Daniel Mao
St. Basil’s Roman Catholic Church With the growth of the Roman Catholic population in Los Angeles in the late 1910’s and early 1920’s, there began to be a need for more Catholic parishes in Los Angeles. St. Basils Catholic Church was the sight of one of Cesar Chavez’s Chicano movement’s protesting the extravagance of the church. St. Basil’s parish, named for St. Basil of Caesarea, was created on November 26, 1919 and has developed into a very diverse church with sermons in English, Spanish and Korean. St. Basils Roman Catholic Church serves as an example to both the extravagance of the church in the past, and how the church is moving forward in the present to be more inclusive towards the entire population of Los Angeles. In Carey’s
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Basil Catholic Church was once an example of exclusion of minorities and was a church that was focused on the old ways of Catholicism. o We see evidence of adhering to old tradition and not modern catholic thought in the way that in its early days, the church was focused on creating a more ornate church than a church focused on the people. o In Carey’s Catholics in America, it is pointed out that prior to Vatican II, the Catholic Church in the United States was a much divided church with many opinions on race relations and interfaith relations. (89-92)
• In 1969-1970, St. Basils Catholic Church was on object of protest by Cesar Chavez’s Chicano movement. o St. Basil’s was accused of over extravagance when they spent a large sum of money on Church expansion and decoration rather than helping its parishioners. o Carey mentions in Catholics in America that in the 1960’s and 1970’s, Catholic Churches experienced a great decrease in membership due to a perceived weakening of Catholic influence on the moral life of the average American. (117-120)
• St. Basil’s Catholic Church is a perfect example of Catholic diversity within the city of Los Angeles. o St. Basils Catholic church is a tri-lingual church with sermons in English, Spanish and