A Catholic Anchor in Beverly Hills Since 1923
On December 12, 1923, in a nine-year-old suburb that the rest of the world would soon come to associate with a particular zip code, the Diocese of Los Angeles and San Diego founded a parish at the northwest corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Bedford Drive. The new Church of the Good Shepherd was one of eighteen parishes established that year - the busiest single year in the early history of the local Church - and was entrusted to Father Michael J. Mullins by Bishop John J. Cantwell.
A century later, the parish still stands on the same corner, and the surrounding city has grown around it. Good Shepherd serves the people of Beverly Hills and many of the surrounding communities, with a school, a music program built around a pipe organ installed in 2008, five Sunday Masses, daily devotions, and a network of parish ministries that reach well beyond the parish boundaries. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and Father Ed Benioff has served as pastor since July 1, 2015.
The church's motto, displayed on its front page, captures its self-understanding: Loving Christ, Loving Others. The parish describes itself as a welcoming Catholic community called by God to live out the message of Christ in love and service to all people, and the parish staff extends that welcome in three words at the top of every page: All are welcome!
Mass and the Sacraments at Good Shepherd
The rhythm of the parish is set by the Mass. Weekday Masses are celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:00 am and 12:05 pm, with an additional evening Mass on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. Saturday brings an 8:00 am Mass and the 5:00 pm Vigil Mass for Sunday. On Sundays the parish offers four Masses: 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 5:00 pm. Before the 10:00 am Mass each Sunday, the Rosary is prayed at 9:15 am in the Sacred Heart Chapel, just across from the Parish Center and adjacent to the parking lot on Roxbury Drive.
Each day begins with an hour of Eucharistic Adoration and the opportunity for Confession from 7:00 to 8:00 am, Monday through Saturday. On Wednesdays there is an additional hour of Adoration and Confession from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Friday offers an extra Confession slot at 11:40 am, and Saturday adds another hour from 3:00 to 4:00 pm.
The seven sacraments are at the heart of parish life. Infant Baptism is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of each month at 1:00 pm (following the 12:00 pm Mass), except during Lent, when baptisms are suspended in keeping with the Church's ancient practice. Parents attend a monthly Baptism Preparation Class; godparents who live far away may prepare at their own parish and provide written confirmation. Adult Baptism takes place through the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA). First Communion and Confirmation are prepared for through the Religious Education program and the OCIA process, depending on age. The Sacrament of the Sick is available to those who are ill or homebound. Marriage is celebrated at Good Shepherd through the Wedding Ministry, and Holy Orders are discerned through vocational contact with the parish. Funerals and Memorial Masses are coordinated through the Funeral Ministry, which also conducts an annual memorial service for those who have been bereaved.
Sacramental records can be requested through the parish office for anyone who received a sacrament at Good Shepherd. The fee schedule for baptisms, weddings, and other sacraments is paid online through a dedicated giving portal.
Becoming Catholic: OCIA
Good Shepherd welcomes adults who want to learn more about the Catholic faith, return to it, or be received into full communion through the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults. The OCIA process has two phases: an Inquiry stage for questions about what Catholics believe, and a Catechumenate stage of deeper formation in prayer, Scripture, the sacraments, the Mass, and Catholic life. The parish notes that there is no time limit, since each faith journey is a personal one. The OCIA process typically culminates at the Easter Vigil, when new members receive Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion together. Sister Virginia Stehly, CSJ, serves as Director of OCIA and Adult Confirmation.
The parish also welcomes returning Catholics and those simply curious about the Church. Becoming Catholic, in the parish's words, means joining an ancient faith, deeply rooted in the teachings and traditions of Christ, that is filled with hope and vibrancy as the Good News is carried forward.
Hollywood Roots: The Catholic Motion Picture Guild
Good Shepherd is unusual among American parishes for the way its history intersects with the early film industry. Bishop Cantwell asked Father Mullins to found the Catholic Motion Picture Guild along with the parish, with an eye toward the burgeoning studios then moving west. The Guild and the parish were soon populated by actors and performers whose names would shape twentieth-century entertainment. Among the early members were Jackie Coogan, Neil Hamilton, and Ben Turpin. In later decades the roster grew to include Ray Bolger, Jane Wyman, Jimmy Durante, Danny Thomas, Loretta Young, Gene Kelly, Rosalind Russell, Irene Dunne, Ricardo Montalban, Bob Newhart, Jack Haley, and Macdonald Carey.
Parish lore still includes the time that John F. Kennedy attended Mass here. The pastor at the time, Msgr. Daniel F. Sullivan, recalled that the Secret Service would survey the church in advance, designate the president's pew, and have a special phone installed off the vestibule for emergency calls from Washington. The parish school has its own Hollywood footnote: Sister Honora taught there with the child actor Jon Provost, who shared the screen with a collie in the TV series Lassie.
Pastors of Good Shepherd
The parish has known only six pastors in its first century. Father Michael J. Mullins served from 1923 until his reassignment in November 1938. He was succeeded by Father Patrick J. Concannon, later named Monsignor, who ministered for nearly twenty years until his death on April 29, 1958, when he fell at the foot of the altar at the conclusion of Mass. Msgr. Daniel F. Sullivan, a member of the Archdiocesan Building Commission, oversaw the 1959-1960 renovation and served as pastor until his retirement in December 1982 - the longest tenure in parish history. He was succeeded by Msgr. Peter C. Healy, who had been the first director of the Permanent Diaconate in the Archdiocese. Father Colm O'Ryan began his pastorate in September 1991 and was named Pastor Emeritus in July 2009. Msgr. Thomas Welbers then served as pastor until his retirement in June 2015. Father Ed Benioff, a Los Angeles native and former Director of New Evangelization for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was appointed by Archbishop José Gomez as Good Shepherd's pastor beginning July 1, 2015. Father O'Ryan remains Pastor Emeritus.
The Building, the Altars, and the Pipe Organ
The first Mass of the new parish was celebrated in the Windmere Apartments just south of the current site. As the parish grew, Sunday Masses moved to a small rectory on Camden Drive, then to the Beverly Hills Hotel. Throughout 1924 the mission-style parish church and rectory were constructed, designed by J.J. Donnellan, and on February 1, 1925 Bishop Cantwell presided at the dedication of the new frame-and-stucco building.
In 1959-1960 the church was renovated under Msgr. Sullivan's oversight, with a new marble main altar and two side altars. Sealed in those altars are the relics of Saints Felicitas and Perpetua, and of Saint Vibiana, patroness of the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
The current pipe organ was installed in November 2008, with the voicing completed in January 2009. Its installation has given the music ministry a tonal foundation that complements the parish choir of professional and volunteer singers who lead worship at the 10:00 am Sunday liturgy and at extraordinary liturgies throughout the year. The music ministry draws its direction from the Second Vatican Council's call for active, conscious participation by the whole assembly, the embodiment of liturgical texts in sung music, and the preservation of centuries of musical heritage.
Good Shepherd Catholic School
On September 8, 1930 - the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - the new Good Shepherd Parish School opened at Linden Drive and Charleville Boulevard. It remains the only Catholic school in Beverly Hills. The school is housed in its original building, and continues to maintain the standards set by the founding sisters: Excellence in Faith, Academics, and Service.
For its first forty-five years the school was staffed by the Holy Cross Sisters; in 1975 they were succeeded by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Today Good Shepherd School serves students in PreK3 through eighth grade under Principal Lisa Widmann. The school's three pillars - Faith, Academics, and Service - are expressed through classroom religion, a full academic curriculum, and an eighth-grade service project that takes the graduating class to Washington, D.C. each year. Annual traditions include the Father-Daughter Dance, a school musical, debate team competitions, and an open admissions process for grades with available capacity. The school maintains its own website at gsbh.net and runs an Alumni network for graduates.
The Parish Center and Sacred Heart Chapel
The Parish Center sits on Roxbury Drive, one block west of the church, on the northwest corner of Roxbury and Santa Monica Boulevard at 504 North Roxbury Drive. It contains the parish offices, meeting rooms, and a small chapel. The Christian Meditation Group meets in the Parish Center Chapel on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm and on Thursdays at 11:00 am. The St. Joseph Men's Group meets on Thursdays at 6:30 pm in the Parish Center. The Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers on the first and third Saturdays of each month from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. The Parent Ministry meets on the third Sunday of each month from 11:05 to 11:55 am. The Events Planning Group uses the Parish Center as a base for organizing roughly a dozen gatherings annually, from dances and trivia nights to parish-wide holiday celebrations.
Sunday Sip, a once-monthly social gathering, follows the 5:00 pm Sunday Mass. Hospitality volunteers provide continental-style breakfasts after the Sunday morning and midday Masses and on special occasions throughout the year.
Music, Lectors, and Eucharistic Ministers
The Music Ministry is built around the 10:00 am Sunday liturgy, with the parish choir supported by professional singers and cantors, and by the pipe organ installed in 2008. The repertoire draws from many centuries and styles. Musicians interested in joining the choir, serving as cantors, or playing as instrumentalists contact Music Director David Trevino.
Lectors proclaim the first two readings at Mass and complete a training period before being admitted to the ministry, with annual update meetings. Patrecia Formeca coordinates the ministry.
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion distribute the Eucharist at Mass and bring Communion to the sick, homebound, and hospitalized. They are commissioned under the principles of Immensae Caritatis, the 1973 instruction of Pope Paul VI that established the lay ministry of distributing Holy Communion in particular circumstances.
Altar Servers, Sacristans, Ushers, and Greeters
The Altar Server Ministry is open to adults and to children in the fifth grade and older who are baptized, have received First Holy Communion, and are active members of the parish community. Servers carry the cross, present the bread and wine, wash the hands of the priest, and assist the celebrant throughout the liturgy. Monthly schedules are emailed, and servers are asked to arrive ten to fifteen minutes before Mass. Servers are expected to dress neatly and to hang their albs and cinctures in the sacristy when finished.
The Sacristans prepare the details needed for the celebration of all Sunday and weekday liturgies, and for special occasions. Ushers and Greeters welcome the assembly, assist with seating - especially for those with special needs - take up the collection, organize the communion procession, and distribute the bulletin at the end of Mass. The ministry traces its roots to the guild of gatekeepers described in the Book of Chronicles.
Environment and Art
The Environment and Art Committee oversees the seasonal decoration of the building throughout the Church year. It is a sub-committee of the Parish Liturgy Committee, made up of leaders of various liturgical ministries and parishioners-at-large. The committee considers itself a work in progress, discerning how the worship environment can best reflect the seasons and feasts of the Church year.
Faith Formation for Every Age
The All Ages Bible Study meets from September through June, working through one book of Scripture or a focused topic drawn from Old or New Testament passages.
Religious Education for Children offers two paths. Catechists lead the Liturgy of the Word for Children during the 10:00 am Mass, and provide weekly instruction on Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:00 am, September through May. Patrecia Formeca coordinates the program.
For high schoolers, Confirmation preparation is a separate track, with the Confirmation Coordinator serving on the Safeguard the Children Committee alongside the Pastor, school leadership, the Director of Religious Education, and the youth minister.
Young Adults of Good Shepherd (YAGS) is a Catholic fellowship for adults ages eighteen to thirty-nine, married or single, that builds friendships, shares faith, and serves those in need. The group maintains a WhatsApp chat, an email newsletter, and a calendar of social, spiritual, and service events.
Young at Heart is the parish's senior group, providing opportunities for learning, fellowship, and faith-based activities for older parishioners.
Faith-Sharing Groups
The St. Joseph Men's Group welcomes men of all ages for prayer and fellowship under the patronage of St. Joseph, meeting on Thursdays at 6:30 pm in the Parish Center.
The Women's Ministry focuses on what it means to be women of faith and fellowship, meeting periodically through the year to honor Our Lady with prayer, retreats, and meditation, and to engage in community service.
The Parent Ministry meets on the third Sunday of each month to share, discuss, and support one another in a faith-based setting, with presentations on topics of interest to parents.
The Prayer Shawl Ministry is rooted in the ecumenical Prayer Shawl movement begun in 1998 at Hartford Seminary. Parishioners knit or crochet shawls while praying for the recipients; once a shawl is finished the group prays over it and the pastor blesses it. Completed shawls are given to parishioners, to families in need, and to the Good Shepherd Shelter for battered women and children, with prayer ponchos donated to Martha's Kitchen for distribution to the local homeless and to the Care Center for the Homeless at St. Charles Parish. The ministry meets the first and third Saturdays of the month from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm in the Parish Center.
The Christian Meditation Group gathers in the tradition of John Main, OSB, and the World Community for Christian Meditation, following the contemplative teachings of the Desert Fathers. The group meets on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm and Thursdays at 11:00 am in the Parish Center Chapel.
The Home Ministry of Prayer receives a monthly letter through the U.S. Mail describing the prayer intentions and particular needs of the parish. Sr. Virginia prepares each mailing, which also includes an inspirational message.
Spiritual Reading Group reads and discusses a selected book at each meeting.
Reaching Out: Feed My Poor and St. Vincent de Paul
Feed My Poor began as a ministry of the Church of the Good Shepherd. In 2021 it became an official 501(c)(3) humanitarian nonprofit, taking as its charge the command of Jesus to feed those who are most forgotten and neglected in society. The organization operates a food truck seven days a week, serving hot, healthy meals at large encampments in different cities around the metropolitan area.
The parish chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides one-time aid to neighbors in extreme circumstances. The chapter meets once a month on a weekday evening at 6:30 pm in the Parish Center and welcomes new members who feel called to serve.
The Funeral Ministry provides sympathy cards, listening, prayer, attendance at services, help with reception arrangements in the Parish Hall after funeral Masses, and follow-up care, including an annual memorial service. Elizabeth Nguyen coordinates the ministry.
Ministry to the Sick and Homebound brings Holy Communion to those who cannot come to church. Reach Out to Care visits parishioners who are unable to come to Mass. Bradford Barrett coordinates the homebound ministry.
Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations
Good Shepherd takes seriously the call of the Second Vatican Council to promote Christian unity and dialogue with other religions. The parish appoints a lay Parish Ecumenical and Interfaith Representative, currently Sandra Bossi, who has completed the Archdiocese of Los Angeles's certification course in Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations. The parish representative fosters ecumenical and interfaith awareness among parishioners, builds relationships with other Christian churches and non-Christian faith communities in Beverly Hills, and represents the parish with local ecumenical and interfaith organizations.
The parish hosts a Virtual Ecumenical Bible Study with the Southern California Christian Forum on Tuesday evenings, a Community Prayer Service for the wider community, and dialogue events such as the recent conversation between Father Ed and Rabbi Sherman on interfaith dialogue during uncertain times. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles's Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, under the Rt. Rev. Alexei Smith, offers a yearly certification course at Good Shepherd itself, with sessions one Saturday a month from September through June.
The parish references the Second Vatican Council's Unitatis Redintegratio and Nostra Aetate, Pope John Paul II's encyclical Ut Unum Sint, the Archdiocesan Covenant with the Episcopal and Lutheran Churches, and the 2019 Document on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb.
Baking, Hospitality, and the Small Works of Mercy
The Baking Ministry supports parish events with treats throughout the year. The Hospitality Committee provides continental-style breakfasts after Sunday Masses and on special occasions. The Sunday Sip coordinators host a once-a-month social after the 5:00 pm Sunday Mass. The Events Planning Group organizes roughly a dozen social events annually - dances, holiday celebrations, trivia nights - and is always looking for new volunteers.
The parish keeps the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy at the front of its self-understanding: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, care for the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead; and to share knowledge, give advice, comfort the suffering, be patient, forgive, offer correction, and pray for the living and the dead.
Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults
Good Shepherd maintains a Safeguard the Children Committee as required by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The committee is appointed by the Pastor and includes the Pastor or Associate Pastor, the School Principal or Vice-Principal, the Director of Religious Education, the Youth Minister, the Confirmation Coordinator, and the Pre-School Coordinator. The parish follows the Archdiocese of Los Angeles's programs for VIRTUS training of adults, training of children, background checks and fingerprinting of all who work directly with children, and regular parish audits. Terry Miller serves as chairperson.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Our Lady of Guadalupe Committee prepares and celebrates the annual Mass on December 12 - the anniversary of the founding of the parish and the feast of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Michelle Anglade coordinates the celebration.
Faith in the Catholic Tradition
Good Shepherd is a Roman Catholic parish within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Its members profess the Nicene Creed at Sunday Mass and live within the seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.
The parish summarizes Catholic faith in this way: God has revealed himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - a communion of knowledge and love - and has created us to share in that life. God loved his creation so much that he became human in the person of Jesus to walk among us. The Church, founded by Christ and carried forward through the Apostolic Tradition, makes the Paschal Mystery - the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ - present in every liturgy, most especially in the Mass, which is the source and summit of Catholic life.
Catholics believe in the communion of saints and look to Mary, the Mother of God, as a model of faith. The Church's social teaching calls on believers to care especially for the dignity of the human person, to tend to the poor, to care for creation, to ensure just working conditions, and to work toward an economic system that allows for equal treatment of all people.
Good Shepherd points newcomers to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Code of Canon Law, the Documents of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Encyclopedia, and the New American Bible as starting places for learning more about the faith.
The Liturgical Year
The parish follows the universal Catholic liturgical calendar. The year begins with Advent, four weeks of preparation before the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. Christmas is a season rather than a single day, beginning on Christmas Eve and continuing through the Feast of the Epiphany and including the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Lent is forty days beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending with the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. The Sacred Paschal Triduum is the holiest three days of the Church's year: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, with the Easter Vigil celebrated on Saturday night. Easter is fifty days of joyful celebration ending at Pentecost. Ordinary Time follows, in two segments, concluding with the Solemnity of Christ the King.
The parish's liturgical environment is shaped by the Environment and Art Committee, which oversees the seasonal decoration of the church through these seasons and feasts.
Stewardship, Giving, and Planned Giving
Good Shepherd offers online giving through a secure parish portal, with the ability to set up recurring gifts, give by credit card, and download tax statements at the end of the year. Beyond the Sunday collection, the parish maintains an Annual Appeal and the Fr. O'Ryan Scholarship Fund for the parish school. Planned Giving is available for parishioners and friends who wish to leave a bequest to the parish, the school, or its ministries; bequests are made through the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles, a Corporation Sole, for the benefit of Church of the Good Shepherd.
The parish welcomes volunteers of time and talent in every area of parish life.
Planning Your Visit
The Church of the Good Shepherd is located at the corner of North Santa Monica Boulevard and North Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills. Note that Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills has two roadways - Big Santa Monica on the north and Little Santa Monica on the south, separated by a strip of commercial buildings. The church is on Big Santa Monica.
Parking in Beverly Hills is tightly restricted, and the parish asks visitors to read signs carefully. On Sundays, street parking restrictions are lifted except where posted as "No Parking At Any Time," meters are free, and the city's parking garages are free. Monday through Saturday, all parking rules are enforced. The parish's own small parking lot can be accessed from Roxbury Drive, just west of the church, at 504 N. Roxbury Drive. Two city parking structures are within walking distance: one on Roxbury Drive (typically with more open spaces) and two on Camden Drive. Both metered structures offer three-hour meters Monday through Saturday that are free after 6:00 pm and free all day Sunday.
The church has two accessible entrances. The west entrance is reached from the parking lot, across from the Parish Hall. The east entrance is reached from Bedford Drive, with a ramp up to the door. Accessible parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Parish Center at 504 N. Roxbury Drive; a small number of spaces are reserved for vehicles with handicap placards.
The Parish Office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, closed from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, and closed on weekends. The mailing address for the parish is 504 N. Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Sunday Masses are celebrated at 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 5:00 pm. Confessions are heard Monday through Saturday from 7:00 to 8:00 am, with additional times on Wednesday evening, Friday at 11:40 am, and Saturday afternoon from 3:00 to 4:00 pm.
A Parish with a Long Memory
What makes Church of the Good Shepherd distinctive is the way it holds together three things that are not often combined in one place. It is a parish with a deep Hollywood memory, rooted in the founding vision of Bishop Cantwell and Father Mullins and the Catholic Motion Picture Guild. It is a school parish, with Good Shepherd Catholic School as the only Catholic school in Beverly Hills and an educational tradition that stretches back to the Holy Cross Sisters of 1930. And it is an outward-facing parish, whose ministries reach beyond its own walls through Feed My Poor, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Ecumenical and Interfaith Representative, and an extensive network of prayer, formation, and fellowship groups. Through all of these, the parish has lived out its first-century motto: Loving Christ, Loving Others.