Dolores Mission, Los Angeles
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| Established | 1925 |
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| Type | Hispanic ministries |
| Location |
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Director
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Fr. Ted Gabrielli, S.J. |
| Affiliations | Jesuit, Catholic |
| Website | Dolores Mission |
Dolores Mission, Los Angeles is a Catholic parish in the largely Hispanic area of Boyle Heights east of downtown Los Angeles, marked by poverty, drugs, and gang battles. The parish has spawned or collaborated in various grassroots initiatives including Homeboy Industries, Proyecto Pastoral at Dolores Mission,CHIRLA, and East Los Angeles Housing Coalition.
The church began as a mission in St. Mary's parish in 1925 and in 1945 moved to its present site, renamed “The Mission of Nuestra Senora de los Dolores.” In 1946 the Canonnesses of St. Augustine (later named the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) came from Belgium to open the first Catholic school in the neighborhood, which received a new, three-story building in 1952. After 1980 the Belgians were no longer able to staff Dolores Mission and the Jesuits, at the invitation of Cardinal Manning, came to this poverty-ridden parish hampered by 7-9 active gangs. The Jesuits took as their goal to empower parishioners to exercise leadership and to build community. Since then various grassroots organizations have sprouted and grown in the parish.
The "Projects" were founded after 1986 when the California Province of Jesuits was entrusted with the parish. Under community leadership, five organizations were formed providing training, education, and social services in the Pico-Aliso/Boyle Heights district of East Los Angeles. One such project is a Thrift Store. The other four follow.
IMPACTO (Imaginando Mañana Pico-Aliso Community Team Outreach) is a safe, after-school haven in a gang-ridden neighborhood. It offers educational enrichment to nearly 200 youth grades 2-12 at the parish school and at IMPACTO's own service center at 135 N. Mission Rd. It runs from 2:30 to 6:00 pm during the school year and from 11:00 am to 5:30 pm in summer. It lists its services as academic assistance (with homework, reading and language, math and science activities, tutoring and mentoring), educational enrichment (youth development, recreation and nutrition, arts and music), and parent support (family nights and parent education workshop).
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