The Queen of Angels Foundation is an association of lay faithful of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

dedicated to fostering devotion to

Mary, Mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

. The Foundation is a volunteer group of lay men and women who "...strive together in a common endeavor to foster a more perfect life for themselves and their community by promoting reverence for the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother ...

, in whose name, as Our Lady of the Angels, the City and Archdiocese of Los Angeles were founded..." and whom Catholics revere as Queen of Heaven and Empress of the Americas. The Queen of Angels Foundation is the official sponsor of the

Archdiocese of Los Angeles The Archdiocese of Los Angeles ( la, Archidiœcesis Angelorum in California, es, Arquidiócesis de Los Ángeles) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church (Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites, particularly ...

' annual celebration of the

City of Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

' founding. This event takes place in Downtown Los Angeles on the last Saturday of August. The Foundation was launched in February 2011 in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

as a Catholic Marian Movement by layman Mark Anchor Albert. Membership is open to all practising Catholics, and educational and devotional meetings for the benefit of members are held monthly. The Foundation enjoys tax-exemption as a California Nonprofit Religious Corporation.

History

The Queen of Angels Foundation was founded in February 2011 by attorney and philanthropist Mark Anchor Albert. It is a lay association of the Catholic Church and is also a recognized tax-exempt religious organization.

Objectives and mission

Objectives

The Queen of Angeles Foundation has stated as its objectives: # To make known the Catholic faith before all the world, # To invoke the healing power of the Holy Spirit to rally the Family of God to support the people and clergy of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, # To demonstrate obedience and fidelity to the wishes of the Popes, # To entreat the blessing of God upon our City, County, and Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and # To foster interreligious and ecumenical outreach to all members of the multicultural community of Los Angeles.

Mission

The foundation seeks to educate and evangelize the public regarding Our Lady of the Angels, the Catholic heritage of Los Angeles, as well as foster devotion to the

Archangel Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...

s and

Guardian Angels A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played a major role in A ...

. By doing so, the Foundation hopes to foster a more perfect life for its members, deepening their bond to Christ and the Church through Mary, the Mother of God. To further that end, the Foundation's members contribute their time, talent, and treasure to organization of an annual Procession, Mass, and Feast in honor of the

on the Saturday nearest 4 September, the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels and the anniversary of the founding of the

, in the absence of any current comparable observance.

Spirituality

According to the Catholic Church's ''Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy'', "…Popular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is an important and universal ecclesial phenomenon. Its expressions are multifarious and its motivation very profound, deriving as it does from the People of God's faith in, and love for, Christ, the Redeemer of mankind, and from an awareness of the salvific mission that God entrusted to Mary of Nazareth, because of which she is mother not only of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, but also of mankind in the order of grace". The primary purpose and charism of the Queen of Angels Foundation is to foster greater devotion to

Christ the King Christ the King is a title of Jesus in Christianity referring to the idea of the Kingdom of God where the Christ is described as seated at the right hand of God. Many Christian denominations consider the kingly office of Christ to be one of ...

and Our Lady of the Angels in hopes of enriching the spiritual lives and deepening the faith of Catholics everywhere. The Foundation's main activity is an annual

procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

, Mass, and feast held on the Saturday nearest 4 September which is the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels as well as the anniversary of the founding of the City of Los Angeles.

Marian Spirituality & Apologetics

The Queen of Angels Foundation particular charism of Marian devotion is in keeping with the official teaching of the Catholic Church on the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Processions

Processions have historically played a significant role in the liturgical and spiritual life of Christians throughout the world. In every culture, public anniversaries, triumphant heroes, religious festivals, and innumerable other events have been marked by parades of local leadership and activists – and participated in by the viewers. In this way, the entire community is able to reaffirm its values and traditions, while inspiring onlookers with a sense of purpose. Although the first Christian processions took place firmly within the context of the Liturgy (Introit, Offertory, and Gospel), they soon moved out-of-doors. The type of prayer called "litany" today was expressly designed for these functions, wherein the Church would offer prayers for all degrees of folk within both Church and State, invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and various saints. In periods of plague or famine, processions bearing saints' relics would be held, begging Heaven for an end to the calamity. The Rituale Romanum (the latest edition of which is called in English simply "The Rites") gives extensive instructions regarding processions. They are distinguished as "Ordinary Processions": for feast days, such as Candlemas,

Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Palm Sunday marks the first day of Hol ...

Holy Week Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...

Rogation Days Rogation days are days of prayer and fasting in Western Christianity. They are observed with processions and the Litany of the Saints. The so-called ''major'' rogation is held on 25 April; the ''minor'' rogations are held on Monday to Wednesday ...

, Corpus Christi, and other feasts as dictated by local custom; as well as for various "Extraordinary Processions". Prior to the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...

, this "culture of processions" was universal in the Church, both East and West. But the first Protestants often rejected processions as "Popish" idolatry and superstition . So while in traditionally Catholic parts of Europe, Latin America, and certain parts of Asia and Africa, the old customs hold forth (and are often major tourist draws to localities that still have them), they died out in such Protestant regions as Scotland and England, and were forbidden in Ireland by the British authorities. In time, Catholics in those lands – and the countries overseas where they settled, forgot the old ways. Where processions were required by the Missal, as at Candlemas, Palm Sunday, and Corpus Christi, they were held in the churchyard or even restricted to marching around the interior of the Church; they might even be done away with altogether.

Catholic Emancipation Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, and later the combined United Kingdom in the late 18th century and early 19th century, that involved reducing and removing many of the restricti ...

in Protestant Europe, and the presence of ethnic Catholics in North America, led to a gradual revival of processions in some areas – but they were often considered unusual, and looked at with some suspicion by "native" Catholics, despite, for example,

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City f ...

call for processions honoring the new

Feast of Christ the King The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, commonly referred to as the Feast of Christ the King, Christ the King Sunday or Reign of Christ Sunday, is a feast in the liturgical year which emphasises the true kingship of Christ ...

. The liturgical movement did a great deal of work expanding the use of processions prior to the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

. Following the council, however, many places, even in Catholic countries, abandoned some or all of them, or at least cut them back in number or length. 2012 Grand Marian Procession, Downtown Los Angeles

2012 Grand Marian Procession, Downtown Los Angeles

In 2001, to correct these abuses (and many others which had afflicted popular piety since the council), the Catholic Church's

Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments it, Dicastero per il Culto Divino e la Disciplina dei Sacramenti , type = Dicastery , seal = Coat of arms Holy See.svg , seal_size = 100px , seal_caption = Coat of arms of the Holy See , logo = , p ...

issued a Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy. Throughout that document, the use (and revival) of processions for various Church festivals is called for, and an entire section devoted to processions alone, in which their importance for all Catholics is underlined. In an attempt to revive the custom of religious processions, in September 2011 the Queen of Angels Foundation inaugurated an annual Grand Marian Procession in the heart of

Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is a ...

' historic core. This yearly procession, held on the last Saturday of August and intended to coincide with the anniversary of the founding of the City of Los Angeles, begins at the

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels ( es, Catedral de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles), informally known as COLA or the Los Angeles Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles, California, United States. It opened in 2 ...

, where a Rosary and Mass in honour of the

are offered, and concludes outside of the parish of

La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

, part of the

Los Angeles Plaza Historic District LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significan ...

, better known as "La Placita". Subsequent years have seen the involvement and participation of numerous chivalric, fraternal, and religious orders, parishes, lay groups, political figures, as well as other religious and civic organizations.

Prayers

Central to the spirituality of the Queen of Angels Foundation is devotion to

. According to Catholic teaching, Mary played a unique and important role in the ministry of her son,

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

, and thus, in God's plan of salvation for the entire world. The Queen of Angels Foundation places great importance on Marian spirituality and devotion as a means of deepening one's understanding of and relationship with Christ. Marian prayers such as the

Rosary The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or ...

, the

Angelus The Angelus (; Latin for "angel") is a Catholic devotion commemorating the Incarnation of Christ. As with many Catholic prayers, the name ''Angelus'' is derived from its incipit—the first few words of the text: ("The Angel of the Lord ...

, various intercessory prayers, and the devout use of holy cards are given special importance.

Catholic chivalry

In addition to its many spiritual aims, the Queen of Angels Foundation also seeks to promote the revival and deeper understanding of Catholic

chivalry Chivalry, or the chivalric code, is an informal and varying code of conduct developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It was associated with the medieval Christian institution of knighthood; knights' and gentlemen's behaviours were governed b ...

and its role in the life of the church and the community. Many members of the Queen of Angels Foundation board of directors are also members of various

chivalric order An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and paired with medieval conc ...

s, including

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, links=yes, OESSH), also called Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic order of knighthood under ...

, Order of St. Gregory,

Order of St. Sylvester Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester Pope and Martyr ( la, Ordo Sancti Silvestri Papae, it, Ordine di San Silvestro Papa), sometimes referred to as the Sylvestrine Order, or the Pontifical Order of Pope Saint Sylvester, is one of five o ...

, as well as

fraternal order A fraternal order is a fraternity organised as an order, with traits alluding to religious, chivalric or pseudo-chivalric orders, guilds, or secret societies. Contemporary fraternal orders typically have secular purposes, including social, cu ...

s such as the Knights of Peter Claver, and the

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...

. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

and today, there were many who lived by the code of chivalry outside of the various orders. Some of these knightly orders date back to the days when

crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...

sought to reclaim the

Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...

; others are of more recent origin but still seek to perpetuate the same spirit of service in the present day.

Civic and community engagement

The Queen of Angels Foundation, in addition to fostering religious devotion, also seeks to "celebrate the accomplishments and diversity" of the City of Los Angeles. Through its annual Grand Marian Procession the Foundation also marks Los Angeles' official founding (on 4 September 1781) as a city named in honour of Mary, Queen of Angels (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles). LA City Council and QOA Board

In recognition of its efforts to engage the local community in fostering civic pride, the

Los Angeles City Council The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the City of Los Angeles in California. The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro temp ...

officially recognized the Queen of Angels Foundation in a formal commendation awarded in August 2012. Civic leaders such as former Los Angeles mayor

Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa (; né Villar Jr.; born January 23, 1953) is an American politician who served as the 41st Mayor of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Villaraigosa was a national co-chairman of Hillary ...

and City Council members Tom LaBonge and

Jan Perry Jan C. Perry (born June 8, 1955) is an American politician from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she served on the Los Angeles City Council. Career Perry was a member of the ninth district of the Los Angeles City Council from 200 ...

, among others, have publicly expressed support for the work of the Queen of Angels Foundation. The Foundation has also received the support of the members of Los Angeles consular corps, with official delegations from the Croatian, Filipino, Lithuanian, Polish, Slovakian, and Spanish consulates general taking part in the 2012 Grand Marian Procession and Mass.

Logo and heraldic crest

The corporate logo of the Queen of Angels Foundation consists of a crown with seven stars accompanied by the Latin motto, "Ave Maria, Regina Angelorum" (or "Hail Mary, Queen of the Angels"). Images of the

often depict her with a crown of twelve stars in reference to an allusion found in the twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse of St. John: "A great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars". The iconography of the seven stars is intended to symbolize several important attributes of the Blessed Virgin Mary . The star itself, apart from the number of stars presented, is a traditional sign of Mary. The star figures in many of the titles of Mary, including La Madonna della Stella, Star of the New Evangelization, Star of the Sea, Star of Jacob, Morning Star, and Fixed Star, to name a few. The crown of stars depicted in the Queen of Angels Foundation logo is a Crown of Immortality, reflecting the Catholic teaching of Queenship of Mary. That there are seven stars above her crown also call to mind the key role Mary played in Salvation History. The seven stars on the Crown of Immortality of Our Lady of the Angels also signify the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy as well as the Seven Spiritual

Works of Mercy Works of mercy (sometimes known as acts of mercy) are practices considered meritorious in Christian ethics. The practice is popular in the Catholic Church as an act of both penance and charity. In addition, the Methodist church teaches that the ...

, the Seven

Gifts of the Holy Spirit A spiritual gift or charism (plural: charisms or charismata; in Greek singular: χάρισμα ''charisma'', plural: χαρίσματα ''charismata'') is an extraordinary power given by the Holy Spirit."Spiritual gifts". ''A Dictionary of th ...

, the Seven Virtues, the Seven Joys of Mary and the Seven Sorrows of Mary.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles

As a devotional society resident within the

, the Queen of Angels Foundation maintains a close, cooperative relationship with the archdiocese and strict allegiance to the archbishop of Los Angeles and the wider

Magisterium The magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church is the church's authority or office to give authentic interpretation of the Word of God, "whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition." According to the 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Chu ...

of the Catholic Church.

José Horacio Gómez José Horacio Gómez Velasco (born December 26, 1951) is a Mexican-born American prelate of the Catholic Church. He became the fifth Archbishop of Los Angeles in 2011. He served as Auxiliary Bishop of Denver from 2001 to 2004 and as Archb ...

succeeded Roger Cardinal Mahony as Archbishop of Los Angeles in March 2011. The Archbishop is assisted by six auxiliary bishops, five of whom oversee a separate geographical portion of the archdiocese known as a pastoral region. The current auxiliary bishops are Edward W. Clark, Thomas J. Curry,

Alexander Salazar Alejandro Salazar (born November 28, 1949) is a Costa Rican-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Salazar served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles from 2004 to 2018. He resigned as auxiliary bishop in 20 ...

, Joseph V. Brennan, David G. O'Connell, and Robert E. Barron.

Board of directors

The Queen of Angels Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of directors composed of several prominent Catholic laymen and women, including several philanthropists, intellectuals, and other professionals from throughout the Los Angeles area. As a private devotional society, membership on the board of directors is by invitation only.

References

External links

Queen of Angels Foundation official website