Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Elevated to an archdiocese in 1936, Los Angeles traces its Catholic roots to the San Gabriel Arcángel mission founded in 1771 — the settlement that gave rise to the city itself. The archdiocese covers Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties, encompassing 320 parishes across 8,762 square miles. Its Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, dedicated in 2002, serves as the mother church for the largest archdiocese in the United States.