Architects for New St. Vibiana’s

Re “The New Cathedral: Building on the Past--for the Future,” Opinion, April 7:

I find myself unable to share Michael Webb’s enthusiasm for a new cathedral that “should energize all of downtown, especially the blighted blocks surrounding it.” As one who has lived and worked with the poor of this “blighted” area for the last 25 years, I have gown wary of this rhetoric of redevelopment that tends to displace the poor while enriching wealthy developers.

Monsignor Terrance Fleming, contract supervisor for the cathedral project, says that they are looking for an architect “who has passion and soul.” I’d settle for a cardinal who had some of the passion and soul of the Christ who lived and died with the poor. Perhaps then we could “energize” some of the “blighted” areas within our own church by spending a bit of the $45 million slated for this project on desperately needed social services.

JEFF DIETRICH

Los Angeles Catholic Worker

* Re “5 Architects Selected to Vie for St. Vibiana’s Job,” April 4:

It seems ironic to me, as a Latin American immigrant and 30-year resident of Los Angeles (who also happens to be a practicing architect), to see this article on the very day that Cardinal Roger M. Mahony marched for justice and equality for immigrants. Your article brought to my attention the group of elite and/or foreign, also very discreetly selected, architects being considered by my archdiocese for the design of our city’s premier Catholic/Christian cathedral.

The Los Angeles Catholic archdiocese is, as your article stated, the largest Roman Catholic archdiocese because Los Angeles also happens to have the largest Hispanic (meaning Latin American) population of any city in the United States. So why did a man who marches for the justice and equality of Latin American immigrants not direct his selection committee to search out local Latin American or local architects of Hispanic descent (which there are plenty of and just as capable as any of the selected elite, if just given a chance) to represent their community in the rebuilding of Los Angeles’ premier Catholic symbol?

TONY MORERA

Los Angeles