Beverly Hills Catholic Church Celebrates 90 Years

The Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills held a Mariachi Mass Thursday in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the church's 90th anniversary.

Founded Dec. 12, 1923 in a small nine-year old suburban community that would soon be synonymous worldwide with the rich and famous, the Church of the Good Shepherd has a long and rich history and holds a prominent place in the city’s ties to the entertainment industry. Film notables such as Loretta Young, Gene Kelly, Irene Dunne, Ricardo Montalbano and Bob Newhart as well as President John F. Kennedy have worshipped God within its walls.

Pastor Thomas Welbers, who's served the church for the last 4.5 years, told Patch Wednesday they look forward to having a strong religious presence in Beverly Hills for years to come.

"This is one of the first churches in Beverly Hills," he said. "It's is a very thriving and dynamic faith community."

It was very small community in 1923, Welbers said, and the chracter of the Church of the Good Shepherd has changed over the years as the parish grew. He said the demographics have changed from once having mostly a movie star demographic to now young adult professionals in the entertainment industry. 

Named Patroness of the Americas by Pope John Paul II, Our Lady of Guadalupe is an important part of daily life in the American continent, “from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, from the Pacific to the Atlantic.” Second only to St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Mexico City’s Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most visited churches in the world, attracting millions of pilgrims a year who flock to catch a glimpse of a simple tilma made of maguey fiber which has remarkably lasted for over 500 years. Imprinted upon it is a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary neither painted nor manipulated by human hands – a scientific marvel.

For more information on the church, visit its website here: www.goodshepherdbh.org.