CATHEDRAL MAUSOLEUM

Journey Journal... Los Angeles, California

ELYGIAN GLITZ and GLAMOUR 

“Look beneath the surface; 

let not the several quality of a thing nor its worth escape thee.” 

                                                                                                         ~ Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

In the heart of the bustling Los Angeles metropolis there’s a brick and mortar necropolis.  Unlike mausoleum edifices that rise heavenward as structures above the earth’s surface, this version of a graveyard is sequestered in lower level territory that diverts magnificently from the usual subterranean sphere of burial spaces.  Rather, its arena of bygone earthly inhabitants lies within the basement bowels of an extraordinary cathedral.  

The massive and elaborate Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels that made its debut in 2002 is a testament to human collaboration and achievement.  Its building is uniquely configured with acute and obtuse angles, rather than right angles.  

Photo Source:  www.Panache.Voyage... Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

A team of construction and design experts spent a year researching strategies to ensure integrity and durability, addressing concrete formulas, configurations, placements, and curing processes.  Mock-up testing with attention to potential environmental stressors was a part of their investigations.  

The fact that the site for this monumental undertaking was atop the Elysian Park Fault posed an immediate challenge.  In the event of an earthquake, the threat of severe ground motion, predicted to be up to 7.0 magnitude, had to be countered.  Because of the application of technically advanced methodology rendering exceptional durability, the entire building can move about twenty-seven inches in either direction during earthquakes, thereby conferring potential to serve as an emergency shelter.  A freestanding bell tower that’s one hundred and sixty feet high also is seismically secured.   

Such meticulous preventative diligence was motivated by historical trauma.  The building project was undertaken to replace the smaller Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, which had been compromised by a series of earthquakes through the years and then severely damaged as a result of the 1994 Northridge quake.  

The 195,000 square-foot showpiece of more recent origin is the third largest cathedral in the world and the first Catholic cathedral built in the United States in over thirty years.  It is the flagship church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, encompassing two hundred and seventy-five parishes, and is the seat of its archbishop.  Imbued with diversity of its constituents, Sunday Mass purportedly is conducted in forty-two languages.  

Alabaster surfaces and effusive rays from a large window above the altar contrast ethereally with the dark appointments characteristic of older churches.  Pendant lighting bespeaks modern design.  Yet many of the relics from the original Saint Vibiana Cathedral were melded into interior spaces, including a refurbished organ.  

Photo Source:  Wikipedia - Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

Beneath the altar of the luminous sanctuary that seats three thousand parishioners are the gleaming quarters for those who are no longer active congregants.  Stairs lead down to the resplendent mausoleum – one of the largest cathedral burial vaults in the world, with close to thirteen hundred crypts and nearly five thousand niches.  Ordinarily, one would not blink an eye upon encountering a church crypt, so common through the ages, but this one commands rapt attention.  It is a showpiece of palpable beauty.  

Besides being dazzled by the shiny essence of the limestone crypt and niche facades, visitors are apt to be enraptured by the colors and designs of stained glass windows, etchings, sculptures, and their inscriptions.  

Photo Source:  Catholic Cemeteries... Our Lady of Angels Mausoleum

Photo Source:  Wikipedia Commons... LA Cathedral Mausoleum Annunciation.jpg

Exquisite works of sacred art are on display as adornments.

Photo Source:  Catholic Cemeteries... Our Lady of Angels Mausoleum

The remains of former bourgeois Catholic devotees aren’t necessarily resting in peace here in this prestigious milieu.  These “Elysian fields” of concrete and stone were made available, at least initially, primarily to individuals who had been financial benefactors or relevantly connected in positions of significance. The remains of five California bishops, originally interred elsewhere, were moved here and have been accompanied by those of other bishops and archbishops of Los Angeles. Anyone who made a substantial donation to the building fund could be considered as a candidate.  Celebrity status undoubtedly enhances prospects as well.

A decision to honor requests for entombment or inurnment in these elegant quarters is dictated by the archbishop.  A decedent need not have been a practicing Catholic follower; being married to a Catholic individual or coming from a Catholic family is acceptable. However, the price for “residency” is high.  The most exorbitantly priced spots are within one of six semi-private chapels, in four crypts in a sarcophagus directly under the altar, or near the twenty-six stained glass windows and lunettes relocated there from the original cathedral.  Revenue from all sales is appropriated for an endowment fund to maintain the cathedral property.  

The massive mausoleum is but one feature of this multi-purpose hub.  On the grounds of the core building there is a public plaza covering two and a half acres that's used for liturgical, cultural, and civic events.  It is embellished with captivating attractions, including works of art and water features.   

A landscape of children's attractions invites play.

There is also a conference center, clerical residence, and three-level underground parking garage for six hundred cars.  A gift shop and cafeteria render the site all the more welcoming.  

 

This showpiece that’s conspicuously located adjacent to a nearby freeway has been designed and constructed as a permanent fixture for hundreds of years to come.  Here, centrally posed amid the commotion in the second-largest city of the United States, known as the "City of Angels," opportunities beckon both the living and the dead. 

REFERENCES and RESOURCES

Wikipedia: "Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels"

LA Times: "Crypts That Keep On Giving"

PCA - America's Cement Manufacturers: 

"Concrete Architecture to Service More Than 4 Million Catholics"

Panache.Voyage: "Cathedral Of Our Lady Of Angeles

Landmark of postmodern architecture

Catholic Cemeteries: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Mausoleum

Variety of Wikipedia Commons Photos: Mausoleum's Stained Glass Windows

Quotation
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FORT ROSECRANS NATIONAL CEMETERY

JOURNEY JOURNAL… Point Loma (San Diego), California

FORWARD or ABOUT FACE… ELYSIAN MAGNIFICENCE

San Diego bespeaks a lively military presence, with all sorts of US Navy ships docked in the harbor and naval base facilities fully operational, including the Naval Special Operations Unit where SEAL training is conducted at the Coronado Island Naval Amphibious Base.  About ten miles west of the central hub, tucked away toward the end of the Point Loma peninsula, a national cemetery administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs occupies about seventy-seven acres that formerly constituted the site of an Army coastal artillery station.  

Bisected by Catalina Boulevard, it abuts two sides of this main road that takes tourists to the historic Cabrillo National Monument and Old Point Loma’s Lighthouse, a national park’s attractions a mile away at the end of the peninsula. 

Travelers in cars might not pay attention to the communal treasure through which they pass to reach the tourist attractions… after all, it’s “just” a cemetery.  But if they divert from the beaten track, get out of their confined spaces and look around, they are apt to be enthralled by what they see.  

Whether overlooking a sweeping panorama of animated city and aquatic activities on the San Diego Bay side of the grounds or the infinite waters of the Pacific Ocean on the other side, an essence of peace pervades the atmosphere.  

People have referred to the cemetery’s ambience using words like “solitude,” “tranquility,” “solace,” and “beauty.”  “Breathtaking” is a commonly expressed descriptive adjective.  One visitor noted that words can’t describe the depth of the beautiful views, dubbing the environment here absolutely unbelievable.  A local resident considers it the best and most amazing cemetery she has ever seen, adding that it brings tears to her eyes every time she visits.  Someone felt transformed while there, recognizing a changed perspective and an appreciation for that which individuals sacrificed to keep our country free and the peacekeeper of the world.  Yet another person opined that it is the best location on earth for a final resting place. 

So what is it that instills such riveting admiration among visitors?  Perhaps the ardor can be attributed, yet again, to nature’s splendor that accents man’s strategic intervention.  

There’s something about an expanse of water that summons the soul and frees the spirit.  At this site, the body of water below the spread of elevated terrain bearing bodily remains underscores that sense.  In a burial milieu, one naturally thinks about souls… here, amid a dynamic mural of awe-inspiring marvel, perhaps especially so.  Above the cacophony of distant life, in the heights of this landmark resting place a visitor is apt to feel an ethereal aura magnified by a spiritually uplifting tenor.  One can easily fathom sequestered souls communing with readily accessible heavenly hosts.

“… hear from heaven our sailor's cry, 

     And grant eternal life on high!”

                                                            

                                                                                          (an alternate verse adapted to the Navy Hymn, author unknown)

Is this state of transfixed reverence due to the gently buffeting ocean breeze or the shimmering sapphire waters of the bay or ocean below?  Are the sweeping views so mesmerizing that one succumbs to endorphin-induced bliss?  

Or might it be the conspicuous white marble crosses on this property that command the attention of rapture?  Could it be the vastness of graves amid the stillness, the sheer numbers of venerated veterans whose lives were cut short in missions of valor?  

Decedents of different eras have been interred here over the course of a century and a half.  They include veterans of the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, the Korean and Vietnam battles, the Gulf Wars, and other military operations, along with qualified family members.  Ground burials and columbaria inurnments amount to over 112,000, including twenty-three Medal of Honor recipients.  

The cemetery’s name stems from its location on the grounds of the former Fort Rosecrans.  It became a national cemetery in October of 1934 based on a need for more space due to changes in legislation increasing the number of people who would be eligible for burial in a national cemetery.  

In recent years long walls of columbaria were added to accommodate the cremated remains of thousands of additional World War II veterans.  The extensive lineation of structures replaced old chain-link fencing.  

Additionally, "Columbarium Court" was designed with rows of niche structures lined up in military-style precision.

Visitors to this section overlooking the Point Loma Naval Base can capture views of downtown San Diego and the bay.  

Memorial tablets and grave markers bear an individual’s name, lifespan dates, rank, places served, emblems, and sometimes a few succinctly relevant words.  

A number of monuments and memorials serve as tributes to groups of individuals who died under varying circumstances.  One is specific, such as the seventy-five-foot-tall granite obelisk that recognizes the deaths of sixty-two sailors who died in a boiler explosion aboard the USS Bennington in the San Diego harbor on July 21, 1905.  Others are composites with listings of soldiers from different missions, such as this one dedicated in 1995 to men who died in particular battles while aboard the identified ships.  

A committal service shelter blends into the environment unobtrusively, away from administrative, maintenance, and burial operations as well as the actual gravesite.  

Brief commemorative services are conducted here, highlighted by the customary military honors protocol conducted by military honors or volunteer honor guard teams.

The roofed, open-air pavilion provides seating for the immediate family and friends, accommodating ten to twenty people.  An uncovered paved area affords room for approximately fifty additional guests.  

Cones can be utilized for placement of flowers in the gravel strip alongside the columbarium.  Potted plants are permitted for a short time during holiday periods.  Floral pieces are removed by maintenance crews when they wilt or become unsightly.  Artificial flowers are permitted, but are removed on the last Friday of each month to facilitate maintenance measures.  Flowers or memorabilia directly on top of the columbarium or attached to niche fronts are strictly forbidden.  

       

A visitor from Houston, Texas summed up his impressions by declaring that this is one of the nicest military cemeteries you’d ever visit, ranking it on a par with Arlington Cemetery.  He encourages people to soak in the beauty and peacefulness while honoring the spirits of the bodily remains reposing here.

A final destination in this five-star cemetery with its clean and well-maintained grounds has been an aspiration of many eligible veterans who are currently alive and well.  Unfortunately, they must find alternative sites because the cemetery has run out of room, having filled the last remaining unclaimed niche spaces in May of 2014.  The columbaria had been the only available option, as most casket burials had been terminated in 1966.  Accommodations nowadays are limited to veterans who already have a niche or burial site because of a spouse already interred there.    

But the fact that this saturated state of affairs signaling maximum capacity has been reached does not affect anyone who merely wants to visit the property.  By adding it to a travel agenda, a new dimension in the military realm may be experienced and appreciated.  Here in a cemetery, history can come alive in a spirit of enlightenment.  In this particular one, a purview of glorious literal and spiritual horizons can be relished, as atop a hilly ridge one peers at the convergence of land and sea, basking in a heavenly haven.  

National Cemetery Administration

Wikipedia

San Diego Union-Tribune "End of era..."

Comments via yelp.com

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ATYPICAL NICHE DESIGN

JOURNEY JOURNAL... Sorrento Valley (San Diego), California

UNITED THEY STAND

Many things are aggregates composed of elements, parts grouped together to form wholes.  Separately, the individual components might not be so functional, aesthetically appealing, or impressive, but integrated with others to form a composite they may become strategic aspects of a magnificent ensemble, possibly even a masterpiece. For instance, think of a bouquet or handmade quilt!

“It's the sum of the parts that make up the whole, so in my opinion excellence comes from how one undertakes to do something. 
It all begins with the thought process - which is creative and exalted to produce something out of the ordinary.”

                                                                                                                  ~ Pankaj Patel 

Indeed, “out of the ordinary” characterizes the Narro-Niche columbarium permutation conceived and designed by the Conrad Pickel Studio.  The slim, yet full-capacity bronze urns that comprise the inclusive composition are box-like in shape and covered by a three-quarter-inch slab of solid marble or granite.  A mosaic design, dubbed a “Mosaicfront” by the originators, may be applied as an exterior embellishment.  The design on the front of niche unit is a cardinal element of the larger depiction.

Besides aesthetic appreciation, practicality underlies the conceptual rationale for this, as indoor or outdoor walls and corridors ordinarily unsuitable for niche installations can be utilized, requiring only five and a half inches of depth.  A joined assemblage of niche compartments can be applied directly against an established surface without the need to forge a recessed indentation.    

Beyond utility, though, is the potential for a vividly captivating illustration created by visionary artists.  That is, by nature of a coordinate frontal design, a single niche is like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle… a necessary component that’s pivotal to the larger image layout.  Without it, the picture on the wall would not be complete.  It is an essential part of the whole. Crafters use Venetian glass smalti to create the decorative wall panels.  The mosaic fronts are framed in bronze using conventional mounting systems.    

The El Camino Memorial Park in the San Diego area draws visitors aiming to see the gravesites of notable individuals, such as Jonas Salk (founder of the polio vaccine and the Salk Institute) and Ray Kroc (founding partner of McDonalds and owner of the Padres baseball team).  But straying from the usual tourist pathways can lead a visitor to the site of a Narro-Niche installation.  

Here, the structure and its mosaic portrait stand out against a blank mausoleum wall.

The site is embellished with plants, cenotaphs, and other stone structures.

Nameplates are positioned above individual niches. 

From the vantage of a side view, an unknowing observer might not realize that a collection of urns is behind the decorative panorama.

The only building in this image appears on the frontal facade of a single urn.  

This creation is but one of many stained and faceted glass windows, mosaics, and sculptures for religious and secular buildings that are produced by the Pickel Studio artists. Niche and crypt facades are only part of their focus. The enterprise was founded by the late Conrad Pickel, a world-renowned stained glass artisan as well as a sculptor and painter.  Since his death the company has been managed by his son, Paul.  

Professional artists on staff specialize in various aspects of design and installation while developing new techniques and applications.  

Photo Source:  Pickel Studios

Their work is featured in churches, cathedrals, and cemeteries around the country.  Among their showpieces are the faceted glass windows at Michigan Memorial Park’s Shrine of Remembrance Mausoleum (photos via link below).

At the Resurrection Cemetery in Justice, Illinois (Chicago area), two stories of magnificent glasswork enclosing a mausoleum purportedly form the largest stained glass window in the world.  Huge stained glass depictions of Bible narratives and more can be viewed by walking clockwise around the second and third floors of the building.

Photo Source:  Flicker by Robert Powers 
(more photos in blog reference)

The company’s Narro-Niche innovation, though of diminished proportions in contrast to their other productions, affords a balm of soothing representations, nonetheless.  “Good things come in small packages,” or in the case of cremated remains, go in small packages… and, at the hands of Pickel Studio creators, sometimes in narrow ones.  The packaging here invariably amounts to inspirational works of art.  Whether the projects are undersized or massive, their resplendent renderings reflect the words of an exemplary figure with an artistic eye who said, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together”                                                                                                                        (Vincent Van Gogh).  

Conrad Pickel Studio Website

Resurrection Mausoleum

  

Shrine of Remembrance Mausoleum

Pickel Studios Gallery of Cemetery Projects

Blog: A Chicago Sojourn

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CHURCH COLUMBARIUM

JOURNEY JOURNAL... Poway, California

HEIGHTENED ACCESSIBILITY

For hundreds of years, columbaria have been located inside churches, on their properties, or on the grounds of cemeteries they own.  Nowadays, they have become all the more prolific as cremation rates have increased and people seek meaningful places for final disposition of cremated remains.  

Though contemporary styles abound, the notion of columbaria connected to religious sites is far from new.  Since ancient eras of Buddhism, for instance, cremated remains have been placed in urns sheltered within columbaria – sometimes as part of Buddhist temples.  During more recent times, the Catholic Church has joined the legion of religions where they have materialized.  Since 1963, the Vatican has permitted cremation as a practical alternative to bodily burial... as long as reverence and respect for the physical substance of a deceased individual is maintained according to mandates.  Scattering cremated remains or retaining them at home are not allowed, but columbarium niches are acceptable.  

These days, parishioners from the gamut of sects see the value of having columbaria within their immediate church environments.  Years ago, churchgoers were routinely buried in plots adjacent to church edifices, so the current trend toward columbarium construction somewhat mirrors that historical practice.  Accessibility, affordability, and relevance in accord with religious dogmas are factors that support desirability.  This type of station can be incorporated into existing dimensions or built as separate entities on small parcels of land.  

Diversity of modern architectural designs makes it possible to embed niches in walls, around statues, and against windows, or configure as separate units within established buildings.  Outdoors, exterior walls or garden settings may be utilized for such projects, with all kinds of options for design elements and supplemental appointments.      

California’s oft-undulating terrain can afford diversionary settings for this manner of final resting in peace.  Since 1993, an elevated section on the property of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church has served that purpose.  

Everyone is familiar with the metaphorical concept of a climb to heaven after death.  Reference is made to an upward trajectory, often via a stairway to heaven that accommodates the process of ascension.  

In this case, though, anyone who wants to commune with spirits of deceased life companions in close proximity to their physical residuals must, likewise, do a bit of ascending.  Actually, as one courses upward by way of a long ramp with incremental turns at acute angles, there is a tantalizing tendency to note the metaphorical significance of the layout.  It’s not often that a cement trail of this nature sends one’s mind into orbit, endowing a pathway with figurative meaning that incites denotation.  Access to this church’s columbarium is different than the norm, rendering an added ethereal element of interest to the complex at the top of the hill.  

The Susan S. Cashmore Memorial Columbarium, made possible through the donation of a former church member's family, is described as a Christian burial site for urns.  Five hundred wall niches within several structures can accommodate cremated remains of either one or two individuals.  

Garden plots for burial of urns are available as well.  

Protruding platforms at the base of the structures entreat placement of memorial flowers and potted plants.

Clergy are available to conduct committal services or commemorative proceedings here.  

The enveloping configuration of successive identical formations and the opposite wall of niches comprise a space suggestive of seclusion.  Benches inviting repose under the shade of a tree defy intrusion of sights and sounds from the life going on at street level below.  It is a place of quietude… a place of peaceful rest.  

Exploration on premises of religious organizations around the country is apt to reveal a surprising number of columbaria on their respective properties.  Though, typically, a niche is a niche is a niche, the settings in which these cookie-cutter compartments are integrated can leave lasting impressions of novel distinctions.  A stroll to the heights of a heavenly haven may be all that it takes to come to that conclusion.  

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