Our History
FOUNDATION
The Catholic Church, Our Lady of Solitude, happens to be a historical staple in the heart of East Los Angeles, California. With almost 100 years of life, it's still a masterpiece of a church despite its long years. In our Golden Jubilee, it’s said that our church was founded by a Father named Msgr. Michael Sheahan around December or Christmas of 1925. It is said that Our Lady of Solitude happens to be the third church built for our Spanish-speaking community now known as East Los Angeles.
Before Our Lady of Solitude
Before Our Lady of Solitude was built, there was a mission that the Fathers and this city had. The mission was to have another foundation before the 1920’s ended. But still, regardless of not having a church, Fathers J. Grajalves and Guadalupe del Rio, OFM, celebrated Holy Mass in a bakery that was previously on Arizona Street, then at the Azteca Theater on McDonell Street, and even in a garage.
INTERESTING FACT
As we have now progressed and have a community of our own, the history of this church has not always been as it looks. Our first-ever celebration was accompanied by approximately fourteen worshippers who were informed by others from the community. Later that day, mass was hosted a second time bringing in seventy more new parishioners. Despite not being informed by our holy bells, our community made it official that Our Lady of Solitude was a new parish for its people of East Los Angeles.
Our First Sisters
Since the late 1920s, our sisters have been present in our church. The first sisters to arrive were the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. As the Golden Jubilee mentions, several spent time in La Soledad before 1930. (On the left is an image of said sisters, among this group are Sra María de Jesús Cagigas, Madre Cristo Rey, Mrs. M. Rosario, and Mother Clemencia.
Our First Fathers
Our founding Father, Michael Sheahan spent most of his time at Soledad until he had to be transferred to Oxnard. After his transfer, he left Father Juan Montana and Jose Gargallo to assist him. Until 1931, when they withdrew service here at Soledad the Claretian Fathers were brought upon our parish with the pastorship of Rev. Bonifacio Mayer, CMF.
* The picture to the right is the Solemn procession of the Corpus of Guadalupe to Soledad*
Our Lady of Solitude School
Back in 1926, Mrs. John Lyons came from Chicago to speak with the Pastor of our church. She asked him a couple of questions leading them to speak on what the community needed the most, his answer being, “a grammar school”. Although the Adoratrices had their education in Spanish classes, sewing, and handicrafts, this form of learning was the first official formal education, it was the beginning of something prosperous for the community. A year later the school had been built, and up and running with the help of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. They opened classrooms for up to eight grades in September 1927, and even the sisters settled down and found a home near the community.