Theme: St. Vibiana Dishonored

Her parents, Flavian and Dafrosa, were martyred in the persecution of Julian the Apostate, and Vivian [Vibiana] and her sister Demetria were turned over to a woman named Rufina who tried to force her into prostitution. Upon her continued refusal, Vivian was imprisoned in a mad house, then flogged to death.

- From Catholic Forum

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St. Vibiana’s in 1885 – source

From The True Story of Ramona, Its Facts and Fictions, Inspirations and Purpose, Chapter XIV: Dona Mariana de Coronel, University of Arizona Library.:

Bishop Amat was much affected by what he had seen. He begged that the skeleton of Vibiana be given to him, promising that if it were placed in his charge he would bring it to America and build a great cathedral, which would be named for the Saint and dedicated to her memory.

Returning here he at once began the work. Large contributions were offered to him, but all these were refused. He wanted the church built with the offerings of the common people. And so it came about. The money poured in from all quarters, and soon he had enough in the treasury to warrant the building of the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana.

In the upper part of the altar is a crypt in which are deposited the remains of the Saint, in the little brass-bound casket in which they were brought from Rome. Under the altar are the remains of Bishop Amat.

Would it not seem sacrilege ever to remove them?

(…)

On the exterior of St. Vibiana’s Cathedral are these letters, ‘‘D.O.M.,’’ being the abbreviations for Deo Optimo Maximo, which means, ‘‘To God the Greatest and Best.’’

Altar, 1940 – source

From Wikipedia: Cathedral of St. Vibiana:

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….

The facility was outgrown by the 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 and its 1,200-seat sanctuary. Deciding that the damage was not worth repairing in such a small structure, the Archdiocese began demolition on the site in 1996, without permits. However, the sudden dismantling of the bell tower on a Saturday morning prompted a frantic save-the-cathedral campaign, and work by the Archdiocese was halted by preservationists who had a temporary restraining order placed on demolition…. A state Court of Appeal rejected the archdiocese’s argument to be allowed to quickly demolish the cathedral…. 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…..

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels – source

Interior of Our Lady of the Angels - source

From L.A. Catholic: St. Vibiana rises from the dead :

The Cathedral site was taken over by the city. The city sold the former cathedral building to downtown developer Tom Gilmore in 1999 for $4.6 million; Gilmore has spent a $6 million renovating it and turning it into a performing arts complex, now named “Vibiana”.

The archdiocese approves of the St. Vibiana’s renovation and even loaned the arts center six Art Deco chandeliers that once graced the old cathedral.

“Church law requires that former churches be used for a dignified purpose,” said Tod Tamberg, a spokesman for the archdiocese.

“It’s really a wonderful second life for the former cathedral,” he added.

“Vibiana” – source

From California Catholic Daily: Scantily clad women, two men kissing, and a transvestite.:

From Oct. 11-13, the old cathedral served as a venue for LA’s “Fashion Week.” BOXeight, a nonprofit arts organization, held its contribution to Fashion Week at Vibiana’s Place. The event, “Have Faith in LA,” was a “fashion, music and art collaborative.”

(…)

Among the entertainment groups featured during three-day event was “You Wear It Well,” which calls itself a “traveling presentation of short films and videos that investigate the intersection of fashion and film.” A short clip, “A Shaded View of Fashion,” featured on the group’s web site features scantily clad women, two men kissing, and a transvestite.

Another entertainment group was the Hysterica Dance Company, whose choreography, with barely clad men and women, emphasizes the erotic.

See also:
L.A. Catholic: Creative new uses for St. Vibiana Cathedral
Bishop Accountability: Taj Mahony

Statue of an androgynous-looking “Our Lady of the Angels” at the entrance to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels – source