Name of Church Monastery of the Angels
Address 1977 Carmen Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90068
Phone number (323) 466-2186
Website www.monasteryoftheangels.org
Mass times The monastery chapel is open 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mass is at 7 a.m. The Dominican contemplative nuns who live there are dedicated to prayer. In the chapel, the public is separated from the nuns by a screen and altar. The nuns’ daily schedule includes rising at 4:50 a.m., a day of prayer, study and work, and retiring after night prayer at 7:30 p.m. At morning, noon and in the evening you’ll hear the bells ringing for the saying of the Angelus. The nuns pray constantly, as well as work in the garden and oversee the making of pumpkin bread and candy for the gift shop.
Parking There is parking alongside the monastery. The monastery is located on Gower, just north of the 101 freeway.
Additional observations The monastery is located in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles. It was founded in 1924. The nuns sell pumpkin bread and candies to help pay their bills. In years past, celebrities such as Bing Crosby and Don Ameche performed for fundraisers on behalf of the sisters. There is a gift shop open to the public were you can buy the bread and sweets as well as religious items. It is staffed by volunteers; check the website for times. You may also order items online at: https://monasteryoftheangels.square.site/. There is also a small garden with statues. Most of the grounds are for the nuns, and not open to the public.
In recent decades, the monastery went from having dozens of nuns to three today. They are struggling financially and are not getting the vocations they need. There were rumors that the monastery was going to be closed and the property sold:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqP1OUWz3dY
The monastery is popular with residents and there was an outcry, and in June 2022 the Dominicans said the property was not for sale.
I drove here the last time this story was posted a couple months ago and didn’t think it was worth it.
Why do you think your visit wasn’t worth it?
Go before it’s sold, plans are in the works.
Only three nuns left? Close it and sell it. What’s the point?
I wonder if the remaining nuns, looking at the inevitable dissolution of their community, ever think they misspent their lives and have regrets. They have dedicated their lives to pumpkin bread and candy.
“They have dedicated their lives to pumpkin bread and candy.” I’m sure you didn’t mean that comment as a snide remark. They are baking pumpkin bread (it’s delicious, by the way) and selling candy to stay afloat.
That’s even more sad. To be reduced to having bake sales in your elderly years to pay the bills is humiliating and defeating.
Their pumpkin bread is the BEST! My mother used to make the trip there to buy loaves for everyone she knew.
The nuns consecrate their lives to God, we all have doubts and temptations to escape whatever our vocation (it’s only human) but there is no greater sacrifice than to give your life for God as He gave His life for us. To assume they dedicated their lives to pumpkin bread and candy is foolish and ignorant.
Cloistered nuns do not have wage earning jobs, they don’t leave the monastery, they depend on donations and what they make from sales of the work of their hands, pumpkin bread, etc. Their lives are consecrated to God, dedicated to constant prayer (Divine Liturgy, 7 times a day, daily Holy Mass) with work and study of scripture in between.
They are not “reduced” by selling pumpkin bread. Humility is desirable as it is the answer to pride, pride is rebellion against God. What is truly sad is modern society’s denial of God, increase in selfishness and materialism, disdain for religion and the end of this house of women religious because no new young women are answering the call to religious life.
Yeah, but look what’s happened to them: their order has withered and is now walking dead. God doesn’t let that happen to a movement or community that is doing his will. Plenty of women are answering the call to religious life in other communities. Just not this one. Wonder why.