Calvary Cemetery

About

Dedicated in 1896, Calvary is among the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles.

Story

Calvary Cemeteries occupies one hundred and thirty-six acres of gently rolling parkland. It is situated on Whittier Boulevard, just fifteen minutes from the heart of the city.

Prominent among Calvary's many features are the Stations of the Cross. Admirably executed in natural stone, the outdoor Stations are placed at intervals along the main drive. People pray the Stations every Sunday in Lent and during the month of November.

All Souls Chapel, built in 1902, is an ornate Gothic church with a gabled tower and spire — a replica of a beautiful rural parish church in Buckinghamshire England. Built in 1902, All Souls Chapel became, for many years, one of the most visited houses of worship in Southern California. Many local clergy are buried nearby.

Calvary’s main mausoleum was completed in 1936 and is an imposing shrine with beautiful stained glass, hand-painted ceilings, and other artworks. Inside are a main chapel and private family chapels. Calvary is unique among local cemeteries in offering daily Mass — at 8:30 a.m. every day except Sundays and holy days of obligation.

Crypts are available in Our Lady's Garden and Gethsemane Mausoleums. Mausoleum entombment is an ancient Catholic tradition, yet also an ideal modern method of laying the dead to rest. Jesus himself was entombed in the stone sepulcher of Joseph of Arimathea. The catacombs, which were the first Catholic cemeteries, were also mausoleums.