La Plaza Church

You’ve arrived at the birthplace of Los Angeles. Back in 1781, the village went by a much longer name: El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula, the Village of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels. Right in front of you stands La Placita, the oldest church in Los Angeles. Its first version was built in 1784 as a simple annex of the San Gabriel Mission, before being replaced by a proper church in 1822. Rebuilt again in 1861, it still serves as a place of worship today, making it one of the rare buildings in the city to have been in continuous use for over two centuries. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the title Our Lady, Queen of the Angels, the city’s patron. From the start, La Placita has also been a place of refuge and social engagement: in the nineteenth century for marginalized communities, and today for movements advocating immigrant rights. It embodies religious heritage, Los Angeles’ Spanish and Mexican colonial history, and ongoing struggles for social justice.