Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-03-12
TIE NEW ROMAN CATHOLIC Ca
THEDRAL.
A sK ETCB OF ITS HISTORY AND
CONTRACTION
Erected to vibiane, Saint and Martyr.
The must magnificent Church struc-
sure in snasherm CaiifOrnia-ReIics
of the Elaborate De
scriptiOH 0ffhe style OfArch-
lecture and Finish-The
Architects and Build

The magnificent new Roman CathO-
lie Cathedral in this city is receiving
its finishing touches at the hands of
the painters and carpenters, and as It's
construction marks new era in the
ecclesiastical history of this city we
presume our readers will not object to
an article giving some facts in relation
to the history of this splendid struc-
ture. We have been at particular
pains to procure the facts which we
shall lay before our readers. The word
Cathedral is'derived from the Greek,
and signifies the seat of the Bishop of
a diocese. Los Angeles being the res
idence Of the Bishop of Monterey and
Los Angeles, the Right Rev. Tedeo
Amat, he has naturally looked forward
during his incumbency of the Episco-
pate to the erection of an edifice com
mensurate with the dignity of his Of
flee and the constantly increasing
number of his flock. In May, 1871,
THE GROUND WAS FIRST BROKEN
For the foundation of the imposing
building on Main street. In 1873 work
had progressed to the extent of carry
ing up tie outer walls to the height of
"a feet and the putting up of the frame
of the nave. The building remained
in this condition until the 10th day of
April, 1873 when, under the superin-
tnnInpoa Of M I Mocctpnr vynrIy uyn
recommended and has since that time
been pushed forward with unflagging
energy until the present time.
THE GENERAL DESIGN
OF the building was at the instance of
Bishop Amat, suggested by photo
graph of the church of st. Michael in
Barcelona, Spain. A gentleman whose
name has escaped us was employ ed as
architect, but for satisfactory reasons
our we'll known fellow-citizen, e. f.
Kysor was substituted, and to him,
assisted by. his talented young partner,
Mr.. w. j. Mathews, belongs the credit
of the details of the noble edifice. A
glance at the main front reveals at
first sight three notable features. First
is the handsome Rose window, nine
feet in diameter, the gift of the Parish
of Santa Cruz in this State. We are
free to confess tnat we wish the origi-
nal design of the architects had been
adhered to. The Rose window be-
longs almost exclusively and by right
to the Gothic minister Longfellow
in his matchless Golden Legend makes
one of his characters say,
"See to the Rose above the Western portal,
Flambouyant with thousand gorgeous col
The perfect flower of Gothic loveliness."
And in one of those Incompatible
sonnets suggested by Dante's "Divina
Comedia,n the poet says:
~ left mine eyes and all the windows blaze
With forms OF saints and holy men who died,
Here martyred and hereafter glorified,
And the gre,,t Rose upOn its leaves displays
Christ and the Angelic roundelays,
With splendor upon splendor multiplied.
The design of the architects has a
monumental window f1anked by two.
statues, which we think would have
better preserved the unities of the
whole design. But let that pass Above
the window is the familiar legend
d. o. NJ.
Dec Optimo ct Mdginao, and below
and Immediately over the main ell
trance is seen the following:
"sUB INvoCATIoNE sANCTAE vIBI-
ANE VIRGINS EFT MARTYRS"
Signifying that the Cathedral is dedi-
Gated to God under the invocation of
Saint Vibiane, Virgin and Martyr.
AS this is the first church which has
ever been erected in honor to, or which
has received the name of Saint Vibi-
ane we have translateda a brief sketch
of the discovery of her remains from
a book kindly furnished to us by the
Bishop.
THE WORK IN QUESTION, SAYS:
In the month of December, 1858, the Sacred
Archaeological Com issiOn established by
His Holiness for the protection of the venera-
BILE cemeteries of the ancient Christians of
Rome, ordered an examination of the ruins
of "a part OF what is commonly called San
Sisto, but which modern archeologists, for
grave reasons, prefer to call the Pretestato, to
be commenced.
The cemetery is on the left side of the Via
Appia, in the place called Bonfiglioli, one
mile from the door Of.the church OF San Sc
bastian. The excavations brought out the
discovery of an ancient entrance to said cem-
etery and OF Il place, as all appearances
proved, to have been in other times quite cell
eDrateu, Dut lne ruin WAS SucU IndJ NEARLY
everything there was destroyed. Neverthe-
less, by good fortune some sepulchers and
precious remains were left intact Some phi
ais of blood were yet IN their proper places,
and many marble tablets with epltaphs re-
manned EN- tire notwithstanding the weight of
the ruins Among those left intact was that
of Saint Vibiane. On the left side could be
seen the crystal vase, of a reddish rose color,
adjoining the tomb which contained the
blood of a martyr A tablet of variegated
marble metre and 70 centimetres long and
80 centimetres wide, with an inscription,
closed the sepulcher. The tablet was taken
out and the arch Immediately gave way from
the weight above, and revealed the bones OF
the martyr. The ruins were cleared away and
it was at once seen that it was the skeleton of
a young girl killed by violence in her early
youth and innocence
The attempt to fix the precise time of Vibi-
ane's Martyrdom would be vain, although
the observ ations made would point TO the
third century as the time.
The inscription upon the mural tablet OF the
Saint is in the following words: " Aniinae
innocenti adque Pudicae Vibiane." Mean
ing TO the memory of the innocent and pure
soul OF Vibianae, and sufficiently indicates
the holiness, (santidad) of young ana
chaste maiden. That which follows. IN PACE
d. PR X T., refers commonly 10 the day OF
Deposited, or buried in peace before (prldie)
the kalends of ptember, whence 1t may be
inferred, that the Saint died in peace and was
buried on the 3lst day of August. The inscrip-
lion is followed by the figure of crown with
circle of palms, the pa m being the sign of a
glorious triumph acquired by the Christian
over his enemies,
In the early part of the year 1854,
THE PRECIOUS RELICS
of the victorious virgin and martyr
were exposed in Rome.to the public
veneration of theta ithful. Many emin-
ent and illustrious prelates solicited his
Holiness, Pape Plus IX., to bestow
upon them these precious relics for
the benefit Cf their respective flocks,
but Divine Providence has ordered
that California shall possess them.
At the request of Bishop Amat,