Cathedral of Saint Vibiana

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Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, 1885.

St. Vibiana complex today

The former Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, often called St. Vibiana's, was the mother church cathedral parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles under the pastoral care of the Archbishop of Los Angeles. It is now the site of a performing arts complex as well as the Little Tokyo branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. The original cathedral structure is one of the last remaining buildings from the early period of Los Angeles history.

[edit] History

Plans for a cathedral dated back to 1859; and land for the facility was donated by Amiel Cavalier. The complex at Second Street and Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles was dedicated in 1876, and cost $80,000 USD. The Cathedral's architect, Ezra F. Kysor, also designed the landmark Pico House. The Baroque-inspired Italianate structure was a landmark in the early days of Los Angeles. The interior was remodeled around 1895, using onyx and marble; the exterior facade was changed in 1922-24 to give it its present look, said to be based on a Roman design.

Pope Pius IX chose the Cathedral's name, choosing 3rd century Roman martyr Saint Vibiana. Cathedrals traditionally contained the relics of a saint, so the remains of St. Vibiana were removed from the Catacombs of Rome and moved to a gilt and plate glass sarcophagus located in a niche above the high altar.

During the 1940s, a rectory and school building were added. The school closed in the mid-1960s because the parish could not afford it. It became a convent for the Disciples of the Divine Master.

The facility was outgrown by region's rapidly expanding population, and the Archdiocese decided that it needed a larger main facility; however preservationists pressured them to not destroy the historic landmark. The situation was complicated further when the 1994 Northridge Earthquake caused extensive damage to the cathedral. Deciding that the damage was not worth repairing in such a small structure, the Archdiocese began demolition on the site in 1996. However, without permits, work by the Archdiocese was halted by preservationists and the city. The Archdiocese argued that it had a rights to level its own facility, preservationists and the city wanted them to preserve it. The structure was listed on the country's "11 Most Endangered Places" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Finally a compromise was reached: the City of Los Angeles agreed to swap land with the Archdiocese, giving the Church a much larger plot next to the 101 Freeway. The Archdiocese agreed and the land was developed into the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, constructed and consecrated as the new mother church cathedral parish of the Archdiocese. Some items from St. Vibiana's Cathedral were used in the new Cathedral. The stained glass and sarcophagus were placed in the new Cathedral's crypt mausoleum. Pipes from the 1980 Austin pipe organ have been incorporated into the organ at the new Cathedral.

The Cathedral site was taken over by the city, which began having the site retrofitted and redeveloped as a performing arts complex. The non-historic 1940's Education Building was demolished, making way for the new Little Tokyo Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library.