Mission San Gabriel Archangel
In November of 2023, after 5 years, the long-awaited Memorial Garden at Mission San Gabriel Archangel was finally completed and dedicated. In attendance Bishop Brian Nunes, the newly installed Bishop of San Gabriel, Chief Anthony Morales of the Gabrieleno San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, Sister Mary Anncarla Costello, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Reverend Parker Sandoval, Vice Chancellor and Vicar of the Office of Ethnic Ministry for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and Reverend Tom Schweitzer, Chaplain for our Native American brothers and sisters as well as head of Native American Concerns. The ceremony included a blessing and prayer service, a traditional saging, music by a Native American flute player, and the playing of a hand drum by Andy Morales, a member of the Gabrieleno San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians. The garden, which is intended to be a place of peace and contemplation, was sponsored by the late Bishop David O’Connell, and holds a memorial marker that reads “Memorial Garden. Dedicated to the past, present and future generations for the Gabrieleno San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians. All in great gratitude to Bishop David O’Connell for making it a reality”.
