Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
34°3′30″N 118°14′45″W / 34.05833°N 118.24583°W / 34.05833; -118.24583
Location555 W. Temple St.
Los Angeles, California
CountryUnited States
DenominationCatholic Church
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
Websitewww.olacathedral.org
History
Founded2002
DedicationSeptember 2, 2002
Architecture
ArchitectRafael Moneo
StyleModern architecture; deconstructivist elements
Completed2002
Construction cost$189.7 million
Specifications
Capacity3,000 people
Length333 feet (101 m) ; nave
Administration
ArchdioceseLos Angeles
Clergy
ArchbishopJosé Horacio Gómez
AssistantFr. Michael Mesa
PastorFr. David Gallardo

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (Spanish: Catedral de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles), informally known as the COLA or the Los Angeles Cathedral (Spanish: Catedral de Los Ángeles), is the metropolitan cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles, California in the United States. It serves as the mother church for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as well as the seat of Archbishop José Horacio Gómez.

The structure replaced the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, which was severely damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Under Cardinal Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles, Our Lady of the Angels was begun in 1998 and dedicated on September 2, 2002. There was considerable controversy over both its deconstructivist and modern design, costs incurred in its construction and furnishing, and the archdiocese's decision to build a crypt under the cathedral.

The cathedral is named in honor of the Virgin Mary under the patronal title of "Our Lady of the Angels". The cathedral contains the relics of Saint Vibiana and tilma piece of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is the mother church to approximately five million professed Catholics in the archdiocese.