St. Timothy Catholic Church
Encyclopedia
St. Timothy Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Los Angeles Archdiocese
, Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region
. The church is located at 10425 West Pico Boulevard
in the Rancho Park
neighborhood on the westside of Los Angeles, California
, USA. Its Spanish Renaissance
style church was built in 1949.
and Cheviot Hills
sections of Los Angeles.
When the parish was first established, it did not yet have a church, and Masses were held in an ice cream parlor on Pico Boulevard. A temporary church, now used as the parish hall, was dedicated by Bishop John J. Cantwell on April 22, 1945.
The current church building opened for Midnight Mass
on Christmas 1949.
For its first half century, St. Timothy's was led by two pastor
s. In its early years, St. Timothy's was led Father William T. O'Shea (1902-1963), who served as pastor from 1943 until his death in 1963. In 1963, Bishop John J. Ward was appointed as the pastor, making St. Timothy one of only two parishes in the Archdiocese to have a bishop
for a pastor. Bishop Ward served as pastor from 1963 until his retirement in 1996. Father William J. Brelsford became pastor upon the retirement of Bishop Ward and remained the pastor from 1996 to 2009.
In July 2009, Father Paul E. Vigil, a native of Los Angeles and a graduate of Bishop Amat High School, became the fourth pastor in the history of St. Timothy.
As of 2009, there were 1,200 registered households in parish.
One of the most notable features of St. Timothy Catholic Church is its antique gold leaf Spanish altarpiece
. The history of the St. Timothy altarpiece prior to 1900 is unknown, though it is believed to have been made in Spain
in the 17th century. In the early 20th century, it was shipped from a church in Spain to Yucatán
, Mexico
. It was confiscated by the Mexican government and later came into the possession of a New York art dealer in New York. In the 1920s, the altarpiece was purchased by a wealthy individual associated with the Doheny Oil Company
. It remained in storage until the 1940s when it was purchased at auction by a representative of St. Timothy's. The altarpiece was installed in the temporary church and later in the current church. When the altarpiece was displayed to the public in April 1945, the Los Angeles Times wrote:
The church also includes two statues, one of the Virgin Mary and the other of St. Joseph, that were acquired from Twentieth Century Fox Studios. The statues had appeared in the 1946 motion picture, The Jolson Story
, in a scene set at "St. Mary's Home for Boys."
The parish was the home to many artisans from the MGM and Fox motion picture studios, and these parishioners were responsible for creating some of the church's decorative features. These feature include the ornate gold-plated tabernacle, which was designed and fabricated by craftsmen at the special effects department of MGM Studios. Also, carpenters from the Twentieth Century Fox woodshop built the pews located in the nave of the church during a strike that left the woodshop idle.
The decorative base of the church's pulpit came from the collection of William Randolph Hearst
.
During the pastorate of Bishop Ward, the parish added a mosaic wall decoration behind the main altar.
The church also has 67 stained glass windows. The great majority of the stained glass windows were crafted in Ireland by the Clark firm.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the archdiocese comprises the California counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the...
, Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region
Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region
The Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region is a pastoral region of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in the Roman Catholic Church. It covers Downtown and central Los Angeles west to Malibu, south to LAX. The current regional auxiliary bishop is Bishop Edward W. Clark...
. The church is located at 10425 West Pico Boulevard
Pico Boulevard
Pico Boulevard is a major Los Angeles street that runs from the Pacific Ocean at Appian Way in Santa Monica to Central Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California, USA...
in the Rancho Park
Rancho Park, Los Angeles, California
Rancho Park is a small residential neighborhood in West Los Angeles, California with mostly single family homes and tree lined streets. The community is nestled between Westwood and Cheviot Hills. This enclave draws young professionals and families and is home to residents working in a variety of...
neighborhood on the westside of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, USA. Its Spanish Renaissance
Architecture of the Spanish Renaissance
Renaissance architecture was that style of architecture which evolved firstly in Florence and then Rome and other parts of Italy as the result of Humanism and a revived interest in Classical architecture...
style church was built in 1949.
History
The parish of St. Timothy was created in 1943 to serve the Rancho ParkRancho Park, Los Angeles, California
Rancho Park is a small residential neighborhood in West Los Angeles, California with mostly single family homes and tree lined streets. The community is nestled between Westwood and Cheviot Hills. This enclave draws young professionals and families and is home to residents working in a variety of...
and Cheviot Hills
Cheviot Hills, Los Angeles, California
Cheviot Hills is a small residential district on the West Side of Los Angeles, California. It served as the location for the Three's Company spin-off The Ropers.-Geography:...
sections of Los Angeles.
When the parish was first established, it did not yet have a church, and Masses were held in an ice cream parlor on Pico Boulevard. A temporary church, now used as the parish hall, was dedicated by Bishop John J. Cantwell on April 22, 1945.
The current church building opened for Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass is a Christmas Eve liturgical tradition in the Roman Catholic church.Midnight Mass may also refer to:* Midnight, Mass., a Vertigo comics series* Midnight Mass, a 2004 novel by F...
on Christmas 1949.
For its first half century, St. Timothy's was led by two pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
s. In its early years, St. Timothy's was led Father William T. O'Shea (1902-1963), who served as pastor from 1943 until his death in 1963. In 1963, Bishop John J. Ward was appointed as the pastor, making St. Timothy one of only two parishes in the Archdiocese to have a bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
for a pastor. Bishop Ward served as pastor from 1963 until his retirement in 1996. Father William J. Brelsford became pastor upon the retirement of Bishop Ward and remained the pastor from 1996 to 2009.
In July 2009, Father Paul E. Vigil, a native of Los Angeles and a graduate of Bishop Amat High School, became the fourth pastor in the history of St. Timothy.
As of 2009, there were 1,200 registered households in parish.
Architecture and design features
The church building at St. Timothy's was designed in the Spanish Renaissance style by Harold Gimeno.One of the most notable features of St. Timothy Catholic Church is its antique gold leaf Spanish altarpiece
Altarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
. The history of the St. Timothy altarpiece prior to 1900 is unknown, though it is believed to have been made in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in the 17th century. In the early 20th century, it was shipped from a church in Spain to Yucatán
Yucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. It was confiscated by the Mexican government and later came into the possession of a New York art dealer in New York. In the 1920s, the altarpiece was purchased by a wealthy individual associated with the Doheny Oil Company
Edward L. Doheny
Edward Laurence Doheny was an American oil tycoon, who in 1892, along with business partner Charles A. Canfield, drilled the first successful oil well in the Los Angeles City Oil Field, setting off the petroleum boom in Southern California.At first he was an unsuccessful prospector in the state of...
. It remained in storage until the 1940s when it was purchased at auction by a representative of St. Timothy's. The altarpiece was installed in the temporary church and later in the current church. When the altarpiece was displayed to the public in April 1945, the Los Angeles Times wrote:
"[T]he elaborately carved gold-leafed 23-foot altar was built in Spain or Mexico more than 300 years ago. It was acquired by purchase from a private collection. An idea of its antiquity is revealed by examination of the large slabs of lumber that back the pilasters. These were hewn from logs with axes and then smoothed and gold-leafed."
The church also includes two statues, one of the Virgin Mary and the other of St. Joseph, that were acquired from Twentieth Century Fox Studios. The statues had appeared in the 1946 motion picture, The Jolson Story
The Jolson Story
The Jolson Story is a 1946 musical biography which purports to tell the life story of singer Al Jolson. It stars Larry Parks as Jolson, Evelyn Keyes as "Julie Benson" , William Demarest as his manager, Ludwig Donath and Tamara Shayne as his parents, and Scotty Beckett as the young Jolson.The...
, in a scene set at "St. Mary's Home for Boys."
The parish was the home to many artisans from the MGM and Fox motion picture studios, and these parishioners were responsible for creating some of the church's decorative features. These feature include the ornate gold-plated tabernacle, which was designed and fabricated by craftsmen at the special effects department of MGM Studios. Also, carpenters from the Twentieth Century Fox woodshop built the pews located in the nave of the church during a strike that left the woodshop idle.
The decorative base of the church's pulpit came from the collection of William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
.
During the pastorate of Bishop Ward, the parish added a mosaic wall decoration behind the main altar.
The church also has 67 stained glass windows. The great majority of the stained glass windows were crafted in Ireland by the Clark firm.