Los Angeles Spiritual Landmark

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels: A Postmodern Fortress of Light

Los Angeles, California, United States

By the Wicked Cool Places editors · Published Thu, Mar 19, 2026 · Updated Fri, Aug 28, 2026

Why it’s cool

This 333-foot-long architectural marvel houses the largest collection of Spanish alabaster in the U.S. and a sprawling basement mausoleum where Hollywood legend Gregory Peck rests alongside ancient Roman martyrs.

West Coast Historic

A large red marble altar sits in the center of a modern cathedral with high ceilings and rows of hanging globe lights.

Rising over downtown Los Angeles, this cathedral is a massive, postmodern anchor for the city's spiritual life. Designed by Spanish architect Rafael Moneo, the structure was commissioned to replace the earthquake-damaged Cathedral of Saint Vibiana.

Rather than mimicking the spires of old Europe, Moneo created a complex that feels more like a contemporary fortress, utilizing a minimal number of right angles and a vast, tan-colored exterior.

Why It Stands Out

The sheer scale and material ambition of the building are staggering. The cathedral measures exactly 333 feet in length, deliberately constructed to be one foot longer than New York City’s St.

Patrick’s Cathedral. Inside, the space is illuminated by the largest installation of Spanish alabaster in the United States, which filters the Southern California sun into a soft, warm glow.

This focus on light and "the journey" was central to the design, even as the project faced criticism for its high costs, including a multimillion-dollar marble table and elaborate bronze doors. These doors eschew typical biblical narratives in favor of complex symbolic imagery related to Christian mystical numbers.

Beneath the main floor lies a sprawling mausoleum containing 6,000 crypts. This lower level is a mix of modern design and historical preservation, featuring stained glass salvaged from the original cathedral and produced by the renowned Judson Studios.

Among the many bishops and archbishops interred here is Hollywood icon Gregory Peck. The nearby Hollywood Forever Cemetery is another notable final resting place for industry figures.

However, the most significant resident is Saint Vibiana, a third-century Roman martyr whose relics were brought to California in the mid-19th century. Her presence links this ultra-modern structure to the earliest days of the faith.

The Holyland Exhibition also displays artifacts related to the region's religious history.

Before You Go

The cathedral is a functioning place of worship, so visitors should be mindful of scheduled masses and events. The mausoleum is located on the lower level and is generally accessible to the public during regular hours.

Take time to examine the intricate bronze doors and the massive alabaster windows, which provide a unique alternative to traditional stained glass in the main sanctuary.

Questions worth answering

What's the best way to see the interior?

The main sanctuary uses massive panels of Spanish alabaster to filter the California sun into a warm glow. We'd suggest checking the schedule for masses first, as this remains an active place of worship.

Is there anything worth seeing in the basement?

The lower level houses a mausoleum with six thousand crypts and salvaged glass from Judson Studios. You'll find the remains of Gregory Peck there, along with relics belonging to Saint Vibiana.

How does the scale compare to other famous cathedrals?

Rafael Moneo built it out to 333 feet. That was deliberate. It lands a single foot past New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral.

What should we look for on the main entrance doors?

The bronze doors avoid standard biblical scenes for complex symbolic imagery based on Christian mystical numbers. They're part of a design that cost millions, including a massive marble table and specialized alabaster windows.

Visit Snapshot

The cathedral is located in downtown Los Angeles. Visitors can explore the main sanctuary and the lower-level mausoleum.

Note the symbolic bronze doors at the entrance and the extensive use of alabaster instead of traditional glass. The crypt contains the remains of Saint Vibiana and actor Gregory Peck.

Location

Los Angeles, California

Editorial source

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is a 58,000-square-foot complex designed by Spanish architect, Rafael Moneo. Also known as the Los Angeles Cathedral, the building opened in 2002 in order to replace the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, which was severely damaged during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.

Both buildings stand as a monument to Saint Vibiana, a third century Roman martyr and patron saint of Los Angeles. The cathedral was designed in an unusual postmodern architectural style and features a minimal display of right angles, appearing more like an imposing fortress than a welcoming place of worship.

Cardinal Roger Mahoney, the cathedral's archbishop, received much criticism for wanting to build a cathedral in such an appearance and scale. Many critics believed that plans for the church were over-elaborate, such as the $3M it cost for the large bronze doors which, instead of displaying biblical scenes, featured symbolic imagery corresponding to Christian mystical numbers.

Nevertheless, Cardinal Mahoney had grand visions for the cathedral. With the themes of "Light" and "Journey" in mind, architect Moneo incorporated large windows made of Spanish alabaster into the interior.

As such, the cathedral is said to feature the largest use of alabaster in the United States. Cardinal Mahoney also budgeted $5M for a Rosso Laguna marble table, $1M for the cathedra, and $2M for the wooden ambo.

If that weren't enough, the cathedral itself was also purposely built to be 333 feet long, just one foot longer than St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.

The lower level of the building is no less elaborate. A light-filled and modern mausoleum featuring 6,000 crypts sits in the cathedral's basement.

A number of prior bishops and archbishops have been buried there, and Academy Award winner Gregory Peck is also interred in this sumptuous crypt. Today, vaults are available to members of the church.

The mausoleum features stained glass windows from the original cathedral and Judson Studios, one of the oldest liturgical studios in North America. Of the entombed, the most notable is perhaps Saint Vibiana, whose relics were discovered in Roman catacombs in 1853.

Aside from deducing that she had lived during the third century, not much else is known about the life of young Vibiana. Her body was laid to rest with nothing but a vial of blood, a laurel wreath, and a tablet that read: "to the soul of the innocent and pure Vibiana." In 1854, Vibiana was designated the title of "virgin martyr" and an annual memorial feast was granted in her honor.

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