Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-01-01
OUR CHURCHES.
Eceie~iasticai Review for the Year
All Religious Seeis Prosperous in
Los Angeles.

Los Angeles can with pride call at
tention to the number of its religious
organizations and their general pros
perity. Ten denominations are repre-
sented in this city; each one has a
large congregation and makes favora-
BILE report for the year. In this relig-
ious review the HERALD gives prefer
ence to the Catholic Church, by right
of priority.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The Catholics came to Southern
California in 1869, and established q
mission at San Gabriel, the first in this
county, in September III. In 1776
they made another Mission at San
Juan Capistrano, and still another at
San Fernando in 1897. The Mission
Church in Los Angeles was establish
ed several years later, as an especial
cathedral for the soldiers from Spain
who desired to worship apart from the
natives. Daily services are still held in
the San Gabriel church, erected over a
century ago, and also in the San Juan
and Los Angeles Mission churches.
In 1872 the Mission church at San
Juan Capistrano was thrown down by
an earthquake-the only one in South
ern California ever attended with loss
of lives-and some thirty worshippers
were crushed to death. Although by
Spanish decree the Catholic orders
were divested of their missions here,
and the untutored native left to seek
out his own civilization and his own
salvation, the seed sown by those early
fathers has brought forth good fruit,
even unto the present day.
In Los Angeles county there are six
Catholic churches--at Los Angeles,
San Fernando, San Jose, Wilmington,
Anaheim and San Gabriel. During
the past year there has been a consid-
cradle increase in the number of its
members, on account Of immigration
and conversion. The Parish of our
Lady of Angels, comprising Los An
geles city and the large district from
the San Fernando mountains to Will
mington, contains population of
5000 Catholics. The Mission church
of San Fernando is visited OCCASION
ally by priest from Los Angeles city
and Wilmington is also attended from
here twice month. Number of bap-
tisms in Los Angeles city during the
past year, 367; deaths, 263; mar
riages over 60. Here at the church of
Our Lady of Angels resides Rt. Rev.
Thaddeus Amat, G. NJ, ID. D., Rt. Rev,
Francis Mora, Coadjutor Bishop; Rev.
Peter Verdaguer, Rector; Rev. Michael
Divan, Rev. Charles Flanagan, Rev.
Michael Lynch and Rev. Gelss. The
pastor of San Gabriel Mission is Rev.
Joaquin Bot, assisted by Rev. Philip
Farrelley, who attends Santa Ana
uuu Anaioi.. tuivo nIuutn anu
upper and lower San Jose, Los Nietos
and Azusa, about once month. We
are not in position to state more about
the Mission at San Juan Capistrano
than that it is one of the oldest in the
State and at present in charge of Rev.
Joseph Meet as pastor.
THE HEBREW SYNAGOGUE.
The Hebrews established Congre-
CATION in this city in July, 1862. Rev.,
A. III. Edelman, a most worthy gen.
tleman, is at the head of the congre-
CATION. At present it numbers over
so members, AMI its prosperity during
the year has been most satisfactory.
The synagogue is on Fort street, be-
tween Second and Third streets.
ST. ATHANASIUS' EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Episcopal services were first held in
Los Angeles by Bishop Kip, in 1854,
in the then public hall On Main street,
near the present site of the Pico
House. After an interval of nearly
ten years, the Rev. Chas. Birdsall,
now of San Francisco, commenced
services in 1861 and established the
parish of st. Athanasius' Church.
During his stay the brick edifice, still
in use, was obtained from the Presby-
terians, whose first organization in
the city had become extinct. In 1866
Rev. Mr.. Birdsall removed TO Stock
ton. He was succeeded by Revs. H.
III. Messenger and ]. II. Talbot for
about one year each, when, after a
temporary supply for few months by
the Rev. c. Q. Loop, now of San Cab
riel, who had come to Southern Cali
fornia for his health, the Rev. George
Burton was called to the Rectorship, in
1869. Mr.. B commenced aboys' and also
a girls school, which met with partial
success; but he resigned and left for
the North in August, 1870. The vestry
then called the Rev. J. B. Gray, who
entered upon his duties, November 20,
1870, and continued his services as
Rector until Feb. 23, 1874, when he re-
signed the Parish. Services were
again held for a few weeks by the Rev.
c. Il. Loop, when, at Easter of the
present year, the Rev. VIM. H. Hill
accepted call and entered upon the
Rectorship. In May of the same year
extensive repairs amounting to about
81, 200, were made to the church build