Church of the Good Shepherd
Map
Location504 North Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills, California
CountryUnited States
DenominationCatholic
Websitegsbh.org
History
FoundedDecember 12, 1923 [1]
DedicatedFebruary 1, 1925
Relics heldFelicitas and Perpetua
Saint Vibiana
Architecture
Architect(s)James J. Donnellan
Architectural typeMission Revival Style architecture
Administration
DivisionOur Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region
DioceseArchdiocese of Los Angeles
Clergy
ArchbishopJosé Horacio Gómez
Bishop(s)Edward W. Clark
Honorary priest(s)Fr. Colm O'Ryan
AssistantFr. George O'Brien (deceased)
Pastor(s)Fr. Ed Benioff
Laity
Organist(s)Mr. Terry Hicks

The Church of the Good Shepherd, located at 504 North Roxbury Drive, is a Catholic church in Beverly Hills, California.

History

On December 12, 1923, the parish was founded, and it was designed by architect James J. Donnellan in 1924.[2][3][4] It is Mission Revival Style architecture.[3] On February 1, 1925, Bishop John Joseph Cantwell presided over the dedication of the church building.[2][5] Monsignor John J. Cawley, Vicar General of Los Angeles, Right Reverend Monsignor McCarthy of Pasadena, and Reverend Michael J. Mullins, pastor of the church also attended the dedication. It is the oldest church in Beverly Hills.[6]

In 1959, it was renovated, and a new marble main altar and two side altars were added.[2][4] Sealed in each altar were the relics of Saints Felicitas and Perpetua and Saint Vibiana, patroness of the Los Angeles Archdiocese.[2]

On Ash Wednesday in 2015, the deacon from Good Shepherd offered ashes to passers-by on the streets of Beverly Hills together with the deacon of All Saints' Episcopal Church.[7]

Stained glass

The original stained glass was shipped from France, Germany, the British Isles and the U.S.[8] It was renovated by the Paul Phillips Studio in 1959.[8] It depicts the following saints:

Parishioners

Over the years, this small house of worship has been the local parish church for most of the Catholic movie stars who live in Beverly Hills, from Rudolph Valentino to Bing Crosby (who both attended Sunday Mass here).[6] It has seen numerous celebrity weddings and funerals. Celebrity weddings have included Elizabeth Taylor and Conrad "Nicky" Hilton, Loretta Young and Tom Lewis, Mark Wahlberg and Rhea Durham, and Carmen Miranda and David Sebastian.[6][9][10] Celebrity funerals have included Rudolph Valentino (1926), Carmen Miranda (1955), Gary Cooper (1961), William Frawley (1966), Pier Angeli (1971), Jack Haley (1979), Alfred Hitchcock (1980), Vincente Minnelli (1986), Rita Hayworth (1987), Danny Thomas (1991), Eva Gabor (1995), Mary Frann (1998), Frank Sinatra (1998), Don Adams (2005), Merv Griffin (2007) and Zsa Zsa Gabor (2016).[4][6][11]

A Rosary was said at the church for the singer and actress Rosemary Clooney. In attendance were George Clooney, Kathryn Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Brian Wilson, Natalie Cole, Diahann Carroll, and Rose Marie. Her actual funeral service was held at St. Patrick's, in her hometown of Maysville, Kentucky. Actor Gary Cooper had converted to Catholicism at this parish a few years before his death. His funeral service was held at the church on the same day as the 13th Primetime Emmy Awards.

It was the location for the funeral scene in the film A Star Is Born (1954), which starred Judy Garland and James Mason.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Church of the Good Shepherd (Beverly Hills, California).

References

  1. ^ https://www.gsbh.org/history Our History
  2. ^ a b c d Official website, History
  3. ^ a b Thomas Owen, Los Angeles and the Mission Revival, Sacred Architecture, Vol. 2, Summer 1999
  4. ^ a b c Marc Wanamaker, Early Beverly Hills, Arcadia Publishing, 2005, p. 118 [1]
  5. ^ "CHURCH OF GOOD SHEPHERD DEDICATED". Daily News (Los Angeles). February 2, 1925. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d Yahoo! Local
  7. ^ Nita Lelyveld, On Ash Wednesday, two deacons deliver on the streets of Beverly Hills, The Los Angeles Times, February 18, 2015
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h 'A Guide to the Stained Glass', leaflet, Church of the Good Shepherd, Beverly Hills, CA
  9. ^ "Carmen Miranda Honeymooning With David Sebastian". Lewiston Evening Journal. March 17, 1947. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  10. ^ Marc Wanamaker, Beverly Hills, 1930-2005, Arcadia Publishing, 2006, p. 83 [2]
  11. ^ "Zsa Zsa Gabor's Funeral Set For Next Week". NBC News.com. December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016.

External links

34°4′10″N 118°24′27″W / 34.06944°N 118.40750°W / 34.06944; -118.40750

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
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