Mission San Conrado History began in 1939
Downtown Island to Have a Church
by Hermine Lees
(Oct. 21, 1966)
Below Dodger Stadium hemmed by Elysian Park, The Pasadena Freeway and the stadium grounds, is an isolated community of approximately 250 families.
Most of the families in this Solano Ave. district are ordinary working people. Most of them are Catholics of Mexican descent. Their breadwinners hold a variety of jobs in downtown Los Angeles, in industry and in the nearby Southern Pacific freight yards. The homes along the hill sides are modest frame structures- a few of them ram shackled, most of them neat an dwell kept.
The largest "home" in the area is San Conrado Mission. The old two-story residence was moved to its present site on Bouett in 1939 and remodeled as a chapel and catechetical center.
Three years ago the second floor was converted to a convent for Missionary Sisters of St. Charles who carry on catechetical and social work at San Conrado and in surrounding parishes.
The chapel, seating scarcely 50 persons, has long been inadequate, and it fails to measure up to new standards of building and safety for places of public assembly.
This Sunday noon Father Thomas Marin, C.M.F., who opened the mission in 1939, will break ground for a new San Conrado.
The new mission at the corner of Bouett and Amador Sts., across from the old center, will include a chapel seating 200 persons and a lower floor multi-purpose hall. Folding partitions will permit the hall to be divided into catechetical classrooms.
The hillside site will give street-level entrance to both floors. The lower portion of the neat, California-modern style building will be of brick and concrete; the upper chapel area will be of frame and stucco construction.
Facilities will include a platform and kitchen for the hall, and behind the second floor chapel, offices and sacristies.
The main altar is planned to permit the celebrant of Mass to face the congregation. One of the two side altars will be dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The new mission chapel was designed by Brown & Avila, architects and will be built by Alex Sutherland, general contractor.
In 1939 Fr. Matin was pastor of El Santo Nino Church located at what is now a portion of the Dodger Stadium parking lot beyond center field. Even then the hill-locked Solano Ave. residents were isolated, and the Claretian pastor decided they needed their own chapel and catechetical center. A large home became available in the development of a city playground , and a site was donated by Mrs. Juanita Rodela and her daughter, Mrs. Frances Schutte. Fr. Matin had the home moved to teh nearby site.
The mission appropriately was named for St. Conrad of Parzham, a Capuchin lay brother known for his charity to the poor. St. Conrad died in 1894, and was canonized in 1934, five years before the mission was founded.
Father Matin, while he shepherded the Effie Street chapel of Santo Nino, had also opened San Conrado on isolated Solano Avenue just over the hill from the stadium. He returned in 1959 and directed a new church building in 1967 and continued at that ministry until his death in 1975.
Many of the parishioners continue praying to Father Matin in memory of all his efforts for the "uprooted" and the poor. His burial site at San Gabriel Mission remains a place of pilgrimage for those who remember the white haired Padre Tomas, who lived with them and for them in the Ravines.
Downtown Island to Have a Church
by Hermine Lees
(Oct. 21, 1966)
Below Dodger Stadium hemmed by Elysian Park, The Pasadena Freeway and the stadium grounds, is an isolated community of approximately 250 families.
Most of the families in this Solano Ave. district are ordinary working people. Most of them are Catholics of Mexican descent. Their breadwinners hold a variety of jobs in downtown Los Angeles, in industry and in the nearby Southern Pacific freight yards. The homes along the hill sides are modest frame structures- a few of them ram shackled, most of them neat an dwell kept.
The largest "home" in the area is San Conrado Mission. The old two-story residence was moved to its present site on Bouett in 1939 and remodeled as a chapel and catechetical center.
Three years ago the second floor was converted to a convent for Missionary Sisters of St. Charles who carry on catechetical and social work at San Conrado and in surrounding parishes.
The chapel, seating scarcely 50 persons, has long been inadequate, and it fails to measure up to new standards of building and safety for places of public assembly.
This Sunday noon Father Thomas Marin, C.M.F., who opened the mission in 1939, will break ground for a new San Conrado.
The new mission at the corner of Bouett and Amador Sts., across from the old center, will include a chapel seating 200 persons and a lower floor multi-purpose hall. Folding partitions will permit the hall to be divided into catechetical classrooms.
The hillside site will give street-level entrance to both floors. The lower portion of the neat, California-modern style building will be of brick and concrete; the upper chapel area will be of frame and stucco construction.
Facilities will include a platform and kitchen for the hall, and behind the second floor chapel, offices and sacristies.
The main altar is planned to permit the celebrant of Mass to face the congregation. One of the two side altars will be dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The new mission chapel was designed by Brown & Avila, architects and will be built by Alex Sutherland, general contractor.
In 1939 Fr. Matin was pastor of El Santo Nino Church located at what is now a portion of the Dodger Stadium parking lot beyond center field. Even then the hill-locked Solano Ave. residents were isolated, and the Claretian pastor decided they needed their own chapel and catechetical center. A large home became available in the development of a city playground , and a site was donated by Mrs. Juanita Rodela and her daughter, Mrs. Frances Schutte. Fr. Matin had the home moved to teh nearby site.
The mission appropriately was named for St. Conrad of Parzham, a Capuchin lay brother known for his charity to the poor. St. Conrad died in 1894, and was canonized in 1934, five years before the mission was founded.
Father Matin, while he shepherded the Effie Street chapel of Santo Nino, had also opened San Conrado on isolated Solano Avenue just over the hill from the stadium. He returned in 1959 and directed a new church building in 1967 and continued at that ministry until his death in 1975.
Many of the parishioners continue praying to Father Matin in memory of all his efforts for the "uprooted" and the poor. His burial site at San Gabriel Mission remains a place of pilgrimage for those who remember the white haired Padre Tomas, who lived with them and for them in the Ravines.
Fr. Tomas Matin C.M.F.Fr. Tomas was born in Australia and educated in Spain. He was ordained in 1925 in Sapin and Came to the United States in 1933. In the late 1930's and early 40's he was administrator of El Santo Niño Chapel located on what is now Dodger Stadium parking lot beyond center field. El Santo Niño was closed in 1952 to make room for a proposed federal housing project that never developed.
While at El Santo Niño, in 1939, Fr. Tomas opened a mission, San Conrado, in the nearby, isolated Solano Avenue neighborhood. The hill locked community of Solano were isolated and the Claretian pastor decided they needed their own chapel and catechetical center. A two story home became available, moved and remodeled as a chapel and catechetical center. The little chapel in Solano Canyon sat 50 people and failed to measure up to the new standards of building and safety for places of public assembly
Father Tomas returned in 1959, after several years absence from the city to take charge again and in 1966 he broke ground for the new grounds of San Conrado. The new mission at the corner of Bouett and Amador Sts., across from the old center includes a chapel seating 200 persons (a typical mass today can include over 350 people with standing room capacity), the mission includes A lower floor multi-purpose hall included partitions which permitted the hall to be divided into catechetical classrooms. A recent early 2000's remodel cause the mid-century architecture of the hall to disappear to much of the dismay of the community.
The main altar was planned to permit the celebrant of Mass to face the congregation. The side altars were dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe and to the patron Saint Conrad.
Father Tomas continued his ministry at San Conrado until his death in 1975. Many parishioners continue visiting San Conrado, because of Father Tomas. His burial site at San Gabriel Mission remains a place of pilgrimage for those who remember the white haired Padre Tomas, who lived with them and for them in the ravines.
While at El Santo Niño, in 1939, Fr. Tomas opened a mission, San Conrado, in the nearby, isolated Solano Avenue neighborhood. The hill locked community of Solano were isolated and the Claretian pastor decided they needed their own chapel and catechetical center. A two story home became available, moved and remodeled as a chapel and catechetical center. The little chapel in Solano Canyon sat 50 people and failed to measure up to the new standards of building and safety for places of public assembly
Father Tomas returned in 1959, after several years absence from the city to take charge again and in 1966 he broke ground for the new grounds of San Conrado. The new mission at the corner of Bouett and Amador Sts., across from the old center includes a chapel seating 200 persons (a typical mass today can include over 350 people with standing room capacity), the mission includes A lower floor multi-purpose hall included partitions which permitted the hall to be divided into catechetical classrooms. A recent early 2000's remodel cause the mid-century architecture of the hall to disappear to much of the dismay of the community.
The main altar was planned to permit the celebrant of Mass to face the congregation. The side altars were dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe and to the patron Saint Conrad.
Father Tomas continued his ministry at San Conrado until his death in 1975. Many parishioners continue visiting San Conrado, because of Father Tomas. His burial site at San Gabriel Mission remains a place of pilgrimage for those who remember the white haired Padre Tomas, who lived with them and for them in the ravines.
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