Established: December 12, 1920
Location: 953 West 57th Street, Los Angeles
Our Lady of the Angels Region: Deanery 16

Just three years after his appointment to head the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles, Bishop John J. Cantwell established nine new parishes in sprawling L.A. County from Tujunga to Long Beach. In the autumn of 1920 he opened the Los Angeles parish dedicated to the Nativity of Our Blessed Lord on property purchased on the corner of 57th Street and Vermont Avenue.

Early records indicate that Father Edward J. Riordan celebrated Mass for the first time in the Dougherty residence on West 53rd Street. The minimal information about the founding pastor shows he organized the first Altar and Rosary Society and witnessed the dedication of the new church on March 6, 1921.

Father John J. Clifford of County Kerry, Ireland, was named pastor in January 1922 (the year Pope Pius XI approved the division of the 90,000 square-mile existing diocese, creating the Diocese of Los Angeles-San Diego). Father Clifford brought his own unique piece of history to his new parish. During his 10 years as pastor, he witnessed a great increase in the number of parishioners, and the opening of the school staffed by Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston.

His 58 years of ministry for the church began as announced in the first issue of The Tidings, June 29, 1895: "On June 20 Rev. J.J. Clifford was ordained to the priesthood at the Catholic University of America by Rt. Rev. J.J. Keane, for this diocese." Father Clifford later became a Tidings editorial writer, editor (in 1907) and a monsignor. He died in 1954 at age 84.

His successor at Nativity faced the Depression and severe damages from the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. But the Pennsylvania native, Father Henry Gross, aided by steadfast faith and sacrifices of the parishioners, managed to repair the school and church statuary. In 1934 a splendid pipe organ was installed when a local theater, suffering from the advent of talking pictures, offered it for $500.

During nine years at Nativity, Father Gross renovated the church exterior during 1936, the same year the Sisters of Loretto continued the work of teaching and added a new classroom (and the year Los Angeles became an archdiocese). Father Gross was later named pastor of new St. Basil and a monsignor. He died in 1973 at age 82, after 20 years as pastor at St. Basil.

From 1937 to 1949, another Irish priest from County Tipperary, Father Maurice Dee, headed the parish, one of seven pastorates he held during his 48 years serving the archdiocese. Named a Domestic Prelate in 1961, Msgr. Dee died in 1972 at age 72.

Msgr. Thomas Moran from County Carlow, formerly principal of Bishop Conaty High School, headed Nativity for three years and succeeded in obtaining ground next to the school for a future convent. He was also pastor of St. John Chrysostom for 22 years, and died in 1974 at age 74.

County Tipperary native Father Samuel Hynes came to Nativity as an associate pastor in 1939 at age 34 and stayed for 11 years. Seventeen years later he was named pastor and served there in that capacity for 11 years. He died in 1995 at age 90. A succession of short term pastors followed during which time the sanctuary was rearranged in 1969 and the parish continued to grow under the leadership of team ministry.

From 1985 to 1996, during the time of the Los Angeles Watts riots and the Northridge earthquake, L.A. native Father David Herrera headed the South Central parish. He guided the church during the rebuilding period, started Spanish language liturgies and encouraged the growth of youth groups. Father Herrera then became pastor at St. Joseph, Carpinteria, and in 2000 died of cancer at age 55.

In 1997 Msgr. Timothy Dyer, another Angeleno, was named pastor, following four years as Vicar for Clergy and ministering at several parishes. Ordained from St. John's Seminary in 1974, he learned Spanish during his 10 years of parish work in East Los Angeles and was named a monsignor in 1992.

At Nativity, Msgr. Dyer initiated the first set of clustered parishes in the archdiocese, with St. Columbkille, a few miles away. (There are currently seven cluster combinations.) According to Msgr. Dyer each parish retains its own identity and independence, while sharing resources and personnel. Although a challenge in time and energy, the collaborative effort has been most effective.