Founded: 1951
Location: 13935 Telegraph Road, Whittier
San Pedro Region: Deanery 18
Although 400 years apart in history, Pope St. Gregory the Great and Father John Schiavone, current pastor of the Whittier parish named for the sixth century Italian pope, share a common bond: their mutual love of music.
During his 14 years as head of all the churches in Christendom, and in spite of bodily sufferings and innumerable labors, Pope Gregory found time to compose a great number of works for the liturgy of the Mass and Office. Tradition and popular belief credit him as the originator of plainchant; the origin is probably 1,500 years old, yet today the music is known as Gregorian Chant.
Father Schiavone, whose parents sang in the choir (his mother still is a member) at his boyhood parish, St. Cyprian in Long Beach, was composing and publishing music in his seminary days at St. John's in Camarillo. Since his 1973 ordination he composed numerous liturgical pieces, two of which ("Magnificat" and "Agnus Dei") were used for the papal visit in 1987. A noted tenor, he holds a master's degree in music and has a high regard for Gregorian Chant. "It facilitates praying," he said.
Beyond his musical legacy, St. Gregory is also remembered for renouncing the wealth of his Roman family and becoming a monk --- the first monk (at age 50) to be not elected but chosen as pope by the unanimous consent of priests and people. St. Gregory died in 604 and was canonized by popular acclamation as the "Great" for his charity, sense of justice and political diplomacy. A Doctor of the Church, his feast day is Sept. 3.
The history of the Whittier parish begins almost 60 years ago when the population boom that followed World War II swept through the Southland, sending attendance soaring at St. Mary of the Assumption and creating an urgent need for a new parish. In February 1951, Archbishop James Francis McIntyre named Father Michael Galvin as founding pastor even though property had not yet been purchased. Soon after a nine-acre parcel at the corner of Telegraph Road and Victoria Avenue became available for $18,000 and the parish named for Gregory the First began.
The area was mainly green meadows, alfalfa fields and citrus groves, but the new pastor, a native of County Kerry, Ireland, found a site to celebrate Mass --- the clubhouse in Hugheston Meadows that became Candlewood. About 40 persons found the place and attended Mass in the lounge.
The next liturgical site was a drafty machine shop on Telegraph Road until the church was completed and the first Mass celebrated June 8, 1952. Six months later Father Galvin was named pastor of St. Gertrude in Bell Gardens and served there for 15 years until his death on a visit to his homeland in 1967.
The second pastor, Father Lawrence Mackey of Waterford, Ireland, headed the parish for 24 years. During that tumultuous time he enlarged and furnished the church to seat 1,000 persons, built a 16-classroom school and convent for the Dominican Sisters, and completed the parish auditorium. By 1963 --- with familes having increased in a decade from 1,200 to 2,500 --- he was able to double the capacity of the church that even included a parish library. Father Mackey died in 1976 at age 67 as pastor emeritus.
His successor, Msgr. Donald Ruddy, was a native of Pacahontas, Iowa, and one of 31 priests in the largest class ordained from St. John's Seminary in 1955. Most of his 45-year priesthood in the archdiocese was spent at St. Gregory --- as associate pastor, administrator and pastor for 22 years. He died in 2000 at age 72.
Father Schiavone, a native Angeleno and graduate of St. Cyprian School, served in several parishes and with the Office for Worship before his assignment as St. Gregory's pastor in 1998. He recently composed new music for the responsorial psalms at Mass, and --- as a noted tenor --- was accorded the privilege singing chant with the renowned Benedictine monks at Solemnes, France, on a recent three-day visit.
The four pastors exemplify St. Gregory's prayer: "The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist." |