Parish History: 2004 Centennial Edition
Blessed Sacrament Parish History Book
A Long Delay
Although the building itself was completed and habitable, the interior was bare and would remain that way for an unexpectedly long time. On October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed and heralded the start of the Great Depression. Within four years, the country's unemployment rate was over 25%. Fortunes were lost and many people became homeless. Although the hardest hit part of the country was arguably the Great Plain states, where a devastating drought forced millions of people to move to California and take jobs as itinerant farm workers, Hollywood and other large cities experienced their share of suffering.
As a result of the economic conditions afflicting the country, completing the ornamentation of the new church would be indefinitely delayed. Although close to a half million dollars had been raised to pay for the church and what furnishings there were, the parish was still almost $300,000 in debt and had other more immediate needs that needed to be addressed.
Overseeing the parish during these hard times was Father Cornelius J. McCoy, who came to Blessed Sacrament in 1932 after serving as President of the University of Santa Clara. Although Fr. McCoy had no previous experience as a pastor, or even parish priest, his business sense, calm demeanor and steady leadership helped him adapt quickly to his new duties. While the parish was slowly paying off its construction debt, Fr. McCoy put any additional investment in the church on hold. According to a history prepared for Blessed Sacrament's 50th anniversary, whenever Fr. McCoy was asked by an impatient parishioner when the church would be finished, he always answered, "When we have the money."
Heading the list of priorities was building a place for the Immaculate Heart nuns to live. Ever since they had come to teach at the Blessed Sacrament School, they had been commuting from the College. In 1937, Fr. McCoy commissioned T. Franklin Power to design the convent, which would be located on church property. The plans called for a two-story building that featured a private chapel, several offices and numerous bedrooms. Compared to the church, the convent was a bargain, costing $35,000 to build and another $4,000 to furnish.
As soon as that project was completed, a school cafeteria was built, followed by a building that had an apartment on the second floor and garage space on the bottom floor for the priests' cars. The last improvement was to have the rest of the church's lot paved, in part so the school children would have a nicer place to play and the parish would have better parking for the Sunday masses and not have to worry about church-goers having to slog through a field of mud when it rained.
While the start of World War II had jump-started the U.S. economy and meant that parishioners were better able to financially support the church, the war effort was the overriding concern. According to a previous history, "Parish spending was reduced, donations were made to the war effort and the parochial school became an official Red Cross Casualty Station. All building improvements and architectural plans were abandoned during this time."
Even so, Fr. McCoy was able to reduce the debt and by 1944, it was paid off and the pastor was finally able to start saving for the remaining work that needed to be done on the church. Fr. McCoy aggressively sought donations in order to have the work finished in time to commemorate the parish's fiftieth year in Hollywood. The anniversary, which was promoted as the "Golden Jubilee Year of Blessed Sacrament Parish," would be celebrated in 1954.
Part of the fundraising efforts included a door-to-door solicitation of parishioners to make an in-person plea for donations. That effort alone accounted for $100,000.00 in pledges and over the next seven years, a total of $300,000 was raised which was enough to begin the project.
In 1951, architect J. Earl Trudeau was hired to draw up the necessary plans. The original design of the church was to have been in the "Spanish Colonial Renaissance" style, fashioned after some noted Mexican cathedrals, but according to Trudeau he "chose a rather simpler treatment, featuring economy of means both in the artistic and economic senses." Translated from design-speak, it meant that Blessed Sacrament was finally going to be the grand church it was always intended to be but within financial reason.
But even restrained grandeur is expensive and the estimated cost for the refurbishing was upwards of $1 million, meaning the parish needed to continue raising money.
Helping Fr. McCoy cheerlead the fundraising efforts was architect T. Franklin Power, who wrote, "Certainly no mean or cheap material should be used in the finish of the House of God. Let it be our firm purpose to carry forward to completion this church which it is possible for us to make magnificent if we will...What greater good can we do with our money than, for example, to fittingly adorn one of these chapels or a portion of the side wall or columnar treatment, to present a stained glass window or one of the great Rejiras? Other beautiful memorials will be the baptismal font, communion rail, pulpit, the Stations of the Cross, the various altars and statues in the shrines, and the tower chimes whose mellow tones will whisper to all God's message of love. It is not only a glorious opportunity; it is a sacred privilege to contribute to this great church dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament."
Although the church was reopened for services on November 1, 1953, the work wasn't fully completed until early 1954. But for parishioner and visitors alike, the finished architecture and ornamentation of Blessed Sacrament more than met everyone's expectations; a structural work of art, the church could seat nearly 1,400 people and was destined to become a Hollywood landmark.
Notes: Blessed Sacrament Church 1928 - 1953
The cornerstone bears the name of Blessed Sacrament Church and in Roman numerals, the years 1928 and 1953. Those years mark the end of the two major construction periods of this church.
Original structure built with approval of: Most Reverend John J. Cantwell and Rev. John McHugh, S.J., Pastor
Architects of original structure 1928: T. Franklin Power, Beezer Brothers
Church completed with approval of: His Eminence James Francis Cardinal McIntyre and Rev. Cornelius J. McCoy, S.J.,Pastor
Architect of completion 1953: J. Earl Trudeau
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