La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles

La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles (English: "The Church of Our Lady Queen of the Angels") is a historic Catholic church in Los Angeles, California, located on the historic Plaza de Los Ángeles near Downtown Los Angeles. Part of the larger El Pueblo de los Ángeles Historical Monument, the church's origins date to 1784, when the Spanish founded the Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles Asistencia to support nearby Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. By 1814, the asistencia had been abandoned and a new church was founded in its place by Padre Luis Gil y Taboada. The church is one of the oldest buildings in Los Angeles. History La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles ("The Church of Our Lady Queen of the Angels") was founded on August 18, 1814, by Franciscan Fray Luis Gil y Taboada. He placed the cornerstone for the new church in the adobe ruins of the original "sub-station mission" here, the Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles Asistencia (founded 1784), thirty years after it was established to serve the settlement founding Los Angeles Pobladores (original settlers). The completed new structure was dedicated on December 8, 1822. A replacement chapel, named La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles – for Mary, mother of Jesus or "The Church of Our Lady of the Angels" – was rebuilt using materials of the original church in 1861. The title Reina, meaning "Queen", was added later to the name. For years, the little chapel, which collected the nicknames "La Placita" and "Plaza Church", served as the sole Roman Catholic church in Los Angeles. The facility has operated under the auspices of the Claretian Missionary Fathers since 1908. The church is a part of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and serves as a neighborhood parish church, as well as a cultural landmark. Since the 1960s it has been retrofitted against earthquakes. Masses are held in Spanish and English. Landmark designations The building was designated as one of the first three Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in 1962. It has also been designated as a California Historical Landmark. California Historical Landmark Marker NO. 144 at the site reads: NO. 144 NUESTRA SEÑORA LA REINA DE LOS ANGELES - La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles-the Church of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels-was dedicated on December 8, 1822 during California's Mexican era. Originally known as La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles, the church was the only Catholic church for the pueblo. Today it primarily serves the Hispanic population of Los Angeles. Gallery See also List of Spanish missions in California Los Angeles Plaza Historic District Olvera Street List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in Downtown Los Angeles History of Los Angeles USNS Mission Los Angeles (AO-117) – a Mission Buenaventura class fleet oiler built during World War II. Sanctuary movement Porziuncola Notes References Miller, Henry and Harry Knill, ed. (2000). California Missions: The Earliest Series of Views Made in 1856. Bellerophon Books, Santa Barbara, CA. ISBN 0-88388-119-5. Ruscin, Terry (1999). Mission Memoirs. Sunbelt Publications, San Diego, CA. ISBN 0-932653-30-8. "Directory for Missions and other Hispanic Sites". California Mission Studies Association. Archived from the original on 2007-04-02. Retrieved 2007-05-30. External links Nuestra Señora Reina de Los Angeles — photo gallery Sanctuary Movement — history of New Sanctuary Movement — webpage El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument — City of Los Angeles