Catching the Spirit of the New Cathedral

I was very disappointed to see Michael Ramirez’s cartoon Sept. 5 regarding the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. My wife and I had a wonderful and holy experience attending Mass at the cathedral Sept. 3, the first day the cathedral was open to the public and to the faithful for Mass. It was immediately apparent that the cathedral is and will be a church for anyone to attend to pray and seek peace. The people of Los Angeles are fortunate to have such a beautiful and open cathedral.

Vincent J. Carollo

Upland

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Re Ramirez’s editorial cartoon: Cardinal Roger Mahony’s leadership from start to finish of the cathedral has been nothing short of superior. The city of Los Angeles has a point of interest for the ages, and Catholics have a church of which they can be justly proud.

How do you build such a magnificent edifice if you don’t have money? Mahony deserves only praise and thanks for his selfless effort.

Marshall Kline

Los Angeles

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Vincent Virom Coppola’s “review” of the art and architecture of the Los Angeles cathedral (letter, Sept. 4) offers that the new building “fails to touch the spiritual depths of our being.” However, in excoriating the form and decor of the cathedral, he overlooks the purposeful function of the building: creating a central space for the worship and service programs of the city’s Roman Catholics. Perhaps those seminal Judeo-Christian traditions--worship and service--more accurately fulfill Coppola’s much-lamented idea of enthusiasm (from the Greek, meaning “God within”) than a building might ever hope to.

Steve Leland

South Pasadena