The Virgin Mary inspired the name of Los Angeles, one of the largest cities in the US

A not-well-known detail about Los Angeles—the second largest city in the United States and with a large number of Latino inhabitants—is that its name is inspired by the Virgin Mary.

On a day like today, August 2, 1769, Feast of Our Lady of the Angels of PorciúnculaFather Juan Crespí, a Spanish Franciscan missionary, arrived in the region.

Father Crespí was chaplain of the group of captain Fernando Rivera, in the expedition of Gaspar de Portolá and Rovira.

In the area he found a river that he called “The River of Our Lady The Queen of the Angels of Porciúncula” and he advised that a mission for evangelization be established in that territory.

On the same expedition, but on a different route, traveled San Junípero Serra, an important Franciscan evangelizer who is also considered the Father of the state of California.

On September 14, 1781, according to local history, 44 residents of the area, accompanied by two priests and a military squad, arrived at the place suggested by Father Crespí and founded the “Town of Our Lady the Queen of Angels.” of Porciúncula”, inspired by the name of the river.

Los Angeles thus became part of the Spanish kingdom within the viceroyalty of New Spain.

After the independence of New Spain in 1821, the city of Los Angeles was annexed to the territory of Mexico.

After the war between Mexico and the United States, in the mid-19th century, Los Angeles and other territories remained in the power of what is now the state of California.

Currently, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is the largest diocese in the United States, with about four million Catholics, who make up 35.5% of the inhabitants of the city of Los Angeles. It is governed pastorally by Bishop José Gomez, archbishop of Mexican origin.

The river that Father Crespí found is also called today “Río Los Ángeles” and crosses the city.

Originally published August 7, 2019. It has been updated for republication.