1999: THE YEAR IN REVIEW
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Thousands of Central American immigrants who found sanctuary and family at St. Thomas the Apostle Church mourned after a June 12 fire nearly destroyed their Pico-Union parish church. Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, archbishop of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, canceled a trip in order to survey the damage and conduct Sunday services in the church parking lot. The fierce blaze caused nearly $1.2 million in damage. By year’s end, the congregation began holding services inside a warehouse.
About two weeks later, construction of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels reached a milestone as Mahony watched the pouring of the first concrete footing for the downtown building. Protests against the $163.2-million project mounted. Some Native Americans claim the site is a former burial ground. A lay ministry group called the Catholic Worker said the money would be better spent helping the poor, improving Catholic schools or renovating churches in low-income neighborhoods.
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