A photograph of the "Plaza Church" taken by William Henry Jackson between 1890 and 1900. The structure incorporated a four-bell campanario, or "bell wall" prior to being rebuilt in 1861.[1] |
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| Location | Los Angeles, California |
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| Name as founded | Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles |
| English translation | Our Lady Queen of the Angels |
| Patron | Mary, mother of Jesus |
| Founding date | August 18, 1814 |
| Founding priest(s) | Father Luis Gíl y Taboada |
| Governing body | Roman Catholic Church |
| Current use | Parish Church |
| California Historical Landmark | #144 |
La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles[2] (The Church of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels) is a Catholic church founded on August 18, 1814 by Fray Luis Gil y Taboada, who placed the cornerstone of a new church amid the ruins of the former "sub-mission," the Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles Asistencia to serve the local pobladores (settlers). The completed structure was dedicated on December 8, 1822.[3] A replacement chapel, named for Mary, mother of Jesus (La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles, or "The Church of Our Lady of the Angels") was rebuilt using materials of the original church in 1861; Reina, meaning "Queen," was added later.[4] For years, the little chapel, which collected the nicknames "La Placita" and "Plaza Church," served as the sole Roman Catholic church in Los Angeles.
The facility has operated under the auspices of the Claretian Missionary Fathers since 1908.
It was designated one of the first three Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in 1962,[5] and has been designated as a California Historical Landmark,#144.
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During the 1980s, the church called itself a sanctuary for refugees threatened with deportation to El Salvador. The sanctuary movement continues: On August 19, 2007, immigration activist Elvira Arellano was arrested outside the church and later deported to Mexico.
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