Feast of the Guardian Angels

Detail from window in Children's wing, Sunnyside, Longbeach, CA

This coming Saturday, October 2nd, marks the Feast of the Guardian Angels in the Catholic Church.

Surely, you cradle RC's can remember;

Angel of God, My Guardian Dear
to whom God's love commits me here.
Ever this day be at my side
to light and guard and rule and guide.
Amen.

Grave yard Rabbits especially need a good Guardian Angel at their side, particuarly when investigating places like say...Inglewood. Or Angelus-Rosedale.

When I first blew into town, I thought NOTHING of just chugging into wilds of West Adams/Crenshaw district to go and photograph Angelus-Rosedale. Oh, yeah, leave the purse in the car, the whole bit as I meandered about, camera in hand.

So without further ado, lets's explore some of the angels of LA's grave yards.

This trio of winged love all hail from Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Whittier over near the LA Morgue. Within the gates, all is well. Outside is a different issue. Never the less, the visual treats that await within Calvary are almost worth the threat of a stray bullet crashing through the windshield.

Being a Catholic burying ground, angels abound.



I've often thought that this image would make a great Christmas card for an out of state relative and it would read:

"Merry Christmas! Please don't die next year!
I can't afford the airfare if you do."




More winsome winged wonders from Whittier.

Some angels give directions....going up!

One of my personel favorites!
Angels, angels everywhere!!

So give a shout-out of thanks to your Guardian Angel on Saturday!

Saint Michael the Archangel...

Defend us in battle we pray!

There was a time when every Catholic child in America knew the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel by heart:

Saint Michael the Archangel,

defend us in battle;

be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray:

and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,

by the power of God,

thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits

who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen

Of course, them days is done. It is even far rarer for a church to recite the prayer at the close of mass like they used to, mores the pity. Thankfully, there is one church near me that still follows the old school mass. They may be in a crummy area but their pews are full. Hmm...wonder why?

St. Michael also used to be a favorite in the cemetery too. The example pictured above comes to you via Calvary Catholic in Whittier, CA. Sadly, the sword for his hand and the chains to bind the evil one must have rotted or fallen away at some point and never got replaced.

Tomorrow, I hope to go to Green Hills and snap the Saint Michael monument there in honor of a fallen solider.

Hopefully one day, the angel with the flaming sword will stage a comeback in cemetery art. I don't see why he wouldn't. Not only does he provide great visual, but he'll protect your monument or marker from demonic hoodlums intent on smashing it!