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Saint Sophia Cathedral, Los Angeles

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Church in California, United States
Saint Sophia
Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, looking northeast
Location1324 S. Normandie Avenue, Byzantine-Latino Quarter
Los Angeles, California
CountryUnited States
DenominationGreek Orthodox
Websitewww.stsophia.org
History
StatusActive
Architecture
Heritage designationLos Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #120
DesignatedJune 6, 1973
Style Byzantine Revival—Renaissance Revival
Completed1952
Specifications
Capacity750
Administration
MetropolisSan Francisco
ArchdioceseAmerica

Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral (in Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, Hagia Sophia) is a Greek Orthodox church built in 1952, in what was then the Greek section of Central Los Angeles, California. It is located at West 15th Street and South Normandie Avenue in the Byzantine-Latino Quarter

History

This Greek Orthodox church is the result of a Hollywood success story. When Charles Skouras and his brothers, Spyros Skouras and George Skouras, were still trying to get ahead in Hollywood, Charles made a vow to God that he would build the most majestic cathedral if God would grant him success in show business. He became head of Fox West Coast, so he built the Saint Sophia in Los Angeles.

In 2005 at the 36th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the liturgy was given in Spanish, English, and Greek, with Orthodox children from a Tijuana, Mexico, orphanage providing music.

South façade of Saint Sophia Cathedral

Architecture

The cathedral has a simplified Byzantine Revival—Renaissance Revival-influenced exterior. The interior was designed with more decorative features.

Saint Sophia Cathedral is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.

Congregation

The cathedral still draws its predominantly Greek congregation of as many as 1,000 from perhaps a 60-mile radius – from throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Los Angeles's Greek community has never been centralized, as in other cities such as New York City and Chicago.

Members of the church congregation have included Hollywood actors such as Telly Savalas, whose funeral was held there. Dr. Tom Apostle and Sharon Lawrence married at the church in 2002.

Notable members

In popular culture

The church is featured in Visiting... with Huell Howser Episode 511.

The wedding scene in Bram Stoker's Dracula was filmed in the nave of this church. In rapper Ice Cube's 1993 music video "It Was a Good Day", the church can be seen in the background of the basketball scene.

The church featured in Season 3, Episode 10 of Nip/Tuck (“Madison Berg”) as the location for Christian and Kimber’s wedding.

See also

References

  1. Usher, Nikki (August 12, 2004). "Where Spanakopita Rubs Elbows With Chile Relleno". Retrieved 15 March 2022. The area now has an official name to reflect this cross-cultural mix: the Byzantine-Latino Quarter, a label that pays homage to the two ethnic groups that give it its identity...The churches -- St. Sophia and St. Thomas the Apostle -- form the backbone of the neighborhood..
  2. Fotopoulos, Maria (June 2003). "Orthodox Church Changes to Meet Needs". Patrides. Archived from the original on September 3, 2004. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  3. Natale, Richard (January 23, 1994). "Savalas, star of 'Kojak,' dies". Variety. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  4. "Saint Sophia's – Visiting (511) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University".

External links

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments

34°02′45″N 118°18′00″W / 34.04583°N 118.30000°W / 34.04583; -118.30000

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