¡Que viva la Virgen! Thousands celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe at 83rd annual feast day procession and Mass

Scores of young boys dressed as miniature Juan Diegos and little girls donning multi-colored hair ribbons and traditional Mexican-style dresses marched beside Aztec and Matachines dancers, indigenous drummers, mariachi musicians and everyday Catholics along Cesar Chavez Avenue in East Los Angeles on Dec. 7 during the 83rd annual procession and Mass honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Mary Star of the Sea High School student body raises $1,200 to assist fellow student

During the month of November, the student body of Mary Star of the Sea High School in San Pedro collected $1,200 to aid a fellow student’s growing healthcare costs. Since leaving school in September, sophomore Chris Joya has undergone two rounds of chemotherapy to help combat a cancerous brain tumor.

A ‘Pieta’ for Southern California

The first ever Vatican approved re-creation made from a mold of Michelangelo’s Pieta will be unveiled Dec. 14 during the 4 p.m. Mass at Bishop Alemany High School (11111 Alemany Drive, Mission Hills), presided over by Bishop Jerald Wilkerson. The recreation comes as a donation from Richard G. Stewart and family.

A cross-cultural experience

Cherry Jia, Jessica Jin, Katherine Guo, Sunny Yu, Catherine Zhang, Kelly Yi, Rita Fan and Joyce Wu enrolled in grades 7-10 at La Reina in Thousand Oaks last fall. The girls first learned about La Reina during a visit made to China by teacher Kathryn Quist and Robin Fontana, junior high assistant principal.

Mater Dolorosa to renovate Stations of the Cross

For more than 50 years, the life-size Stations of the Cross at Mater Dolorosa have graced the hillside of the Sierra Madre retreat house operated by the Passionists Fathers – and now a new renovation project will make sure that these beautiful sculptures will continue to inspire retreatants for the next 50 years.

St. Anthony High School celebrates campus renovations with alumnus Cardinal William Levada

More than 600 students, family members, faculty and staff, and other supporters of St. Anthony High School in Long Beach welcomed alumnus Cardinal William J. Levada on Nov. 25 for a special Mass to officially launch the school’s new solar energy system and celebrate the completion of extensive campus renovations.

Cristo Rey: A small gem, a real pearl in the community

An estimated 3,000 parishioners of Cristo Rey in Atwater Village celebrated the 75th anniversary of their church Nov. 23 — the Feast of Christ the King.

Situated on Perlita Street in a busy neighborhood bounded by freeways, shopping districts, and the shadow of Griffith Park and the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, Cristo Rey Parish held a celebration of the church that is indeed cherished as a perlita or “small pearl” in this busy community.

Loyola High School kicks off Sesquicentennial celebration

On Nov. 16, Loyola High School kicked off their 150 anniversary celebration with an inaugural 150th Anniversary Mass. Father Gregory M. Goethals, current school president and three former Loyola presidents, as well as other clergy who are associated with the school, concelebrated the Mass.

On the road to the priesthood: Eight ordained to the transitional diaconate

ENCINO — Auxiliary Bishop Alexander Salazar ordained eight men to the transitional diaconate Nov. 22 at Our Lady of Grace Church.

The newly ordained, most in their late 20s, are from St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo. Their brief diaconate ends on May 30 of next year, when they will be ordained to the priesthood.

California ‘Do this in remebrance of me’: Three priests celebrate nearly 300 years of life

Msgrs. Felix Diomartich, Richard Murray and John Fosselman have spent their lives serving others. These three priests — who are preparing to celebrate 100 years of life — have brought Catholics in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles closer to God through their words and through the sacraments.