LOS ANGELES (CNS) – The City Council Friday unanimously approved naming the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Roxton Avenue as “Church of the Transfiguration Square” to honor the 101-year history of the Catholic parish.
The Department of Transportation will install permanent ceremonial signs at a future date.
Councilwoman Heather Hutt, who represents the 10th District, which encompasses parts of central L.A., introduced a motion on Aug. 2 calling for the street dedication.
“The intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Roxton Avenue holds a central location within the 10th District and the city of Los Angeles, serving as a daily touchpoint for many residents,” Hutt’s motion reads.
“In acknowledgement of the deep and lasting impact of the Church of the Transfiguration on the community, a lasting tribute to dedicate the intersection in honor of the work of the people of the Transfiguration would further strengthen the bond between the church and the surrounding residents.”
In 1923, Father John Cotter established the Transfiguration Parish. The original church was an old three-story structure on the northwest corner of Browning and Western avenues. The church was moved in 1932 to the northeast corner of Van Ness and Santa Barbara, now named Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and a new church was built next door in 1937.
That same year, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet arrived, and Transfiguration School opened with 150 students. Father Cotter was recognized for the design of the church and development of the new parish. In 1944, Father James Buckley had Velda Buys Gately create a mural of the Transfiguration of Christ that was mounted above the main altar.
In later years, the church added a mosaic and renovated the site with the restoration of its bells in 1991, a Pastoral Center in 1993 and a shade canopy added to the hall in 1995.
In 2021, L.A. Archbishop José Gómez entrusted the Josephites with the care of the Transfiguration Church. The Josephites, St. Joseph’s Society of the Sacred Heart, are a community of Catholic priests and brothers committed to serving the African American community.
Members of the church appointed Father Anthony Bozeman as the first Josephite and African American pastor, and appointed Father Godwin Akpan in 2022.
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