The Monastery of the Angels

05 Jun The Monastery of the Angels

“I think that’s the monastery Katy Perry is buying,” Russ said as he pulled the flat iron through my hair. (Russ Hart is a genius hair stylist and can be contacted at handcraftandhart.com)

I quickly Googled to find out that yes, Katy Perry was fighting developers to buy her own monastery, and yes, the nuns were being “relocated.” I decided I’d better head down ASAP in case closure was imminent, and I forever missed tasting their famous pumpkin bread.

The Monastery of the Angels was established in Hollywood in 1934 by nuns with a lineage stretching back to 1207. Sixteen cloistered sisters live within: they pray; they work, worship, study, and at times observe silence; never coming out to mix with the rest of us. The sisters partially support their mission by making and selling pumpkin bread which is available for purchase in the gift shop along with rosaries and other religious artifacts.

These nuns at the Monastery of the Angels are special because they have been given permission to perform the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, meaning that 24/7, one of them is kneeling before the altar and praying for us and for the salvation of the world. That much prayer going on anywhere sets up a purifying, sanctified energy field, building a strong spiritual vortex which affects everyone in LA whether they know it or not.

At a party on the Westside a few nights after my visit, I chatted with Matt, a tall, handsome spiritual hipster well known amongst the kirtan community. We’ve been to some of the same places in India, and we once hung out and ate idlis together. I told him about my visit to the Monastery and about the Perpetual Adoration.

“That’s creepy,” he said.

“Creepy?” I asked, quite taken aback. “They’re praying for us 24/7.”

“Yeah,” he said, “but what are they praying for? Nuns? It’s creepy.”

You know, if it were sexless Tibetan monks chanting om mani padme hum 24/7, Matt and everyone else would consider that the coolest thing on earth. But since these are celibate women, and even worse Christian, it is apparently not in the realm of New Age trendy. I realize that nuns and organized religion are out of favor today, but really, the fact that these women are on their knees forever and always praying for our betterment, for this we could choose to be grateful.

By the way, the pumpkin bread tastes just like Grandma used to make. And for the record, Katy Perry is buying a DIFFERENT monastery. How LA is that?

The Monastery of the Angels

1977 Carmen Avenue

Los Angeles 90068

(323) 466-2186

Monasteryoftheangels.com

Chapel open daily from 6 am to 5 pm. Visitors are welcome to attend Mass and pray the rosary with the nuns.

Gift shop open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 am to 5 pm.

This is an excerpt from Catherine Auman’s book Guide to Spiritual L.A.: The Irreverent, the Awake, and the True