Name of Church Holy Innocents
Address 425 E. 20th Street, Long Beach, CA 90806
Phone number 562-591-6924
Website www.lbcatholic.com
Mass times Sunday, 9 a.m. (traditional Latin Low Mass), 11 a.m. (offered ad orientem, facing East, away from the people, since 2011) and 1 p.m. (Spanish, ad orientem). Weekday Mass, 8 a.m. (on the school playground). Saturday, 8 a.m. The church makes use of altar rails, so Holy Communion can be received kneeling and on the tongue.
Confessions Wednesday and Friday, 7 p.m.
Names of priests Fr. Peter Irving, pastor. Fr. Irving is an orthodox and traditional pastor, and strongly pro-life. He is in his late 60s, and has a history of working in rougher, inner city parishes and reviving them. Years ago, Fr. Irving participated in Operation Rescue, which used civil disobedience to close abortion clinics. He preaches about defending life, and inspires many of his parishioners to take up the pro-life cause. He can still be found praying and counseling women outside the nearby abortion clinic. Listen to him be interviewed on the Terry & Jesse Show: Terry And Jesse Show – September 22, 2017 by friday at 3 (soundcloud.com).
He has been assisted on weekends by a Norbertine priest, and Claretian Fr. Robert Bishop assists with the parish’s Tridentine Mass.
School Yes, a classical, God-centered K-8 education, administered by the traditional Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart whose motherhouse is in Alhambra. Former parishioners at Holy Innocents include Venerable Mother Luisita (1866-1937), who fled anti-Catholic persecution in Mexico and founded the Carmelite community whose sisters today serve at the school. Teachers are both nuns and lay people; the school is located a few blocks from the parish. Watch a video introduction of the school here: Holy Innocents Catholic School – Every Child’s Birthright – YouTube. Visit the website here: Holy Innocents School | K-8 School Serving the Community of Long Beach since 1958 (lbcatholicschool.com).
Fellow parishioners The parish is part of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, in a poor neighborhood in the north end of Long Beach. It is predominantly Hispanic, as well as drawing those who desire the traditional liturgy and environment.
Parking The parish has a small parking lot, and there is street parking. On weekends, park a block away at nearby at Stricklin-Snively Mortuary and walk over.
Additional observations Holy Innocents is a historic, mission-style church, founded in 1923. It is very traditional, and small. Former parishioners include one cardinal, William Levada (1936-2019), who attended as a boy. The parish wages spiritual war against local abortion providers, sending sidewalk counselors to pray and encourage women to choose life. In 2020, the ministry reported, 72 babies were saved. Read this Angelus article about the parish’s pro-life efforts: In Long Beach: A parish commitment to defending life | Angelus News. Among the special features a Blessed Álvaro del Portillo altar; del Portillo was successor of Opus Dei founder St. Josemaría Escrivá, del Portillo used the altar to celebrate Mass.
Hey Novus Ordos, take a field trip and experience a Traditional Latin Mass, it is your heritage.
Simply wonderful to see this and on a side note it’s not facing away from the people but facing Our Lord Jesus Christ as the priest offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the people in the pews! This is what a Roman Catholic church should look like and pray for the return of the TLM to all of our altars.
The liturgical reform is irreversible. Pope Francis said so with his magisterial authority. The path of liturgical reform cannot be turned back. More work needs to be done implementing the reforms, and a change of mentality is needed. That’s all from the successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ. Look it up: August 2017. Keep your museum Masses, if you must, but your mentality that the TLM is the only or the best way to celebrate Mass is a mentality that needs to be changed. Heed the Holy Father. Heed the fathers at Vatican II. The new Mass is the Holy Spirit’s will for the church in modern times.
tommy reese is that you ?
Martian: “Pope Francis said . . .”
ROFL.
See, it’s comments like this, and there are many similar, that make me think it’s riddled with schismatic catholics. Disparaging the Pope, disparaging the new Mass, disparaging Vatican II, disparaging fellow Catholics. Enough! Someone below said Martin’s comments are tiresome, well what about the schismatics who post here or is that all you want to read… schismatic comments?
Martin, I hold no brief one way or another about the TLM vs. the Novus Ordo. But, thankfully, I can read. The documents of Vatican II are rather conservative on matters liturgical. I suspect if one came to earth from another planet with a copy of the VII documents and walked into a typical parish for Sunday Mass, the poor creature would experience a substantial disconnect. Somewhere along the line someone would have to explain the the alien being what the “spirit of VII” is all about.
“Irreversible”. Ha. I was there in 1963 when all of the “irreversible” rubrics and language of centuries changed. If it taught me anything, it is that nothing is irreversible. I include the Novus Ordo.
Martian not only will we keep the TLM but the mentality that makes liberals get so upset… which is quite enjoyable to watch it unfold. Undo Vatican 2
I would like to see every parish offer a Tridentine Mass but the interest just isn’t there.
This Church looks wonderful. Is there outreach to the poor in the neighborhood. Their pro-life witness is inspirational.
From online sources, there are only 72 churches, chapels or oratories in the US that exclusively offer the TLM.
In total there are 655 that offer at least one Latin Mass per week.
This does not include separated or schismatic venues.
And over 17,000 parishes in the US that celebrate the new Mass! The New Mass is iPhone and the TLM is Blackberry, fringe. Face it: novus ordo is where the church is at and where its future lies. You cannot reverse the liturgical reform.
Not to mention how the church is growing in Africa celebrating the new Mass! Booming!
Martin, your inane comments are tiresome. Are you a friend of YFC?
I didn’t agree with Operation Rescue’s forceful tactics. Don’t hear anything about them anymore for good reason; was surprised to see them mentioned in this article. Randall Terry did not help the cause of prolife. He had good intentions, but his tactics were completely misguided and turned people against prolife in the 80s and 90s.
Randall Terry also doesn’t accept his gay son; he has disowned him. Knowing that, you can put two and two together about why Randall Terry and Operation Rescue did the controversial things they did. It’s a mindset thing. Phariseeism, if you get my drift.
That this priest was affiliated with Operation Rescue decades ago could be a red flag.
I personally know an excellent and devoted priest as well as an outstanding religious Sister who were arrested during Operation Rescue peaceful passive direct action. (What’s “forceful” about sitting and blocking an entrance? The force is used to enter the womb, destroy a baby and wound a mother.) I know lay persons, priests, religious and at least one bishop who were arrested saving lives back in the 80’s and 90’s. Randall Terry and one’s opinion of him is not the issue. The priest’s affiliation with Operation Rescue decades ago could be a green flag, he cares enough about life to do something about it (not just talk).
Anonymous, have you ever been to an Operation Rescue? I’ve been to a couple, years ago. I have a friend who was arrested and know a fine priest and bishop who were arrested. I never saw “forceful tactics.” Would you please explain what you mean by “forceful tactics?”
Would you consider the non-violent, passive resistance of Mahatma Gandhi “forceful?”
Is that above implied “sours grapes” comment by a “Martin” by Jebbie Jim Martin?
Are “all welcome” at this parish?
All are welcome at every Catholic parish and Mass.
(And, that’s regardless of Form or Rite.)
That is who we are.
All are welcome at every form of Catholic Mass, so long as they do not do something really stupid to intentionally disrupt the Mass. St. Ambrose told us “When in Rome do as the Romans do.” He meant within reason and decency of course.
St. Ambrose, fourth-century bishop of Milan, is reported to have said that to St. Monica because the Roman Rite was different than the Milanese (or Ambrosian) Rite, both Rites of the Latin Church. The Mass in Milan differs from the Roman Rite Mass celebrated by the vast majority of Catholics of the Latin Church. All ancient Liturgies are similar, but not identical.
That is very true.
I was thinking in my last post of those who go to Catholic masses of any form and deliberately disrupt them as some radicals have done in the past because they do not like the orthodox moral teaching at that mass. We all make accidental mistakes when we attend another form, no matter how hard we do to do it right, but those are excusable.
If I were a non-Catholic, based on this discussion, I would not want to join such a contentious group of people.
As though there is unity in the 40 thousand protestant denominations. There is still just One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Your choice.
For every one who joins six leave.
They will be back.
What makes you so sure?
Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” Matt. 7:13
It is true that not everyone returns but in our family everyone has and now the younger ones are off living their life without the sacraments. Just cause they abandon God doesn’t mean that He abandons them.
I’d say it’s more true that few return. And just because someone is receiving the sacraments doesn’t mean anything. Look at Biden and Pelosi and any number of people at parishes.
Are you saying universal salvation is what you believe? If you say no, then God does abandon some people, which is against what you just wrote that God doesn’t abandon anyone.
God does not abandon people who go to hell. They reject Him..