Cathedral’s Giant Altar Is Installed

In a historic moment for downtown Los Angeles’ new Roman Catholic cathedral, the edifice’s immense wine-colored marble main altar was blessed and installed Wednesday.

Cardinal Roger M. Mahony presided Wednesday over the ceremony. A small crowd of priests and nuns wearing hard hats over habits watched in awe as a 5 1/2-ton marble mensa, or altar top, was lowered atop a 2-ton round pedestal.

Although the $163-million Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angeles on Hill and Temple streets is far from completed, the weight of the marble altar required that it be lifted over the cathedral’s 128-foot-high walls and set in place by a construction crane before the roof is built. A metal shed will be built around the altar to shield it during construction.

Mahony, resplendent in his own bright red hard hat, called the event a milestone in the construction of the cathedral, which will replace downtown’s St. Vibiana’s Cathedral, which was closed because of earthquake damage.

“Today, we’re installing the first element of worship and the most important,” the archbishop said. “For us [Catholics], the altar signifies stability and continuity of God’s presence in our midst.”

Mahony, who served as overall designer of the altar, was personally involved in selection of the marble. Working with artisan Joe Carnevale of Carnevale-Lohr Co., Mahony looked at dozens of marble types before deciding on a rich slab of burgundy marble, streaked with tiny veins of white, gray and red, and called Rosso Laguna.

The slab was acquired from a quarry in Turkey and taken to Italy, where it was cut and polished. Then the altar was loaded aboard a ship for a 7,000-mile journey to Los Angeles Harbor. Carnevale said he could not give an estimate on the cost of the altar.

When completed, the altar will include four bronze angels, which will encircle the base. Sculptor M.S. Snowden will design the angels.

The project in its entirety will include the cathedral with seating capacity for 3,000 people, a cathedral residence, a conference center and cafe and an outdoor plaza. Dedication is scheduled for fall of 2002.