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Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
At Our Lady of the Angels, free organ recitals unleash the majesty of Los Angeles
Even in a building as massive as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown, the organ stands out. How could it not? Standing 85 feet tall behind the right side of the altar, weighing 42 tons, featuring over 6,000 pipes and bearing the epic name Opus 75, it looks half smokestacks, half battleship and all awesome. It's regularly used during Mass and has hosted organists from around the world since its 2003 debut. But what's coolest about Opus 75 — and what not enough people know — is that the Cathedral holds free lunchtime recitals featuring its star instrument on the first Wednesday of each month. As an organ fanatic, I have long wanted to attend one. I finally had the chance this week. Accompanied by my Times colleague (and fellow classical music head) Ruben Vives, I arrived at the cathedral during the daily 12:10 service, just before the Eucharist. Resident organist Sook Hyun Kim worked the King of Instruments like the seasoned pro she is, including a moving version of 'Make Me a Channel of Your Peace' — an apropos hymn for the era of Pope Leo XIV. About 40 people representing the breadth of L.A. — white, Latino, Asian, Black and all age groups — spread out across the pews after Mass ended to listen to guest organist Emma Yim. The 22-year-old graduated from UCLA (Go Bruins!) two years ago with degrees in biology and organ performance. She is pursuing a master's from our alma mater in the latter discipline, does research for a UCLA Department of Medicine women's health lab and also plays the cello. Man, and I thought I covered a lot of ground! Her choice for the cathedral recital: three of the five movements from French composer Charles-Marie Widor's Symphony No. 5. It would be Yim's first time playing Opus 75. The first movement was mostly variations on a cascading theme. Kim stood to Yim's side to flip the pages of the score while the latter's hands leaped around the rows of the organ's keys. Yim played at first like she didn't want to tempt the power of the behemoth before her — the notes were soft and cautious. But during Widor's playful second movement, the young adults in attendance who had been on their smartphones began to pay attention. Heads began to sway with every swirl of Baroque-like chords that Yim unleashed. 'I could hear elements of 'Lord of the Rings' in there,' Ruben whispered to me as we looked on from our center pews. She skipped two movements to perform the Fifth's fifth, better known as Widor's Toccata. Its soaring passages have made it a popular song for weddings. More people began to poke their head in from the hallways that ring the cathedral's worship space to see what was going on. Yim became more animated as she worked the keys and foot pedals faster and faster. High-pitched arpeggios accentuated resonant bass notes. Kim stopped flipping the score, stepped back and looked on in awe like the rest of us as Yim roused Opus 75 to its full might. The majesty of L.A. suddenly crossed my mind. Even in tough times like these, it's unsurpassed in beauty, in its people and especially in its capacity to surprise and delight in places expected and not. It's people like Yim and performances like hers that stir us all forward to a better place. The recital ended. 'Beautiful, just beautiful,' Ruben said, and I agreed. The applause the crowd gave Yim was swallowed up by the cathedral's size and our sparse numbers, but she was visibly moved. 'Thank you all for coming,' the youngster quietly said, and we all went off to our day. Kim told Ruben and me that the cathedral's organ series will take a summer break before it relaunches in September. See you then! Polly says, 'My dad used to love the saying, 'if you're not living life on the edge, you're taking up too much space!' He would say it as reminder for himself and to my sister and I to not overthink things and to just let loose, stop worrying, or try something new.' Peter says, 'I was around 8 or 9 years old and prattling on about something I knew nothing about, when my father sternly admonished me. He said 'Peter, you only learn when you listen, never when you talk.' His words resonated and got me to my core.' Email us at essentialcalifornia@ and your response might appear in the newsletter this week. Today's great photo is from Times photographer Juliana Yamada at the Manhattan Beach home of Paul and Cailin Goncalves, who turned their formerly compartmentalized home and ADU into a bright, flexible family home. Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorAndrew Campa, Sunday writerKarim Doumar, head of newsletters How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@ Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on
eNCA
09-05-2025
- General
- eNCA
'A blessing': US Catholics celebrate first American pope
WASHINGTON - US Catholics flocked to churches nationwide in a celebratory mood to mark the "excitement" of the first-ever American pontiff following Thursday's election of Pope Leo, who worshippers hoped would bring back lapsed believers. Outside Manhattan's imposing St. Patrick's Cathedral, Rosaria Vigorito, 66, said she could "feel the excitement just in the few minutes I've been walking around." The Miami artist said she hoped Pope Leo, a 69-year-old from Chicago who spent much of his career in Peru, would be a reformist. "I have one issue with the Catholic Church that I'm hoping they'll correct, and that is allowing women to become priests," she said, a crucifix around her neck. "I think Mary Magdalene was an important apostle. There was a press release issued by the Vatican years ago -- they called her the apostle to the apostles." Crowds of faithful and journalists had gathered outside the church that first opened its doors in 1879, with hundreds of worshippers filing in to pray and light candles. Oscar Salvador, a labourer from Mexico, said he hoped Leo would be able to stem the tide of people leaving the church. "I believe it is a blessing for the people of America," he said. "Hopefully, he will leave a good legacy... so that more people stay in Catholicism, since lately we have seen many people leave for other religious sects." - 'A bit surprised' - In Houston, the sprawling Texas city where more than a quarter of residents reportedly identify as Catholic, Azul Montemayor said she was "a bit surprised." "I was not expecting an American to be elected and I'm just hoping that he carries on (pope) Francis's legacy of just being more inclusive" and "doesn't get swayed by more conservative ideology" popular now under US President Donald Trump, said the 29-year-old examinations officer. Analyst Ciro Benitez told AFP that Leo's multiculturalism was a sign "that we can expand to different kinds of cultures, (and) I guess, to the world." In Washington, Peruvian diplomat Julio Aiana, 32, said "we are happy that now we have a pope who is half Peruvian" -- referring to the nationality Robert Francis Prevost acquired while ministering there years before becoming pope. "I believe that the times are changing," Aiana said. Reverend Monsignor W. Ronald Jameson, director of St. Matthews cathedral, told AFP Leo "was a friend of pope Francis -- and he has the ability to really listen and reflect on what was said, and to implement those various ideas he heard." In Los Angeles, Francis Fah attended a special mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels to offer special prayers for Leo, as the first American pope. "I think that maybe this is a sign that hopefully he can do something to get some peace and stability in the country," she told AFP. Back in New York, worshipper Tim Anderson, 61, said Leo's strength would lie in his languages -- reportedly speaking English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese -- in addition to reading Latin and German. "I'm still working on English so I think it's gonna be interesting in this day and age where there's so much craziness," he laughed. "Maybe he can bring back a little bit of what I remember as a child growing up a Roman Catholic -- and how full the churches were back then." AFP | TIMOTHY A. CLARY - 'Welcoming to everybody'? - Vigorito said she wanted Leo "to bring us together." She acknowledged the new pontiff would have a daunting task to "do as much as (he) can as a religious leader, because we deal with a lot of secular politics and issues." "I would love the new pope to help, especially with conflicts in any way possible, like in Ukraine," she said. Salvador also voiced hope Leo "can reconcile the countries that are at war and help them to reach peace so that we do not continue on this violent path." Having an American pope "will help bring more people to the Catholic Church, and even those that have walked away -- maybe they'll get reengaged," added Vigorito. Annie Elm from North Carolina paid tribute to Francis, calling him "wonderful" and praising his legacy. "He loved everybody. He lived very modestly," she said. "He was very humble." Elm also said she hoped Leo would be "very kind and caring -- welcoming to everybody."
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Los Angeles Archdiocese, parishioners grieve death of Pope Francis
The jarring news of Pope Francis' death on Monday morning, just hours after addressing Catholics and blessing thousands of people in Vatican City's St. Peter's Square on Easter Sunday, has local parishioners and the Archbishop of Los Angeles grieving. 'I join the family of God here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and Catholics all over the world, in grieving the loss of our Holy Father,' Archbishop José H. Gomez said in a statement on 'There will be more to say in the days ahead, but in this moment I find myself reflecting with gratitude on the Holy Father's many kindnesses and expressions of pastoral care for us here in Los Angeles.' Gomez pointed out that Pope Francis was often mindful of the faithful in Los Angeles, home to the largest population of Catholics in the United States. Pope Francis dies at 88 He noted that the pontiff appointed seven auxiliary bishops to assist him with the massive diocese and often went out of his way to address developments in Los Angeles. 'It was just in January that he offered prayers and words of consolation as we faced the destruction caused by the wildfires in the Palisades and Altadena,' Gomez said, adding that 'I will never forget his fraternal comfort as we mourned the sudden taking of our beloved Bishop David O'Connell in 2023.' Local Catholics gathered at churches across the world Monday to mourn the pope's passing, including Masses held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. Photos: Pope Francis through the years 'I feel very sad,' one parishioner said as he headed to Mass. 'He acted as a Pope. He acted as Jesus Christ … All the time, he met with poor people … blessing, talking to people. That is his legacy.' The Cathedral's first Mass was held at 7 a.m., with another scheduled for noon, at which the archbishop was expected to attend. 'In this beautiful Easter season, when we celebrate our hope in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we pray that the angels may lead Pope Francis into paradise, that the saints and martyrs welcome him, and that God in his mercy will make his face shine upon his faithful servant and grant him eternal rest in the love that never ends,' Gomez said in his statement. The archbishop also urged Catholics to 'honor Pope Francis' legacy' by serving the poor, caring for the earth and spreading the joy of the Gospel through evangelization. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Around the world, faithful celebrate Ash Wednesday, start of Lenten season
March 5 (UPI) -- The 40-day season of Lent began as Christian faithful around the world celebrated Ash Wednesday in preparation for Easter. Ashes "revive in us the memory of what we are," but also "the hope of what we will be," the ailing Pope Francis wrote for this year's Ash Wednesday liturgy in his homily held in Rome's Basilica of Saint Sabina. Ash Wednesday is the start of the 40 days of Lent leading up to Easter Sunday. Roman Catholics and members of some other Christian denominations have ashes placed on their foreheads on the first day of Lent as a reminder of their own mortality. "Today, followers of Christ wear crosses of ash on their foreheads -- a sacred reminder of our mortality and our enduring need for Christ's infinite mercy and redeeming love," U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wrote in a statement. It's a period traditionally signifying a period of penance, reflection and fasting among those of the Catholic faith. "As we solemnly contemplate Jesus Christ's suffering and death on the cross this Lent, let us prepare our souls for the coming glory of the Easter miracle," the Trump's added. Meanwhile, the 88-year-old pontiff remains in a stable but "complex" condition at Rome's Gemelli hospital where he's been treated since Feb. 14 for double pneumonia. The pope's "situation this morning seems stable," the Vatican said Wednesday in an update, "though within a complex framework," they stressed, and that he "did not run a fever, and remained alert." "We bow our heads in order to receive the ashes," Francis wrote in part to commemorate the religious day, "as if to look at ourselves, to look within ourselves. Indeed, the ashes help to remind us that our lives are fragile and insignificant: we are dust, from dust we were created, and to dust we shall return," he continued. Christian leaders going as far back as 2011 began to notice a visible uptick in their parishioners giving up Facebook and social media for Lent as a sign of their faith. In Los Angeles, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez held a bilingual mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. "Lent gives us a new opportunity to be more serious about our personal conversion to Christ, more serious about becoming the people that God wants us to be," said Gomez. In 2009 during an Ash Wednesday sermon in Rome, then-Pope Benedict XVI said "It should be an "encouragement to conversion and sincere love for our brothers, especially those who are most poor and in need," he stated. But fragility, the current pope continued Wednesday, is not just an individual experience. "We also experience it when, in the social and political realities of our time, we find ourselves exposed to the 'fine dust' that pollutes our world," said Francis, including through the abuse of power, "ideologies based on identity that advocate exclusion," which he said is war, violence and exploitation of the earth's resources. Meanwhile, next week Cardinal Robert McElroy, the bishop of San Diego since 2015, is set to be the next archbishop of Washington to replace the retiring Cardinal Wilton Gregory. McElroy lead Ash Wednesday services at Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in the nation's capital.
