“A marriage of early Christian with contemporary.” That’s how the architectural firm described their design concept for St. Basil Catholic Church. The church stands on Wilshire Boulevard. It rises like an ancient fortress.
St. Basil Catholic Church is a Roman Rite parish. It serves the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The parish was created on November 26, 1919. Bishop John Cantwell announced the new parish. It was to be named after St. Basil of Caesarea.
The first permanent church building was dedicated on November 21, 1920. It was located at 7th Street and South Catalina Street. In 1923, the parish acquired a new site. It was at Wilshire Boulevard and South Harvard Boulevard. The existing parish building was moved to the new site. The building was cut into three parts for the move.
A fire badly damaged the church in 1943. It was subsequently rebuilt. In August 1965, plans were announced for a new complex. It would be at Wilshire Boulevard and Kingsley Drive. The A.C. Martin architectural firm designed the new structure. They also designed the original parish structure. Construction took place between 1967 and 1969.
The new church parish was dedicated on June 29, 1969. Cardinal James Francis McIntyre and Archbishop Timothy Manning presided over the ceremony.
St. Basil Catholic Church became a focal point of protests. This happened during the Chicano Movement from 1969 to 1970. Protesters objected to the archdiocese spending nearly $3 million on the church. They felt the money should have gone to the poor.
At the dedication ceremony, picketers carried signs. The signs read “$1000000 for glass and stone but ? for the Poor” and “Where is the concern for the poor?”. Protests escalated at the Christmas Midnight Mass in 1969. Demonstrators smashed the outer glass doors of the parish.
In early January 1970, protesters began a fast outside St. Basil’s. The fast ended after three days. Seventy-five Chicanos and supporters attended a mass. They were welcomed at St. Basil’s parish.
The architectural firm A.C. Martin & Assoc. designed St. Basil. It is a combination of 12 angular concrete towers. Each tower is 80 feet high. Full-length shafts of stained glass separate the towers. The church spire is 160 feet high. The cross at the top rises another 20 feet.
Albert C. Martin said the towers were inspired by early Christian church design. The design concept was a marriage of early Christian with contemporary. It recalls when the church served as a place of refuge.
More than 9000 cubic yards of concrete were used. The walls were bush-hammered. This created a rough texture and exposed the color of the aggregate.
The interior of the church seats 900 people. A 13th-century crucifix hangs above the altar. Contemporary sculpture and artwork adorn the interior. Claire Falkenstein created the stained-glass windows. She also created the doors and gates. The windows feature geometric shapes of glass in molded iron frames.
Italian sculptor Franco Assetto created carvings of the Fourteen Stations of the Cross. The art piece is titled Via Crucis. Each station is integrated into the concrete pillars. Ralf Affleck created the Saint Peter and Saint Paul sculptures.
Richard Dorman defended the design. He praised St. Basil’s as a positive architectural statement.
In February 1973, St. Basil received an Award of Merit. It came from the American Institute of Architects.
St. Basil Catholic Church has appeared on the silver screen. It was in Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups.
Masses at St. Basil are offered in English. They are also offered in Korean and Spanish.
Today St. Basil Catholic Church stands as a testament. It shows faith, art and community. It is a place where people from all walks of life can come together. They can worship and find solace.