Help the Angels Who Need Help
The Monastery of the Angels in Hollywood
I want to preface this by saying I’m not a gift guide person, or a religious person, but I do believe in the Monastery of the Angels, and they need help, so let’s talk about them!
This is one of Hollywood’s best kept secrets and least changed traditions. If you’re stuck in westbound traffic on Franklin, look to the north before the Best Western and you’ll see the little cross, and perhaps the hands of the Sacred Heart of Jesus towering above in the terraced gardens.
But let’s go back to how it got there.
Joseph Giroux
Copper mining magnate Joseph Giroux was the owner of lucrative mines, he founded the town of Ely, Nevada, and he bought the land between Gower and Vine in 1910 to build a sprawling mansion. In 1911, it was estimated to cost $30,000, which was no matter, since he was a multi-millionaire.
In 1919, Giroux shot his oldest son George, supposedly in self defense. It all stemmed from when George was threatening to report that brother Louis hadn’t registered for the draft. None of the Giroux family seemed to particularly like their father, nor each other, and George burst into his father’s Nevada office, demanding money for his silence and brandishing a weapon. Joseph had a gun on the desk under a newspaper and shot him. Joseph said George wasn’t actually his son anyway, the Giroux children (and their spouses) all began suing their father for defamation of character, libel, etc. George’s threat came out during the trial and Louis was arrested for draft evasion anyway. Joseph, then estimated to be worth $10 million, was exonerated for justifiable homicide.
The next decade (and probably stock market, maybe the lawsuits) took a financial toll and Joseph Giroux was worth a measly $100k when he died in 1933, wife Phebe died in 1934. A Giroux obituary describes him as a “colorful character,” which means that he shot and killed his son but was very rich so it was fine. The property was to be sold.
A New Dawn of Angels
So the land needed some blessings when an order of cloistered Dominican nuns needed to expand from their temporary downtown location. Their original order was founded in Southern France by St. Dominick de Guzman, in 1206 (he founded the nuns before the fathers so they would pray for the success of his work). In 1880, this order was established in Newark NJ, and from there, when the order was granted permission to expand to Los Angeles, the nuns moved to downtown Los Angeles in 1924. When they were looking for property in 1934, the prioress at the time, Mother Mary Gabriel, said, “Show me anywhere but Hollywood!” When they came across the Giroux mansion at the base of the Hollywood Hills where the monastery would eventually be built, she declared it perfect, only later finding out where they were. She only saw the beauty in the Giroux mansion and its surrounding gardens, it was the perfect location for the cloistered Dominican sisters.
The order of nuns moved here in 1934 and hosted a simple card party in the gardens to help afford the cost of the property. It was such a success that they did another bridge tournament and fashion show the following year, with the sisters’ exquisite hand-embroidered handkerchiefs and finger towels as prizes. The garden party grew to become an annual fundraising gala- a luncheon, fashion show and card party, sponsored by Catholic sororities and clubs and women’s guilds. It became a glittery society and celebrity event by the 40s. Rudy Vallee performed, Bing Crosby and Don Ameche were among the attendees, and the nuns needed a permanent chapel.
They sold every bit of copper from the Giroux home to afford the new building, designed by Wallace Neff. The new building would house 50 nuns, and had a permanent chapel, novitiate, pharmacy, infirmary, and cloistered patio. What was left of the old home became a location for small women’s retreats, and the Monastery of the Angels celebrated their Silver Jubilee shortly after the new building opened in 1949.
The monastery was bustling, baking altar breads and sewing vestments. In the 50’s, they began to host a turkey dinner for the holidays, which evolved into a Christmas bazaar that continued until sometime in the late 80s. The volunteers would sell the nuns’ handiwork: blankets, embroidered towels and aprons, toys and dolls, and their handmade fruitcakes and plum puddings and hand dipped chocolates. The nuns were taught candy-making by the owners of Juliet’s Candy Shop in Pasadena, who donated their commercial equipment and recipes when they closed their shop.
The Pumpkin Bread
All those whole cherries and walnuts in fruitcakes became too expensive by the mid-60s and it was then that the pumpkin bread was started by Sister Mary Agnes Burton, a Canadian, with her grandmother’s recipe. A decade later, the pumpkin bread sales comprised of a quarter of their income.
For the last 20 years, the monastery has been troubled, but managed to stay afloat. Tom LaBonge, beloved Los Angeles Councilmember, was a cheerleader for the monastery. He gave the pumpkin bread to the local fire stations at Christmas, to anyone receiving a star on the Walk of Fame, he shined his enthusiasm on the monastery and helped significantly. But LaBonge passed away nearly a year ago, and that effusive community spirit is sadly lacking in today’s city leadership, and frankly, in the city.
And here we are- the pandemic, cultural change, and the simple ravages of time have worn on our beloved monastery, and now, after nearly 100 years at this location, they are in dire trouble. There aren’t any more ladies lunch groups, charity concerts, and we’ve lost a sense of community that Hollywood once seems to have had. Regardless of belief, this community once cherished the sisters at the center. I found articles from the 60s, and the 80s, both equally astonished that the Monastery of the Angels was there, in this “dingy” bit of Hollywood, quiet and unassuming, and leaving the same way I did after my first visit- touched by wonder and peace. The nuns have devoted their lives and souls to a cloistered existence of perpetual adoration, living in this simple pocket of Hollywood and praying for the universe, for Los Angeles, every minute of every hour of the day. There’s a joke that you can bake their pumpkin bread at home, but it won’t taste as good because the angels help them.
Whenever anyone invites me to see their home, I always bring something from the Monastery. It really is the best gift, simple and made with love. So I’m worried about these angels that we’ve ignored, while they’ve watched over the city and prayed for us all. Again, I’m not even particularly spiritual, but the Monastery of the Angels evokes this level of reverence, and I shudder to think about another essential part of Hollywood being lost.
Visit the grounds or their gift shop (open Mon-Sat approx 9–3), order treats (they will ship!), get their secret out, tell people they exist, and just order something for yourself or someone you love. Answer their prayers, they have been so selfless for us all.
All photos by Cahuenga Past, unless otherwise noted. Please note these are all private homes. We do not disturb nor do we discuss current residents.