One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Archbishop celebrates Christmas Mass in county jail
Archbishop José H. Gomez gives communion to an inmate at Los Angeles County Jail during Christmas Day mass, Dec. 25, 2017.
(
Sharon McNary
)
Archbishop José H. Gomez offers the Eucharist to inmates who were not permitted to attend the Mass Gomez celebrated for other inmates at the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail on Christmas Day 2017. Alongside Gomez is Sheriff Jim McConnell.
(
Sharon McNary/KPCC
)
Rev. George Horan, left, and Mary Bottum, center, sing to inmates at the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail along with other volunteers from St. Agatha Catholic Church on Christmas Day 2017.
(
Sharon McNary/KPCC
)
Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez and Sheriff Jim McDonnell shake hands of prisoners at the Men's Central Jail who were too dangerous to participate in a Mass that Gomez celebrated at the jail on Christmas morning.
(
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
)
Listen
1:26
Archbishop celebrates Christmas Mass in county jail
The head of the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese celebrated Mass in jail Monday, sharing a message that Jesus Christ was not all that different from the 200 inmates gathered before him for the Christmas holiday observance.
"He was poor. He had not even a place to be born," said Archbishop José H. Gomez, adding that Jesus was also an immigrant, a refugee and someone who was imprisoned. "He really wanted to show us how to have a good life."
Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez and Sheriff Jim McDonnell shake hands of prisoners at the Men's Central Jail who were too dangerous to participate in a Mass that Gomez celebrated at the jail on Christmas morning.
(
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
)
Celebrating Christmas Mass at the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles has become something of a tradition for Gomez, who was appointed to head the Los Angeles Diocese in 2010.
"As archbishop, he could spend Christmas anywhere, but he chooses to be here with you," Patricia Bartlett, a lay Catholic leader, told the inmates. She said his visit meant that the Catholic Church cared about the inmates and had not forgotten them.
A group of volunteers from St. Agatha Catholic Church in the West Adams neighborhood, who call themselves the "Men's Central Jail Choir," led some of the inmates in singing Christmas carols. Some of the carols were hymns, but others were bouncy secular tunes such as "Feliz Navidad."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
