A History of Holy Angels Church, Arcadia

This history is drawn from the parish clip file: newspaper articles, archdiocesan announcements and parish bulletins collected over the decades.

Origins: from mission chapel to parish (1914–1935)

Holy Angels grew out of a small Mexican mission chapel on Santa Anita Avenue, served from Immaculate Conception in Monrovia for some two decades before Arcadia had its own parish.

A mission for railroad and ranch workers

Around the time of World War I, most of Arcadia's Catholics were Mexican families working on Lucky Baldwin's ranch and building the railroad and electric car lines. Fr. J. J. Sheehy, pastor of Immaculate Conception, learned Spanish from them so he could pray and preach in their language.

The first Mass in Arcadia was said in one of their homes. Fr. Sheehy then received permission to celebrate Mass on the loading platform between the Pacific Electric and Southern Pacific tracks, off Santa Anita Avenue.

An Arcadia resident's memory confirms the chapel's early years. Cacelie Mauch, newly arrived from Germany around 1922, later recalled how much she enjoyed hearing Mass in Spanish at the little Catholic church on Santa Anita Avenue near the railroad tracks.

When the packing house in front of the platform was vacated, Fr. Sheehy bought it for $150. Pacific Electric leased him the land for $1 a year. The building had no seats at first and only a very small altar; baptisms and weddings still took place in Monrovia. A 1918 newspaper noted that 100 soldiers marched in formation to the little chapel for Sunday Mass.

Those soldiers likely came from the army base set up during World War I at Baldwin's racetrack, on land that is now the golf course, where Mass was also said in the base chapel.

Our Lady of Peace

After Baldwin's death the ranch changed management and many Mexican families moved on for work, and the congregation became largely Anglo-American. The chapel took the name Our Lady of Peace.

Fr. Marron of Immaculate Conception raised $300 and parishioners donated labor to remodel the chapel and add pews, finished in time for Easter 1930. In September 1933, Mr. R. Widener, who was not Catholic, financed a school bus in his own name so Arcadia children could attend Immaculate Conception School.

Becoming a parish

In early 1935 Fr. John Moclair of Immaculate Conception judged that Arcadia was ready for its own parish. In February he bought two lots on Holly Street south of Huntington Drive, 126 by 660 feet, from the Mullender Estate for $2,000. The 150 families of the mission raised $785 in cash and $300 in pledges.

In September 1935 Bishop John J. Cantwell named Fr. Gerald M. O'Keeffe, then pastor of St. Mary's in El Centro, as resident pastor. He renamed the new parish the Church of the Holy Angels. Its territory was carved from Immaculate Conception, Monrovia, and Nativity, El Monte, and it counted 275 families.

Fr. O'Keeffe celebrated his first Mass on October 24, 1935, at 8:15 a.m. in the chapel on Santa Anita Avenue. It was so crowded that an assistant priest was brought in from Altadena and an 11:00 a.m. Mass was added.

Within weeks Pacific Electric asked the parish to vacate. On December 9, 1935, work began moving the chapel to the Holly Street lots, where it was enlarged to seat 200. The first Mass there was celebrated on Christmas Day, 1935.

After Mass one Sunday, the men of the parish loaded the building onto trucks and moved it themselves. They gave it a coat of stucco and new furnishings; it stood where the school playground equipment is today. Among the first celebrations held there was the 50th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mock.

Within a month of the founding, on November 9, 1935, the Holy Name Society and the Altar Society were organized. They took on raising funds for a permanent church and remained the parish's strongest groups for decades.

The name honors the feasts of the Archangels (September 29) and the Guardian Angels (October 2), which fall just before the founding date. The parish keeps its feast day on October 2.

Sources differ on some details: attendance at the first Mass is given as 135 in one account and 336 in another, and a 1950 clipping remembers a boxcar seating 14, enlarged to 58. The founding date is consistently October 24, 1935; the December 1935 date sometimes used likely reflects the move to Holly Street.

The 1995 anniversary narration counts just over 90 Catholic families in the area at the founding, and credits Fr. O'Keeffe with buying the school bus from savings he made by boarding with a parish family. Other accounts give 275 families and credit Mr. Widener with the bus.

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Early years (1935–1960)

Within four years the parish moved from the relocated mission chapel into a permanent Spanish colonial church, and by 1960 it had grown nearly tenfold to 2,250 families.

The first permanent church

By the end of 1937 the parish had about 500 registered families. That year it set up a priests' residence at 146 W. Duarte Road and, on June 13, bought the property at Huntington Drive and Holly Avenue for $3,000.

In December 1937 Fr. O'Keeffe asked the Holy Name and Altar Societies to help fund a new church. The first Fiesta de Santa Anita, held at the racetrack in June 1938, was recorded in the parish annals as not very successful. A turkey dinner that October raised $200. The parish's very first fund drive had brought in only $150, but picnics, barbecues and later fiestas raised thousands.

Ground was broken on July 4, 1939, under a $35,000 permit issued to Archbishop John J. Cantwell. George J. Adams was the architect and A. R. Hoover of Arcadia the builder.

Young Arcadian Jim Hayes, born in 1922, climbed the church while it was under construction and photographed the town from the top. His pictures show the intersection of Holly Avenue and Huntington Drive, the Pacific Electric trolley, the new Santa Anita racetrack, and the road then called Huntington Boulevard, today's Campus Drive, running along the south edge of the old Ross Field.

The church was designed in the California Mission style, recalling the chain of missions Junípero Serra built as resting places for travelers far from home. That suited a parish whose members, like their pastor, had mostly come to Arcadia from somewhere else.

The plans called for a bell tower, stained glass windows showing Bible stories of angels, a floor sloping down toward the altar, and central heating and cooling. The altar was of dark imported mahogany beneath a large walnut crucifix. A courtyard for gathering after Mass was also planned, but World War II postponed the rest of the building program.

The new church opened on December 17, 1939, with a solemn procession and Benediction, and the first Solemn High Mass followed at 5:00 a.m. on Christmas Day.

Archbishop Cantwell dedicated the church on April 28, 1940, before more than 40 priests and an overflow crowd. It was the first official act of his new secretary, Fr. Timothy Manning, the future Cardinal Archbishop of Los Angeles. The old chapel became a center for the young people's club and other youth activities.

The parish's first funeral in the new church, for Joseph Grant, took place on January 28, 1940. Bishop Lucey of Texas administered the first Confirmation there on May 15, 1940.

Sources differ on a few points. The 1995 anniversary narration dates the groundbreaking to July 1938, with 125 people present, and places the Eucharistic procession at the 1940 dedication. The dated photograph and the parish annals give July 4, 1939, and the annals record a procession at the December 17, 1939 opening. Seating is given as 450 and as 500.

Music in the church

Mrs. Florence Beery (Mrs. Charles J. Beery) donated the church's first organ on October 27, 1940. About ten years later she gave a 1,500-pipe Reuter organ, costing $15,000, in memory of her husband.

The new organ was designed by Msgr. Robert E. Brennan, the archdiocesan director of music, with Alfred Kilgen. Sunday High Mass at 9:30 then featured two choirs under Dr. Robert B. Brown: a 30-voice adult choir and a 50-voice liturgical choir of men and boys.

Growth and division

Arcadia's postwar boom filled the church quickly. New parishes were carved from Holy Angels territory: St. Luke's in Temple City (1946), Annunciation in Arcadia (1952), and the north end of Arcadia, transferred to St. Rita's in Sierra Madre. Even so, the parish counted about 1,200 families in 1951.

By the end of the 1940s more than 3,000 people a week were attending Mass at Holy Angels.

In 1951 work began on a $75,000 expansion. Builders Steed Brothers cut the church in two, moved the sanctuary end back 42 feet and built a new section between, with a basement beneath. Completed by March 1952, it raised seating from 500 to nearly 900 without changing the original design.

A choir extension in the 1960s brought the church's capacity to almost 1,000.

A rectory followed, with construction starting August 26, 1954. That December, Pope Pius XII named Fr. O'Keeffe a monsignor.

In June 1950 the parish marked three milestones in one day: Fr. O'Keeffe's silver jubilee as a priest, his 50th birthday, and the parish's 15th anniversary. At the banquet, pioneer parishioners recalled the old boxcar church.

At its silver jubilee in June 1960, the parish served 2,250 families in a city of 42,196. The campus by then held the church, a 16-classroom school, an auditorium, a convent and a rectory.

A parish of active societies

The 1957 parish directory lists six Sunday Masses, from 6:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. It also names a wide circle of organizations:

• Parish Council of Catholic Women and Ladies' Altar Society
• Catholic Parent Teachers' Association and Parish Men's Club
• St. Vincent de Paul Society and Legion of Mary
• Knights of Columbus (Archbishop Cantwell Council) and Catholic Daughters of America
• Santa Anita Club for young adults, a high school club and the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
• Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Explorers, Bluebirds and Camp Fire Girls

The Council of Catholic Women alone gave more than seven tons of food, clothing and furniture to needy families at home and abroad between June 1949 and June 1950.

The annual Fiesta de Santa Anita became the parish's signature fundraiser. Its eighth edition in June 1950 helped furnish the new convent. One later fiesta moved to Santa Anita Race Track itself, with singer Dennis Day and umpire Beans Reardon on the bill.

Note: one clipping on the 1950 celebration carries a stamped date of June 23, 1958. Its content (silver jubilee, 50th birthday, 15th anniversary, convent under construction) fits June 1950.

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Holy Angels School

Holy Angels School opened in October 1946 with about 190 pupils in six grades, taught by the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity. By 1960 it had more than 800 students, with two classrooms for each of eight grades.

Before 1946, Arcadia's Catholic children had to travel to Immaculate Conception School in Monrovia. The parish ran its first summer school in 1938 with the Sisters of Loreto and lay teachers.

A Catholic girls' high school was once planned for the campus, but it was built instead at the present Alverno High School site in Sierra Madre. The former convent later became the offices of the parish religious education program.

Dedication in the rain

Bishop Joseph T. McGucken dedicated the school on Sunday, March 14, 1948, when a heavy downpour drove the crowd indoors. The portable altar set up in the schoolyard had to be carried into the school hall.

Enrollment then stood at 325, with an eighth grade due to be added that September. Fr. O'Keeffe warned that the building's 400-seat capacity would soon be strained. He predicted six more classrooms would be needed within four years. The principal was Sister M. Francine.

Expansion

The six Stately children, who lived next door, made the newspaper in 1952 as "sidewalk superintendents" of the addition. That same year Fr. O'Keeffe publicly backed an Arcadia public school bond, saying the city needed more classrooms of both kinds.

Sources differ slightly: first-year enrollment appears as 187 and 197, and the convent as 1948, 1949 and 1950. A 1950 clipping announces its formal opening reception on August 20.

The 1981 city history Arcadia: Where Ranch and City Meet dates the school's opening to 1947, with 235 students. Parish sources give October 1946, so the city's date may reflect the first full school year. The 2010 capital campaign history gives 197 pupils in September 1946, in a school of eight classrooms, a cafeteria and auditorium, a clinic and offices. The Franciscan Sisters of Penance and Christian Charity, who helped open the school, were followed by the Felician Sisters from 1971 to the mid-1980s.

In 1997 the parish chartered the Holy Angels Educational Endowment to secure the long-term financial stability of its educational programs: the school, religious education, youth programs and the RCIA. Overseen by a board of trustees, it had received gifts from more than 900 donors by 2021.

School life

The clippings show a lively school community:

• Eighth graders built replicas of the California missions for a 1950 PTA exhibit.
• Students hosted an American Education Week program attended by Congressman Patrick Hillings.
• The school won the perpetual trophy at the Knights of Columbus grammar school track meet.
• The Catholic Parent-Teacher Association chartered a Library Club for parish children ages 8 to 14 and later staged a Family Art Walk in the auditorium.
• Mother Mary Bernard, O.S.F., principal in the 1950s, celebrated her silver jubilee of religious profession with an open house at the convent.

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Renewal and change (1973–2004)

After 38 years under its founder, Holy Angels passed through four pastors in three decades, celebrated its golden jubilee and renewed its buildings and its parish council.

The end of the founding era

Msgr. O'Keeffe resigned for reasons of age and health in 1973 and became pastor emeritus, staying at the rectory to visit the sick and counsel parishioners. Cardinal Timothy Manning named Fr. Robert Walsh, founding pastor of St. Julie Billiart in Newbury Park, as second pastor.

Msgr. O'Keeffe died on February 15, 1975, at 74. Cardinal Manning celebrated his funeral Mass at Holy Angels. That October the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors renamed the County Rose Gardens across the street in his memory.

When the area across the street was later redeveloped for the Arcadia community center, the rose garden and its memorial plaque were moved and rededicated by the city. With the city council's blessing, Arcadia High School landscaping students and volunteers dug up most of the roses Msgr. O'Keeffe had loved one Saturday and replanted them around the high school campus.

A parish press release describes the rededication ceremony on Thursday, December 12, 1991, coordinated by Mayor Charles Gilb and William Schmitt of the Finance Council. Boy Scout Troop 104 posted the colors, and Msgr. Walsh, now pastor emeritus, spoke about his predecessor. Mrs. Anna DeBenedetto placed flowers, and the school choir, directed by Jerry Jaco, sang "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" and "America the Beautiful." Fr. Norman Priebe gave the closing remarks. Msgr. O'Keeffe's nephew John McCarthy, whose family ran O'Keeffe's Religious Articles on Baldwin Avenue, attended with his family.

The Walsh years (1973–1989)

Fr. Walsh renovated the church, auditorium, school and grounds. He re-established the Santa Anita Singles' Club and opened it to the whole San Gabriel Valley.

The church interior was remodeled in the 1970s to reflect the Second Vatican Council's emphasis on the people's participation in the Mass. The hanging ceiling lights were installed in 1984, and a new sound and lighting system in 1985.

The parish saw its first ordinations. Cardinal Manning ordained Laurence Spiteri a deacon at Holy Angels on December 11, 1976, and a priest on January 21, 1978. In the three years before 1985 the parish received more than 160 adult converts.

On June 1, 1985, the convent became the residence of the Legionaries of Christ, making Holy Angels their founding parish in the western United States. The Felician Sisters moved to a house the parish bought.

Golden jubilee (1984–1985)

The 50th anniversary year opened with a parish fiesta in October 1984. Its high point was a concelebrated Mass on September 22, 1985, with Bishop John J. Ward presiding and preaching, Arcadia Mayor Don Pellegrino attending, and original parishioners honored.

A three-day Golden Fiesta followed on October 4–6, 1985, along with a Holy Land and Rome pilgrimage and a parish pictorial. The parish then counted about 3,200 families.

Fr. Walsh was named a Prelate of Honor (monsignor) by Pope John Paul II in 1988. He retired in 1989 and stayed on as pastor emeritus.

Fr. Daly and Msgr. Priebe (1989–2003)

Fr. Patrick J. Daly of Tullamore, Ireland, became pastor on July 3, 1989, his first pastorate. In two years he drew many parishioners into liturgical and lay ministry in the spirit of Vatican II. He died in Ireland in 2001 at age 60.

Fr. Norman F. Priebe, a Nebraska native ordained in 1967, became pastor on April 15, 1991, when the parish had 2,400 registered families. He was named a monsignor in 1992. As of 2025 he was retired and living at St. Dorothy in Glendora.

In 1994 The Tidings featured Holy Angels for remaking its parish council. It shrank from about 40 representatives of every parish group to 16 members, mostly at-large parishioners nominated by their peers, focused on long-range planning.

Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala of the San Gabriel Region presided at the 60th anniversary Mass on October 22, 1995. On December 17 he blessed the new Gathering Center, accessible restrooms, ramps for the church and rectory, and refurbished confessionals. Parishioners raised the $275,000 cost; parishioner Bruce Renfrow was the architect. Glen-Arc Construction built the project, and Anthony Pasqualone chaired the building committee. At the dedication, Assemblyman Bob Margett and his wife Beverly, both parishioners, presented Msgr. Priebe with a certificate, and a Book of Remembrance listing the donors was displayed in the new Gathering Center.

Msgr. Priebe left in 2003 to become pastor of St. Jerome in Los Angeles. Fr. Michael Evans, a Glendale native, followed as administrator and was named pastor in July 2005, serving until 2017. Fr. Evans had been ordained in 1992 and went on to St. Bernardine of Siena in Woodland Hills.

Bishop Zavala, born in Tijuana in 1951, had been ordained an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles on March 19, 1994, and served in that role until 2012. His name is partly cut off in the 1996 clipping, but his dates as auxiliary bishop fit this reading.

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Seventy-five years of faith (2005–2017)

Under Fr. Michael Evans, Holy Angels prepared for its 75th anniversary by planning for the next generation. By 2009 the parish served more than 3,700 registered families through more than 30 ministries, but most campus buildings were over sixty years old. The rectory, religious education building, youth room and scout center had all been designed as homes, and the scattered layout kept parish groups apart. Several improvements had already been made in the years before. In the school, these included a new lunch shelter for school and parish, a computer lab, a new library, remodeled restrooms, updated heating and air conditioning, exterior painting, a new asphalt coating and a new roof. In the church, they included better handicapped access and seating, interior painting, an improved audio system and upgraded lighting.

In 2008–2009 a Facilities Master Plan Committee of fourteen parishioners surveyed the needs of every ministry, studied the campus and visited other parishes. The parish hired JVC Architects, a firm specializing in Catholic parishes, and a focus group of nearly forty parishioners reviewed the design, which was coordinated with the City of Arcadia and the Archdiocese. Its December 2009 case statement set out four needs: room for growth, a center that would bring parishioners together, facilities brought up to current standards, and better parking and circulation. The plan unfolded in phases:

• Phase 1A: modernization and expansion of Msgr. Walsh Hall, the parish's only large indoor gathering space, together with a new roof and roof facade for the Education Building to match the church and hall. Estimated cost: $1,480,000.
• Phase 1B: a two-story Ministry and Education Center near the church, a new Youth and Scout Room, and a central Parish Courtyard. Estimated cost: $2,180,000.
• Phase 2: turning the rectory into a Parish Center for administration and ministries, with the priests moving to the parish-owned house on the east side of campus. Estimated cost: $1,878,000.
• Later phases: a new School Administration Center, demolition of the old convent, youth building, scout room and garages to improve parking, and a relocated playground and larger playing field.

To fund it, the parish launched the capital campaign "75 Years of Faith – Building for the Future," with three-year pledges and an initial goal of at least $1.5 million for Phase 1A. The Samartin family donated the design of the campaign brochure. Of the master plan, only Phase 1A was completed.

The parish marked its 75th anniversary in 2010. In those 75 years Holy Angels had celebrated 8,657 baptisms, 9,670 First Communions, 6,708 confirmations, 2,797 weddings and 3,734 funerals.

Construction of Phase 1A began with a notice to proceed on April 25, 2011. JVC Architects designed the work, Hoffman & Associates built it, and Castle Real Estate managed the project. Through the summer, crews built a new entry lobby and modern restrooms on the west side of Msgr. Walsh Hall, expanded the hall to the north, rebuilt its kitchen, and installed new audio-visual equipment, lighting, fire sprinklers and heating and air conditioning. The schedule called for final inspections on October 24–25, 2011, and a completed punch list by October 31.

On August 25, 2012, Holy Angels held its first annual Gala, a fundraising dinner whose proceeds paid for new carpeting and flooring in the church. Parishioner Mike Bradvica of European Craftsman Hardwood Floors donated the restoration of the church's 73-year-old hardwood floors near the baptistery and on the east side, replacing damaged pieces and refinishing the rest.

In 2014 the parish replaced the roof of the school's north–south wing, about fifteen years past its expected life and leaking with every rain, along with eight outdated heating and air conditioning units. The work was estimated at about $350,000. With $200,000 already covered by parish funds and generous donors, Fr. Evans wrote to parishioners in March 2014 asking for help with the remaining $150,000. His letter noted that the school served more than 300 students from preschool through eighth grade, that more than 97% of graduates were accepted at their first-choice high school, and that more than 200 religious education students also used its classrooms. Hoffman & Associates began demolition at the start of summer break 2014, with JVC Architects again as architect, and the City issued the permit on July 2.

Maintenance continued in Fr. Evans's last years as pastor. An Easter 2016 bulletin update listed the work completed since December 2015:

• The main parking lot was regraded, paved and striped.
• The rectory received a new roof, replacing a leaking roof about 35 years old, and new floors in the office hallway, upstairs hallway, stairs and pastor's rooms.
• The driveway beside the religious education building was upgraded for better access and security.
• A new security camera system was installed at the school over the Easter break.
• Scaffolding went up so speakers could be installed throughout the church for the organ project then under way.
• In the vestibule, the poor box and literature racks were moved to make room for new windows looking into the church, and new speakers let people there hear the Mass.

A final phase of repaving would widen the driveways along the west side of the church and in front of the rectory and hall, adding handicapped parking. The projects were funded by gifts from parishioner families and by proceeds from the sale of the parish property at 322 Campus Drive, and coordinated by Deacon Bruce Sago in the parish office.

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Caring for the campus (2018–2026)

Between 2018 and 2024 the parish carried out a steady series of renewal projects on the church and school, most of them contracted through the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Construction Department. Several later projects were funded through the parish's share of the Archdiocese's Called to Renew campaign.

A new organ (2018). In 2018 the parish bought a three-manual Rodgers Artist 589 digital organ in dark oak, with 282 voices including chimes and a zimbelstern. It plays through the church's existing organ speakers, with two new subwoofers and antiphonal speakers in the balcony chambers. Nelson Dodge of Church Keyboard Center voiced the instrument in consultation with music director and organist Jerry Jaco. Fr. Kevin signed the contract on September 7, 2018, and the final payment for installation and tonal finishing was made on October 18, 2018.

The Rodgers organ ended a long wait. In August 2015 the parish had contracted with a small organ builder for a new instrument, promised by April 2016 and funded largely by a restricted estate gift from Sam and June Miglore. The organ was never built. After meeting with the builder in December 2017 and consulting the Archdiocese's lawyers, the Finance Council decided in March 2018 to cut its losses and start over. Fr. Kevin insisted the parish honor the original donors' intent, and their gift went toward the Rodgers organ, together with a bequest from Emmett and Grace O'Brien. The new organ was dedicated and blessed on December 2, 2018. Its engraved plaque honors Emmett and Grace O'Brien, "whose generous bequest made this possible," and thanks Ryan and Jennifer Squire.

Cooling the church (2019). By 2018 the church's water-chiller air conditioning was 25 to 30 years old. In July its cooling tower fell off after clogging with calcium, and the system failed on the hottest day of that summer. Its technicians warned it would not survive another season. The parish appealed for donations marked "AC Project," quoting St. Ignatius of Loyola: "Teach us to give and not count the cost." Air-Tro of Monrovia replaced the 60-ton system with a new York condenser and an Alliance air handler with an economizer. Fr. Kevin signed the contract on February 20, 2019, with completion hoped for by April 12 and required by May 31, 2019. In the end, Air-Tro began the installation on June 18, 2019, planning about two weeks of work.

The school building (2023). Vancrest Construction pressure-washed, patched and repainted the school's exterior walls, trim, doors and railings, and the lunch canopy, in Dunn-Edwards paint between June 26 and August 31, 2023. That September the parish paid Pride Roofing & Waterproofing the remaining $142,398.37 on a new school roof.

A new phone system (2023–2024). Over the 2023 Christmas break, Rage Technologies installed an Avaya IP Office system for the school and church, with 50 desk phones. The work was scheduled from December 23, 2023 to January 8, 2024.

Waterproofing the church basement (2024). In April and May 2024 Vancrest excavated along the church, waterproofed the basement walls, installed a sump pump, and repaired the concrete and asphalt. The crew found a way to avoid removing some of the concrete, which earned the parish a $4,356 credit and brought the cost down from $43,180 to $38,824.

The Gathering Center (2024). Starting September 2, 2024, Vancrest cleared the downspouts, installed 120 feet of new seamless gutters, resealed the metal coping, repainted the Gathering Center structure inside and out, and converted its 20 fluorescent fixtures to LED lighting.

The solar carport and EV chargers (2023–2026)

In the parking lot beside the school, Holy Angels built a solar carport that shades parked cars while generating electricity for the campus, and added public electric vehicle chargers beneath it. The project ran from the summer of 2023 to early 2026 at a final cost of $724,182.50.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles signed the contract on the parish's behalf with Mesa Energy Systems, Inc., doing business as EMCOR Services Mesa Energy, of Irvine. Fr. Kevin Rettig signed for Holy Angels on July 6, 2023, and the Archdiocese executed it the next day. The contract, dated June 7, 2023, called for work to begin June 26, 2023 and finish by October 31, 2024.

The system as designed:

• 102.3 kilowatts of solar capacity from 186 ZNShine 550-watt panels
• A Teichert steel carport with painted columns, at least 10 feet of clearance, and LED lighting underneath
• Two inverters (50 kW and 36 kW), tied into the campus's main electrical service just north of the array and interconnected with Southern California Edison
• Web-based production monitoring, with five years of cellular service

The design had to be reworked during permitting. The original layout conflicted with the property lines, and the City of Arcadia required the carport columns to stand at the corners of the existing parking stalls so the lot's layout could be kept. That called for heavier purlins, and the geotechnical report, not available when the project was bid, called for deeper footings. Fr. Kevin approved the resulting change order on October 1, 2024.

Approval from the City of Arcadia took most of 2024. In May the City asked that the lot be redrawn to code, which would have cost 14 parking spaces. EMCOR filed a hardship notice under California's Solar Rights Act, and the Finance Council weighed moving the panels to the school lunch canopy and roof instead. By September the City's planners had agreed to the design. That November the City ruled that the state's CALGreen building code required four EV chargers with any new solar carport, and a request for a hardship exception was turned down in December.

Earlier milestones also shaped the design. In February 2024 Southern California Edison accepted the parish's application to be grandfathered into the favorable NEM 2.0 net metering rates. In March 2024 the City noted that the proposed site spanned two separate lots, so EMCOR folded the planned second, smaller carport over the accessible spaces into one larger structure. In March 2025 the parish chose ChargePoint as its EV charging provider. Construction began with a groundbreaking on July 14, 2025, when Fr. Kevin blessed the site.

A later change order added the EV chargers themselves. The charging stations run on the ChargePoint network at $2.25 per hour. Bollards and guards were added last to protect the equipment.

Southern California Edison granted Permission to Operate on December 22, 2025, approving the system at a rated 92.8 kilowatts AC under net energy metering, and the parish was cleared to turn it on. EMCOR's ninth pay application, for the period ending February 28, 2026, showed every item complete. The parish is also using the federal elective pay provision (Section 6417 of the tax code), which lets tax-exempt organizations receive the clean energy investment credit as a direct payment.

The EV chargers were in service by November 2025, with the solar carport following in December. The parish set introductory charging rates below nearby public chargers to build a habit of use. In its first months the carport cut the parish's monthly Edison bills by about 40 percent.

Repaving the parking lots (2026)

In the summer of 2026 the parish repaved two of its lots: the Main Parking Lot along Holly Avenue and the Youth House Lot on the east side of campus. The contractor seal-coated and restriped the others: the Holly Ave Lot beside the church, the Rectory Lot and the Circular Lot on Campus Drive, and the School Lot, which doubles as the school's play yard. The two Holly Avenue driveways were also reconstructed. The work cost $307,060, paid from the parish's Called to Renew capital campaign funds.

The Archdiocese contracted with Commercial Paving & Coating of Los Angeles on the parish's behalf. Fr. Kevin Rettig signed on April 13, 2026, and the Archdiocese executed the contract the next day. It combined three proposals dated October 13, 2025:

• Main Parking Lot: pulverize about 52,600 square feet of old asphalt, regrade, lay four inches of new hot-mix asphalt, and restripe to the existing layout.
• Holly Ave, Rectory, Circular and School Lots: patch damaged areas, apply a slurry seal over some 53,000 square feet, and restripe the parking and play-yard markings.
• Youth House Lot: remove and replace about 3,900 square feet of asphalt.

Permitting raised a question over whether the City of Arcadia would require new stormwater retention for the project. Monrovia engineer Barbara L. Hall, P.E., showed the City that repaving qualified as routine maintenance under its code, and the City agreed no retention system was needed. Her striping plan, dated July 17, 2026, kept the lot's 127 stalls unchanged: 116 standard, 4 for EV charging, 5 accessible and 2 van-accessible.

The work was done in phases, starting in late June. The main lot closed the week of July 6–10, 2026; the new asphalt was poured that Friday, and the striped lot reopened on Saturday afternoon. The EV chargers came back online, and on July 20 the first car charged in the new lot.

The City required the Holly Avenue driveways to be brought up to its standards, so the parish added that work in a second change order approved July 29, 2026. Traffic used the Fairview Avenue driveways while the two approaches, about 1,080 square feet of concrete, were rebuilt. With that, the whole project was finished in August 2026.

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Pastors and clergy

Six pastors have led Holy Angels since 1935, and the founder alone served 38 years.

Associate pastors

The 1985 jubilee history lists the priests who served as assistants or associates.

Under Msgr. O'Keeffe: Frs. Hugh O'Connor, Thomas O'Carroll, Daniel McLaughlin, Alex Dufresne, William Lundy, Emmett B. McCarthy, Patrick J. McHugh, Joseph T. Ryan, John Folliard, Henry Van Son, William Farney, Leland Boyer, Robert Bryne, Arthur Malin, S.V.D., Thomas J. Spellman, Dasan Dalneida, Bradley Dusak, Thomas Stehly, Thomas McGovern, Terrance O'Brien, Joseph McManus, Lawrence Coen, Gerald Pleastz, William McLaughlin, Paul Barrett, Hugh McSorley and George Brincat.

Under Msgr. Walsh, to 1985: Frs. Hugh McSorley, George Brincat, Ralph Fitzpatrick, Robert Folbrecht, Cornelius Phelan, Timothy Rawle, Gordon Chang, Laurence Spiteri and Emile Belletty.

Later clippings mention Fr. Richard Patterson as associate pastor in 1994. Fr. Blaise Brockman, born June 12, 1947, was ordained on July 11, 1977, and spent 14 years at St. Andrew's Abbey in Valyermo before joining the Archdiocese. He has served as associate pastor since July 1, 2011.

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Service and outreach

From its earliest years Holy Angels looked beyond its own walls, sending aid to prisons, missions and neighbors in need, and taking a leading part in Arcadia civic life.

• Prison ministry. The St. Vincent de Paul Society mailed leftover copies of The Tidings to San Quentin; the prison reported receiving 1,187 copies from the parish in 1950.
• Blood and community drives. Parishioners gave 119 of the 347 pints collected on one Red Cross visit to Arcadia in the early 1950s. In 1954 parish women recruited 96 Community Chest volunteers against a quota of 50.
• Mexico. In December 1957 parish women and the Catholic Daughters helped host a civic reception for Mother M. Catherine, who was building a school, shelter and orphanage for the poor in Tijuana.
• New Mexico. The parish Christian service group WeCare, in its first year, sent more than 40 sacks of clothing and 30 cartons of food to Native American families in Gallup after a visit from Bishop Jerome Hastrich.
• The deaf community. The San Gabriel Valley Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center was based at Holy Angels by the late 1960s, with Fr. Brian Doran as moderator.
• Reading. The parish library had grown to 400 volumes with a children's section by 1951, and the CPTA's Library Club was opened to public school children attending Saturday catechism.

Lay leaders anchored this work. Edward C. Higgins Jr., who died in 1968, led the Holy Name and St. Vincent de Paul societies and served as grand knight of the Archbishop Cantwell Council, Knights of Columbus. His son became a Passionist priest and his daughter a Franciscan sister.

A 1966 Arcadia religious census found 7,394 Roman Catholics among about 23,000 people surveyed, the largest single group at roughly 32 percent.

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Holy Angels today

Ninety-one years after its first Mass, Holy Angels still occupies the corner of Huntington Drive and Holly Avenue, across from the gardens named for its founder. The parish office sits at 370 Campus Drive, the same number the rectory carried when the street was W. Huntington Place. On November 9, 1960, the Arcadia Planning Commission recommended renaming Huntington Place as Campus Drive because Arcadia High School stands on the street.

Fr. Kevin Rettig has been pastor since July 1, 2017, serving with associate pastor Fr. Blaise Brockman, at Holy Angels since July 1, 2011, and Deacons Arnaldo "Arnie" Lopez and Raymond "Mike" Jaurequi, with Enrique Reyes as business manager. Holy Angels School continues on the campus beside the church, at 360 Campus Drive, with a preschool and grades TK through 8, led again by principal Aimée Dyrek. The 2025 Archdiocesan directory lists Holy Angels in Deanery 11 of the San Gabriel Pastoral Region, with 5,705 registered families, more than twice the 2,400 of 1991. It also records the clergy's ordination years: Fr. Kevin in 1984 and Fr. Blaise in 1977. Holy Angels was one of four parishes the Archdiocese established in 1935, and it should not be confused with Holy Angels Church of the Deaf in Vernon, a personal parish founded in 1987.

Recent stewardship of the campus has continued the work begun in 1939, including sanctuary carpet replacement. Two major projects of the Rettig years remade the parish parking lots: the solar carport with EV charging, and the 2026 repaving of the lots and school yard.

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Recent parish life (2017–2026)

The minutes of the Holy Angels Finance Council from 2017 to 2026 record much of the parish's life in recent years: its liturgies, school milestones, campus work and the community's response to the 2025 wildfires.

One new tradition runs through these years. Holy Angels began an annual Corpus Christi procession in 2018, a celebration Fr. Kevin noted few parishes in the area observe. It was held on June 3, 2018 and June 23, 2019, paused during the pandemic, and resumed on June 18, 2022, June 10, 2023, June 1, 2024, June 21, 2025 and June 6, 2026. The 2027 procession is scheduled for May 29. Since 2022 it has generally followed the 5 p.m. Saturday Mass, for cooler evening weather.

2017

• May: New glass was ready for the church vestibule so that families with young children waiting there could see the altar. Fr. Michael Evans was reassigned as pastor of St. Bernardine of Siena in Woodland Hills, and his Finance Council stepped down so the new pastor could form his own.
• Fall: On November 1, Enrique Reyes, formerly business manager of St. Agatha Church in Los Angeles, became Parish Business Manager, succeeding Deacon Bruce Sago. Mike Stafford of St. Joseph the Worker, Fr. Kevin's former parish, helped with parish finances in the interim.
• November 30: Fr. Kevin's new Finance Council held its first meeting, with plans to meet monthly. The council learned of the Archdiocese's coming Called to Renew capital campaign and took up the stalled organ project. In December the parish kept its traditions of HAFMA's Simbang Gabi Mass and the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass.

2018

• January 17: Under chair Eric Bell, the council began working with Nelson Dodge of Rodgers Organs after the original organ vendor failed to deliver. It also agreed to resume publishing parish financial summaries in the bulletin. About 980 families were known to the parish through offertory envelopes.
• February 7: Eric Bell and Enrique Reyes attended the Archdiocese's annual regional finance presentation at St. Anthony Church in San Gabriel.
• February–March: Carina Moreno gave the Together in Mission kickoff talks, followed by Finance Council members on March 3–4. By April the parish had its best Together in Mission results in its history, with 301 donors.
• Lent: After a theft during the Ash Wednesday services and problems with panhandling, the parish began a pilot program with a weekend security guard at Masses.
• March 14: The council decided to cut ties with the original organ vendor. The speakers it had delivered were sent to Rodgers for testing.
• April 1: The bulletin began a quarterly notice about the tax benefits of donating property. That month the parish held a mission on the theme "What More Can I Do?"
• April 18: The Archdiocese assigned Holy Angels to Wave 5 of Called to Renew, then set for January to June 2021. Msgr. Walsh Hall was being rented for funeral receptions and small events.
• April 24: Archdiocesan audit of the parish and school.
• May 23: The council approved the 2018–2019 budget and a new schedule of fees for baptisms, funerals, weddings and Mass intentions, effective July 1. A leak in the church tower was repaired, and the poor box was helping more parishioners than in the past. Fr. Kevin asked that bequests be promoted regularly and that the parish website be redone.
• June 3: Holy Angels held its first Corpus Christi procession, beginning in the church at the end of the 5 p.m. Mass. The AngelGram invited all to "walk together as disciples of the Lord." The procession included the newly baptized from the Easter Vigil, the newly confirmed, First Communion children, the Italian Catholic Federation, the Holy Angels Filipino Ministry, school and religious education families, parish organizations, and friends and neighbors, with everyone welcome to come in cultural dress.
• June 27: Allen and Rodgers were interviewed for the new organ, and music director Jerry Jaco was comfortable with both. The council also discussed a parish presence on social media and a new website.
• July: The church's aging cooling tower fell off after clogging with calcium, setting off the search for a new air conditioning system. The Finance Council chose Rodgers for the new organ, funded in part by gifts from parishioners.
• July: The council launched "Choirs of Angels," a perpetual Mass program for the living and deceased, suggested to bereaved families in lieu of flowers. Anne Yenny staffed the Gathering Center in August to promote parish registration and online giving.
• Summer: The positions of Confirmation coordinator and elementary religious education coordinator came open.
• September: Scaffolding went up for the new organ's speakers.
• October 13–14: Finance Council members spoke at every Mass for the offertory campaign "Our Heritage, Our Future," which drew 94 commitment cards.
• October 19–21: Parish Fiesta.
• October 23: The new organ was installed, with an organ concert planned for the beginning of Advent. The parish planned to replace the church air conditioning that winter, through a special donor or a fundraising gala.
• November 20: The choir loft was patched and painted in time for Christmas, and the council arranged insurance for the new organ. Mass counts showed the 11 a.m. Mass as the largest and the 7 a.m. as the smallest. Bids came in from Don Glenn and Air-Tro for the church air conditioning, and Christmas letters and an e-blast sought donations for the project.

2019

• January 22: The council learned that Holy Angels had met its Together in Mission goal for 2018, the first time in many years. Half of the overage went to the air conditioning project, which had received the bishop's approval. The original organ builder admitted fault and agreed to repay the parish in installments. Envelopes for restricted gifts were placed in the pews.
• February 19: Holy Angels hosted the Archdiocese's regional finance presentation.
• March 2 and May 11: Carina Moreno returned as Together in Mission speaker, with Finance Council members following up at Masses.
• March 20: Principal Aimée Dyrek reviewed the Archdiocesan audit of the school with the council, along with new safeguards such as direct-debit tuition. The school was marketing itself at Monrovia Days, through lawn signs, Facebook and a Chinese-language directory ad, and had eight international students. The parish chose LPI to handle its bulletin, website and online giving. The 11 a.m. Mass had become the parish's best attended for giving, helped by school family activities.
• April: Gerard Tamparong joined the Finance Council.
• Spring: The school reconstituted its advisory board. Repairs were made to the school roof, the Youth House was tented, the Scout House roof was addressed, and lighting was improved around the school, Scout House and parking lot.
• May 11–12: Together in Mission appeal, following a parish mission led by Frs. Dick and Bob Gielow, C.M., on May 6–9.
• June: 34 eighth graders graduated. The Archdiocese opened a parish account for the coming Called to Renew campaign.
• June 18: Air-Tro began installing the new church air conditioning. If the heat rose before it was finished, the 5 p.m. Masses could move to the Hall.
• June 23: The second annual Corpus Christi procession.
• September 18: The school ended the year in the black, had fully adopted the Smart Tuition payment system, and ran a two-week summer camp. Its international students fell from seven to two as families were denied visas. Eric Bell began working with Aimée Dyrek to form a school finance council.
• Fall: The parish moved to the new online giving provider, and by November 72 donors had switched to the new platform. A donated Honda Fit was traded in toward a new car for Fr. Kevin. The 2019 Fiesta was held, the last before the pandemic.
• November 20: The Finance Council learned that Holy Angels would be in Wave 5 of Called to Renew, then expected to start in January 2021. Plans began for a steering committee and a wish list of major needs. The school considered storing Kids Klub buses on campus in exchange for free busing for student trips.
• 2019–2020 school year: A lecture series for families on kindness (November), the dangers of vaping (January) and cyber security (March).
• December: Holy Angels received the City of Arcadia's 2019 Holiday Decoration Award from Arcadia Beautiful, as the most beautifully decorated church in the city, thanks to parishioners who donated lights and funds. On December 12, a procession set out from Gate 8 of Santa Anita Park for a Spanish-language Mass of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Holy Angels.

2020

• February 8–9 and 15–16: Finance Council members made the Together in Mission appeals at Masses.
• February 22–26: Frs. Richard and Robert Gielow, C.M., led a parish mission that culminated on Ash Wednesday, just weeks before the pandemic.
• Spring: Public Masses were cancelled on March 17 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At first the church stayed open for private prayer from noon to 3 p.m., with a security guard on duty, before closing fully on March 23. Fr. Kevin began writing regular "Dear Holy Angels" letters to the parish, calling it "the church of the catacombs." The parish offered in-car Communion, online Masses and evening outdoor Masses, and hosted the Foothill Unity food drive, which served 360 people one week and 210 the next.
• May 28: Cléopâtre McCormick, a school parent who had recently moved to Arcadia from Wisconsin, joined the Finance Council, after Sheila Arasawa stepped down in April. The parish prepared to reopen the church for private prayer and set up a Parish Closure Emergency Fund. The school kept families connected with online rosaries, concerts and Stations of the Cross, and Aimée Dyrek served on the Archdiocese's "Smart Start" task force for reopening schools.
• May 31 (Pentecost): A drive-up food drive for Foothill Unity Center drew an almost unbroken line of cars, with so much food the volunteers could not keep up. Fr. Kevin called it "a true Pentecost."
• Summer: Adult initiation, First Communion and Confirmation were all completed despite the pandemic. The Called to Renew campaign was put on hold, and religious education fees moved online.
• June 17: Eric Bell's final meeting as Finance Council chair. The council credited his leadership with two major successes: the organ and the church air conditioning. Ryan Squire succeeded him as chair.
• Summer: Longtime school accounts manager Sharon O'Brien retired and was honored with a parade. The school prepared to reopen with touchless fixtures, outdoor hand-washing stations, plexiglass shields for every student, and a renovated patio between the convent and the school for outdoor learning.
• July 23: Parishioner Josephine Sacheli celebrated her 100th birthday.
• July 25–26: The parish tried an experimental outdoor Mass, which went well enough to become a regular Sunday evening Mass.
• August 2 and 5: The first outdoor Sunday Mass was celebrated on the school pavement, and three days later the parish held its first outdoor Confirmation for the Year 2 students whose Confirmation had been postponed from May.
• September: Extreme heat on September 6 and wildfire smoke on September 13 cancelled two Sunday evening outdoor Masses. The in-car Communion line drew 300 to 400 cars, and dinners were delivered monthly to the homebound. Fr. Kevin himself celebrated First Communions and Confirmations in small outdoor groups, which parishioners received warmly. The school replaced back-to-school night with a drive-through event and sold 175 cardboard "seat filler" cutouts as a fundraiser.
• Fall: With no Fiesta events possible, the parish ran "Sponsoring Our Future," a sponsorship-only Fiesta. More than 100 sponsors made it the parish's best Fiesta ever.
• October: Holy Angels School was one of only four schools in Los Angeles County, out of about 80 applicants, approved to reopen for in-person classes, starting with kindergarten through second grade on November 10. Jerry Jaco retired after more than 30 years of service to the school and parish.
• October 25–November 2: As the days shortened, the Sunday outdoor Mass moved from 6:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. starting November 1. For All Souls, parishioners sent photos of their loved ones, which were printed and placed by the statue of the Blessed Mother, and the All Souls Mass was streamed online.
• November 19: Penny Menton, a longtime parishioner and former council member, rejoined the Finance Council, which had moved to meeting every other month. A new 4 p.m. Sunday Mass was offered. With COVID cases spiking, the Thanksgiving Mass was replaced by an in-car Communion service.
• November: Drive-up food and clothing drives ran through the in-car Communion line, benefiting the Missionaries of Charity and Foothill Unity Center, with an ICF clothing drive on November 22. An outdoor Thanksgiving Mass under a tent was planned. When cases surged, it became an in-car Communion line on November 26, with families bringing a dish from their Thanksgiving table to be blessed in their cars. There was no Advent penance service that year.
• December 13: Boy Scout Troop 104's "Stockings for the Homeless" drive collected more than 2,000 pairs of socks.
• December 20: Parishioners brought the Baby Jesus from their home Nativity sets to be blessed. In his Christmas letter, "Our Christmas Tree Is Lit for You," Fr. Kevin compared the parish's generosity during the pandemic to the friendship between Halifax and Boston after the disasters of 1917 and 1918. "Few parishes have experienced this to the extent that we have," he wrote.
• Christmas: The parish had planned outdoor Christmas Masses with free reservations, but a severe COVID surge forced the suspension of all outdoor Masses from December 20 through 27. Parishioners received Communion in their cars on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning and watched the Christmas Masses online. Families also donated children's gifts at the Christmas Eve services for Our Lady of the Rosary of Talpa Parish in East Los Angeles, the start of a lasting tradition.
• Late 2020: A longtime parishioner bequeathed a house in Arcadia, with most of the proceeds going to Holy Angels. The gift later anchored the parish's Called to Renew campaign.

2021

• January: The in-car Communion line remained the parish's most popular offering, outdoor Masses drew people from neighboring parishes, and Holy Angels' online presence kept growing. Updates to parishioners were shared through the AngelGram. The school hired a vendor to create YouTube content and explored an alumni association. The bulletin welcomed 18 babies baptized between March and December 2020, despite the pandemic.
• February 17: Ash Wednesday was observed with a drive-through distribution of ashes and Holy Communion, photographed by the Los Angeles Daily News as one of the creative ways Southern California congregations marked Lent during the pandemic. That month Deacon Arnie Lopez began a six-week Adult Confirmation class on Zoom for parishioners 21 and older.
• March: On March 13 the school's "Angels Strong" benefit met its $80,000 goal. The week of March 22, seventh and eighth graders returned to campus after a year of distance learning, so that students from preschool through eighth grade were again learning on campus on a hybrid schedule. Fr. Kevin wrote a "Prayer in Time of Pandemic" for the parish, and Holy Thursday and Good Friday were celebrated outdoors at 4 p.m., with sign-ups required.
• Easter: The first-ever Holy Angels Easter Sunrise Mass, celebrated outdoors at 6:30 a.m. on April 4. Fr. Kevin announced it with a letter recalling that angels were the first to proclaim the Resurrection at dawn. An Easter mailing boosted the Easter collection.
• May 15–16: Masses returned inside the church, at 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday. An online Mass, a 7 a.m. outdoor Mass and in-car Communion continued on Sunday mornings. In his letter announcing the change, Fr. Kevin wrote that Holy Angels had been a pioneer of in-car Communion, still "by far the most popular thing we offer," and hoped the Easter sunrise Mass would continue long after the pandemic. A May bulletin also honored World War II Bronze Star veteran Joe "Peppy" Sciarra, 96, who had led the Alhambra Rotary Club's Heart Walk for 20 years, raising about $180,000 for Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
• Spring: First Communion was celebrated outdoors. The school held its "Angels Strong" benefit and won a federal Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools grant, with the application written by Cléopâtre McCormick. A large eighth-grade class of 34 graduated.
• Summer: Benjamin Luc donated foot-operated hand sanitizing stations for the church. By June, weekday Masses had resumed inside the church at 8:30 a.m.
• September: Fr. Kevin received permission to confirm adults, and each RCIA confirmation class began opening with a Mass. For his Eagle Scout project, Johnny Alvarez, a former Holy Angels student then a senior at La Salle High School, created a Military Prayer Board in the Sacred Heart Chapel, honoring parishioners' family and friends serving in the armed forces. The Finance Council, now chaired by Ryan Squire, thanked Anne Yenny for her work, especially as the champion of online giving.
• Fall: The school raised funds with a Handel's ice cream night in Pasadena and a Veterans Day jog-a-thon honoring veterans, which exceeded its $30,000 goal and shared part of its proceeds with the Wounded Warrior Project, with staggered running times by grade for COVID safety. There was no Fiesta in 2021. By October the regular Mass schedule had returned: Saturday at 5 p.m., Sunday at 7:30, 9 and 11 a.m., and weekdays at 8:30 a.m.
• October 4: Healing Mass with anointing of the sick. For All Souls, parishioners were invited to bring pictures of their loved ones. On November 25 the Thanksgiving Mass returned to the church, and in Advent parishioners logged their exercise in a virtual "Walk to Bethlehem." The ICF Christmas Boutique returned on November 21, and in December the high school Confirmation students ran a toy drive for Catholic Charities and Our Lady of the Rosary of Talpa and a canned food drive for Foothill Unity Center.
• December: HAFMA's Simbang Gabi Mass drew a larger crowd than ever, with its celebration held in the Gathering Center. At Christmas, Midnight Mass returned inside the church, joined by a 3 p.m. outdoor Mass on Christmas Eve, and families brought wrapped toys for needy families. On December 31 the Italian Catholic Federation held its ninth annual New Year's Eve dinner-dance in Msgr. Walsh Hall.

2022

• January: The school's WASC accreditation review got under way, and Catholic Schools Week began January 31. Together in Mission planned an announcement weekend for February 5–6. The parish began its year-long Helping Hands Project, collecting supplies each month for Foothill Unity Center to share with the homeless.

• Early 2022: Manny Rivera repaired and painted the church's exterior walls. Fr. Kevin formed a Called to Renew committee, with former council chair Eric Bell, and the parish chose not to seek Fiesta sponsorships that year so as not to compete with the campaign.

• March: Holy Angels School completed its six-year WASC/WCEA accreditation review. The visiting official called the school "a champ and exemplary in Catholic identity." That month the school presented a $5,000 check from its November "Vet-Run" jog-a-thon to the Wounded Warrior Project, and parishioners collected supplies for Casa Milagrosa, a new DePaul USA day center for the homeless in Westlake. The ICF's St. Joseph's Table on March 19–20 benefited the Cooley's Anemia Foundation and Holy Angels Church and School.
• March 1: Enrique Reyes and Dave Boschetto attended the Archdiocesan regional finance presentation at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Irwindale.
• March–April: Frs. Dick and Bob Gielow, C.M., led a parish mission on March 7–9, "Without Prayer – Your Voice Is Silent." At Easter, the second Easter sunrise Mass, at 6 a.m. on April 17, was packed, and Fr. Kevin's Easter message prayed for the people of Ukraine. Through the year parishioners also gave to Catholic Relief Services for Ukraine. Attendance at the 11 a.m. Mass, with Jose Soto's popular choir, now exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
• Spring: Student altar servers returned after more than two years, with about 50 children from grades 4 to 8 trained in large groups and scheduled with new online software. Elizabeth Renfrew, a mainstay of the Health Ministry, the blood drives and the Walk to Bethlehem, received the Arcadia Rotary Club's 2021 Senior of the Year award.
• May 1 and 14: The school's Family Field Day, and its masquerade-themed auction at the Arboretum.
• May 7 and 21: First Communion, held inside the church, and Confirmation by Regional Bishop David O'Connell.
• Spring: The parish said goodbye to Deacon Chris, who took a position in Vermont, and to principal Aimée Dyrek after five years, including leading the school through the pandemic. A hiring committee led by Ted Carroll began the search for her successor, and Ms. Melinda Anaya served as interim principal for the 2022–23 school year.
• June 12: The parish celebrated Fr. Blaise's 75th birthday.
• June 18: The Corpus Christi procession returned for the first time since 2019, held after the 5 p.m. Saturday Mass for cooler weather. By then the 55+ Club had resumed its monthly luncheons after two years apart, HAFMA was raising funds for Simbang Gabi with a Filipino breakfast, and Dave Boschetto was chairing the Finance Council.
• October: The school's annual Senior Lunch returned for the first time since COVID, with students going all out for parish seniors.
• Fall: Well-attended Anointing and All Souls Masses, with families bringing pictures of their deceased loved ones. Major stucco cracks on the church were repaired and painted, and a concrete slab lifted by tree roots was replaced.
• Fall: The school replaced its antiquated security system with a new monitored gate and door system, funded by the previous year's auction gala.
• November: The Arcadia interfaith Thanksgiving service was held at the Methodist church.
• Late 2022: The Called to Renew capital campaign began its quiet phase, with the parish planning to use its share for the solar carport.
• December: The Christmas toy drive for Our Lady of the Rosary of Talpa Parish in Boyle Heights, begun in 2020, continued, run by the high school Confirmation students since 2021. At Christmas the 3 p.m. Children's Mass returned on Christmas Eve, and carols at 11:30 p.m. preceded Midnight Mass, offered each year for the members of the Choirs of Angels Memorial Society.

2023

• January 30: Called to Renew parish ambassadors attended a dinner with Archbishop José Gomez at Bishop Amat High School, followed by a hands-on volunteer meeting at Holy Angels on February 6.
• Early 2023: New in-pew music books were purchased, and the walkway from the rectory to the church, damaged by tree roots, was repaired.
• February 15: Enrique Reyes and Dave Boschetto represented the parish at the Regional Finance Council meeting at St. Luke's Parish. A week later the parish mourned the death of Regional Bishop David O'Connell, who had confirmed its young people the year before.
• Late February–March 1: The twin priests Frs. Dick and Bob Gielow, C.M., who had been leading joint missions at Holy Angels since 2001, gave a parish mission, "We're Not Done Yet...," on Vincentian history and spirituality, from the weekend of February 25–26 through three evening Masses ending March 1. Music director Dr. Jose Soto sang the Vincentian Mission Prayer, and HAFMA hosted the receptions.
• March: The school named Ashley Reagan Dunster its new principal, beginning in September 2023, succeeding interim principal Melinda Anaya. Catholic Schools Week's open house drew 26 new families, and the school launched a new website with a virtual tour.
• March 18–19: Called to Renew was announced from the pulpit and in the bulletin. Holy Angels had already surpassed its goal before the public announcement. Its designated projects were the solar carport and refurbishment of the Gathering Center.
• Spring: A very full Easter sunrise Mass, and Confirmation celebrated by retired Bishop Barnes. Msgr. Jim Halley of St. Luke's was serving as interim regional bishop.
• Spring: Barbara Ferris retired after 45 years of service to Holy Angels, many of them as Pastoral Coordinator.
• April 22–23: On Earth Day the parish announced it would go solar with carports in the parking lot, and the next day it held a Called to Renew campaign reception in the Gathering Center.
• May: Boy Scout Troop 104 announced its 75th anniversary, celebrated with troop alumni on June 25.
• May–June: About 300 guests attended the school's Great Gatsby Gala and auction at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, and eighth graders graduated on June 9. Spanish was now offered in grades 7 and 8.
• June 10: The Corpus Christi procession, with all invited to come in their ethnic dress. On June 19 the Monday Bible Study resumed in the Parish Library, continuing its study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
• July 19: The parish mourned Dominic Menton, husband of Finance Council member Penny Menton.
• Summer: With its original Called to Renew goal far exceeded, the parish set and met a higher "landmark" goal of $2,250,000. By mid-June, 183 families had pledged 98.5% of it, for solar carports, parking lot repairs, school painting, the Gathering Center and other projects. The school roof repair and school painting were completed. On August 14, parishioner Caridad "Lola" Papa turned 110, and Fr. Kevin brought her Communion and a Papal Blessing.
• September 9–10: The Fiesta returned for the first time since 2019, run for the first time by Holy Angels School. Extreme heat held down attendance. That month parishioners also gave to Fr. Ken's Vineyard, the relief work of retired Archdiocesan priest Fr. Ken Deasy for victims of the Maui wildfires, and by September 194 families had pledged 99.5% of the Called to Renew landmark goal.
• October: Joseph Silva, a parishioner of 25 years, joined the Finance Council after signing up at the parish Ministry Fair, held October 8 in the Gathering Center. That month the parish shared an interview with the new principal, Ashley Reagan Dunster, youngest grandchild of President Ronald Reagan, conducted by a parishioner.
• November: A crowded All Souls Mass on November 2, the best-attended Interfaith Thanksgiving service yet on November 20, with a collection for Foothill Unity, and a well-attended Thanksgiving Day Mass.
• Fall: The church's fluorescent lights were replaced with LED fixtures, three large water heaters were replaced at no cost through a state program the Archdiocese found, and the Old Convent received a new air conditioner, ceiling tiles and repairs.
• December 7: The parish's first status meeting with EMCOR on the solar carport. On December 18 the City of Arcadia presented Holy Angels its Holiday Decoration Award for the second time.

2024

• January: The parish and school phone and internet systems were upgraded.
• January 28: School open house at the start of Catholic Schools Week, with a book fair and an ICF pancake breakfast.
• February 2: The school jog-a-thon honored all those touched by cancer. The school dedicated a tree and plaque to Jenny Bouvet, a fifth-grade teacher who died of cancer in December 2022.
• Winter storms: Heavy rains caused a school roof leak and flooded the church basement.
• February 10–11: Fr. Brendan Busse, S.J., pastor of Dolores Mission in Boyle Heights, preached for Together in Mission. That month the Parish Council, led by Rowona Wong and her team, organized the parish's first Lunar New Year celebration. It became an annual event: in 2025 the Parish Council welcomed the Year of the Snake in the Gathering Center after the Masses of February 9, with live entertainment.
• Lent: Stations of the Cross on Fridays and Knights of Columbus fish taco dinners. Frs. Dick and Bob Gielow, C.M., returned to lead the parish mission beginning February 17–18.
• February: Brenda Goei stepped down from the Finance Council.
• Easter: Seven adults were baptized at the Easter Vigil. The sunrise service moved indoors because of rain and cold.
• April 3–May 18: Deacon Arnie Lopez and his wife Zoila led a six-week Adult Confirmation class, preparing adults 21 and older for Confirmation on May 18.
• Spring: Vancrest waterproofed the church basement along the perimeter of the church, and the church doors were revarnished. New interior church lighting and a choir sound system were installed, and interactive whiteboards were added to every classroom. Finance Council members began monthly online giving information sessions in the Gathering Center.
• Spring: First Communion, Confirmation, graduation, the Baccalaureate Mass and the Corpus Christi procession.
• June 21–23: Debra Bielec retired after 27 years in the Religious Education Office, and on June 23 parishioners celebrated Fr. Kevin's 40th jubilee as a priest after every Mass, at receptions hosted by HAFMA in the Gathering Center. That summer Called to Renew funds restored the church's sun-damaged exterior doors in phases, polishing their brass handles, and the gray trim around the church was repainted a rich maroon. By then Isaac and Nancy Cuevas had taken over Christian Initiation for Adults. In July, as the Italian Catholic Federation's Central Council marked its centennial, Branch 218 noted more than 57 years of service at Holy Angels. Its annual St. Joseph's Table reached its 53rd year in 2025.
• Summer: The handrails and entry stairs of the church were repainted.
• October 2: Mass with anointing of the sick, by now one of the parish's most popular Masses.
• October 6: Auxiliary Bishop Brian Nunes, episcopal vicar of the San Gabriel Pastoral Region, celebrated the 11 a.m. Mass.
• Fall: The Gathering Center was refurbished inside and out, including its flooring and new maroon accents on its engraved "Holy Angels" lettering, and the gardens around the church and rectory were converted to drip irrigation. The school bought 55 new Chromebooks with jog-a-thon proceeds.
• November 4: All Souls Remembrance Mass, with a Table of Remembrance and Día de los Muertos altars created by the sixth grade under Miss Barraza.
• November 8–10: The School Fiesta, with a day for alumni and a day for military veterans, and food from eight food trucks.
• November 14: Albert D'Antonio and Rick Seeker joined the Finance Council.
• November 25 and 28: Holy Angels hosted the Arcadia Community Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, then a Thanksgiving Day Mass with a blessing of food and a food drive for the Missionaries of Charity.
• December 18: Holy Angels hosted the Advent communal penance service, with visiting priests hearing individual confessions.
• December 21–22: Longtime usher and World War II veteran Joseph "Pepe" Sciarra turned 100 on December 21. Still ushering at the 9 a.m. Sunday Mass, he was honored by the parish after that Mass on December 22.

2025

• January: The Eaton Fire struck nearby Altadena. Under an Archdiocesan relief program, the parish office handed out relief checks to people from the fire areas, issuing 214 in the first weeks and briefly running out of paper checks. By May the parish had given relief checks to 1,484 people, more than any other parish in the Archdiocese. Parishioners' own donations helped about 30 more, and the parish also provided rental assistance. Enrique led the effort with staff and volunteers. The program began on January 14, when the Archdiocese notified parishes that each person substantially affected by the fires would receive $1,000, reimbursed from an Archdiocesan fund. With calls coming in several a minute, the office built a shared intake form and live spreadsheet so staff and volunteers could work together in real time. Most of those helped came from Altadena, and the parish opened its own Wildfire Victims Emergency Relief Fund to cover the checks until reimbursement arrived. The January Finance Council meeting was postponed because of the fires. Parishioners also donated water, food, clothing, bedding and pet supplies for fire victims through Foothill Unity Center.
• January 14: Guillermo Byrne, believed to be the parish's oldest living parishioner, celebrated his 107th birthday.
• January 31: The school's annual jog-a-thon became "Eaton Strong: Run to Rebuild – United Against the Flames," with principal Ashley Reagan Dunster dedicating part of the proceeds to St. Elizabeth Parish School in Altadena. There, 26 of the school's 100 families had lost their homes. Staff member Jackie Ziomek, who also served as St. Elizabeth's counselor, linked the two schools. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune featured the effort, quoting the principal's hope that students would learn "the importance of stepping up for others in need."
• February 26: Albert D'Antonio, Penny Menton and Dave Boschetto attended the Archdiocesan regional finance presentation at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Irwindale.
• March: Frs. Dick and Bob Gielow, C.M., led the parish mission beginning March 8. With members tied up by Lenten commitments, the Finance Council met by email for the first time. Enrique was named one of two San Gabriel Region business managers invited to the Archdiocese's quarterly business manager meetings.
• March 14: Fr. Kevin, Enrique and Dave chose ChargePoint for the solar carport's EV chargers.
• March 29: School Gala.
• Spring: A busy Lent, well-attended Holy Week and Easter, First Communion and Confirmation. The Sacred Heart Chapel was painted, a beam in the rectory patio was rebuilt, and the school kitchen received new convection ovens and ice machines.
• April 21: On the death of Pope Francis, the church stayed open all day for parishioners to pray for him.
• May 17: Regional Bishop Brian Nunes confirmed 51 young people and 8 adults.
• May 30: Eighth-grade graduation.
• July 14: Groundbreaking for the solar carport. Fr. Kevin blessed the construction site, joined by parish leaders and representatives of EMCOR Mesa Energy Systems.
• July: As immigration enforcement brought fear and hardship to many families, the parish shared the Archdiocese's new assistance fund and Bishop Nunes's invitation to an interfaith vigil on July 23. The church was tented for termites July 22–24, with daily Mass moved to the Hall.
• August 2–3: Bishop Henry Aruna of Kenema, Sierra Leone, visited Holy Angels for the Mission Cooperative appeal.
• Summer: Ashley Reagan Dunster resigned after two years as principal, and Aimée Dyrek returned to lead Holy Angels School.
• Summer: Parishioners gave to special collections for Gaza relief through the Catholic Near East Welfare Association and for the Mission Cooperative Plan for the Diocese of Kenema, Sierra Leone.
• September 7: A family Mass opened the school year. The school reached a record 253 students with a full Pre-K, added an ID-scanning security system, and began planning its 80th anniversary. New ministries also began that fall: a contemplative Centering Prayer group on Monday nights, led by Regina Glorioso, and a six-week Sunday Bible study on the life of Jesus, led by parishioner Dr. Mike Truong.
• Fall: A parishioner paid the full cost of tenting the church for termites, and the sacristy was reorganized during the tenting. The bride's room was renovated and painted, the interior of the church tower was cleaned and treated, all 193 kneelers were repaired and reupholstered over eight weeks, a dead tree west of the church was removed, and the TK playground was repaired. An armed security guard began serving the campus.
• October 2: Anointing Mass. October 3–5: School Fiesta, now called AngelFest, opening for the first time on a Friday evening, with bingo reinstated. November 3: All Souls Remembrance Mass. In October, religious education families held an All Souls–Día de los Muertos altar prayer service, and Eagle Scout Noah Miguel Tandoc led Scouts and volunteers in turning a bare strip along Holly Avenue into a garden. On October 26 a new Holy Angels Young Adults ministry for ages 18 to 28 held its kickoff with pizza and an outdoor movie, beginning monthly gatherings.
• November: Holy Angels School enrolled 250 students, its highest in five years. Students made sandwiches for the needy and served Thanksgiving lunch to parish seniors on November 20. The Boy Scouts raised the funds to replace the school's water fountains over Thanksgiving week.
• November 24: Holy Angels hosted the Arcadia Community Interfaith Service.
• Late 2025: The EV chargers and then the solar carport came into service. Renovation began on the Scout House and on the Youth House, a fixture of the campus for decades that had been moved twice and now houses Confirmation, religious education and youth activities. Church tile was repaired, two roof leaks were fixed, and the parish's annual financial report appeared in the bulletin for the first time.

2026

• January 25 and 30: School Open House and a jog-a-thon partly benefiting children with Down syndrome, during Catholic Schools Week.
• February: The church lighting control system, which still ran on floppy disks, was upgraded. On February 22 the parish celebrated the 104th birthday of Maria Navarro, likely its oldest living parishioner.
• March 2: Shroud scholar Nora Creech presented "Who Is the Man of the Shroud?" in the church, in partnership with Othonia.
• March 7–11: A parish mission led by the Gielow brothers, Frs. Bob and Dick, on the theme "His Mission Is Our Mission." The brothers had more than 55 years in the priesthood.
• Lent: Stations of the Cross on Fridays, and Knights of Columbus fish taco dinners whose proceeds later supported three regional seminarians.
• March 21: The School Gala, "A Derby Soirée," at the Los Angeles Arboretum, celebrating the school's 80th anniversary.
• March 21–22: The 54th annual St. Joseph's Table.
• March 24 and April 5: Lenten penance service, and an outdoor Easter sunrise service.
• Spring: The parish mourned longtime parishioner Rosemary McGuire. The Youth House and Scout House renovations were completed. Scouts Benjamin Gardea and Julian Lerma of Troop 104 received the Ad Altare Dei Catholic religious emblem. The McNulty Memorial Fund was closed at the wish of Judy McNulty, with final scholarships to two eighth graders bound for Catholic high schools.
• April 25 and May 2: Bishop Brian Nunes confirmed 47 young people and 7 adults, and First Communion followed. June 3, 5 and 6: Baccalaureate Mass, school graduation and the Corpus Christi procession.
• Summer: The Main Parking Lot and Youth House Lot were repaved, and the other parking lots were seal-coated and restriped. The parish filed for the federal clean energy credit on the solar carport.
• August 24: The new school year began with 255 students from 189 families.
• September 20: Deacon Ron Simons, a 1972 graduate of Holy Angels School now serving in Georgia, attended the 11 a.m. Mass, and three San Gabriel Region seminarians from St. John's Seminary were introduced.
• September 22: The Italian Catholic Federation took 50 parishioners on a bus trip to Harrah's Rincon.
• September: A six-week Sunday Bible study on the Letters of Paul, led by Dr. Mike Truong, began September 27, and the OCIA began meeting on Sundays during the 9 a.m. Mass. Middle school religious education moved to Sunday mornings alongside the elementary classes, so families could bring all their children at once. The bulletin took on a redesigned format and announced the Finance Council's AngelPay campaign, which thanked parishioners for their support and promoted online giving, with council members available after Masses one weekend a month through Christmas.
• October 2–5: School Fiesta, followed by a Healing Mass on October 5.
• October 10–11: Finance Council members staffed the Gathering Center after Masses to promote AngelPay online giving.
• Upcoming: Parish AI presentations on October 27 and November 5, and the All Souls Mass on November 2. The council has tabled a proposed digital marquee; future projects include the church carpet, the Hall's audio-visual system, the Fiesta Garage roof and repotting the trees in front of the Hall.

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Timeline of key dates

1. c. 1914–1918 Fr. J. J. Sheehy begins a Mexican mission in Arcadia; chapel in a converted packing house off Santa Anita Avenue
2. Easter 1930 Remodeled chapel of Our Lady of Peace, with pews, reopens
3. Feb. 1935 Fr. John Moclair buys two lots on Holly Street for $2,000
4. Oct. 24, 1935 Fr. Gerald M. O'Keeffe celebrates first Mass of Holy Angels parish; 275 families
5. Nov. 9, 1935 Holy Name and Altar Societies founded
6. Dec. 25, 1935 First Mass in the chapel after its move to Holly Street
7. Jan. 26, 1936 First baptism: John Everett Summers
8. June 13, 1937 Present church property bought for $3,000
9. June 1938 First Fiesta de Santa Anita
10. July 4, 1939 Groundbreaking for the permanent church
11. Dec. 17, 1939 New church opens with a solemn procession and Benediction
12. Dec. 25, 1939 First Solemn High Mass in the new church
13. Apr. 28, 1940 Archbishop Cantwell dedicates the church
14. May 15, 1940 First Confirmation in the new church
15. Oct. 27, 1940 Mrs. Florence Beery donates the church organ
16. Oct. 1946 Holy Angels School opens under the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity
17. Mar. 14, 1948 Bishop McGucken dedicates the school
18. June 12, 1949 First school graduation, 29 pupils
19. 1950 Convent opens; 1,500-pipe Reuter organ installed
20. 1951–1952 Church lengthened 42 feet; seating rises to nearly 900
21. Aug. 1954 Rectory construction begins; O'Keeffe named monsignor that December
22. June 1960 Silver jubilee; 2,250 families
23. Nov. 9, 1960 Arcadia Planning Commission recommends renaming Huntington Place as Campus Drive
24. Aug. 1971 Felician Sisters take over the school
25. 1973 O'Keeffe resigns (June 1); Fr. Robert Walsh appointed second pastor (July 15)
26. Feb. 15, 1975 Msgr. O'Keeffe dies; county rose gardens renamed for him
27. Dec. 11, 1976 First diaconate ordination in the parish: Laurence Spiteri
28. Jan. 21, 1978 First priestly ordination in the parish: Fr. Laurence Spiteri
29. 1984–1985 Hanging ceiling lights, then a new sound and lighting system, installed in the church
30. June 1, 1985 Legionaries of Christ take up residence in the former convent
31. Sept. 22, 1985 Golden jubilee Mass; about 3,200 families
32. July 3, 1989 Fr. Patrick J. Daly becomes pastor
33. Apr. 15, 1991 Fr. Norman F. Priebe becomes pastor; 2,400 families
34. 1994 Parish council restructured into a 16-member visioning body
35. Oct. 22, 1995 60th anniversary Mass
36. Dec. 17, 1995 Gathering Center and accessibility improvements dedicated
37. 2003 Msgr. Priebe departs; Fr. Michael Evans named administrator
38. July 2005 Fr. Michael Evans named pastor
39. Dec. 2009 Facilities Master Plan and "75 Years of Faith – Building for the Future" capital campaign
40. 2010 75th anniversary of the parish
41. Apr.–Oct. 2011 Msgr. Walsh Hall modernized and expanded (Phase 1A)
42. July 1, 2011 Fr. Blaise Brockman becomes associate pastor
43. Aug. 25, 2012 First annual Gala funds new church carpeting and floors
44. Summer 2014 School north–south wing roof and HVAC replaced
45. July 1, 2017 Fr. Kevin Rettig becomes pastor
46. Nov. 1, 2017 Enrique Reyes becomes Parish Business Manager
47. June 3, 2018 First Corpus Christi procession
48. Oct. 2018 Rodgers Artist 589 digital organ installed
49. Dec. 2, 2018 New Rodgers organ dedicated and blessed
50. June 2019 Church air conditioning replaced
51. Mar. 18–19, 2023 Called to Renew campaign announced; parish has already surpassed its goal
52. July 6–7, 2023 Solar carport contract with Mesa Energy Systems (EMCOR) signed
53. Summer 2023 School exterior and lunch canopy repainted
54. Sept. 2023 New school roof completed
55. Jan. 2024 New phone system for school and church
56. May 2024 Church basement waterproofed
57. Fall 2024 Gathering Center renewed
58. Oct. 1, 2024 Carport redesign approved to preserve the parking layout
59. Jan. 2025 Parish distributes Archdiocesan relief to Eaton Fire victims, reaching 1,484 people by May
60. Dec. 22, 2025 Southern California Edison grants Permission to Operate; solar carport goes live
61. Feb. 2026 Final pay application shows solar carport and EV chargers complete; total cost $724,182.50
62. Mar. 21, 2026 School Gala celebrates the 80th anniversary of Holy Angels School
63. Apr. 13–14, 2026 Parking lot repaving contract with Commercial Paving & Coating signed
64. July 6–11, 2026 Main Parking Lot and Youth House Lot repaved, other lots seal-coated and restriped
65. Aug. 2026 Holly Avenue driveways rebuilt; repaving project complete at $307,060

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Sources and notes

All material comes from the Holy Angels parish clip file (68 pages). Key items:

• "A Brief History of the Church of the Holy Angels" and "Memorable Dates at Holy Angels Parish," parish histories prepared for the 1985 golden jubilee (signed Fr. L.J.S.)
• "Priests at Holy Angels Parish," 1985 jubilee list of associate pastors
• Golden jubilee summary on parish letterhead, 1985
• Silver jubilee press release and Pasadena Independent Star-News "Church of the Week" feature, 1960–61
• The Tidings parish profile by Hermine Lees, November 5, 2004
• The Tidings: church dedication (1940); church expansion (1951–52); school dedication (1948); convent, fiesta and organ articles (1950); O'Keeffe and Walsh retirements (1973); O'Keeffe obituary (1975); Daly appointment (1989); Priebe appointment (1991); "Parish to Parish" feature (1994); Gathering Center dedication (1996)
• Parish directory and Mass schedule, 1957
• Arcadia Area Religious Census, January 1966

Additional sources:

• "Celebrating Our Unity: The Story of Holy Angels Parish 1935–1995," the 60th anniversary video narration by Fr. Dave Heney (1995)
• "Memorable Dates at Holy Angels Parish," parish bulletin, Second Sunday of Advent 1991
• Minutes of the City of Arcadia Planning Commission, November 9, 1960 (street renaming)
• Parish photographs of the 1939 groundbreaking, construction and Eucharistic procession

Parish project records: contracts and correspondence for campus projects, 2018–2026.

Holy Angels Finance Council meeting minutes, May 2017 through September 2026.

"Photos: Ash Wednesday marks beginning of Lent at Holy Angels Catholic Church in Arcadia," Los Angeles Daily News , February 17, 2021 (photos by Sarah Reingewirtz).

Anissa Rivera, "After the Eaton wildfire, St. Elizabeth School in Altadena leans on its history," San Gabriel Valley Tribune , January 17, 2025.

"Rettig Kevin Hermann József (O.Praem)," Hungarian Diaspora Clergy Directory , diaszporalelkipasztorok.hu (accessed October 14, 2026).

"Bishop Gabino Zavala," Catholic-Hierarchy , catholic-hierarchy.org (accessed October 14, 2026).

Holy Angels parish calendar, and AngelGram invitation to the Corpus Christi procession, June 3, 2018.

Holy Angels parish bulletins, October 25 through December 27, 2020, and selected bulletins from 2021 through 2026 (Google Drive bulletin archive).

Holy Angels Church Facebook page posts, October 2017 through October 2026 (page created April 24, 2010; data export October 14, 2026).

"75 Years of Faith – Building for the Future" capital campaign: case statement for the Facilities Master Plan (December 2009), campaign brochure and text (2010), Phase 1A payment tracking (2010–2011), construction schedule (April 2011), JVC Architects elevations (2010, 2014); school roof appeal letter (March 2014), project memo (July 2014) and invoice log (2014); Gala 2012 bulletin announcements; Easter 2016 parish maintenance bulletin update (March 27, 2016); donor wall history (c. 2010); parish press releases on the Gathering Center dedication (1995) and Rose Garden rededication (1991).

The 2025 Archdiocese of Los Angeles Catholic Directory (rev. July 8, 2025): parish, school and preschool listings; clergy ordination years; parishes by year of establishment.

Arcadia: Where Ranch and City Meet (Arcadia, 1981), chronologies for 1920–1949.

Gary Kovacic, ed., More Visions of Arcadia: A Community Anthology (2013): Teri Weeks's memoir of the 1980s and Doug Hayes's "Snapshots of a Life Well-Lived."

Where sources conflict, the text notes both figures. Several clippings carry no visible date, and a few scanned pages were too damaged to read.

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