Who Will Use New Cathedral?

Re “A Modern Sense of the Sacred,” May 22: As a Catholic living in Los Angeles for 40 years, I don’t object to having a new, modern cathedral. I don’t object to the current $163-million price tag, no matter what the final cost and even though the cost estimate started under $50 million. (Could a realistic and honest estimate be that far off?)

What I do object to is the location. I don’t believe there is much of an existing worshiping congregation around the location. As for ministering more to the business community, over a 30-year period I worked in a number of downtown locations; the location of the cathedral is “Siberia” to most of downtown. Think of St. Patrick’s Cathedral built on the East River or the Hudson River rather than in the heart of Manhattan.

I will take out-of-town visitors to the cathedral. Maybe parishes will each be offered a Sunday and buses will transport the faithful. Certainly large funerals and weddings will be held there. But all of these are occasional, “special destination” uses. Where will the day-in, day-out usage come from for a facility/”sacred space” of this size?

Kevin Cronin

Playa del Rey