Cathedral Will Be Largest In U.S.

Sat., Jan. 4, 1997

Associated Press

Cardinal Roger Mahony has unveiled plans for a new downtown cathedral that will have the largest capacity of any cathedral in the United States.

Mahony was joined recently by city and county officials at a 5.8-acre lot where the cathedral will be built, adjacent to the Hollywood Freeway.

The 2,000-seat, $60 million Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels will replace St. Vibiana’s as headquarters for the Los Angeles Archdiocese, Mahony said.

When completed, the cathedral will have a capacity of about 100 more than St. Patrick’s in New York, Mahony said.

An area adjacent to the 43,000-square-foot cathedral will include living areas for the archbishop and priests, a meeting center and a three-acre plaza.

Officials hope that construction can begin by June. A dedication ceremony has been scheduled for Sept. 4, 2000, to coincide with the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels, said archdiocese spokesman Gregory Coiro.

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