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By Alejandra Molina

Religion News Service

LOS ANGELES 鈥� Fearing the Monastery of the Angels could be sold for private use or redevelopment, Los Angeles preservationists and others are forming a nonprofit as they seek to acquire and take responsibility for the beloved Hollywood home to cloistered Dominican nuns.

Over the years, the monasterial community has dwindled as nuns have aged and some have died from COVID-19 and other causes, making it difficult to sustain the 鈥渄emocratic way of life.鈥� The Dominican nuns have devoted themselves to studying Scripture and to praying for people who come to them for guidance and penance.

An online petition to 鈥淪ave the Monastery of the Angels鈥� emerged last year, with LA residents referring to the four-acre property as a 鈥渞etreat鈥� and an 鈥渙asis鈥� amid the clamor of the city. The petition has garnered more than 4,200 signatures as of May 18.

Local prioress Sister Maria Christine 鈥� president of the Association of North American Dominican Monasteries 鈥� said in December that no decision had been made to sell, adding that the Dominicans were 鈥渓ooking at many options and trying to find the best suitable resolution.鈥� One of those options included seeking another religious community able to manage the monastery.

鈥淲e continue to wait for the official canonical permissions in order to proceed,鈥� Sister Maria Christine stated in an email last week. 鈥淥ur goal is to retain the beauty of the property and continue to be a source of spiritual enrichment for all who come to pray.

鈥淭he world needs prayer and we keep everyone in our prayer intentions,鈥� she added.

But preservationists aren鈥檛 taking any chances.

The Monastery of the Angels Foundation of Los Angeles, the nonprofit that鈥檚 in the process of incorporating, wants to acquire the monastery to care for and maintain the property 鈥渁s a Catholic sacred space,鈥� according to the Save the Monastery of the Angels website that went live on Thursday.

鈥淟osing the monastery to non-Catholic redevelopment will both deprive Catholics in Los Angeles of the ability to take spiritual nourishment from its grounds and also remove a place of prayer from a community that badly needs it,鈥� according to the website.

Behind that effort are Kim Cooper and Richard Schave, LA historians and preservationists who run a tour company that explores the city through an architectural, historical and spiritual lens; Rob Hollman, a nonprofit consultant whose clients have included PBS SoCal, Mr. Holland鈥檚 Opus Foundation and Preserve Orange County; and Brody Hale, president of the St. Stephen Protomartyr Project, an organization that works to preserve historic Catholic churches and sacred spaces.

鈥淲e need to be proactive,鈥� Schave said.

Schave said he agrees with Sister Maria Christine that the monastery should remain a space for spiritual enrichment, but 鈥渋f we just let this go and put our faith in the Dominican Federation and the Holy See,鈥� he said, 鈥淚 do not believe we will achieve that goal.鈥�

That part of town, Cooper said, has been subjected to overseas investors who 鈥渄on鈥檛 really have a sense of community.鈥�

鈥淭hey just want to do as much as they can as quickly as they can, in order to profit,鈥� Cooper said.

Founded in 1924 by a New Jersey nun, the Monastery of the Angels has received financial support from wealthy LA families and celebrities such as the Dohenys, through the Carrie Estelle Doheny Foundation, and the late actress Jane Wyman, through the Jane Wyman Charitable Foundation. The nuns also bake and sell their famous pumpkin bread, peanut brittle, chocolate mints and other treats at the gift shop.

Advocates behind this effort plan a fundraising campaign aimed at Catholics and others in the area and across the nation. They will determine whether it makes financial sense to continue producing the pumpkin bread and other goods.

鈥淎ny income derived from the production of these goods will be solely spent on the care and upkeep of the monastery and its grounds,鈥� they said.

They鈥檒l also seek to retain the gift shop and explore the possibility of making the monastery available for retreats.

Even though Dominican nuns would no longer inhabit the monastery under their stewardship, the group envisions keeping the chapel open for the occasional celebration of Mass, sacramental activities, 24-hour Eucharistic adoration and private prayer. Volunteers would be on hand.

There appear to be fewer than five nuns residing at the monastery.

Editor鈥檚 note: Religion News Service is solely responsible for this story. It is being distributed by The Associated Press.