a guess as to which (if any) liturgical change he was referring to? I do recall reading somewhere that a mad rush by several bishops occurred during that time frame, to "renovate" or "build" cathedrals. Here in Albany, NY, the bishop raised monies to "restore" the cathedral.

[yendu bwam]

There seem to be so many in our Church who wish to fog over, hide, cover and replace anything that was traditional and good and holy. So many traditions and temples that invited us to holiness and thoughtfulness and contemplation and reverence are being deliberately ripped away. When we're done, we'll be standing next to the Unitarians, in their perfectly utilitarian 'church.'

[Salvation]

On June 3, 1996, Cardinal Mahony held a press conference after the restraining order was issued. Press accounts at the time describe the cardinal as being extremely upset at the halting of the demolition. When he gave reporters a tour of the cathedral he insisted that they wear hard hats and sign waivers dismissing the archdiocese from liability before he let them into the press conference. Rubin said that the press were put under incredible pressure by the "harshness of the statements made by the cardinal at the press conference: 'It is ironic that their victory is meaningless. The old cathedral will remain forever closed and it will continue to deteriorate over the years. No one will ever be allowed in there ever again and it will stand as a shameful testament to a small group of obstructionists in the city of Los Angeles."

Banshee attack! What a jerk Mahony is! (And I really want to use other words!)

[Salvation]

The cardinal lost his appeal and the case was sent back to the trial court.

If only it all could have ended there and the St. Vibiana Cathedral be rebuilt.

[Bella_Bru]

Unfortunately, many of Mahoney's flock are poor, undereducated immigrants (both legal and illegal) and refuse to question or raise a stink about anything. He could say he was buying himself a fleet of Rolls Royce's, and they would just nod in approval.