Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels -- Los Angeles, Calif.

Destination: The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is one of the newest cathedrals in the United States, built as the new cathedral for Los Angeles after earthquakes damaged the previous St. Vibiana’s Cathedral, which had served Los Angeles since 1876. Our Lady of the Angels was dedicated in 2002 — it’s the same age as a high school senior! 

Despite its newness — or because of it — the cathedral is home to a lively and diverse community. It serves the 5 million Catholics in the Los Angeles archdiocese. 

Mass is held at the cathedral daily at 12:10 p.m. and on Sundays at 8 and 10 a.m. (English) and noon (Spanish). Confession is also available Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m.-noon. 

Photo: Above -- Visitors chat in the plaza outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (CNS photo/ Victor Aleman).
Below -- Light floods in through alabaster windows that frame the cathedral’s architectural cross (CNS photo/Greg Tarczynski).

Why to go: The cathedral is filled with things to see, both inside and outside. 

Artistic highlights include architecture designed by award-winning Spanish architect José Rafael Moneo, the largest alabaster windows in the United States (the same material that makes up the Holy Spirit window in St. Peter’s Basilica), and 10 interior chapels that provide quiet and meditative places to pray. One chapel, the Art Chapel, hosts traveling exhibits of Catholic art. 

For those more musically inclined, the cathedral also holds sacred choral concerts. 

And if you want to get outside to enjoy the warm California weather, a plaza and garden space is open for prayer, meals and gatherings. A mosaic shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe is on the north plaza wall. 

Accessibility: The cathedral is accessible to those with limited mobility. Visitors attending Sunday Mass receive free parking for three hours.  

(Grand) Kid friendly: Of course! All ages are welcome. The cathedral has plenty for young ones to explore, and eye-catching art that may inspire a drawing or two. 

Info: Address — Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012  
Phone — 213-680-5200
Website — https://olacathedral.org/

— Megan Peterson compiled this story with information provided by Catholic News Service. 

Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Mission Basilica - San Buenaventura Ventura, Calif.

(CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec)

 Destination:  Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, celebrated Mass at the new Mission Basilica San Buena-ventura in Ventura, Calif., July 15. The mission became the first basilica in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the 88th in the United States when Pope Francis elevated it on July 15.

In addition to Archbishop Gomez, also celebrating the Mass were Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron, Father Thomas Elewaut, pastor of the mission parish, and Father Leon Hutton, pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Ventura. 

Masses are being offered in the garden. Mass times as of Aug. 25 are Sunday English Masses at 7:30 and 9 a.m. and Spanish Masses at 10:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Daily garden Masses are at 7:30 a.m. Monday-Friday. Saturday Evening Vigil Masses are not being celebrated pending further notice.

Why to go: The church at Mission San Buenaventura is the second oldest house of worship in the three counties comprising the Archdiocese of Los Angeles — Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara — according to the archdiocesan website. The founding of the mission, it says, traces to a decision on Palm Sunday, March 30, 1749, made by the Franciscan priest Junípero Serra to journey to the new world as a missionary. The canonization of Father Serra was celebrated by the mission parish community 266 years later in November 2015.

Founded on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1782, Mission San Buenaventura is the ninth and last of St. Junípero Serra’s missionary foundations along El Camino Real. 

Mission Basilica San Buenaventura remains an active parish serving about 1,600 families as well as a pilgrimage center, which thousands of visitors come to annually.

Amenities: The mission’s Museum and Archival Center chronicals the history of its founding and the development of the area. 

Accessibility: Generally, the mission is accessible..  

(Grand) Kid friendly: All ages are welcome.

Info: Address — Mission Basilica San Buenaventura,  211 E. Main St., Ventura, CA 93001 • Phone — 805-643-4318 • Website — https://www.facebook.com/sanbuenaventuramission/.

— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story

Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Oldest Catholic Churches: Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá - San Diego, Calif.

(Observer photos/parish website)

Destination: The fourth oldest church still in use in the U.S. is part of the San Diego de Alcalá Mission in San Diego, Calif. Last year marked its 250th anniversary. 
Masses are offered in the mission church at 5:30 p.m. Saturday; 7, 8, 10 and 11 a.m., noon and 5:30 p.m. Sunday; 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. There is also an 11 a.m. Spanish Mass at the St. Francis Chapel on Sunday.
Photos: Mission exterior (top); nterior of San Diego de Alacalá Church retains its Spanish architectural roots after a 1931 rebuilding project.
Why to go: San Diego de Alcalá was the first of the 21 California Missions, and was California’s first Mission Church founded in 1769. Today it remains an active parish. 
St. Junipero Serra was among the Franciscan Friars already in Baja (Lower) California who were assigned to develop the Alta (Upper) California missions. Spanish military men went with the friars to protect and support them. Father Serra, a native of Majorca, was the superior of the Franciscan missionaries.
The mission had struggled in its early years, both in trying to raise crops and in converting the native Americans in the area while Spanish authorities tried to impose stict rules on them. On Nov. 4, 1775, the hundres of native people attacked the mission, burned it to the ground and killed a blacksmith, a carpenter, and Father Luis Jayme, who became California’s first Catholic martyr. He is buried next to the altar in the present church.

The mission has been rebuilt five times and in 1931 the reconstruction used architectural plans designed to look like the 1813 church. One of the large bells is original and is dated 1802. The other large bell is made of remnants of the original bells.
Amenities: The mission gift shop is open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. daily. The mission offers self-guided tours for families, though it offers group docent tours with reservations in advance. Check the website for details.
Accessibility: Most of the mission appears to be accessible, but expect variations throughout the grounds.
(Grand) Kid friendly: All ages are welcome. Don’t be surprised to see a school tour while you’re there.
Info: Address — Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, 10818 San Diego Mission Road, San Diego, CA 92108 
Phone (Visitor Center) — (619) 281-8449 
Website — https://www.missionsandiego.org

— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story
Send Destination ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Mission San Juan Capistrano -- San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

Destination: The mission, founded in 1776 by St. Junipero Serra, is an historic chapel and landmark, as well as home to a museum and a Catholic parish. The Spanish-born saint founded seven missions, including San Juan Capistrano, in California between 1769 and 1782.

(CNS photo)

Masses are offered at the basilica, San Juan Capistrano Parish’s main house of worship in English (unless noted) on Saturdays at 7 a.m., 4:30 and 6 p.m. (Español); Sundays, 6:30 a.m. (first Sunday/Latin Missal 1962/Serra Chapel), 7:30 a.m., 8 a.m. (Latin Missal 1962/Serra Chapel), 9 a.m. (family liturgy), 11 a.m., 1 p.m. (Español) and 5 p.m.; Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. (Serra Chapel) and 8:30 a.m.; Wednesdays, 7 p.m. (Español). (See also www.missionparish.org)
Photos -- TOP: Visitors tour the ruins of the Great Stone Church in late July at Mission San Juan Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. Constructed between 1797 and 1806, the church was destroyed in an 1812 earthquake. Forty Indian neophytes attending Mass were killed in the collapse. The new parish church of Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano, completed in 1986, was designed after the Great Stone Church.

BOTTOM: A statue of St. Teresa of Avila, Spanish mystic and doctor of the Church, stands in the sanctuary of the Serra Chapel at Mission San Juan Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.  (CNS file photos/Nancy Wiechec)

(CNS photo)

Why to go: The Serra Chapel dates back to the 1780s and the Eucharist is still celebrated there. It is California’s only chapel still standing where St. Junipero Serra celebrated Mass.
In the Jubilee Year of 2000, Pope John Paul II proclaimed the Mission Church of San Juan Capistrano a basilica. The USCCB designated Mission San Juan Capistrano a national shrine on March 19, 2003.
Admission: Tickets to the historic site are $10 for adults; $9 for senior citizens and $7 for children 4-11.
Hours: The mission is open daily, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. It is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas days (although Masses are offered). It is also closed at noon on Good Friday, Christmas Eve, and for the annual Romance of the Mission fundraiser (Sept. 14 this year).
Handicapped accessibility: Expect some uneven terrain and steps.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Summer crafts for kids starting at 11 a.m. daily continue through Aug. 17. Prices vary. The Mission Clubhouse, a kids’ play place, is open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Info: Address — Historic Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 n  Phone — 949/234-1300 n  Website —  www.missionsjc.com/
—  Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story.
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Serra Missions - California

(CNS photo/Bob Mullen)

Destination:  Pope Francis has announced that Blessed Junipero Serra will be canonized this year. If you plan a trip to California in the future, now would be a good time to plan stops at the nine missions in Southern California founded by the Spanish missionary. In all, the Franciscans founded 21 missions in California.
Father Serra founded seven:

• San Diego de Alcalá, July 16, 1769
• San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, June 3, 1770
• San Antonio de Padua, July 14, 1771
• San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, Sept. 1, 1772
• San Juan Capistrano, Nov. 1, 1776
• Santa Clara de Asís, Jan. 12, 1777
• San Buenaventura, March 31, 1782

(It would also be a good time to learn more about the Serrans, an organization of about 20,000 members throughout the world who are dedicated to fostering and promoting vocations to the Catholic priesthood and religious life through activities and prayer. For information in the Rockford Diocese, call Mike McKee at 630/896-6834 or email him at MMckee5@aol.com.)
Mass times vary at the missions, most of which remain active parishes.
The map (left) shows all of the Franciscan missions in California. The statue of Blessed Junipero Serra (right) stands outside Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano, California.
Why to go:  Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala was founded July 16, 1769, and was the first to be established by Father Serra in what is now the state of California. The current church was built in 1931 and is north of San Diego’s downtown area. Blessed Serra, who will be canonized later this year by Pope Francis, founded the first of California’s 21 missions.
(Grand) Kid friendly:  Grandchildren will love the chance to see where real Church history was made in some of the earliest missions in the New World.
Info: Because there are so many missions, we’re referring you to a California historical site. You can also search online for individual parishes. Web: www.mtycounty.com/pgs-missions/the21missions.html

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo - Carmel, California

(Photos/www.carmelmission.org)

Destination: In California, following the trail of Blessed Junipero Serra, leads travelers to the many missions he founded. Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo is one of those missions.
Masses are offered in the Basilica Church at 5:30 p.m. Saturday; 7:30, 9:15, 11 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Sunday. Weekday Masses are in Blessed Sacrament Chapel at 7 a.m., 12  noon and 5:30 p.m.
Why to go: The Carmel mission is special, in part, because among the history and relics in its five museums is the cell in which Father Serra died. The Basilica Church at the mission is also a registered National Historic Landmark. The museums on the grounds include The Harry Downie Museum, which tells the story of the church restoration and Downie’s role in it; the Munras Family Heritage Museum, which displays keepsakes of an important Monterey family; the Jo Mora Chapel Gallery, where the Serra Memorial Cenotaph is housed; the Convento Museum, which is where Father Serra died. In the basilica, there are dislays of Spanish Colonial liturgial art and artifacts.
Amenities: A museum store offers a variety of religious items.
Admission: Hours are 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. The Mission is closed Easter Sunday and Monday, Thanksgiving, and from Dec. 24 through Dec. 26. Cost is $6.50 for adults, $4 for seniors, $2 for children over 7, free  for children under 6.
(Grand) Kid friendly: This is a working parish so children are more than welcome, but should be considerate of students at the parish school.
Info: Address: Carmel Mission Basilica, 3080 Rio Road Carmel, California 93923 Phone: 831/624-1271 Web: www.carmelmission.org

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

De Young Museum - San Francisco, California

 (Photo/www.missionandshrine.org)

Destination: The de Young Museum in San Francisco is hosting the first exhibit outside the Vatican dedicated solely to the Catholic Church’s collection of indigenous art and artifacts.
“Objects of Belief from the Vatican: Art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas” runs through Sept. 8 at the museum in Golden Gate Park.
To fit a Mass into your trip, check http://www.masstimes.org.
Why to go: From the Vatican Museums’ collection of 80,000 Vatican ethnographic objects, Ethnological Museum director Jesuit Father Nicola Mapelli chose 39 that represent the collection’s breadth. All are unique pieces and most have never left the Vatican before, he said.
“What is important for us is that these objects are cultural ambassadors. They can tell the story of the people who gave the objects to the pope,” said Father Mapelli, who since 2009 has traveled to Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America, Australia and elsewhere to find descendants of the artists who sent objects to Rome.
The exhibit “will show to the people of California the love and appreciation that the Catholic Church has for the cultures and religions from all over the world,” Antonio Paolucci, director of Vatican Museums, wrote in a Jan. 22 letter to San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone.
The Ethnological Museum sent many of its best known and treasured pieces to San Francisco. Access: Depending on where you go on the grounds, there are some stairs to manuever.
Accessibility: The de Young is wheel chair accesible and a few are available to borrow at the museum. Parking is limited. Public transportation might be a good idea.
Amenities: There are a cafe and a store at the museum.
Admission: There is a $10 admission fee for adults ($7 for 65 and older) and $6 for college students and children 13 and older. There may be additional costs for some exibits or programs.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Check the website’s Education tab for activies for children and families.
Info: Address: de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco, CA 94118. Phone: 415/750-3600. Web: http://deyoung.famsf.org

- By Valerie Schmalz (CNS) and Sharon Boehlefeld

Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Editor's note: This exhibit is closed, so we have removed the images that illustrate the collection described. Check the museum website when you plan your trip to see if there are other exhibits of interest to you.

The J. Paul Getty Museum Getty Center - Los Angeles, California

(Photo provided/Getty Center)

Destination: If you’re about “to motor west,” consider a stop to see the J. Paul Getty Museum Getty Center.
If you’d like to go to Mass before your visit, about a mile away is St. Martin of Tours Church (11967 Sunset Blvd.), where Masses are 7 and 8:15 a.m. weekdays; 5:30 p.m. Saturday; 7:30, 9, and 10:30 a.m., 12 noon and   5:30 p.m. Sunday.
Why to go:  Drawn primarily from the Getty permanent collection, the exhibit includes Medieval Bibles, missals, choir books, breviaries and psalters (Psalm books), many illuminated with vivid pigments and gold. According to a press release, the exhibit explores three aspects of religious life: both public and private devotion, and devotional literature.
Access: Strollers and wheelchairs are available at the center; baby backpacks aren’t allowed. And keep in mind, there are two Getty facilities and this exhibit is at the Getty Center in LA. Both are near the San Diego Freeway (I-405), so check for roadwork detours before you go. Public transportation is also available.
Admission: Free, but parking is $15. Hours are 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday (through Sept. 21) and Saturday.
(Grand) Kid friendly:  Prepare for your visit by checking the website’s tips for families before you go.
Info: Address: The Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90049.  Phone: 310/440-7300. Web: www.getty.edu

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Editor's note: The exhibit of religious art that inspired this Destination, “The Art of Devotion in the Middle Ages,” has long since closed. The museum required that we remove the art illustrations two years after we were given permission to publish them, but we've left their descriptions in the article. We also have removed exhibit-related special events.

National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi - San Francisco, California

(CNS photo/Dan Morris-Young,

Catholic San Francisco)

Destination: The National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi was the first parish established in San Francisco, in 1849. The church, which was closed for a time after the 1989 earthquake, was declared a national shrine in 1999.
Masses at the shrine are held daily at 12:15 p.m. Monday through Saturday, there  is an 11 a.m. rosary, noon Angelus, and 3 p.m. Chaplet of Divine Mercy. There is also Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after Mass on Friday, and Benediction at 3:15 p.m.
Why to go: The shine, which is “located in San Francisco’s historic North Beach district, bears witness to Christ at the heart of the beautiful city named for the Poverello of Assisi,” according to its Web site.
Although Father Junipero Serra had already established a mission at the spot that would become San Francisco, by the time of the California Gold Rush, it was serving mostly Spanish-speaking Catholics from Mexico and Spain. U.S. Army and Navy officials “appealed to the bishops in Hawaii and Oregon, and to the Archbishop of Baltimore. The bishop of Portland in Oregon sent two priests from the Pacific Northwest, and U.S. troops stationed at the Presidio built a small shanty to serve as a church,” the Web site explains. The first Mass was held June 17, 1849.
Most recently, the church has opened a 78-percent scale, rock-for-rock, stone-for-stone, fresco-for-fresco replica of St. Francis of Assisi’s tiny Porziuncola church near Assisi, Italy. A rare rock from Assisi, Italy (see photo on page 1), which was used more than 800 years ago when St. Francis and his followers built the church where the Franciscan order was born, was installed on the altar of the replica.
Ammenities: The Franciscan Centre Gift Shop is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.– 5 p.m.
Access: Visitors will find that busses stop within a block of the church, and there are several city parking lots within  a six-block radius of the church. It is San Francisco, so parking is at a premium. And the church is near the financial district, so walking in the area is safe.
(Grand) Kid friendly: If yours is a family trip, children should behave as they would in any church. 
Info: Address: 610 Vallejo St., San Francisco, CA 94133 Phone: 415/983-0405. Web: www.shrinesf.org

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld 

Send your Catholic destinations ideas to SeasonedObserver@RockfordDiocese.org.