Anniversaries are marked with all sorts of celebrations, but the dedication of a recently renovated church certainly made for a unique observance of the 85th anniversary of Cathedral Chapel.It was, in fact, 85 years to the day of its founding — Sept. 22 — that Archbishop José Gomez presided at the dedication of the mid-Wilshire parish known officially as Cathedral Chapel of St. Vibiana. The date of the dedication also was chosen because it was also the feast of St. Candidus, the martyr whose relic is contained in the new altar stone.The renovated worship space now includes a new altar and baptismal font, newly designed flooring in the sanctuary and the body of the church, and upgraded lighting and electrical systems. It all added up to a joyous day for the parish and Archbishop José Gomez, who presided at the Rite of Dedication in which the new altar was anointed, received the relics of saints and was dressed in new linens.Cathedral Chapel pastor Father Truc Nguyen called his parishioners “incredible,” noting that, “in the last six months during the transformation of our church, their wisdom and patience continued to be outstanding. We have accomplished in a short time some incredible projects by creating a warm, welcoming and prayerful place of worship, in a spirit of ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for all those who come to our parish.” The renovation meant placing the baptismal font in the sanctuary, designing a new altar to architecturally align with the church, and adding to Cathedral Chapel the Piczek-designed stained glass window of Christ the King which had hung in the Cardinal Timothy Manning Chapel at St. Vibiana’s Cathedral before the 1994 earthquake as well as four original candle holders that were used in the cathedral. In addition, Father Nyugen borrowed from the San Fernando Mission sacristy the presider’s chair used by Archbishop John Cantwell, under whose leadership that Cathedral Chapel was founded in 1927. Clearly, a hallmark of the Rite of Dedication seemed to be the attention to detail and reverence for the history and importance of Cathedral Chapel in the history of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The Rite of Dedication was especially important for Gary and Beverly Herman, parishioners since 1952, who were married in Cathedral Chapel in 1954, and whose sons Gary, Greg and Jeff attended Cathedral Chapel School. Gary is president of the school board and a member of the parish finance committee, and he and Beverly are Knight and Dame in the Order of Malta. “This has been a re-birth for our parish,” said Gary before the service. “We are a small congregation — multi-ethnic, warm, and everyone is our friend. It is a beautiful parish and we are lucky enough to have a wonderful pastor who has done so much for our parish.” Our Lady of the Angels Region Auxiliary Bishop Edward Clark, who resides at Cathedral Chapel, noted that the pastor has drawn many people to the parish with his drive and dedication. “It’s incredible what Father Truc has been able to accomplish in a couple years,” noted Bishop Clark. “Just the spirit of the parish and the number of people who have become involved has been wonderful. If we had larger parking lots, we’d have lots more people. This church could be full every Sunday. “And he preaches so well. He works alongside people all the time. He’s a people’s pastor.”“The renovation of the church has been a real community building event for the parish and the school,” said Tina Kipp, principal of Cathedral Chapel School. “The people have gathered together to support Father Truc and to make this dream come true to renovate our church.”{gallery width=100 height=100}gallery/2012/0928/cathchapel/{/gallery}