Immaculate Conception, Monrovia

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Monrovia.  I never knew that the property upon which the church sits was donated by Bradbury.

The property of our church was donated by the Bradbury family in memory of their mother, Simona Martinez Bradbury.

Yes, she is of THAT Bradbury fame.  My cousin, Chuck Pullman, would have been delighted to learn of all of the jockeys and trainers associated with Santa Anita Race Track who have lived in Bradbury.

I spent a lot of time here.  I started school here.  After being baptized at the Mission in San Gabriel, I went through the early sacraments here at Immaculate Conception–receiving holy communion or the Eurcharist, my Confirmation, and Reconciliation or confession.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation is only absolution from the sins one commits against God, not against my father and mother, siblings, friends, neighbors, or the larger community.  Those sins are settled in court or if I am lucky in the chambers of one’s heart.

This is helpful and interesting. 

The crucifix is a prominent religious symbol in Christianity and is seen in religious art, architecture, jewelry and clothing. The symbol represents the suffering of Jesus Christ and his subsequent resurrection. The layout of the typical Catholic Church stems from the shape of the crucifix and is laid out in what is known as the cruciform plan. The plan is present in Catholic churches throughout the world and serves as a sense of continuity within the Catholic faith.

 

A few more terms to help you understand what goes on inside the Catholic Church.  

I remember being instructed to kneel here on the step of this grotto and pray to the Virgin Mary.  

This is the north transept.  Wikipedia explains

A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the edifice.^[1] In churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform (“cross-shaped”) building within the Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architectural traditions. Each half of a transept is known as a semitransept.^[1]

And this

Upon its four piers, the crossing may support a spire (e.g., Salisbury Cathedral), a central tower (e.g., Gloucester Cathedral) or a crossing dome(e.g., St Paul’s Cathedral). Since the altar is usually located at the east end of a church, a transept extends to the north and south. The north and south end walls often hold decorated windows of stained glass, such as rose windows, in stone tracery.

 

I love this following photo for it reminds me of the time I was in the first grade and I had forgotten my school book at home.  The nun, I can’t remember her name, lifted me out of my desk by my ear and had me stand in the closet in shame and out of view from the rest of the class.  The humiliation didn’t end there.  Instead of eating during lunch, I was put on trash duty, where I walked around the 1st and 2nd grade playground area [pictured above] with a trash can picking up trash and wrappers that the other kids had tossed on the ground.  It didn’t bother me then; it doesn’t bother me now.  In fact, I knew what it meant and accepted the lesson and guess what?  I never forgot my book again.  And my attention for almost everything else in school went through the roof.  

I took this shot for a picture of what is missing, and what is missing are the summer evening volleyball nets for teenagers from around the neighborhood to come and play.  The church grounds were for everyone.  That is the Catholic way.  Not only the volleyball nets were raised but there was always the summer festival where booths lined the perimeter of the courtyard.  It was the first time that I met Norma Parker outside of her home.  She was volunteering at a booth that prepared sausages, bell peppers and onions on a roll.  It was incredible.  She is an excellent cook.  

Will never forget this water fountain.  It was there when I went to school here and it was there when I went to watch Antoinnette and Susan Bradley and a third friend of theirs sing and dance the song from the Go-Go’s, featuring Belinda Carlisle, “We Got the Beat.”

The pic below is of the Youth Fellowship Hut.  It’s where the basketball and referee equipment was stored.  Alphonso Madrigal used to coach an 8th grade La Salle intermural team and he would practice here at the courts just south of the Youth Fellowship Hut.  Al asked me to referee a few times and I did.  It was fun.  

I did love the serenity of this garden alcove with the statue of the Virgin Mary.  

What’s interesting about this grotto is that it used to be surrounded by a row of medium-sized trees.  I remember because my brothers and I used to weave in and out of the trees as my mother finshed her conversation with other parishioners after completing the stations of the cross.

The same grotto as above but denuded.  There used to be a row of evergreen spears behind the grotto.

 

 

 

 

 

I took this shot because I remember exiting school here reflecting on Booker T. Washington’s Up From Slavery  or an excerpt we’d read in class before my mind went to thinking about visiting my 2nd grade friend, George, a thought that overlapped my appreciation for how wide Colorado Boulevard, shown in this picture, was compared to so many other streets in the area.  In fact, I grew to love these wide streets, like Las Tunas in Temple City and San Gabriel between Rosemead and San Gabriel Blvd. and this section here of Colorado Blvd.  They reminded me not just of old country roads but of key arteries of commerce between towns.  That’s what I thought about as I stood there as a 7-year-old looking west.  

 

This is my Holy Communion photo taken in 1964.  You can find me in the 2nd row of the boys left of center hiding a giggle with my prayer book.  Recognize anyone that you know?  Let me know, and I will put their names in the caption.  BTW, this photo was a real find.  I had the original copy while living in Duarte, but things get lost.  I found this one online.

This is a statue of Rachel mourning.  

 

On this pic, I simply liked the angles and the sign to the right of the door “Library Downstairs.”