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Saint Vibiana
Patroness of Los Angeles and of
Cathedral Chapel
Very little is known about St. Vibiana,
except that she was an early Christian
Martyr, and that she died about 250 AD.
We know that she was a virgin because a
"V" was written after the name on her
tomb, and a palm branch was also engraved
thereon, signifying that she died a martyr to
the Christian faith. Her remains were
discovered in the ancient catacombs of
Rome in 1850. Soon after that, the Bishop
of the Diocese of Monterey, which included
Los Angeles, asked the Pope for a holy relic
to take back to the growing Catholic region
of California. The Pope agreed to give them
the remains of St. Vibiana under the
condition that the Bishop would make her
the Patron Saint of the area, which he did.
Her remains were secured in the downtown
Cathedral which bears her name until they
were carefully removed for safekeeping
until the new Cathedral is finished. Though
the new Cathedral would be named Our
Lady Queen of the Angels for Mary, a
special chapel would be built in St. Vibana's
name. However, the "original plan" about
75 years ago for a new Cathedral would
never be built.
How does this fascinating history lesson, and
the life of an obscure young lady who lived
1800 years ago fit into our parish life today?
With a little imagination, we can picture a
gentle woman of incredibly strong faith, who
is a member of a persecuted religious group
founded on fantastic tales of miracles and
resurrections, but above all united by the
love of God and devotion to one's brothers
and sisters. She loves children, as did our
Lord, and she works tirelessly with the sick
and the elderly, bringing them hope and
comfort, along with a loving smile. We
cannot fail to be inspired by such a Christian
ideal, whether ancient or contemporary, and
we suggest that, to truly honor our
patroness,
we re-dedicate ourselves to our beloved
parish community.
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Copyright 2007-2010 Cathedral Chapel of St. Vibiana
923 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90036
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